How did German Expressionist artists use woodcuts and drypoints?

German Expressionist artists favored woodcuts and drypoints primarily for their directness, which aligned with the movement's emphasis on spontaneous, emotional expression and spiritual vigor.1

Woodcuts

Inspired by the vitality of medieval woodcuts, Expressionists sought to achieve a brutal, harsh effect by roughly hewing and gouging the wood. They utilized the medium's capacity for thick, jagged lines and stark tonal contrasts to convey intense feelings such as anxiety, frustration, and social discontent. Artists like Ernst Ludwig Kirchner were noted for their experimental color woodcuts, while Emil Nolde often worked spontaneously, creating woodcuts without preliminary drawings to capture violent imagery.231

Drypoints

The directness of the drypoint technique also appealed to the Expressionist temperament. Artists used this method to create powerful graphic statements, with Max Beckmann producing some of the 20th century's finest portrait prints using the medium. Similarly, Lovis Corinth is recognized for his rich, virile drypoints, which represent a significant transition from 19th-century naturalism to the Expressionist style.1