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.
Venice Palace and Gondola Mooring Colorful Impasto Canal View Oil Painting Italy
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Venice Palace and Gondola Mooring, Colorful Impasto Canal View Artist: Ulpiano Carrasco Title: Palacio y embarcadero en Venecia Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 60 × 73 cm / 23.6 ×...
Oil
Happy corner. Calm, blue, village, landscape, small, framed, gift, houses, rural
Located in Oslo, NO
A silent landscape lies in blue, mint and orange, as if dusk has softly drifted into a dream. The hills melt into each other like a slow breath, and the air feels light and the life ...
Canvas, Oil
$3,500Sale Price|30% Off
Nude in Venice: Large Oil/Canvas Contemporary Art 55x40in Unstretched inFlorida
Located in Forest Hills, NY
"Nude in Venice" - original large art by Paula Craioveanu - Contemporary Expressionism Original, large, unique painting, oil on canvas, 55x40in / 140x102cm. Shipped rolled in a tube...
Canvas, Oil
$3,850
Who Cares If I'm Waiting -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Horse
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique; it is not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Arti...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$3,000
Expectancy - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Abstraction, Floral, Women
By Olajide Kuti
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Ola...
Canvas, Acrylic
Colorful Spanish Village Landscape with Thick Impasto and Yellow Fields Oil Art
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Colorful Spanish Village Landscape with Thick Impasto and Yellow Fields Artist: Ulpiano Carrasco Title: Pozoseco, Cuenca Year: 1999 / 2000 Medium: Oil on canvas Canvas dimensions: 7...
Oil
Portrait of a Lady - Antque French Expressionist Ecole de Paris Oil Painting
Located in Sevenoaks, GB
A beautiful early 20th century French expressionist Ecole de Paris oil on panel portrait of a standing lady wearing a yellow jacket and fur stole. This excellent quality depiction o...
Oil, Panel
$450
Your Life's Matter 2 - 21st Century Contemporary Figurative, Portrait, Africa
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Eli...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Trying to Leave Myself 1 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Portrait, People
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity About Artist Emma...
Canvas, Mixed Media
$3,264
Large contemporary expressionist figurative still life painting "Floral pause"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
"Floral Pause" is a contemporary still life painting by French artist Natalya Mougenot, celebrated for her colorful floral art and expressive compositions that capture the simple poe...
Canvas, Acrylic, Linen
Aurora over a Northern Lake, 1916
Located in Stockholm, Stockholm
Aurora over a Northern Lake, signed and dated “G Claeson 1916”, oil on canvas. This evocative landscape, executed in an expressionist manner, and on the same time almost modern, cap...
Canvas, Oil
$450
Your Life's Matter 1 - 21st Century Contemporary Figurative, Portrait, Africa
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Eli...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Expressionist 20th Century Colourful English Landscape Oil Painting EAST ANGLIA
Located in Cirencester, GB
ARTIST: Ronald Ronaldson (1919-2015) British TITLE: "East Anglian Landscape" SIGNED: lower right MEDIUM: oil on board SIZE: 63cm x 48cm inclusive of frame CONDITION: very good DETA...
Oil
$850
African Woman 2 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, People, Black
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Bey...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$4,000
Aduke and Her Pets - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Abstraction, Animal
By Olajide Kuti
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Ola...
Canvas, Acrylic
$850
African Woman 1 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, People, Black
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Bey...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
"Stars" original lithograph
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original lithograph. Printed in 1938 and published in Paris by Teriade for the art revue Verve (volume 1, number 2). Kandinsky was invited to contribute an original compositi...
Lithograph
$3,350
Don't Rush Life 2 - 21st Century Contemporary Figurative, Portrait, Africa, Men
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Where am from Bandana was once a common style, we called it Big Boy Style, then it's seem to me like a style or fashion only, because our elder brothers only allowed to used it but n...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$2,425
Shadow marshes. Richard K Blades. Painting of sea at sunset. Turner influence.
Located in Coltishall, GB
A warm sunset over Norfolk's Cromer beach. Between Thoughts is a sublime oil painting that captures the mesmerizing tranquility of a sunset over thw North Sea. The horizon is ablaze...
Oil, Board
On the same wave. Couple painting, love, blue, sea, man and a woman, fish, large
Located in Oslo, NO
A man and a woman float in gentle harmony, surrounded by flying fish moving through soft turquoise and deep blue. The scene is calm yet surreal, a space between dream and sea, presen...
Canvas, Oil
"Pleasantries" (2025) Still Life of Fruit and Ceramic, Acrylic/Charcoal Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Leigh Ann Van Fossan's "Pleasantries" is a charming acrylic and charcoal painting, created on canvas, which depicts slices of mango resting on a plate Van Fossan was born in Vail, C...
Canvas, Charcoal, Acrylic
$1,580
Poppies and Wildflowers, Figurative Triptych, Large Botanical Landscape on Paper
Located in Barcelona, ES
This original painting by Romina Milano presents a lyrical field of poppies and wildflowers, where gestural brushwork and simplified forms create a vivid, contemporary botanical comp...
Acrylic, Watercolor, Handmade Paper
$486Sale Price|60% Off
Sailors in Nice: Mixed Media Gouache and Pastel on Paper, 1950s
Located in London, GB
'Sailors in the Port of Nice', mixed media - gouache, pastel and oil on paper, by Alfred Salvignol (circa 1950s). The Port of Nice is one of the key hubs of Nice and, in fact, of the entire French Riviera, standing out as one of the main harbours for the boats which sail across the Mediterranean Sea. It accommodates both the ships operated by ferry companies and the private yachts of visitors who come to Nice by sea. The artist here depicts a group of crusty sailors watching...
Paper, Pastel, Oil, Gouache
$3,147
Peacocks 36. Figurative Oil Painting, Colorful, Pop art, Animals, Polish artist
Located in Warsaw, PL
RAFAŁ GADOWSKI (born in 1973) Studied at The European Academy of Arts in Warsaw Faculty of Painting, as well as at the Faculty of Graphic Art at the Cracow Academy of Fine Arts. He...
Canvas, Oil
$3,000
Ray of Hope - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Abstraction, Floral, Women
By Olajide Kuti
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Ola...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,800
Echoes of the Mind 2 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Floral
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Bey...
Canvas, Oil
"Canyon River" (2025), Original Expressionist Impasto Landscape, Oil Painting
By Sandra Pratt
Located in Denver, CO
"Canyon River" (2025) is a beautiful original impasto oil painting, created on linen panel by American artist Sandra Pratt, which depicts a vast forest, captured in an expressionisti...
Canvas, Oil
$444
Abstract expressive floral acrylic painting on canvas "Sweet morning blooms"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
"Sweet Morning Blooms" is a vibrant floral piece by French artist Natalya Mougenot, part of her Floral series. The artwork captures an exuberant bouquet in a strikingly impressionist...
Acrylic, Canvas
Between Thoughts. Richard K Blades. Painting of sea at sunset. Turner influence.
Located in Coltishall, GB
A warm sunset over Norfolk's Cromer beach. Between Thoughts is a sublime oil painting that captures the mesmerizing tranquility of a sunset over thw North Sea. The horizon is ablaze...
Oil, Board
$975Sale Price|35% Off
Abstract Figurative Expressionist painting
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Amazing Figurative Expressionism painting with exceptional color and movement. Oil on canvas, ca. 1960s. Measures 40 x 52 inches. Unsigned and unattributed. Excellent condition.
Oil
LOBSTER and OCTOPUS (KAMPF - BATTLE)
Located in Santa Monica, CA
NORBERTINE VON BRESSLERN-ROTH (1891 1978) KAMPF (BATTLE - LOBSTER and OCTOPUS) c. 1928 Color linoleum cut Signed in pencil. Image 8 5/8 x 8 11/16” In excellent condition and full ...
Linocut
Eduardo Chillida Spanish Artist Original Unused Lithograph Poster
Located in Miami, FL
Eduardo Chillida (Spain, 1924-2002) '5 Livres Gravés', 1974 Original poster from show lithograph on paper 25.2 x 17 in. (64 x 43 cm.) Unframed Ref: CHI100-202 Eduardo Chillida He be...
Lithograph
$443
Abstract Expressive woman's portrait acrylic on paper "What she holds within"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This contemporary abstract expressionist woman's portrait "What she holds within "was created by the French artist Natalya Mougenot. With her hand gently resting against her chin and...
Paper, Acrylic
$1,135Sale Price|40% Off
The Parade Ring at the Races, Gouache and Pastel, Signed, 1970s
By Maurice EMPI
Located in London, GB
'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...
Pastel, Paper, Gouache
2Pac and Snoop
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
"2Pac and Snoop" by James Ogamba Tochukwu is a striking artwork that pays homage to the iconic figures of 2Pac and Snoop Dogg, two influential fi...
Canvas, Oil
Versailles (France) original lithograph vintage SNCF travel poster
Located in Spokane, WA
Original Versailles, France vintage lithograph French travel poster. Printed by the French National Railroad, SNCF in the 1938's. Printer: Goossens. A poster fit for a king sin...
Lithograph
Hoopoe Bird Oil Painting on Canvas, Expressionist Style, Unframed
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Hoopoe: The Crowned Messenger" is a definitive masterpiece by Elena Lukina, capturing the regal and ancient essence of one of nature’s most enigmatic archetypes. Part of the artist’...
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard
$3,350
Aimasiko - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Africa, Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Yoruba proverb says, "Adániwáyè ò gbagbé enikan; àimàsikò lóndààmú edá", meaning "The Creator does not forget anyone; ignorance of divine timing troubles humans". Difficult times may...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
"Breathe in the Warm Salty Air" (2025) Original Acrylic Painting, Whimsical
Located in Denver, CO
Leigh Ann Van Fossan's "Breathe in the Warm Salty Air" is an original acrylic and charcoal painting depicting a blue vase with flowers next to a picturesque scene featuring a blue oc...
Canvas, Charcoal, Acrylic
$1,748
Bouquet with Japanese roses in Provence style" still life of Volskya Liliya.
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Bouquet with Japanese rose in Provence style" still life of Volsky Lily. The warm spring has given us a lot of pleasure. The magnificent weather, the delicate foliage of flowers and...
Canvas, Varnish, Oil
HAMBURGER KNIEPPE
Located in Santa Monica, CA
KATHE KOLLWITZ (1867-1945) HAMBURGER KNIEPPE, 1901) (K.58 IIIb) Soft Ground Etching, Plate 9 ¾ x 8 ¼ sheet 10 ½ x 13 ¾. With the von de Becke blind stamp in the lower right. Prin...
Etching
$3,648Sale Price|40% Off
Potted Flowers Oil Painting, Expressionist, Signed, Framed, 1933
Located in London, GB
'Potted Flowers', oil on canvas, by Charles Kvapil (1933). Potted red geraniums symbolise happiness, good health, good wishes, and friendship. They are ...
Oil, Canvas
$1,850
Displaced Beauty - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Woman
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Displaced Beauty challenges the shifting standards of beauty shaped by social media and societal expectations. The figure stands as a quiet resistance, embracing natural African feat...
Canvas, Mixed Media
$1,193Sale Price|20% Off
Expressionist Ceramic Head Sculpture Refractory Stoneware Kintsugi Repair
Located in FISTERRA, ES
Expressionist stoneware head sculpture featuring kintsugi gold repair, exploring material transformation, individuality and the expressive potential of ceramic form. Testa 6 is a un...
Clay, Glaze
'Venus' — German Expressionism
By Karl Michel
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Karl Michel, 'Venus, Ex Libris - Hanns U. Herta Heeren', woodcut, 1923, edition not stated but small. Signed, dated, and numbered 'op.154' in pencil. Signed in the block, lower left. A fine impression, on cream Japan paper, with full margins (15/16 to 2 11/16 inches), in good condition. Printed by the artist. Matted to museum standards (unframed). . Translation: Venus Ex Libris for Hanns and Herta Heeren. Image size 5 15/16 x 4 inches (156 x 102 mm); sheet size 9 5/8 x 6 inches (245 x 152 mm). ABOUT THE ARTIST Karl Michel (1889-1984) was a noted graphic designer and expressionist printmaker during Germany's pre-Nazi Weimar Republic (1919-1933). Michel’s work was the subject of a feature article in the influential German graphic design magazine Das Plakat (The Poster) in 1920. An anti-war advocate, Michel created a suite of 12 wood engravings depicting his impressions of the humanitarian toll of WWII entitled ‘Humanitas’ (Humanity). The German publishing house Greifenverlag published the series in a reduced folio of unsigned prints. Michel’s graphic work is held in the permanent collections of the Auckland War Memorial Museum (New Zealand), Frederikshavn Kunstmuseum & Exlibrissamling (Denmark), Museum of Applied Arts (Budapest), The Robert Gore Rifkind Center for German Expressionist Studies at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the German Expressionism...
Woodcut
Symbol of Hope -21st Century Contemporary Figurative of a Woman and Bird Modern
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
God instructed the prophet Elijah to flee a drought by hiding at the Kerith Brook (Cherith Ravine) east of the Jordan River, where God promised to provide water and commanded ravens ...
Canvas, Oil
View of the Lake, Oil on Cardboard, Landscape Painting, 26x36.5 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Janis Rikmanis (1901.5.IV – 1968.25.III) graduated Figurative painting studio of Latvia Art academy (1931). He took part in exhibitions since 1929. Self-exhibitions were made in Riga...
Oil, Cardboard
French Expressionism "A Vase of Flowers" Gen Paul (French, 1895-1975)
By Gen Paul
Located in SANTA FE, NM
"A Vase of Flowers" Eugene Paul aka Gen Paul (French, 1895-1975) Oil crayon on paper 20 1/2 x 14 (28 x 21 1/2 frame) inches "Gen Paul is undoubtedly the greatest representative, and...
Paper, Oil Crayon
$4,196Sale Price|40% Off
Family Scene with Guitarist oil on canvas painting picasso Paris school
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Title: Family Scene with Guitarist Artist: Pedro Creixams (Barcelona, 1893 - 1965) Technique: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 39.4 x 31.9 inches (unframed) Signature: Signed lower right "C...
Canvas, Oil
$699
Sunny corner. Small, framed, gift sized, landscape, happy, bright, sun, houses
Located in Oslo, NO
This painting is from the series "We and Our Mountains". Artwork is painted in the shades of orange, red, and gold evoking a sunlit landscape full of life and calmness. Nestled bet...
Canvas, Oil
One More Shot 1 - 21st Century Contemporary Figurative, Sport, Golf, Green
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Eli...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$1,445Sale Price|20% Off
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Oil Painting of Seated Nude Woman
By Henry Meylan
Located in Genève, GE
Work on canvas signed dimensions with frame : 101 x 86.5 x 3 cm This painting presents a seated nude woman, expressing a captivating presence. The rich, varied tones of the palette, ...
Oil
Still Life with Wildflowers, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Vases and pots support an array of textured wildflowers, standing out against a rich, dark background. A freeform stripe pattern on the tablecloth adds rhythm a...
Oil
GEFALLEN (Killed in Action)
Located in Santa Monica, CA
KATHE KOLLWITZ (1867-1945) GEFALLEN (Killed in Action) 1920 (Klipstein 153 (1st state, a of c of 2 states) Lithograph on laid paper. Image 16 ¼ x 15 ¼ inches, Large Full Sheet, 25 ½...
Lithograph
$1,750
Togetherness - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Abstraction, Africa, Love
By Olajide Kuti
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Ola...
Canvas, Acrylic
Reverte Albarracin Acrylic Painting, Expressionist, Framed, 2000s
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
ANTONIO REVERTE OLIVA (Monteagua, Murcia, 1943 – Gavà, Barcelona, 2014). A self-taught artist, Antonio Reverte settled in Catalonia in 1961, in the Barcelona town of Viladecans. In ...
Acrylic
Finding Solace - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Abstraction, Floral
By Olajide Kuti
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Ola...
Canvas, Acrylic
“The Horse Race" #50 A Pierre Bosco (Italy/France, 1909-1993) circa 1950s
By Pierre Bosco
Located in SANTA FE, NM
“The Horse Race" #50 A Pierre Bosco, (1909-1993) Oil n canvas Signed lower right 12 x 15 inches “The savage art of Bosco bears its rudeness and its mystery. It is an art of pure ex...
Canvas, Oil
$1,800
La Dolce Vita (The Sweet Life) - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Africa
By Olajide Kuti
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Ola...
Canvas, Acrylic
$750
INTEGRACION Signed Lithograph, Abstract Portrait, Latin American Woman Artist
Located in Union City, NJ
Raquel Forner (1902-1988) Argentine woman painter and printmaker born in Buenos Aires in 1902 and died in the same city in 1988, regarded as one of the best Argentine female painters...
Lithograph