How did medieval German woodcuts influence Expressionist printmaking?

German Expressionists were deeply inspired by the vitality and aesthetic qualities of medieval and Renaissance woodcuts, looking to artists such as Albrecht Dürer, Matthias Grünewald, and Albrecht Altdorfer for historical precedent.1

This influence was instrumental in the revival of the woodcut medium in early 20th-century Germany. Expressionist artists, particularly those in the group Die Brücke, prized the medium for its ability to convey raw, spontaneous marks and bold, flat color. By adopting the techniques of their medieval predecessors, they utilized the woodcut’s capacity for thick, jagged lines and harsh tonal contrasts to achieve a brutal, emotionally charged effect.213

Rather than seeking the refined precision of traditional wood engraving, Expressionists often gouged and roughly hewed the wood to emphasize the medium's inherent texture and intensity. This approach allowed them to move away from academic naturalism and instead express subjective states of mind, such as anxiety, discontent, and frenetic emotional energy, which were central to the Expressionist movement.31