Avant-Garde Movements
The blurred borders between Art and Architecture

by Joanne Benzimra Morali

University : Universidad Europea de Madrid (UEM)
Course : Communication Skills
Project Type : Research 
1st Semester - 2020
Tutor : Miguel Luengo  
Tools : Microsoft Word 

What do we mean when we talk about the Avant-Garde Artistic Currents of the early 20th century? 

The early 20th century marked a new era in visual arts. Indeed, artists began challenging the precedent art styles and techniques in the inter-war period, when society was begging some novelty. Symbolism, expressivity or abstraction replaced the perfection of beauty and aesthetics. From this radical change, several artistic currents defying were created to form the “Avant-Garde” Artistic movements.

This French given name translates to “Vanguard” or “Fore-guard”. Primarily used in the military for the brave first- row soldiers, in the same idea the European Avant Garde artists developed unconventional ahead of their time.

However, nowadays, the label “Avant-Guarde” is applicable to all art that pushes the boundaries of ideas and creativity. 

Some Avant-garde movements have focused mainly on innovations of form, others have had strong social programs.

Fauvism (1905-1908) - Woman with a Hat, Henri Matisse, 1905
Led by Matisse and Derain, this movement used intense, non-natural colors and abstract forms, earning the label “wild beasts.”
Woman with a Hat Henri Matisse, 1905
Cubism (1907-1914) - Demoiselles d’Avignon, Picasso, 1907
Pioneered by Picasso and Cézanne, it broke down subjects into geometric shapes, used bold colors, and introduced collage techniques.
Les Demoiselles d’Avignon Pablo Picasso, 1907
Expressionism (1905-1920) - SelfPortrait, Egon Schiele, 1912
In cities like Dresden and Berlin, artists rejected realism to convey deep emotions and inner truths through distorted imagery.
Self-Portrait with Chinese Lantern Plant Egon Schiele, 1912
Dadaism (1915-1924) - Fountain Marcel Duchamp, 1917
Emerging during WWI, this anti-art movement challenged bourgeois culture with absurd, irrational works by Duchamp, Man Ray, and others.
Fountain Marcel Duchamp, 1917 (replica 1964)

Finally, in Milan, Futurism (1909-1914) introduced its unique blend of movement and modernity.  
Other movements like Constructivism, Neoplasticism or De Stijl were less massive but still had an impact on Art.
Therefore, some of them had an influence in Architecture, as De Stijl,  Expressionism, Neoplasticism and Russian Constructivism. 


·      Germani, I. 2019. German Expressionism in Context: the FirstWorld War and the European Avant-Garde.

·      Lewis, B.I. 1993. Review of Books: Modern Europe.

·       Morán, A.Expresionismo Arquiteconico e imaginacion.

·      James-Chakraborty, K. 1994. Expressionism, relativity,and the Einstein Tower.

·      Gausa Navarro, M. 1984. Latorre d’Einstein : uninici i un final 1914 -1921 (English).

·      Jeffries, M. 1998. Erich Mendelsohn and theArchitecture of German Modernism (by) Kathleen James.

·      Hand, R.J. 2012. German Expressionism.

·      Sylvester, D. 1969. Arte moderno : del fauvismo al expresionismo abstracto.


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