ABSTRACT
The term “Flemish expressionism” was coined during the 1920s to describe an important aspect of contemporaneous modern figurative art in Belgium. The term was applied both to works by Flemish artists bearing a stylistic relationship to German expressionism, as evidenced by their distorted forms, coloration, and dynamic compositions, and to works considered to be cubist in nature with regards to their sense of balance, synthesis, and construction. As Flemish expressionism reached its pinnacle, the movement garnered official support. Furthermore, a new Flemish intelligentsia was active within the government department as a counterweight to the traditionally dominant French-speaking bourgeoisie. After a period of openness to international relations, Flemish expressionism became more insular and overly bound, in a one-dimensional way, to the Flemish cultural identity that would eventually be regarded as a condition for a universal culture.
