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Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

EXPRESSIONIST STYLE

While “expressionist” is used to describe any art that avoids naturalism and instead employs a bold use of flattened forms and intense brushwork, Expressionist art formally describes early-20th-century work from Europe that drew on Symbolism and confronted issues such as urbanization and capitalism. Expressionist artists experimented in paintings and prints with skewed perspectives, abstraction and unconventional, bright colors to portray how isolating and anxious the world felt rather than how it appeared. 

Between 1905 and 1920, Austrian and German artists, in particular, were inspired by Postimpressionists such as Paul Gauguin and Vincent van Gogh in their efforts to strive for a new authenticity in their work. In its geometric patterns and decorative details, Expressionist art was also marked by eclectic sources like German and Russian folk art as well as tribal art from Africa and Oceania, which the movement’s practitioners witnessed at museums and world’s fairs.

Groups of artists came together to share and promote the themes now associated with Expressionism, such as Die Brücke (The Bridge) in Dresden, which included Erich Heckel, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff and investigated alienation and the dissolution of society in vivid color. In Munich, Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider), a group led by Wassily Kandinsky and Franz Marc, instilled Expressionism with a search for spiritual truths. In his iconic painting The Scream, prolific Norwegian painter Edvard Munch conveyed emotional turmoil through his depiction of environmental elements, such as the threatening sky.

Expressionism shifted around the outbreak of World War I, with artists using more elements of the grotesque in reaction to the escalation of unrest and violence. Printmaking was especially popular, as it allowed artists to widely disseminate works that grappled with social and political issues amid this time of upheaval. Although the art movement ended with the rise of Nazi Germany, where Expressionist creators were labeled “degenerate,” the radical ideas of these artists would influence Neo-Expressionism that emerged in the late 1970s with painters like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Francesco Clemente.

​​Find a collection of authentic Expressionist paintings, sculptures, prints and more art on 1stDibs.

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Style: Expressionist
Expressionist Gouache and Watercolour Study for 'Alexander and His Army'.
Located in Cotignac, FR
French late 20th century watercolour and gouache study for the series 'Alexander and His Army' by Stephane Lovighi-Bourgogne. Presented in plain wood frame. A strong and forceful de...
Category

Late 20th Century Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Gouache

The Port of Le Havre
Located in London, GB
'The Port of Le Havre', pencil on art paper, by French artist Fred Pailhès (circa 1950s). Le Havre was only a fishing village until 1517, when Francis I h...
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1950s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pencil

German Expressionist drawing by Carl Hofer of one of his models
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Carl Hofer (German, 1875 – 1955) Das Modell (The artist’s model) Black crayon on paper Signed with monogram ‘CH’ (lower right) 18 x 14.1/8 in. (45.8 x 36 cm.) Provenance: These works come from the artist’s second wife Elizabeth and from then by descent. Carl Hofer was a German expressionist painter and the director of the Berlin Academy of Fine Arts. One of the most important painters of the Expressionist movement, his work was among those that was considered degenerate art by the Nazis. He studied in Karlsruhe under Hans Thoma. He first visited Paris in 1899 making acquaintance with Julius Meier-Graefe. In 1902 he studied in Stuttgardt and became friends with the sculptor Hermann Haller...
Category

20th Century Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Crayon

Sacré-Coeur Montmartre at Willette Square Paris
Located in London, GB
'Sacré-Coeur, Montmartre at Willette Square, Paris', gouache on art paper (circa 1930s), by Lucien Génin. Created by the Director of Public Ways and Promenades under Napoleon III, Sq...
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1930s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Gouache

The voyage
By Renate Dollinger
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist: Renate Dollinger (German/American, born 1924) Title: The Voyage Year: Circa 1970 Medium: Gouache and watercolor Paper: Watercolor Image size: 15.5 x 21.5 inches Signature: ...
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1970s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

Drawing, Pastel, Ink And Colored Pencils. "Free Spirits"
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
Pastel, Pencil, petal flowers, Color and Ink on Paper. The base of this drawing is Fabriano paper of 120g /m2. I use natural dyes of flowers, herbs, leaves, bark of trees as the fir...
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2010s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pastel, Ink, Pencil, Color Pencil

The Tree of Life, Expressionist Drawing Landscape Watercolor Paper in Soft Tones
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is a beautiful expressionist style drawing by Juanjo Saez. Juanjo's pictorial work is an exploration of color, texture, and movement, creating vibrant compositions that capture ...
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2010s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Wax Crayon

PROFIL DE FEMME
Located in Aventura, FL
Original pencil and crayon drawing on paper. Hand signed and dated on front by the artist. Visible image size 25.6 x 19.7 in. Frame size approx 32.25 x 27 in. Artwork is in excellen...
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1950s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Crayon, Pencil

Buttercream Acrobats circus performers humorous subject male female dynamic
Located in Brooklyn, NY
this is a soft pastel on red toned heavyweight archival paper , framing under glass recommended for display. full figured women like Botero theme: circus, food, cake, relationships,...
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2010s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Pastel, Archival Paper

Track Star - Figurative Portrait of an African American Man in Pastel on Paper
Located in Soquel, CA
Track Star - Abstracted Portrait of an African American Man in Pastel on Paper Bold and imaginative pastel drawing of a man in a track suit by an unknown artist (20th Century). An A...
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Late 20th Century Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Oil Pastel

Mid-Century French Feutre on Paper. Tea time In the Kitchen.
Located in Cotignac, FR
Late Mid Century French feutre drawing on paper of a Provençal lady sitting in her kitchen by Jean Arène. Signed and dated bottom left. This artwork is a striking pen-and-ink drawing that vividly captures a cluttered interior scene filled with an assortment of teapots and household objects. The central figure, an elderly lady with an expressive face, sits at a table surrounded by an overwhelming array of details. The artist uses bold, dynamic lines to convey a sense of chaos and charm, creating an atmosphere of cozy clutter. The composition’s intricacy draws the viewer's eye around the room, showcasing...
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1960s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Felt Pen

Nu, mains dans ses cheveux (Nude, Hands in Her Hair)
Located in Chicago, IL
Signed and dated, upper right Provenance: Atelier of the artist
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1950s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink

George Grosz NYC City Scene Modernism Watercolor German Expressionism Weimar
Located in New York, NY
George Grosz NYC City Scene Modernism Watercolor German Expressionism Weimar George Grosz (Germany, 1893-1959) "City Scene," 17 x 12 inches, signed and dated “33” lower left, watercolor on paper. This drawing, created while Grosz was living in NYC. Period frame, It has been authenticated by Ralph Jentsch, the globally recognized Grosz expert. Provenance: Hirschl & Adler and 511 Gallery...
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1930s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Three Trees Wait, Expressionist Drawing Landscape Watercolor Paper in Spft Tones
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is a beautiful expressionist style drawing by Juanjo Saez. Juanjo's pictorial work is an exploration of color, texture, and movement, creating vibrant compositions that capture ...
Category

2010s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Wax Crayon

Body in the Field #3 - Red, Pencils, Landscape
Located in Baden-Baden, DE
Body in the Field #3, 2022 coloured pencils on canvas 25 H x 16 W cm Signed on reverse Zsolt Berszán embodies in his works the dissolution of the human body through the prism of t...
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2010s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Canvas, Color Pencil

Small Boat and Bather in Dinard
Located in London, GB
'Small Boat and Bather in Dinard', gouache and charcoal on art paper, by French artist, Jean Pons (1961). Painted in a naïve style, the piece dep...
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1960s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Charcoal, Gouache

Return of the Fishermen - Fishermen German Expressionism
Located in London, GB
This chalk drawing is signed and dated in pencil by the artist "HMP 1931" in the lower right image. Note: The drawing was created in the region of Pomerania, Northern Poland, near t...
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1930s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Chalk

Études de Personnages (Figure Studies)
Located in Chicago, IL
Provenance: Atelier of the artist Notes: Studio stamp on the verso of this important, early work by Gromaire. Over the years there has been an ever-widening interest in the work o...
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1920s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink

Drawing, Acrylic, Ink and Colored Pencils on Paper. "Old Love, New Love"
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
“Old Love, New Love” is an original mixed media drawing created with acrylic, ink, and colored pencils on Fabriano 120g/m² paper. The artwork incorporates a unique technique develope...
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2010s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink, Acrylic, Pencil, Color Pencil

German expressionist drawing by Carl Hofer' Whispering'
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Carl Hofer (German, 1875 – 1955) Einflusterung (Whispering) Charcoal and pencil on paper Signed and inscribed ‘Einflusterung’ (lower middle) 17.1/4 x 13.3/8 in. (43.8 x 34 cm.) Provenance: These works come from the artist’s second wife Elizabeth and from then by descent. Carl Hofer was a German expressionist painter and the director of the Berlin Academy of Fine Arts. One of the most important painters of the Expressionist movement, his work was among those that was considered degenerate art by the Nazis. He studied in Karlsruhe under Hans Thoma. He first visited Paris in 1899 making acquaintance with Julius Meier-Graefe. In 1902 he studied in Stuttgardt and became friends with the sculptor Hermann Haller...
Category

20th Century Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Charcoal

German Expressionist drawing of abstracted figures by Carl Hofer
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Carl Hofer (German, 1875 – 1955) Abstract figures Pencil on paper 8.1/4 x 9 in. (21 x 23 cm.) With studio stamp (on the reverse) and signature of the artist’s wife Elizabeth Hofer Provenance: These works come from the artist’s second wife Elizabeth and from then by descent. Carl Hofer was a German expressionist painter and the director of the Berlin Academy of Fine Arts. One of the most important painters of the Expressionist movement, his work was among those that was considered degenerate art by the Nazis. He studied in Karlsruhe under Hans Thoma. He first visited Paris in 1899 making acquaintance with Julius Meier-Graefe. In 1902 he studied in Stuttgardt and became friends with the sculptor Hermann Haller...
Category

20th Century Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pencil

Without Results - China Ink Drawing on Paper by G. Grosz - 1925
Located in Roma, IT
Original china ink drawing on paper by George Grosz, representing a typical subject of social and family issues. Provenance: Grosz Foundation (Regist...
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1920s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink

Jewish Family
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork "Jewish Family" 1968 is an acrylic and ink on wove paper by noted Lithuanian artist Boris Deutsch, 1892-1978. It is hand signed and dated at the lower left corner by the...
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Mid-20th Century Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Acrylic

Violin Player Watercolor
Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL
Violin Player 1960/65 work size 11x29, with frame 18x36 inches, artist signed. Chaim Gross (1904 Austria–1991 USA) will always be remembered as one of the foremost American artist : ...
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1960s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor, Archival Paper, Pen, Ink

Haiti Beach, Impressionist Watercolor by James Amos Porter
By James Amos Porter
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: James Amos Porter, American (1905 - 1970) Title: Haiti Beach Year: circa 1965 Medium: Watercolor, signed l.r. Size: 15 in. x 12 in. (38.1 cm x 30.48 cm) Frame Size: 22 x 18 i...
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1960s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

Expressionist Miniature Drawing Wheat Stalks American Modernist Ben Zion WPA
Located in Surfside, FL
Expressionist ink drawing of wheat stalks There is an inscription "Happy New Year" on verso Hand signed Framed it measures 7.75 X 5.75 The actual paper is 3 X 3.5 Born in 1897, Ben-...
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1950s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink

Study for Marbles, Original Drawing by Francisco Zuniga 1962
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Francisco Zuniga, Costa Rican / Mexican (1912 - 1998) Title: Study for Marbles Year: 1962 Medium: Ink on Paper, signed and dated l.r. Size: 17.5 x 21.5 inches Frame: 26....
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1960s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Paper

20th Century German Expressionist drawing of figures in a dream by Carl Hofer
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Carl Hofer (German, 1875 – 1955) Figures from a dream Pencil and charcoal on paper Signed with initial ‘CH’ (lower right) 17 x 13 in. (43.2 x 33 cm.) Provenance: These works come fr...
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20th Century Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Charcoal, Pencil

A Polo Match, Framed Watercolor by John W. Dunn- 1932
Located in Pasadena, CA
This framed watercolor is signed lower right by the American artist J.W. Dunn. It depicts a thrilling equestrian polo match from the 1930s, featuring four riders in traditional pol...
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Mid-20th Century Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor

German Expressionist drawing by Carl Hofer of lovers
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Carl Hofer (German, 1875 – 1955) Die Liebenden (The lovers) Black ink and remnants of crayon on paper Signed with monogram ‘CH’ (lower right) 13.3/4 x 9.3/4 in. (35 x 24.8 cm.) P...
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20th Century Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Crayon, Ink

20th Century German Expressionist drawing by Carl Hofer
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Carl Hofer (German, 1875 – 1955) Der Traum (The dream) pencil on paper Signed with monogram ‘CH’ (lower right) 13 x 13 in. (33 x 33 cm.) Provenance: These works come from the artist’s second wife Elizabeth and from then by descent. Carl Hofer was a German expressionist painter and the director of the Berlin Academy of Fine Arts. One of the most important painters of the Expressionist movement, his work was among those that was considered degenerate art by the Nazis. He studied in Karlsruhe under Hans Thoma. He first visited Paris in 1899 making acquaintance with Julius Meier-Graefe. In 1902 he studied in Stuttgardt and became friends with the sculptor Hermann Haller...
Category

20th Century Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pencil

Caribbean Mermaid soft tropical color Mermaid and angel fish mythical subject
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Soft pastel on toned sanded archival paper suitable for framing under glass. Signed and dated bottom. Part of an ongoing series of mermaids by the artist
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2010s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Pastel, Archival Paper

MARYAN - ORIGINAL DRAWING - PORTRAIT
Located in Tel Aviv - Jaffa, IL
Ink on paper Hand signed and dated lower right Unique piece
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1970s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink

"Whew!" oil pastel signed landscape motorcycle fun adventure lake mountains bold
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Whew!" is an original oil pastel drawing on a grocery bag by Reginald K. Gee. The artist signed the piece in the lower left. It depicts a man on a motorcycle doing a wheelie on a be...
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Early 2000s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Oil Pastel, Found Objects

Mermaid &Tonic mythical sea creatures humor soft light color
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Part of an ongoing series of mermaids by the artist on toned archival paper signed and dated on bottom
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2010s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Pastel, Archival Paper

Strassenszene in Berlin - Drawing by Georges Grosz - 1926
Located in Roma, IT
Pencil drawing on wove paper, realized in 1926 ca during the so called "Berlin Period" of Grosz. Lower left inscribed "N°. 19 / Cassirer". Verso with estate stamp and the number "5/...
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1920s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pencil

Untitled Figurative by Miguel Conde, No. 102/150
Located in San Diego, CA
Signed lithograph by awarded artist Miguel Conde. The artist is known for his mastery of engraving. His drawings and other art forms are sought after and his artwork is part of vario...
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20th Century Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper

Clown
Located in Astoria, NY
Nahum Tschacbasov (Russian/American, 1899-1984), Clown, Pastel on Paper, 1950, signed and dated lower left, painted wood frame. Image: 11.5" H x 7.5" W; frame: 18" H x 14" W. Provena...
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1950s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pastel

"Untitled" (2023) By Quang Ho, Original Charcoal Illustration
Located in Denver, CO
Quang Ho's "Untitled" (2023) is an original handmade charcoal drawing done on paper. This piece depicts an abstracted portrait of nude women. Artist's Statement "Realism and abstrac...
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20th Century Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pastel

Le Pont Neuf
Located in London, GB
'Le Pont Neuf', gouache on fine art paper, by Lucien Génin (circa 1930s). The Pont Neuf is the oldest standing bridge across the river Seine in Paris, France. It stands by the western point of the Île de la Cité, the island in the middle of the river that was, between 250 and 225 BC, the birthplace of Paris. It is called 'The New Bridge' because at the time of its inauguration (built 1578-1607), it embodied a very modern look compared to other bridges which spanned the Seine. Lucien Génin has captured its beauty in this lively depiction from the 1930s. Just before the bridge is a 'Bateau Mouche' an open excursion boat that provides visitors with a view of the city from along the river. The artwork is in good overall condition commensurate with age and medium used. It has been newly frame with anti-reflective glass. Please enjoy the photos accompanying this listing. Signed by the artist in the lower left hand. Upon request a video may be provided. About the Artist: After the devastation of the First World War, Lucien Génin (1894 - 1953) left his provincial home in the autumn of 1919 to find his fortune among the lively Parisians in the heart of Montmartre. Génin befriended the painters Frank Will, Gen Paul, Émile Boyer, Marcel Leprin...
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1930s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Gouache

Emile's Tavern
Located in London, GB
'Emile's Tavern', gouache on paper (circa 1930s), by Lucien Génin. A tavern in French is called a 'guinguette'. With the rise in living standards from the 1860s along with the develo...
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1930s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Gouache

Modernist Avant-Gard Figurative Abstract, Large-Scale Primary Colors Pastel
Located in Soquel, CA
Stunning modernist avant-garde figurative abstract pastel in deep royal blue, with red and yellow accents by Henry Elinson (Californian/Russian 1935-2010), 1996. Signed and dated "H....
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1960s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pastel

Watercolor on paper Italian expressionist figurative nude second quarter 1900
Located in Florence, IT
The work is titled "The Bathers" and is signed at the lower right "CARENA. "The scene depicts a natural setting in which two naked maidens are chatting as they are about to bathe; be...
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Mid-20th Century Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Church of Saint-Nicolas du Chardonnet in Paris
Located in London, GB
'The Church of Saint-Nicolas du Chardonnet, Paris', gouache on art paper by Lucien Génin (circa 1930s). In Paris' 5th Arrondissement the site in which Saint-Nicolas du Chardonnet is ...
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1930s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Gouache

'Two Figures', Bogota, Museum of Modern Art, New York, Colombian Modernist
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Signed upper left, 'Gongora' for Leonel Gongora (Colombian, 1932-1999), dated 1963, and titled verso 'Ataque'. Born in Cartago, Colombia, Gongora studied at Escuela de Bellas Artes...
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1960s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink, Watercolor, Gouache

Large Watercolor Painting Israeli Modernist Judaica Two Rabbis
Located in Surfside, FL
A large watercolor painting. Moshe Gat was born in Haifa in 1935. in 1952 he began his studies at the Bezalel School, in Jerusalem. In 1955...
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Mid-20th Century Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

'Odalisque', French Watercolour of a Female Nude.
Located in Cotignac, FR
Late 20th Century watercolour on paper of a naked female figure before an open window. Signed bottom right but as yet not deciphered. Presented in carved, white painted wood frame. ...
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Late 20th Century Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Gouache

Jerusalem Old City Landscape, Expressionist Judaica Israeli Painting
Located in Surfside, FL
In this painting the artist uses gestural brushstrokes, which causes distortion and exaggeration for emotional effect. Andre Elbaz uses as his subject figures walking in old city Jerusalem. André Elbaz (born April 26, 1934, El Jadida, Morocco) is a famous Moroccan painter and filmmaker. Elbaz studied art and theatre in Rabat and Paris from 1950 to 1961. He started painting only at the age of 21, until which age he had been interested mainly in theatre. A few years later, he managed to combine his two passions into a new approach in art-therapy, inventing together with his wife, a psychiatrist, the Pictodrame, which brought him world recognition. His first exhibition, which was very successful, took place in Casablanca in 1961 and earned him an appointment as Professor at the Beaux-Arts school in Casablanca. Years later, in 1976, he exhibited his paintings at the Tel-Aviv Museum. In parallel to his career as a painter, Elbaz is also known as a filmmaker. He produced several short films in France, Canada and the United States. One of them, La nuit n'est jamais complète (The night is never complete), won a prize at the "5th Biennale de Paris in 1967". Among the themes chosen for the many films he produced, there was a short one about the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, as well as a series of drawings entitled Seuls (Alone), with texts written by both Elie Wiesel...
Category

20th Century Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Gouache

Frosch Serenade - Drawing by L. von Hoffmann - Early 20th Century
Located in Roma, IT
Frosch Serenade is an original drawing in watercolour and pencil on paper, realized by Ludwig Von Hofmann . Framed. In very good conditions. The artwork represents a nude woman-bu...
Category

1910s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor, Pencil

Original German Expressionist Drawing Ernst Ludwig Kirchner Women Dancing
Located in Surfside, FL
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner ( Germany 1880-1938 ) Expressionist Female Women Dancing Mixed Media on Paper Drawing or Painting Expressionism Dimensions: 20" L 16" H in This bore a sticker from Christies auction house and another collection sticker verso but they have been inadvertently removed. I do have the photo. Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880 – 1938) was a German expressionist painter and printmaker and one of the founders of the artists group Die Brücke or "The Bridge", a key group leading to the foundation of Expressionism in 20th-century art. He volunteered for army service in the First World War, but soon suffered a breakdown and was discharged. His work was branded as "Entartete Kunst" or "degenerate" by the Nazis in 1933, and in 1937 more than 600 of his works were sold or destroyed. Ernst Ludwig Kirchner was born in Aschaffenburg, Bavaria. His parents were of Prussian descent and his mother was a descendant of the Huguenots, a fact to which Kirchner often referred. As Kirchner's father searched for a job, the family moved frequently and Kirchner attended schools in Frankfurt and Perlen until his father earned the position of Professor of Paper Sciences at the College of technology in Chemnitz, where Kirchner attended secondary school. Although Kirchner's parents encouraged his artistic career they also wanted him to complete his formal education so in 1901, he began studying architecture at the Königliche Technische Hochschule (royal technical university) of Dresden. The institution provided a wide range of studies in addition to architecture, such as freehand drawing, perspective drawing and the historical study of art. While in attendance, he became close friends with Fritz Bleyl, whom Kirchner met during the first term. They discussed art together and also studied nature, having a radical outlook in common. Kirchner continued studies in Munich from 1903 to 1904, returning to Dresden in 1905 to complete his degree. In 1905, Kirchner, along with Bleyl and two other architecture students, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff and Erich Heckel, founded the artists group Die Brücke ("The Bridge") later to include Emil Nolde, Max Pechstein and Otto Mueller. From then on, he committed himself to art. The group aimed to eschew the prevalent traditional academic style and find a new mode of artistic expression, which would form a bridge (hence the name) between the past and the present. They responded both to past artists such as Albrecht Dürer, Matthias Grünewald and Lucas Cranach the Elder, as well as contemporary international avant-garde movements. As part of the affirmation of their national heritage, they revived older media, particularly woodcut or woodblock prints. Kirchner's studio became a venue which overthrew social conventions to allow casual love-making and frequent nudity. Group life-drawing sessions took place using nude models from the social circle, rather than professionals, and choosing quarter-hour poses to encourage spontaneity. In 1911, he moved to Berlin, where he founded a private art school, MIUM-Institut, in collaboration with Max Pechstein with the aim of promulgating "Moderner Unterricht im Malen" (modern teaching of painting). This was not a success and closed the following year, when he also began a relationship with Erna Schilling that lasted the rest of his life. In 1917, at the suggestion of Eberhard Grisebach [de], Helene Spengler invited Kirchner to Davos where he viewed an exhibition of Ferdinand Hodler paintings. "When I was leaving, I thought of Vincent Van Gogh's fate and thought that it would be his as well, sooner or later. Only later will people understand and see how much he has contributed to painting". In 1921 Kirchner visited Zurich at the beginning of May and met the dancer, Nina Hard, whom he invited back to Frauenkirch (despite Erna's objections). Nina Hard would become an important model for Kirchner and would be featured in many of his works. Kirchner began creating designs for carpets which were then woven by Lise Gujer. In 1925, Kirchner became close friends with fellow artist, Albert Müller...
Category

Early 20th Century Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink

'Dancing Musician', New York, Kinetic Figural, NYMOMA, LACMA, Whitney Museum
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
'Dancing Musician' by Ronald Mallory, 1975. New York Museum of Modern Art, Kinetic Figural, Los Angeles County Museum of Modern Art, Whitney Museum ----- Signed lower right, 'Mallor...
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1970s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Watercolor, Gouache, Laid Paper

Woman in the Street, Expressionist Painting by Irma Stern 1923
Located in Long Island City, NY
Woman in the Street by Irma Stern, South African (1894–1966) Date: 1923 Gouache on Paper, signed and dated lower right Size: 20 x 16 in. (50.8 x 40.64 cm) Frame Size: 26.5 x 22 inches
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1920s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Gouache

Model Dressing
Located in Chicago, IL
Signed lower right Provenance: Acquired from the artist Exhibited: Homage to Béla Czóbel: Paintings, Watercolors, Drawings,R. S. Johnson Fine Art, Chicago, 1990: no. 56 and reprodu...
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1960s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Charcoal

British expressive, mid century gouache 'A dance at the fair' by Basil Town
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Norman Basil Town (British, 1915 – 1987) A dance at the fair Gouache on paper 7.7/8 x 13 in. (20 x 33 cm.) Norman Basil Town (1905–1984) was a British artist known for his evocativ...
Category

20th Century Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Gouache

Horse II - 21st Century, Figurative Drawing, Animal, Colored Pencil, Brown
Located in Baden-Baden, DE
Horse II, 2014 Colored Pencil on Paper 28.74 H x 40.15 W in. 73 H x 102 W cm Dinu Rădulescu's drawings illustrate, in their majority, the Horse, like a...
Category

2010s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pencil, Color Pencil

Body in the Field #5 - Blue, Red, Drawing, Color pencil
Located in Baden-Baden, DE
Body in the Field #5, 2022 coloured pencils on canvas 25 H x 16 W cm Signed on reverse Zsolt Berszán embodies in his works the dissolution of the human body through the prism of t...
Category

2010s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Canvas, Color Pencil

British expressive, mid century pen and ink 'Washer Women' by Basil Town
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Norman Basil Town (British, 1915 – 1987) Washer woman Pen and ink 8 x 6 in. (20 x 15 cm.) Norman Basil Town (1905–1984) was a British artist known for his evocative religious and al...
Category

20th Century Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Ink

Expressionist figurative drawings and watercolors for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Expressionist figurative drawings and watercolors available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add figurative drawings and watercolors created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of orange, blue, yellow and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Parmis Sayous, Zsolt Berszán, Anastasia Kurakina, and Stephen Basso. Frequently made by artists working with Paper, and Paint and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Expressionist figurative drawings and watercolors, so small editions measuring 1.2 inches across are also available. Prices for figurative drawings and watercolors made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $88 and tops out at $70,500, while the average work sells for $1,600.

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