Expressionist Figurative 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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Period: 21st Century and Contemporary
Style: Expressionist
Sisters, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
TITLE - Sisters SIZE - 36Wx36Hx2D in INCHES " So distant yet so close. So different yet so similar. We have our own, unspoken language"”a look that makes one of us fall on the...
Category
2010s Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
French Contemporary Art by Sandra Detourbet - Promise Indécise
Located in Paris, IDF
Ink on canvas & handmade paper
Sandra Detourbet is a French artist born in 1967 who works & lives in Ivry-sur-Seine, near Paris. She is graduated in 1997 from ENSAD in Paris, Art-Sp...
Category
2010s Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Handmade Paper, Ink
Italian Tuscany Figurative Expressionism Male Nude ink on paper 20st
Located in Florence, IT
The painting is signed and dated: L. NOCENTINI 91.
The style of Ladislao Nocentini can be defined as a sort of Figurative Expressionism: his i...
Category
Early 2000s Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Paper, Ink
"The peasant" - Horizontal painting with figure and landscape.
By Luis Filcer
Located in Miami, FL
This peasant is part of a unique collection requested by a cardboard factory named DRT in Querétaro, México.
Category
2010s Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Acrylic, Cardboard
Soirée Littéraire
Located in Atlanta, GA
Jean-Louis Mendrisse is a self-taught painter born in 1955 in Clermont-Ferrand.
Art, family affairs
Jean-Louis Mendrisse studied the deal with his famous sculptor father, Jean Mos...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Ensemble
Located in Atlanta, GA
Jean-Louis Mendrisse is a self-taught painter born in 1955 in Clermont-Ferrand.
Art, family affairs
Jean-Louis Mendrisse studied the deal with his famous sculptor father, Jean Mos...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Samedi Soir Chez Chloé
Located in Atlanta, GA
Jean-Louis Mendrisse is a self-taught painter born in 1955 in Clermont-Ferrand.
Art, family affairs
Jean-Louis Mendrisse studied the deal with his famous sculptor father, Jean Mos...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Convoitise
Located in Atlanta, GA
Jean-Louis Mendrisse is a self-taught painter born in 1955 in Clermont-Ferrand.
Art, family affairs
Jean-Louis Mendrisse studied the deal with his famous sculptor father, Jean Mos...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Le Tombeau de Cyrus, 2018
Located in Atlanta, GA
Born August 4, 1945 in Chambéry.
Apprenticeship in 1984 at the Etampes school founded and run by the painter Philipe Lejeune.
-Price "Finez Planard" awarded by the Taylor Foundation...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil
Fire Ball by Anna Taganzeva-Kobzeva - Painting, oil on canvas, 2023
Located in Basel, BS
The painting Fire Ball by contemporary artist Anna Taganzeva-Kobzeva was shown at the group exhibition "Floral & Machine" at St. Paulus Church in Basel in 2023. The exhibition delves...
Category
2010s Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
The Fruit Eyes
Located in Miami, FL
Evelyne Ballestra's work with signs, symbols and esoteric spirituality reflects her passion for the ancient past and represents a symbolic return to the ground from which we emerged....
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Vide Médian
Located in Miami, FL
Evelyne Ballestra's work with signs, symbols and esoteric spirituality reflects her passion for the ancient past and represents a symbolic return to the ground from which we emerged....
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Mobile hyperlaxity-Julien Wolf, 21st Century, Contemporary Expressionist Drawing
By Julien Wolf
Located in Paris, FR
Oilbar and charcoal on paper
2020
Signed
Unique work
Julien Wolf is a French painter born in 1981 in Strasbourg, France.
In 2007, he graduated from the DNSEP Art section at the St...
Category
2010s Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Paper, Charcoal, Oil Pastel
Dance with me - Joanna Flatau, 21st Century, Contemporary Expressionist painting
Located in Paris, FR
Acrylic paint on canvas
Signed
Unique work
Joanna Flatau was born in Varsaw, Poland.
She graduated from Varsaw History of Arts University and from the Fine Arts Varsaw Academy in ...
Category
2010s Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
From here 2 hours and a half' wait! Julien Wolf Contemporary Expressionist Paint
By Julien Wolf
Located in Paris, FR
Oil on canvas
2018
Signed
Unique work
Julien Wolf is a French painter born in 1981 in Strasbourg, France.
In 2007, he graduated from the DNSEP Art section at the Strasbourg Decora...
Category
2010s Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
He grabs it by the tail - Julien Wolf, Contemporary Expressionist Painting
By Julien Wolf
Located in Paris, FR
Oil on canvas
2019
Signed
Unique work
Julien Wolf is a French painter who was born in Strasbourg in 1981, France.
He graduated in 2007 at the DNSEP Art and Decorative Art section a...
Category
2010s Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Match point - Julien Wolf, 21st Century, Contemporary figurative painting
By Julien Wolf
Located in Paris, FR
Oil on canvas
Signed
Unique work
Category
2010s Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Hathor
Located in Miami, FL
Her work with signs, symbols and esoteric spirituality reflects her passion for the ancient past and represents a symbolic return to the ground from which we emerged. Her work creates a commentary about “beginnings” and the transmission of signs and emotions through visual elements evoking a spiritual essence to our scientific notion of etymology. After studying under Rolf Dürig...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Paul Manes - Palaz of the Hoon, Painting 2008
By Paul Manes
Located in Greenwich, CT
Paul Manes was born May 4, 1948, in Austin, Texas. He began his professional career in New York City in the early 1980s. His art has been widely exhibited in America and Europe and h...
Category
Early 2000s Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Paint, Oil
"Cloud" Figurative Nude Oil Painting 47" x 24" inch by Sergey Dolmatov
Located in Culver City, CA
"Cloud" Figurative Nude Oil Painting 47" x 24" inch by Sergey Dolmatov
Year: 2010
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Altai. Belukha Mountain" Oil Painting 24" x 16" inch by Sergey Dolmatov
Located in Culver City, CA
"Altai. Belukha Mountain" Oil Painting 24" x 16" inch by Sergey Dolmatov
Year: 2006
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Twins" Oil Painting 35" x 24" inch by Sergey Dolmatov
Located in Culver City, CA
"Twins" Oil Painting 35" x 24" inch by Sergey Dolmatov
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Toy Seller" Oil Painting 35" x 45" inch by Andrey Remnev
Located in Culver City, CA
"Toy Seller" Oil Painting 35" x 45" inch by Andrey Remnev
ARTIST BIO:
"My birth place is Yakhroma town, in the vicinity of Moscow. It is situated on high hills, from where broad Bruegelian vistas are open. The uneven terrain with significant differences of high and low; a canal between the Moskva river and the Volga; small rivers, woods and villages; a nearby ancient town of Dmitrov, which is equal to Moscow in age; ships cruising the canal and trains outdistancing them – all this I saw from my window since my early years. It was a view that embraced all the diversity of the world. This is why I can say that the impressions of my childhood and youth – beautiful nature and remarkable people – are the most important ones.
In the museum of Moscow's St. Andronic Monastery I copied the best examples of the old Russian painting...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Aquarius" Oil Painting 31.5" x 51" inch by Sergey Dolmatov
Located in Culver City, CA
"Aquarius" Oil Painting 31.5" x 51" inch by Sergey Dolmatov
Year: 2014
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Night. Silence." Oil Painting 39" x 29" inch by Sergey Dolmatov
Located in Culver City, CA
"Night. Silence." Oil Painting 39" x 29" inch by Sergey Dolmatov
Year: 2010
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Strelka. Beginning" Oil Painting 25.5" x 29.5" inch by Andrey Remnev
Located in Culver City, CA
"Strelka. Beginning" Oil Painting 25.5" x 29.5" inch by Andrey Remnev
ARTIST BIO:
"My birth place is Yakhroma town, in the vicinity of Moscow. It is situated on high hills, from where broad Bruegelian vistas are open. The uneven terrain with significant differences of high and low; a canal between the Moskva river and the Volga; small rivers, woods and villages; a nearby ancient town of Dmitrov, which is equal to Moscow in age; ships cruising the canal and trains outdistancing them – all this I saw from my window since my early years. It was a view that embraced all the diversity of the world. This is why I can say that the impressions of my childhood and youth – beautiful nature and remarkable people – are the most important ones.
In the museum of Moscow's St. Andronic Monastery I copied the best examples of the old Russian painting...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Disappearing" Oil Painting 27.5" x 39" inch by Sergey Dolmatov
Located in Culver City, CA
"Disappearing" Oil Painting 27.5" x 39" inch by Sergey Dolmatov
Year: 2010
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"The Keeper" Oil Painting 24" x 35" inch by Sergey Dolmatov
Located in Culver City, CA
"The Keeper" Oil Painting 24" x 35" inch by Sergey Dolmatov
Year: 2010
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Botanica" Oil Painting 20" x 14" inch by Andrey Remnev
Located in Culver City, CA
"Botanica" Oil Painting 20" x 14" inch by Andrey Remnev
ARTIST BIO:
"My birth place is Yakhroma town, in the vicinity of Moscow. It is situated on high hills, from where broad Bruegelian vistas are open. The uneven terrain with significant differences of high and low; a canal between the Moskva river and the Volga; small rivers, woods and villages; a nearby ancient town of Dmitrov, which is equal to Moscow in age; ships cruising the canal and trains outdistancing them – all this I saw from my window since my early years. It was a view that embraced all the diversity of the world. This is why I can say that the impressions of my childhood and youth – beautiful nature and remarkable people – are the most important ones.
In the museum of Moscow's St. Andronic Monastery I copied the best examples of the old Russian painting...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"With thoughts about…" Oil Painting 39" x 31" inch by Sergey Dolmatov
Located in Culver City, CA
"With thoughts about…" Oil Painting 39" x 31" inch by c
Year: 2009
Size framed: 44" x 36" inch
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
For the Megaliths to the Megalopolis - Figurative Political Painting
Located in New York, NY
Bernard Aptekar's For the Megaliths to the Megalopolis is a figurative painting measuring 49.5" x 65". Aptekar's paintings are often a political and social commentary of the contradi...
Category
Early 2000s Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
The Speeding City Stretches Into Flesh - Figurative Painting with Pastel Colors
Located in New York, NY
Aptekar's paintings are often a political and social commentary of the contradictions inherent to the human mankind. The surrealistic and expressionistic language used to covey the m...
Category
Early 2000s Expressionist Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Expressionist figurative paintings for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Expressionist figurative 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 figurative 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, purple, orange, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Evelyne Ballestra, Julien Wolf, Stephen Basso, and Bernard Harmon. Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Oil Paint 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 figurative paintings, so small editions measuring 1 inches across are also available.