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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
$868Sale Price|20% Off
"São Paulo" by Enzio Wenk, 2004 - Acrylic on Cardboard, Expressionism
By Enzio Wenk
Located in Bresso, IT
Acrylic on press-prepared canvas.
Acrylic, Cardboard
Untitled
Located in Barcelona, CT
Includes a Certificate of Authenticity
Paper, Ink
Untitled
Located in Barcelona, CT
Includes a Certificate of Authenticity
Engraving
U.S. Premiere Exhibition Poster at the David Barnett Gallery (43/58)
Located in Milwaukee, WI
Art: 26-3/4"x19-3/4" Frame: 27"x20" Poster, signed & inscribed to Philip Barnett lower left (43/58) Claude Weisbuch was born in Thionville, France in 1927 and was a pupil at L' ...
Archival Pigment
Germaine Krull Les Amies : Cashmere/Modal blend Scarf
Located in New York, NY
Claudia Doring-Baez, Germaine Krull Les Amies Scarf, 2020, Cashmere/Modal blend, 26 x 71 in Beautiful scarves created by artist Claudia Doring-Baez with her paintings printed on hig...
Fabric
$21,610
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 Dance Scarf : Fashionable Cashmere/Modal blend Scarf
Located in New York, NY
Claudia Doring-Baez, "Kubrick Dance Scarf", 2021, Cashmere/Modal blend, 26 x 71 in. Beautiful scarves created by artist Claudia Doring-Baez with her paintings printed on high qualit...
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
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
«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
$5,335
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
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