Expressionism: The Total Artwork Gallery – Leicester's German Expressionist Collection

See the Collection

Expressionism: The Total Artwork Gallery

The Leicester German Expressionist Collection is showcased in our dedicated gallery at Leicester Museum & Art Gallery. Find out about the gallery including information about opening times and travel advice.

Leicester Museum & Art Gallery

Trevor Thomas Dedication

We are proud to host the largest collection of German Expressionist artwork in the UK, and with support from Arts Council England have re-displayed the collection.

Our new gallery uses cutting edge museum design to uncover the remarkable story behind our collection. Exploring how and why German and other Expressionist artists revealed their innermost emotions through art, dance, music and drama.

Supported by Arts Council England.

Leicester has a remarkable collection of German Expressionist Art. Founded in Leicester during the dark days of war, and now with over 450 artworks, the collection is acclaimed as the finest of its kind in the UK.

The initial collection began with works acquired from the ground-breaking exhibition ‘Mid-European Art’, which took place at the museum in 1944. The exhibition featured unique works from private collections, which had been brought to England and safety by refugee artists and collectors.

Expressionist artists sought to liberate powerful emotions in their art, which they believed lay beneath the surface appearance of everyday life. Artists in the collection include Marc, Kandinsky, Munter; Heckel, Kirchner, Jawlensky and Schmidt-Rottluff. Artists preceding, or influenced by Expressionism also enrich the collection, including Liebermann, Feininger, Kollwitz and Grosz.

Funding support for works in the collection has been received from The Art Fund, The V&A Purchase Grant Fund and the City of Leicester Museums Trust.

ACE Logo Art Fund V & A Purchase Grant Fund The City of Leicester Museums Trust