Introduction

The term ‘Expressionism‘ a German phenomenon, initially referred to painting. It was used
occasionally during the nineteenth century and was popularized in 1901 by the French painter J.
A. Hervé. The German art dealer and publicist Herwarth Walden took it up from 1910 onwards
and applied it to the German revolt against academicism and naturalism in all the arts. But,
unlike the equivalent movements of futurism and surrealism, expressionism was not a sole
school guided by an cerebral leader. So, the work of very different artists, including playwrights,
has been called expressionist – integrated by common characteristics rather than a strict
programme.