Expressionist More Art
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.
1980s Expressionist More Art
Etching
Artist Comments
Artist Kip Decker presents a lightly textured floral expression in a balance of bright and muted tones. He paints flourishing blossoms popping in vibrant red to...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist More Art
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Julia Hacker presents a contemporary image of hanging ornate ceiling decor inspired by Moroccan fixtures and holiday light...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist More Art
Acrylic
2010s Expressionist More Art
Photographic Paper
1920s Expressionist More Art
Paper, Engraving
1930s Expressionist More Art
Paper
2010s Expressionist More Art
Fabric, Wool
2010s Expressionist More Art
Fabric, Wool
2010s Expressionist More Art
Fabric, Wool
2010s Expressionist More Art
Fabric, Wool
1940s Expressionist More Art
Paper, Engraving
2010s Expressionist More Art
Fabric
2010s Expressionist More Art
Fabric
2010s Expressionist More Art
Fabric
1910s Expressionist More Art
Paper, Lithograph
1920s Expressionist More Art
Oil, Canvas
2010s Expressionist More Art
Fabric
2010s Expressionist More Art
Fabric
2010s Expressionist More Art
Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist More Art
Paper, Coffee
1910s Expressionist More Art
Woodcut
1910s Expressionist More Art
Paper, Lithograph
1910s Expressionist More Art
Paper, Mixed Media
Early 1900s Expressionist More Art
Lithograph
2010s Expressionist More Art
Photographic Paper
1910s Expressionist More Art
Lithograph, Paper
1930s Expressionist More Art
Paper, Photogravure
1950s Expressionist More Art
Paper, Offset
1920s Expressionist More Art
Photogravure, Paper
1920s Expressionist More Art
Paper, Lithograph, Offset
2010s Expressionist More Art
Photographic Paper
1930s Expressionist More Art
Paper, Lithograph, Offset
1920s Expressionist More Art
Photogravure, Paper
Early 2000s Expressionist More Art
Paper, Mixed Media
1920s Expressionist More Art
Paper, Lithograph
1930s Expressionist More Art
Woodcut
1970s Expressionist More Art
Ceramic
Early 2000s Expressionist More Art
Acrylic, Canvas
Early 2000s Expressionist More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist More Art
Photographic Paper
2010s Expressionist More Art
Oil
1920s Expressionist More Art
Paper, Lithograph
Early 2000s Expressionist More Art
Canvas, Oil
Early 2000s Expressionist More Art
Canvas, Oil
Early 2000s Expressionist More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
1920s Expressionist More Art
Paper, Photogravure
1920s Expressionist More Art
Paper
2010s Expressionist More Art
Oil
1910s Expressionist More Art
Etching, Paper
2010s Expressionist More Art
Oil
2010s Expressionist More Art
Photographic Paper
2010s Expressionist More Art
Wool, Cotton, Yarn
1920s Expressionist More Art
Lithograph, Offset, Paper
1920s Expressionist More Art
Paper
1920s Expressionist More Art
Paper
1930s Expressionist More Art
Photogravure, Paper
1930s Expressionist More Art
Paper
1940s Expressionist More Art
Offset, Paper