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Jayatee Bhattacharya, Lovely Professional University Unit 28: Didacticism, Symbolism, Impressionism and Expressionism

Unit 28: Didacticism, Symbolism, Notes

Impressionism and Expressionism

CONTENTS
Objectives
Introduction
28.1 Didacticism
28.2 Symbolism
28.3 Impressionism
28.4 Expressionism
28.5 Summary
28.6 Keywords
28.7 Review Questions
28.8 Further Readings

Objectives
After studying this unit, you will be able to:
Describe didacticism and symbolism.
Define impressionism.
Explain expressionism.

Introduction
Didacticism - communication that is suitable for or intended to be instructive; "the didacticism
expected in books for the young"; "the didacticism of the 19th century gave birth to many great
museums"
A symbol is something that represents something else, either by association or by resemblance.
It can be a material object or a written sign used to represent something invisible.
In writing, symbolism is the use of a word, a phrase, or a description, which represents a deeper
meaning than the words themselves. This kind of extension of meaning can transform the written
word into a very powerful instrument.
Impressionism is a movement in French painting, sometimes called optical realism because of
its almost scientific interest in the actual visual experience and effect of light and movement on
appearance of objects.

Expressionism developed during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Expressionis was opposed
to academic standards that had prevailed in Europe and emphasized artist's subjective emotion,
which overrides fidelity to the actual appearance of things. The subjects of expressionist works
were frequently distorted, or otherwise altered.
The term “symbolism” is derived from the word “symbol” which derives from the Latin
symbolum, a symbol of faith, and symbolus, a sign of recognition, in turn from classical Greek
symbolon, an object cut in half constituting a sign of recognition when the carriers were able to
reassemble the two halves.

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