Beckett's love for the art of painting runs through his entire life. He frequently mentions his exhibition experiences in letters, diaries, and notes, and has written numerous art reviews and essays. During the peak of literary creation, Beckett published several art reviews about the Dutch painters the von Willerd brothers and the Irish painter Jack Yeats. In recent years, Beckett's artistic ideas have received attention from the critical community, and related research papers have emerged continuously. However, there is relatively little research on how specific art genres influence Beckett's creations. Acheson focuses on the literary theory of human cognitive limitations in Beckett's works, while Oppenheim explores themes such as artistic autonomy and subject object relationships. Although Norson mentioned the influence of painting works on Beckett's dramatic character images, it is not systematic and in-depth enough. Samuel Beckett and Contemporary Art "and" Beckett and Visual Art "focus more on the sorting of Beckett's aesthetic ideas. German Expressionism received a cold reception in Beckett's critical circle, with only Prinz writing a related paper. Beckett's visit to Germany from 1936 to 1937 may have had an impact on this art movement. By comparing Beckett's theatrical works with expressionist paintings, it can be found that his theater scenery, character movements, and aesthetic orientation all bear the imprint of expressionism. The German Expressionist art of the early 20th century greatly influenced Beckett's theater creations since 1950.

Minor mode: Separatism of returning to simplicity and authenticity

German Expressionism was an important component of the early 20th century German art separatist movement, represented by the "Bridge Society" and "Green Knights" of the Dresden and Munich Separatists. Expressionist artists pursue the origin of primitive art and convey the essence of the object through minimalist creative techniques. Beckett's dramatic works share similarities with expressionist art in terms of form and content innovation, particularly in the abandonment of intricate details and a tendency towards simplicity and restraint in creation. Beckett proposed the concept of "minor keys" during his time in Germany, emphasizing the minimalist tendency of artistic expression, which echoes the minimalist aesthetic view of expressionist artists. Beckett's plays such as "Waiting for Godot," "Silent One," "Happy Days," and "The Endgame" all embody this minimalist aesthetic, conveying themes through desolate scenes and the powerlessness of characters. Beckett had a particular fondness for woodcut paintings by members of the Bridge Society, which took the expressionist "minor key" to the extreme, emphasizing flaws, immediacy, and arbitrariness. The character movements and expressions in Beckett's plays have a striking resemblance to the lines and style of woodcut paintings, such as in "The Final" where Clough's movements echo the rigid lines of woodcut paintings. Beckett's theatrical aesthetics were largely influenced by German Expressionist art, particularly in his preference for primitive art and pursuit of minimalist aesthetics.

Inner voice: pure sound and lines

Beckett's mid to late stage theatrical works, such as "Waiting for Godot," "The Endgame," mime, and "Crapp's Last Tape," demonstrate an aesthetic shift from "minor tonality" to high internalization and abstraction. This transformation corresponds to Kandinsky's theory of "inner spirituality", which is influenced by Wollinger's concepts of "empathy" and "abstraction". Vollinger believed that abstract art was a struggle against naturalism, while Kandinsky viewed art as a medium for spiritual resonance. Beckett's artistic views may be closer to Kandinsky's than directly influenced by Wollinger. In Beckett's works, language and stage movements gradually lose their representational meaning through repetition, and instead showcase their spiritual traits. Kandinsky believed that works of art should possess "internalization" and "wholeness". Beckett's plays create visual effects with ritual and mystery through simple repetitive movements and geometric line designs, such as horizontal lines, vertical lines, and circular compositions. These designs not only reflect Kandinsky's exposition of the inner spirit of lines, but also embody Beckett's affirmation of the value of non representational and non formal art. Beckett's plays guide the audience to experience a tremor of the soul through these elements, rather than pursuing external explanations and meanings.

Single World: Concrete Metaphysics

Beckett's dramatic works shifted to monologue form after 'Happy Days', where characters no longer seek communication and understanding with the outside world, but enter the' monadic world '. This concept originates from Leibniz's philosophy, emphasizing that each monad is an independent entity that encompasses the entire world. Beckett is interested in the absolute closure of a single object and its potential to demonstrate overall meaning. He made grasping the existence of alienation his creative purpose during the Dresden period, while during the Hamburg period, the works of the separatist expressionist artist Ballmer showed him the possibility of combining monism with literary creation. The characters and props in Beckett's later plays become an absolute closed 'single sheet', unable to express facts about the world and self, sinking into ultimate loneliness. He grasps the most primitive essential state of the object by suppressing the impulse to express himself and showcase the world.