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.
Besame, Hand Printed Work, Screen
Located in Yardley, PA
Silkscreen work on archival quality paper. A couple making love. :: Hand Printed Work :: Expressionism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the ...
Screen
Wild Orchard at Pemberley, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By Angie Wright
Located in Yardley, PA
Wild Orchard at Pemberley captures the precise moment when a spring breeze turns an ornamental garden into a beautiful, chaotic dance. This piece is my personal interpretation of Eng...
Oil
Sweet Pea Dreams – Abstract Floral Landscape, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
By Angie Wright
Located in Yardley, PA
Sweet Pea Dreams, acrylic and oil on canvas, 60 x 40 cm Sweet Pea Dreams is a luminous floral painting inspired by the soft elegance of sweet peas in bloom. Layers of pinks, viole...
Acrylic
Chiaroscuro reverberations, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Three panels large original painting on bright tones of azo, Indian and lemon yellow, ochre, black and white. Ochre, black, and white accents are skillfully interwoven throughout th...
Acrylic
Unbreakable Bond, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Oil painting on Belgian linen. From the series: Resilient Souls Fragile spirits #5 "Unbreakable Bond" is a poignant tribute to the resilience and enduring spirit of sharecroppers...
Oil
Anansi Awakens, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
oil on Belgian linen Anansi, the master of humor and trickery, left behind a legacy reminding us that resilience and smarts can see us through the darkest times. His stories offer...
Oil
Anansi Unveiled, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Oil painting on Belgian linen. Originating in Ghana and traveling through the transatlantic slave trade, Anansi's stories transcend borders and speak to the human experience. In thi...
Oil
Sound of Eternal Remembrance, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
oil on Belgian linen From the series: Whispers from the Shadows #1 Set within the sacred hall of the Baptist Church, this artwork presents a poignant narrative born from tragedy....
Oil
Whispers of a Hidden Symphony, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Oil on Belgian linen From the series: Whispers from the Shadows #2 "Whispers of a Hidden Symphony" unveils the essence of Joseph Boulogne as his noble face emerges from the shado...
Oil
Anything Is Possible, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
This painting is part of a series of 15 paintings "A Journey of Roots and Resilience", It is a tribute to my father's life and legacy, tracing his ancestry from Africa, through the h...
Oil
Secret Sorrows, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
This painting is part of a series of 15 paintings "A Journey of Roots and Resilience", It is a tribute to my father's life and legacy, tracing his ancestry from Africa, through the h...
Oil
Happiness Is Something That You Share, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Oil on Belgian linen This painting is part of a series of 15 paintings "A Journey of Roots and Resilience", It is a tribute to my father's life and legacy, tracing his ancestry from...
Oil
Round Ocean #105, Painting, Acrylic on Wood Panel
By Ana Hefco
Located in Yardley, PA
Original Hand-Painted Ocean Artwork Inspired by the Aerial Views of The Bahamas & Turks and Caicos This one-of-a-kind, hand-painted artwork was inspired by the breathtaking a...
Acrylic
Transformation, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
By Amanda Dagg
Located in Yardley, PA
"Transformation" by Amanda Dagg 24 x 30 inches (60.96 x 76.2 cm) Original Acrylic on Canvas Ready to Hang This striking piece features a majestic tree against a vibrant sky o...
Acrylic
The Story Of Her Life, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
The Story Of Her Life is about the complexities of the stories we carry and the experiences that make us unique. She is confidently carrying all the wisdom she has gained in her life...
Acrylic
100% - Rare Book by George Grosz - 1921
By George Grosz
Located in Roma, IT
100% is an original Modern rare book written by Upton Beall Sinclair (Baltimora, 1878 – Bound Brook, 1968) and illustrated by George Grosz (Berlin, 1823 - 1959, Berlin) in 1921. O...
Paper, Lithograph
$526
Die Passagiere der leeren Platze - Rare Book Illustrated by George Grosz - 1921
By George Grosz
Located in Roma, IT
Die Passagiere der leeren Platze is an original modern rare book written by Martin Andersen Nexø (Dresden, 1869 – Dresden, 1954) and illustrated by George Grosz (Berlin, 1823 - 1959...
Paper
Gullivers Reise - Rare Book Illustrated by Lovis Corinth - 1922
Located in Roma, IT
Gullivers Reise is an original modern rare book written by Jonathan Swift (Dublin, 1667 – Dublin, 1745) and illustrated by Lovis Corinth (21 July 1858 –...
Paper
The Voice of the City and Other Stories - Illustrations by G. Grosz - 1935
By George Grosz
Located in Roma, IT
The Voice of the City and Other Stories is an original modern rare book illustrated by George Grosz (Berlin, 1893 – Berlin, 1959) and written by O. Henr...
Paper, Lithograph, Offset
Linoleum - Rare Illustrated Book by Mino Maccari - 1931
By Mino Maccari
Located in Roma, IT
Edition of 30 copies including one coloured linocuts and 29 b/n linocuts realized by Mino Maccari from 1924 to 1931. Double sheets Japanese style. Probably the only copy with each s...
Paper, Linocut
Moses and the Ten Commandments (Passover), Large Tapestry Rug by Shlomo Katz
By Shlomo Katz
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: after Shlomo Katz, Polish/Israeli (1937 - 1992) Title: Moses and the Ten Commandments (Passover) Year: 2000 Medium: Woolen Carpet Tapestry Size: 84 x 54 in. (213.36 x 137.16 cm)
Tapestry, Wool
Figurative Expressionist oil Painting, Religious, Christ with Crown of Thorns
Located in Vilnius, Vilniaus apskr.
The paintings by Gailiūnas, who lives in Rokiškis but is well known across Lithuania, are outwardly rough in their brushstrokes, colour consonances and plots. The artist visually tal...
Oil
«Celebration» Large Hand-Tufted Tapestry by Julia Kiryanova
Located in Oslo, NO
For Julia Kiryanova, her artwork is a dialogue – a dialogue which she beautifully facilitates, layering her work with various techniques. At the heart of much of her work an inherent fascination for people lies, intimately displaying abandoned figures seemingly floating in an abstract dream world, where time has stopped everything, but them. Julia Kiryanova has exhibited work at Amsterdam museum, Museum Op Solder and The Holocaust Museum...
Wool, Cotton, Yarn
Untitled
Located in Barcelona, CT
Includes a Certificate of Authenticity
Paper, Ink
"São Paulo" by Enzio Wenk, 2004 - Acrylic on Cardboard, Expressionism
By Enzio Wenk
Located in Bresso, IT
Acrylic on press-prepared canvas.
Acrylic, Cardboard
$120Sale Price|20% Off
Brassaï Apris Kiki and her Friends : Cashmere/Modal blend Scarf
Located in New York, NY
Claudia Doring-Baez, Brassaï Apris Kiki and her Friends Scarf, 2020, Cashmere/Modal blend, 26 x 71 in. Beautiful scarves created by artist Claudia Doring-Baez with her paintings pri...
Fabric
Untitled
Located in Barcelona, CT
Includes a Certificate of Authenticity
Engraving
$22,085
Newlands Corner- Victor Egorov, Russian, English Countryside, Landscape, Hills
Located in Knowle Lane, Cranleigh
Newlands Corner is an original oil on canvas which captures 'Newlands Corner', a popular beauty spot in the English countryside that commands some of the best views over the Surrey Hills. Russian painter Victor Egorov...
Oil
Flowers: Etching work of art
Located in New York, NY
An etching by Agop Gemdjian. Agop Gemdjian is an Armenian artist born in Bulgaria. He creates art that combines the colors of the East, the Slavic mentality, and his views of the m...
Etching
Kubrick Shining Scarf : Fashionable Cashmere/Modal blend Scarf
Located in New York, NY
Claudia Doring-Baez, "Kubrick Shining Scarf", 2021, Cashmere/Modal blend, 26 x 71 in. Beautiful scarves created by artist Claudia Doring-Baez with her paintings printed on high qual...
Fabric, Wool
$120Sale Price|20% Off
Brassaï Little White Dog Montmarte : Cashmere/Modal blend Scarf
Located in New York, NY
Claudia Doring-Baez, "Brassaï Little White Dog Montmarte" Scarf, 2020, Cashmere/Modal blend, 26 x 71 in Beautiful scarves created by artist Claudia D...
Fabric
Kubrick Ballroom Scarf : Fashionable Cashmere/Modal blend Scarf
Located in New York, NY
Claudia Doring-Baez, "Kubrick Ballroom Scarf", 2021, Cashmere/Modal blend, 26 x 71 in. Beautiful scarves created by artist Claudia Doring-Baez with her paintings printed on high qua...
Fabric, Wool
Kubrick Lady Honoria Scarf : Fashionable Cashmere/Modal blend Scarf
Located in New York, NY
Claudia Doring-Baez, "Kubrick Lady Honoria Scarf", 2021, Cashmere/Modal blend, 26 x 71 in. Beautiful scarves created by artist Claudia Doring-Baez with her paintings printed on high...
Fabric, Wool
Max Beckmann Retrospective (The Saint Louis Art Museum Sept 7-Nov. 4, 1984)
By (after) Max Beckmann
Located in Missouri, MO
This is a vintage museum exhibition poster from the Max Beckmann Retrospective at the Saint Louis Art Museum, 1984. Max Beckmann was...
Offset
$5,452
Snow Receding - Victor Egorov, Russian, Landscape, Snow, Woodland, Season, birch
Located in Knowle Lane, Cranleigh
Receding Snow is an original oil onto canvas by Russian painter Victor Egorov. It depicts the turning of seasons as Egorov details the receding snow from...
Oil
Germaine Krull Atke Scarf : Cashmere/Modal blend
Located in New York, NY
Claudia Doring-Baez, Germaine Krull Atke Scarf, 2020, Cashmere/Modal blend, 26 x 71 in Beautiful scarves created by artist Claudia Doring-Baez with her paintings printed on high qua...
Fabric
Brassaï Paris Gala at the Opera for Harper’s Bazaar: Cashmere/Modal blend Scarf
Located in New York, NY
Claudia Doring-Baez, Brassaï Paris Gala at the Opera for Harper’s Bazaar Scarf, 2020, Cashmere/Modal blend, 26 x 71 in. Beautiful scarves created by artist Claudia Doring-Baez with ...
Fabric