In general, German and Austrian art made little headway
in gaining acceptance during the first two decades--especially
when compared with the relative success of the problematic
music imported from these countries. With few exceptions,
World War I severely curtailed any possible avenue of recog-
nition that Expressionism may have had in America. In the
decade following the war, the movement slowly but surely
began to receive the long awaited for attention in this
country. The Thirties brought a literal and figurative
explosion in the art world, which reverberated in America's
growing interest in Expressionism, as World War II inexorably
approached.

In this book, I have attempted to encapsulate in detail
the American reaction to German and Austrian Expressionism
through a chronological overview and a supplementary bibli-
ography. The chronology, spanning from 1900 to 1939,
includes entries on exhibitions, people, events, and places.
Due to the vast amount of information and the limitation of
space, traveling exhibitions receive limited treatment. For
the same reason, certain words have been abbreviated to con-
serve space; readers should consult the list of abbreviations
for clarification. The names of important artists have been
highlighted in capital letters. The data in the entries is
selective but as detailed as possible given the conditions
of available resources. (Strange as it may seem, records
kept by galleries and museums can be infuriatingly incom-
plete, and in some cases, even non-existent.) I have noted
the places where information is missing.

The chronology is unique in that it includes many items
not ordinarily found in an art or art history bibliography.
I have not confined myself to German and Austrian Expres-
sionism alone. To present an expansive canvas of the
artistic world of America and Europe during the first four
decades of this century, I have also included comprehensive
forays into drama, literature, music, and history, as well
as exhibitions by artists other than Expressionists (e.g.,
Picasso, Matisse, Léger, O'Keeffe, and Dove).

The bibliography I consider to be a working reference
guide. An expansion of John M. Spalek's pioneering book,
German Expressionism in the Fine Arts, this bibliography
provides the minimum amount of background material. Though
the critical annotations reflect my own judgments on the
works listed, I have tried to be as objective as possible.
I have included, for instance, several works that some
critics might consider not up to scholarly standards
because I firmly believe that a good critical bibliography
should span the entire spectrum of a particular discipline,
not just its superior aspects.

The index I have divided into two parts: The first lists
proper names, and the second, exhibitions by galleries,
museums, and institutions in chronological order. The

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