Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

'The Parade Ring at the Races', gouache and pastel on art paper, by Maurice Empi (circa 1970s). The Parade Ring, otherwise known as the paddock, is the pla...

Signed "Klimt". Framed dimensions 20.5h x 27.75w x 1.75d inches Note: Due to the size, weight, and/or value of this piece, we require shipping through 1stDibs, for its cost effectiveness, full insurance coverage, and reliable handling. While standard parcel services are an option, the default quote does not include packing and insurance and we do not ship uninsured. 1stDibs shipping provides a level of value, protection, and care that aligns with our commitment to safeguarding historic artworks and providing excellent client service. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. Both intensely dynamic and deeply introspective, Klimt’s works devoted to the “act of love” rank among his most intoxicating and sought-after creations. Inspired by Japanese erotic woodblock...

Alexander Aizenshtat is considered the founder of a new art movement called metaphysical expressionism. This painting can be described as a metaphysical exploration of perception, in...

Signed "Schiele Egon 08" This work was reviewed by will be Jane Kallir, Kallir Research Institute, New York on August 19, 2021 and has confirmed its authorship. The work will be inc...

Artist: George Grosz, German (1893 - 1959) Title: Sex Scene in Red Shoes (Erotic) Year: circa 1940 Medium: Watercolor, Pen and Ink on Paper, signed Size: 17...

Watercolor, mixed media, using resists and metalic paints and old pastels. For Octopus and cephalopod fans. Janet Morgan’s explosive art captures the exu...

Gerard Morot-Sir (French, 1931 – 2003) Graphica Ink on paper Signed and dated ‘ Morot-Sir, 59’ (lower left) 12.1/2 x 9.5/8in. (31.7 x 24.5cm.) Newly framed in a limed wood frame in a...

This exquisite watercolor by Ian Hornak (1944–2002), titled Woman Arranging Flowers in an Interior, was executed circa 1963 during the artist’s undergraduate studies. Created during ...

'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 ...

Wolf Kahn Study of a Child Signed lower right Pastel on paper 10 x 13 inches An important member of the second generation New York School, Wolf Kahn is renowned for his luminous, r...

This exquisite watercolor by Ian Hornak (1944–2002), titled Still Life with Yellow Flowers and Blue Drapery, was executed circa 1963 during the artist’s undergraduate studies. Create...

Abstract harbor scene with boats, in bold, vivid colors on heavy mould made paper. Hand signed and dated, 1980 22 X 30 not frame Robert Freiman, deaf from birth, was born in March 1917 in New York City. He attended an oral program near his home and later transferred to the Lexington School for the Deaf when he was six. Early in his childhood, his love for drawing, painting and studying became apparent, and as an adult, he continued his studies in New York at the National Academy of Design, Pratt Institute, the Art Students League and the Parsons School of Design. In Paris, France he studied at the Ecole des Beaux Arts. Bob Freiman was especially focused on painting portraits and figures in motion in various mediums, especially the mixed-media combination of watercolor, acrylic and pen. Among his subjects were acrobats, ballet dancers, cyclists and other athletes. He as well focused on abstracts for a time, discovering new media in his works with quick brushwork and expressive movements. In the latter part of his career, his style became abstract and surreal with images of metaphysical landscapes with architectural elements such as arches, towers, pyramids and castles floating in the air. The famed art critic Pierre Rouve wrote: “It is therefore refreshing to see them revitalized by the colourist wealth and virile handwriting of Robert Freiman, probably the best American water-colorist since John Marin. He worked in Provincetown and Nantucket and regularly exhibited there. He showed at Doll & Richards gallery of Boston alongside John Chetcuti, Lloyd Goodrich, Tod Lindenmuth, William Meyerowitz, Dwight Shepler...

Actual Lithograph without matte is 16" X 12". BENJAMIN KOPMAN (1887 - 1965) Painter, Illustrator and printmaker Benjamin Kopman was born in Vitebsk, Russia and emigrated to the Unit...

Black And White Minimal Painting is an original artwork realized by TUSET in 2020. We can frame it in natural wood on request. The title of this works is "From the Apollonian picto...

A masterpiece exploring tactile intimacy, floral movement, and the infinite. This large-scale 70x100cm paper composition captures a sublime transition from vibrant organic textures i...

Two early 20th-century Vienna Secessionist, male nude cornice drawings. Graphite on pale blue/grey wove drawing paper, spot glued by the artist to ...

"Tulips Red 3" bursts with life, a vivid floral painting where passion blooms in every detail. Red tulips take center stage, their vibrant hues energized by touches of blue, yellow, ...

Created in 1991, this expressive ink on paper by Menachem Gueffen depicts a seated female figure rendered through a bold and highly personal graphic language. Strong black lines defi...

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...

‘Air Tulips’ is an immersive journey into the very heart of a bloom. In this large-format mixed media work (57x81 cm), the tulips are not just flowers—they are a vibrant, breathing f...

This exquisite watercolor by Ian Hornak (1944–2002), titled Abstract Floral Still Life in Crimson and Blue, was executed circa 1963 during the artist’s undergraduate studies. Created during the formative years of Hornak’s artistic development, the composition provides a compelling glimpse into the emerging vision of an artist who would later become one of the pioneering figures of American Photorealism and Hyperrealism. Depicting an atmospheric arrangement of blossoms, vessels, and organic forms rendered in luminous washes of color, the watercolor reveals Hornak’s early fascination with still life subjects and the expressive possibilities of watercolor. Rich passages of crimson, magenta, blue, violet, orange, and earth tones combine with fluid brushwork and transparent layers to create a composition that balances abstraction with observation. The work demonstrates the confidence and spontaneity characteristic of Hornak’s student years, when he explored color relationships and compositional structure through increasingly ambitious watercolor studies. Although created decades before the highly detailed paintings that brought him international recognition, the watercolor already reveals his sensitivity to atmosphere, his ability to orchestrate complex arrangements, and his lifelong interest in transforming familiar subjects into emotionally resonant images. As a rare surviving example from his undergraduate years, the work offers valuable insight into the artistic foundations that ultimately led to the symbolic still lifes and botanical masterpieces of his mature career. Executed in watercolor on wove paper, this work measures 21 x 29.5 inches (53.34 x 74.93 cm). Unsigned; estate stamped, verso. Artwork Details: Artist: Ian Hornak (1944–2002) Title: Abstract Floral Still Life in Crimson and Blue Medium: Watercolor on wove paper Dimensions: 21 x 29.5 inches (53.34 x 74.93 cm) Inscription: Unsigned; estate stamped, verso Date: Circa 1963 Condition: Well preserved, consistent with age and medium Provenance: Estate of Ian Hornak, East Hampton, New York About the Artist: Ian Hornak (1944–2002) was an American painter, draughtsman, printmaker, and pioneering force in Photorealism and Hyperrealism whose extraordinary technical mastery, visionary imagination, and innovative approach to realism established him as one of the most distinctive and original artists of the late twentieth century. Widely recognized as a founding member of both the Photorealist and Hyperrealist movements, Hornak helped redefine the possibilities of contemporary realism by combining photographic precision with symbolism, romanticism, mythology, environmental awareness, art historical references, and metaphysical inquiry, creating a body of work that stands apart within postwar American art for both its visual brilliance and intellectual ambition. Born in Philadelphia and raised in Michigan before establishing his career in New York and East Hampton, Hornak emerged during one of the most transformative periods in modern art and developed a highly individual visual language that transcended conventional artistic categories. While many of his contemporaries focused on strict photographic transcription, urban imagery, or detached observation, Hornak utilized realism as a foundation for exploring profound themes of memory, beauty, mortality, spirituality, environmental fragility, and humanity’s relationship with nature, producing works that operate simultaneously as visual spectacles and philosophical meditations. His artistic vision reflects an awareness of the revolutionary innovations introduced by Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Wassily Kandinsky, Marcel Duchamp, and Man Ray, while simultaneously drawing inspiration from the Hudson River School, particularly Frederic Edwin Church, Martin Johnson Heade, Thomas Cole, and Albert Bierstadt, as well as the spiritual landscapes of Caspar David Friedrich and the botanical precision of Dutch Golden Age masters such as Jan van Huysum and Rachel Ruysch. Through this extraordinary synthesis of influences, Hornak created a visual language that united scientific observation, photographic realism, romantic grandeur, allegorical symbolism, and philosophical reflection into a form entirely his own. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Hornak emerged as one of the earliest artists associated with the newly developing Photorealist movement, producing panoramic landscapes of astonishing complexity and technical sophistication that challenged prevailing assumptions regarding realism and representation. These groundbreaking paintings incorporated the visual effects of multiple-exposure photography, allowing Hornak to present numerous viewpoints, shifting perspectives, and compressed moments in time within a single composition, years before such approaches became commonplace in contemporary art. He was also among the first contemporary artists to extend pictorial imagery beyond the edges of the canvas and onto elaborately painted frames, dissolving the boundary between artwork and object and anticipating later developments in installation art and expanded-field painting. These innovations earned widespread critical acclaim and positioned Hornak alongside major contemporaries such as Chuck Close, Richard Estes, Audrey Flack, Ralph Goings, Robert Bechtle, Malcolm Morley, Richard McLean, and Don Eddy, yet his work remained distinguished by its emotional resonance, romantic sensibility, and deep engagement with both art history and the natural world. As his career evolved, Hornak increasingly moved beyond the concerns of mainstream Photorealism and developed a more personal and ambitious artistic vision, culminating in the monumental botanical, allegorical, and symbolic masterpieces of the 1980s and 1990s that many scholars regard as the pinnacle of his achievement. These extraordinary paintings combined hyperreal floral imagery, celestial phenomena, rare minerals, birds, insects, architectural motifs, mythological references, and complex still-life arrangements into dazzling visual orchestrations that reward prolonged viewing and intellectual engagement. Major works such as Raphael’s Stairway, Echo Loses Narcissus, Hannah’s Mirror, Very Baroque Flowerpiece, and the celebrated Last Song series transformed traditional genres into contemporary meditations on beauty, mortality, history, science, religion, art history, and the cosmos. Unlike many photorealists whose work remained rooted primarily in observation, Hornak elevated realism into a vehicle for symbolic and philosophical exploration, creating paintings that function simultaneously as technical masterpieces, visual narratives, intellectual puzzles, and poetic reflections on existence itself. Throughout his career, Hornak was represented by influential galleries including Tibor de Nagy Gallery, Fischbach Gallery, Katharina Rich Perlow Gallery, and Armstrong Gallery, exhibiting extensively in New York and internationally. His work received praise from leading critics and publications, including The New York Times, which described him as being “right at the top of romantically descriptive painters today.” His paintings entered important private, corporate, and institutional collections, and his reputation has continued to grow through significant posthumous exhibitions at institutions including the Forest Lawn Museum, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in Washington, D.C., the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, the Anton Art Center, and the Moss-Thorns Gallery of Art. Hornak’s influence extends far beyond Photorealism into later generations of realist, hyperrealist, symbolic, environmental, and representational painters who continue to explore the intersection of photography, illusion, narrative, environmental awareness, and metaphysical content. Today, his paintings, drawings, and prints remain highly sought after by collectors who recognize their rarity, beauty, technical excellence, and historical importance, while his personal papers are preserved in the Smithsonian Institution’s Archives of American Art, affirming his place within the broader narrative of twentieth-century American art. As international interest in museum-quality realism continues to expand and collectors increasingly seek historically significant artists whose scholarly importance exceeds their current market valuations, Hornak’s work has attracted growing attention for its originality, ambition, and uniqueness within American art. His highest recorded sale was achieved in 2017, when Large Orchid Bouquet (1988) was sold in a private transaction conducted in association with the heir of the Ian Hornak estate to the Van Andel family, co-owners of Amway, for US$165,000 ($219,168.11 USD, calculated for inflation in 2025), underscoring the growing recognition of an artist whose significance within the history of American realism continues to expand. Ian Hornak watercolor, Ian Hornak student work, Ian Hornak undergraduate studies, abstract floral watercolor...

I poured vibrant energy into this piece, blending acrylic, oil pastel, and colored pencil to create bold, expressive tulips that burst with life. The fusion of expressionism, impress...

Artist Comments
From a high vantage point, rugged desert ridges and mountains unfold in vibrant spring colors. Loose washes of pink, green, yellow, and blue flow together, echo...

"Gladiolus 2" captures the passionate spirit of blooming gladiolus. Fiery reds and glowing yellows express movement and vitality. The artist's bold, impressionistic strokes blend the...

This artwork belongs to my “Floral” series which is full of expressive brush strokes where I could experience a floral theme. It is a bold and eclectic mix of art which radiates str...

This exquisite watercolor by Ian Hornak (1944–2002), titled Abstract Floral Composition, was executed circa 1963 during the artist’s undergraduate studies. Created during the formati...

Work on paper Dimension with pass 31.7 x 24 cm

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...

Artist Statement & Concept: "True art is born from the radical ability to experience the stillness within the everyday. This work, captured in 2020 during a period of global intr...

'La Montera', gouache, watercolour and ink on art paper, by Pierre Ambrogiani (circa 1960s). The artist created many artworks with bullfighting as theme. In this case, a single torer...

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...

Mid Century Italian watercolour on paper of a tablescape, signed and dated (1956) bottom right. The artist is currently unknown. Presented under glass in original, period plain woo...

'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...

Vintage Minimalist Sand Dunes Landscape in Watercolor on Laid Paper Wonderful minimalist watercolor of sand dune with grass and birds by Ed Walaitis (Amer...

Heinrich Brad Schmidt, two early 20th-century German Secessionist, male nude cornice drawings. Graphite on pale blue/grey wove drawing paper, spot ...

AKOS BIRO (HUNGARIAN 1911-2002) watercolor/ gouache size: 7.5 x 10.5 inches Beautifully colourful, original painting by the very popular and highly regarded Hungarian/ French painte...

Artist Comments
A fox caught in mid-leap burst to life in dashes of red, gold, and violet. Built with layered washes and spontaneous shapes, the painting suggests the animal's ...

Artist: Charles Levier, French (1920 - 2003) Title: Nudes in Fur II Year: circa 1970 Medium: Watercolor on Paper, signed Image Size: 22 x 16.5 inches Size: 28.5 in. x 22 in. (72.39 ...

Work on paper This painting depicts a dynamic harbor under a stormy sky. The artist uses energetic brushstrokes and a palette dominated by deep blues and ochres, giving the scene a d...

Expressionist Portrait of a Man in a Suit in Pastel on Paper Moody portrait of a man with dark hair by an unknown artist (20th Century). The man is shown with an elongated face and ...

NOT STRETCHED. You'll receive it rolled, in a tube. Ready for stretching. I recommend stretching your painting in a local custom framing shop or gallery. It will be the most affordab...

Derrick Latimer Sayer (British, 1917 – 1992) A vase of summer blooms Watercolour on board 24.3/4 x 16.3/4 in. (60.3 x 42.5 cm.) Sayer studied at the Chelsea School Art under Henry Mo...

This modern colorful artwork "Gorgeous cactus flowers" is full of vivid colors which are my tools of expression. I explore the beauty of these beautiful pink blooming cactus flower...

Spanish Expressionist Marker Drawing of Ballet Dancers and Theater Scene Artist: Ignacio Gil Sala (1913–2003) Title: Untitled (Ballet and Theater Sketches) Date: circa 1985 Medium: ...

"Tulips Grey" is a vibrant floral painting where emotion takes center stage through swirling colors. Acrylic, oil pastel, and colored pencil dance across the paper, creating a dynam...

Georges Pomerat Le Pouzin (Ardèche), 1870 - Arles, 1948 Pastel Signed lower right "G. Pomerat" 53 x 49 cm (65 x 60 cm with frame) Excellent condition This is an interresting interior of a cabaret in Marseille in the 1920s. Several "Montmartois" artistic cabarets settled in Marseille in the 1920s such as le Pupu's, le Chat rieur, La Lune rousse...

This 1991 drawing presents a female figure rendered with unusual freedom and urgency, built from layered contour lines, looping marks, and repeated adjustments in black ink and ballp...

PAUL CÉSAR HELLEU Le Duet. Color chalks and pencil on tan wove paper, circa 1900. 653x500 mm; 25 3/4x19 3/4 inches. Signed in pencil, lower right recto. Framed size: 36.5 x 31 x 1....

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. ...

Actual Lithograph without matte is 16" X 12". BENJAMIN KOPMAN (1887 - 1965) Painter, Illustrator and printmaker Benjamin Kopman was born in Vitebsk, Russia and emigrated to the Unit...

Artist Comments
This watercolor painting captures the charm and vitality of Portland’s historic Old Port district. City life hums with a balance of energy and ease—building...

Acrylic, Ink, Pastel and collage on archival paper - Original Work on Paper, unique work. The work is in very good condition and is signed lower Right "Patricia R.". Unfortunately w...

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....

This watercolour is hand signed and dated in pencil by the artist "Heckel 22" [1922] in the lower left image. It is also hand titled in pencil “Grauer Tag” [Grey Day] in the lower l...

"Spring Calls" is more than just a watercolor; it is a symbol of the beginning of spring and that magical moment when the world awakens. I was inspired by the special feeling of joy ...

Actual Lithograph without matte is 16" X 12". BENJAMIN KOPMAN (1887 - 1965) Painter, Illustrator and printmaker Benjamin Kopman was born in Vitebsk, Russia and emigrated to the Unit...

Actual Lithograph without matte is 16" X 12". BENJAMIN KOPMAN (1887 - 1965) Painter, Illustrator and printmaker Benjamin Kopman was born in Vitebsk, Russia and emigrated to the Unit...

Marta Lebek is a Polish artist born in 1978. She currently lives and works in Spain. She studied at the School of Fine Arts and specialized in the departm...

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...

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...