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Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

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
Layers of Time, Painting, Watercolor on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
Original watercolor painting on 140 lb Arches cold pressed paper :: Painting :: Expressionism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist ::...
Category

2010s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

Portrait of a painter
Located in BLARICUM, NL
QUIRIJN VAN TIEL Rotterdam 1900-1967 Rhoon PORTRAIT OF THE PAINTER 1943 Watercolor on paper 68 x 53 cm. Signed and dated: lower right ‘Quirijn van Tiel 43’. Provenance: Former col...
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1940s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

Rustende wieders
Located in BLARICUM, NL
QUIRIJN VAN TIEL Rotterdam 1900-1967 Rhoon RESTING WIEDERS 1945 Watercolor on paper 58 x 39 cm. Signed and dated: lower right "Quirijn van Tiel 45". Provenance: collection P.A. Re...
Category

1940s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

Saint Joan, Drawing, Pencil/Colored Pencil on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
In my pictures I try to combine the visual and the conceptual. For me, drawing is a medium of knowledge which, beyond direct expression, makes visible material and immaterial forces,...
Category

2010s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Pencil

"As I Waste Time on Earth, " Oil Pastel Abstract Landscape by Reginald K. Gee
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"As I Waste Time on Earth" is an original oil pastel drawing on rag board by Reginald K. Gee. The artist signed it on the back. This piece depictts two faces in the lower left, two f...
Category

1990s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Oil Pastel, Board, Rag Paper

Sister, Drawing, Pencil/Colored Pencil on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
In my pictures I try to combine the visual and the conceptual. For me, drawing is a medium of knowledge which, beyond direct expression, makes visible material and immaterial forces,...
Category

2010s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Pencil

Woman V, Drawing, Pencil/Colored Pencil on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
In my pictures I try to combine the visual and the conceptual. For me, drawing is a medium of knowledge which, beyond direct expression, makes visible material and immaterial forces,...
Category

2010s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Pencil

Princess, Drawing, Pencil/Colored Pencil on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
In my pictures I try to combine the visual and the conceptual. For me, drawing is a medium of knowledge which, beyond direct expression, makes visible material and immaterial forces,...
Category

2010s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Pencil

Golden Houselake Himmelpfort, Painting, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
Painted plein air in North Brandenburg. :: Painting :: Expressionism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Hang: No :: Sig...
Category

2010s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

Lake at Himmelpfort, Painting, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
Painted plein air in Himmelpfort with watercolor and reservage. :: Painting :: Expressionism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: ...
Category

2010s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

Red Roses In Red Glass Beaker 12.29.08
Located in New York, NY
Colored Pencil on Museum Board Signed and Dated; Impressed with artist's stamp lower right Archivally framed with black float mount and bleached maple surround.
Category

Early 2000s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Board, Color Pencil

Red Roses In Red Glass Beaker 1.2.09
Located in New York, NY
Colored Pencil on Museum Board Signed and Dated; Impressed with artist's stamp lower right Archivally framed with black float mount and bleached maple surround.
Category

Early 2000s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Board, Color Pencil

Red Roses In Red Glass Beaker 4.13.09
Located in New York, NY
Colored Pencil on Museum Board Signed and Dated; Impressed with artist's stamp lower right Archivally framed with black float mount and bleached maple surround.
Category

2010s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Board, Color Pencil

Spurred on by the Crowd
Located in Deddington, GB
Spurred on by the crowd- horse racing painting [2022] original Pen and Ink Image size: H:32 cm x W:24 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:32 cm x W:24 cm x D:32cm Sold Unframed ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Ink, Pen

Interspecies Communication, colorful mythological swirling pattern orange tones
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Watercolor, mixed media, using resists and metalic paints and old pastels. For Octopus and cephalopod fans. Janet Morgan’s explosive art captures the exu...
Category

2010s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Watercolor, Archival Paper, Mixed Media

The Few
Located in London, GB
Signed and dated upper right Framed (matte black wooden frame, black raised float mount on foam core, UV anti-reflective glass) Frame size 38.5 x 29.6 x 4 cm This work includes a ce...
Category

2010s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Charcoal

Horned and Read, colorful mythological figure, spiritual, blue ground
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Watercolor, mixed media, using resists. Janet Morgan’s explosive art captures the exuberance and deep wisdom we humans yearn to experience. Her sense of...
Category

2010s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media, Watercolor, Archival Paper

Hot Flash, figure, red colors, bright swirling patterns
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Watercolor, mixed media, using resists. Janet Morgan’s explosive art captures the exuberance and deep wisdom we humans yearn to experience. Her sense of...
Category

2010s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media, Watercolor, Archival Paper

Flowers. 1997. Canvas, oil, 59x40 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Flowers. 1997. Canvas, oil, 59x40 cm
Category

1990s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Secret Garden, White Lilies, colorful pastel painting on toned paper
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pastel on black paper. Ms. Morgan says: During 2020 we discovered a small garden next to a church in our neighborhood in Brooklyn that was well taken care of and always open. We brought our ground...
Category

2010s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Pastel, Archival Paper

Secret Garden, Iris, colorful abstracted floral pastel on dark paper
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pastel on black paper. These works have a have a "stained glass" quality of light coming through the dark paper Ms. Morgan says: During 2020 we discovered a small garden next to a church in our neighborhood in Brooklyn that was well taken care of and always open. We brought our ground chairs...
Category

2010s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Pastel, Archival Paper

Secret Garden, Portal, colorful pastel on paper, abstracted flower pattern
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pastel on black paper. These works have a have a "stained glass" quality of light coming through the dark paper Ms. Morgan says: During 2020 we discovered a small garden next to a church in our neighborhood in Brooklyn that was well taken care of and always open. We brought our ground chairs...
Category

2010s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Pastel, Archival Paper

Portrait - Drawing on Paper by Sebastiano Carta - 1950s
Located in Roma, IT
Portrait is an original mixed media drawing on paper realized by Sebastiano Carta. In good conditions except for some diffused foldings. Hand-signed on the lower left margin in pen...
Category

1950s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media

How To Listen, colorful spiritual figure
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Watercolor, mixed media, using resists. This piece is very much about the energy of the body and breath. We are just rediscovering the power of the breath to increase energy and general well being. This work is so important as our society gets more disembodied and broken, we need to come home to our bodies and realize the sacredness of ourselves and every being on the planet. Janet has both shown and taught with Alex Grey...
Category

2010s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media, Watercolor, Archival Paper

Stringer, colorful green figurative abstraction
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Watercolor, mixed media, using resists. Janet Morgan’s explosive art captures the exuberance and deep wisdom we humans yearn to experience. Her sense of...
Category

2010s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media, Watercolor, Archival Paper

Lights, Parachute Jump and Smile, Coney Island, colorful, text
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pastel on black paper. Ms. Morgan says: When I finally started riding the subway again during Covid isolation - going down to the ocean was a real treat. The collection of fisherma...
Category

2010s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Pastel, Archival Paper

Thunderbolt, Coney Island, colorful pastel with historic amusement park
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pastel on black paper. Ms. Morgan says: When I finally started riding the subway again during Covid isolation - going down to the ocean was a real treat. The collection of fisherm...
Category

2010s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Archival Paper, Pastel

Untitled - Parmis Sayous 21st Century drawing, Iranian contemporary painter
Located in Paris, FR
Oil on paper Created in 2019 in Paris, France Unique work Signed by the artist Parmis Sayous was born in 1982 in Teheran, Iran. Since 2015, She has lived and worked in Paris and ded...
Category

2010s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Paper, Oil

Delaware River
Located in Brooklyn, NY
These collages were created first in the presence of a model, working quickly, in charcoal and pastel, and again, later, alone, furiously tearing and pasting images from magazines, v...
Category

2010s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Paper, Mixed Media

Blessings
Located in Brooklyn, NY
These collages were created first in the presence of a model, working quickly, in charcoal and pastel, and again, later, alone, furiously tearing and pasting images from magazines, v...
Category

2010s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Paper, Mixed Media

Friend in Pink
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Water color and mixed media work from master painter Courtney Reid
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

The blue pose - Parmis Sayous 21st Century drawing, Iranian painter
Located in Paris, FR
Pastel and India ink on cardboard Created in 2019 in Paris, France Unique work Signed by the artist Parmis Sayous was born in 1982 in Teheran, Iran. Since 2015, She has lived and wo...
Category

2010s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Pastel, India Ink, Cardboard

Red and grey feathers- Parmis Sayous 21st Century drawing, Iranian artist
Located in Paris, FR
Pastel and acrylic ink on cardboard Created in 2019 in Paris, France Unique work Signed and dated by the artist on the back Parmis Sayous was born in 1982 in Teheran, Iran. Since 20...
Category

2010s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Pastel, Cardboard, Ink

Frieda, Watercolor by Eve Nethercott
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Eve Nethercott, American (1925 - 2015) Title: Frieda (P6. 45) Year: 1948 Medium: Watercolor on Paper Size: 22 x 15 in. (55.88 x 38.1 cm)
Category

1940s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

"Trees, " Watercolor Painting of a Winter Scene signed by David Barnett
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Trees" is an original watercolor by David Barnett. It depicts some dark leafless trees and shrubs. The artist signed the piece lower right. 24" x 18" art 29 1/4" x 23 1/4" frame ...
Category

1960s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

Portrait, Watercolor by Eve Nethercott
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Eve Nethercott, American (1925 - ) Title: Portrait (63) Year: 1961 Medium: Watercolor Size: 22 in. x 15 in. (55.88 cm x 38.1 cm)
Category

1960s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

Bouquet of Flowers I, Watercolor by Eve Nethercott
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Eve Nethercott, American (1925 - 2015) Title: Bouquet of Flowers I Year: circa 1960 Medium: Watercolor Size: 20 in. x 13 in. (50.8 cm x 33.02 cm) Signed in pencil by artist.
Category

1960s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

Portrait of a Girl Wearing a Crown, Double-sided Watercolor by Eve Nethercott
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Eve Nethercott, American (1925 - ) Title: Portrait of a Girl wearing a Crown (P6.35) Year: 1957 Medium: Double-Sided Watercolor on Paper Size: 22 x 15 in. (55.88 x 38.1 cm)
Category

1950s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

"Recall the Early 80's, " Original Oil Pastel and Ink Drawing by Reginald K. Gee
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Recall the Early 80's" is an original oil pastel and ink drawing by Reginald K. Gee. The artist signed the piece in the lower right. This colorful abstract piece is the artist's rec...
Category

1980s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Ink, Board, Oil Pastel

"Lingering Note, " Original Acrylic on Canvas Board Portrait by Reginald K. Gee
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Lingering Note" is an original acrylic painting on canvas board by Reginald K. Gee. The artist signed the piece in the lower right. This painting depicts a man with a string instrum...
Category

Early 2000s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Board

"No More Electric Toothbrushes, " Oil Pastel signed on Verso by Reginald K. Gee
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"No More Electric Toothbrushes - Part I" is an original oil pastel drawing on illustration board by Reginald K. Gee. The Artist signed the piece on the back. This piece features abst...
Category

1980s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Oil Pastel, Illustration Board

"Homenaje de Camilla Claudel 5, " Conte Crayon and Pencil on Alcantara, 1992
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Roberto Estopiñan, Cuban (1921 - 2015) Title: Homenaje de Camilla Claudel 5 Year: 1992 Medium: Conte Crayon and Pencil Drawing on Alcantara h...
Category

1990s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Pencil, Conté, Handmade Paper

Nude Woman Ink Wash on Paper
By Maurice Charles Louis Van Essche
Located in Houston, TX
Great example of Maurice Charles Louis Van Essehe's black and white ink drawing on paper of a reclining female nude. Artist Biography: Born in 1906, Maurice Van Essche's family mov...
Category

1960s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Ink, 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...
Category

Late 20th Century Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Paper, Oil Pastel

'At the Park', Metropolitan Museum, NY MoMA, AIC, ASL, Whitney Museum, Toledo
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Signed lower right, in graphite, 'Rainey Bennett' (American, 1907-1998) and dated 1958; titled, verso, 'Romantic Landscape' and accompanied by original ...
Category

1950s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Ink

Dory
Located in London, GB
print limited edition hand signed Collective exhibitions: 2023 London biennale, Chelsea, Old Town Hall; 2023 YICCA International art contest, Venice, finalists exhibition; 2023-Royal...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Paper, Tempera, Watercolor, Pencil

Nude Woman in Bath
Located in Boxholm, SE
Nude Woman in Bath – Jolanta Johnsson, experienced Polish artist, graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, PhD of fine arts, university teacher. S...
Category

2010s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Watercolor

Lost Hedgerows. Earth Science, Ecology and Agronomy. Original Pastel. Welsh.
Located in Sutton Poyntz, Dorset
Julian Ruddock. British ( b.1965 ). Lost Hedgerows. Pastel on Paper. Signed. Image size 21.9 inches x 25 inches ( 55.5cm x 63.5cm ). Frame size 29 inches x 32.1 inches ( 73.5cm x 81...
Category

Late 20th Century Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Paper, Pastel

Modern Colorful Watercolor by Jae Carmichael
Located in Pasadena, CA
With this colorful and minimalist watercolor by the artist Jae Carmichael, we are immersed in the vibrant world of Fauvism, as championed by Henri Matisse. Color above all, and perh...
Category

Mid-20th Century Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

'Expressionist Seascape', Accademia di Belle Arti, New York, ASL, CSFA, MoMA
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Signed lower right, 'DeMartis' for James Joseph DeMartis (American, 1926-1996) and dated 1964. Born in Queens, New York, James Joseph DeMartis s...
Category

1960s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Paper, Graphite, Gouache, Watercolor, Pastel

View of the Fjord Blick auf die Förde - Landscape Fjord Germany
Located in London, GB
This watercolour is hand signed and dated in pencil by the artist "Heckel 42" [1942] in the lower right image. It is also hand titled in pencil “Blick auf die Förde” in the lower ri...
Category

1940s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Pencil

Vase at Dusk - Expressionist Still Life Original Oil Painting by Wright
Located in Soquel, CA
Vase at Dusk - Expressionist Still Life Original Oil Painting by Wright Brightly colored flowers sit in a vase on a table against hues of dark green giving the feel of darkness cree...
Category

1960s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Risque – 24-03-22, Drawing, Pastels on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
Once in a While a Pastel The first pastel drawing in the Risque series and was long overdue. At the beginning of February I started this one just to fill the time waiting for my s...
Category

2010s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Pastel

Girlfriends, Drawing, Pencil/Colored Pencil on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
I paint what gets my attention. My pictures are rooted in the real world, but they are by no means images or portraits in the conventional sense, but rather symbolic images. A starti...
Category

2010s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Pencil

Boy, Drawing, Pencil/Colored Pencil on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
In my pictures I try to combine the visual and the conceptual. For me, drawing is a medium of knowledge which, beyond direct expression, makes visible material and immaterial forces,...
Category

2010s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Pencil

Sitting woman VI, Drawing, Pencil/Colored Pencil on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
I use my photos as a starting point. I change them up significantly to get a final composition that best conveys my sense of a work. :: Drawing :: Expressionism :: This piece comes w...
Category

2010s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Pencil

woman on the armchair, Drawing, Pencil/Colored Pencil on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
I use my photos as a starting point. I change them up significantly to get a final composition that best conveys my sense of a work. :: Drawing :: Expressionism :: This piece comes w...
Category

2010s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Pencil

Girlfriend I, Drawing, Pencil/Colored Pencil on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
In my pictures I try to combine the visual and the conceptual. For me, drawing is a medium of knowledge which, beyond direct expression, makes visible material and immaterial forces,...
Category

2010s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Pencil

Expressionist drawings and watercolor paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Expressionist drawings and watercolor paintings 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 drawings and watercolor paintings created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, orange, yellow and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Anastasia Kurakina, Parmis Sayous, Zsolt Berszán, and Carl Hofer. Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Paper 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 drawings and watercolor paintings, so small editions measuring 4.45 inches across are also available. Prices for drawings and watercolor paintings 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 $85 and tops out at $210,814, while the average work sells for $1,233.

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