Why did Expressionist artists use vivid and jarring colors?

Expressionist artists employed vivid and jarring colors as a deliberate departure from the literal representation of nature, aiming instead to depict subjective emotions and internal states of mind. By utilizing these intense formal elements, artists sought to convey powerful, often unsettling feelings such as anxiety, disgust, fear, and horror.12

This stylistic choice was central to the movement's goal of reinfusing art with spiritual vigor and a frenetic intensity of feeling. In the context of the early 20th century, these jarring colors served as a direct response to the perceived ugliness, contradictions, and crude banality of modern urban life. Rather than focusing on objective reality, Expressionists used color—alongside distorted lines and rough brushwork—to create emotionally charged atmospheres that reflected their personal, spontaneous responses to the social and spiritual crises of their time.21