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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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Style: Expressionist
I told you to see it Sergio Moscona Contemporary art tondo human comedy colour
Located in Paris, FR
Acrylic paint and ink on paper Tondo (diameter 30 cm) Hand-signed and dated lower right
Category

2010s Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Paper, Ink, Acrylic

Gaukler Familie mit Instrumenten (Family of Jesters with Instruments)
Located in Mc Lean, VA
German Modernist
Category

1960s Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Sporadic fulmination-Julien Wolf 21st Century Contemporary Expressionist Drawing
Located in Paris, FR
Pastel 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

Girl In A Blue Chair
Located in Aramits, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Wyona Diskin, American (1915 - 1991) Girl In A Blue Chair Acrylic on canvas partially painted over wire mesh, Unsigned. Framed. Measurements: H 70.5 x W 49.5 x D 1.25 inches Wyona ...
Category

1970s Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Wire

In The Room #5 by Katya Tsareva - Expressionist painting, oil on canvas, 2021
Located in Basel, BS
The Room #4 is the 4th work in "In The Room" series by contemporary artist Katya Tsareva. In this series the artist continues to analyze the difficult re...
Category

2010s Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Eternity
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. 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, Ballestra began her flower...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Coach André Bard - Julien Wolf, 21st Century, Contemporary figurative painting
Located in Paris, FR
Oil on canvas Signed Unique work
Category

2010s Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Window to the Light
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. 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, Ballestra began her flower...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Patrick's cave - Julien Wolf, 21st Century, Contemporary Expressionist Drawing
Located in Paris, FR
Oil pastel, India ink 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 se...
Category

2010s Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Paper, Charcoal, Oil Pastel, India Ink

Textured Figurative Painting - Water Series No.1
Located in Beijing, CN
textured Figurative painting- Water Series No.1 by He Wenjue Dimension : 30 x 20cm Material :oil on canvas Date: 2009 About Water Series He Wenjue grew...
Category

Early 2000s Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Beasts on a red background Joanna Flatau Contemporary Expressionist painting
Located in Paris, FR
Acrylic paint on canvas Signed lower right Unique work Joanna Flatau was born in Varsaw, Poland. She graduated from Varsaw History of Arts University and from the Fine Arts Varsaw ...
Category

2010s Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Astral Landcsape
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

Insomnia
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Expressionist figurative nude oil painting on fine printmaking paper. Colorful, active movement, broad brushstrokes, expressionist feel.
Category

2010s Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Paper, Oil

Strongman and Fire eater circus, coney island influences colorful carnival
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Oil on board mounted on a wooden frame suitable for immediate hanging. The board has been primed with an acrylic pumice gel giving the surface a rough texture visible from the photo...
Category

2010s Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Brass

Dreaming
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

Contemporary Textured Figurative Painting - Water Series No.5
Located in Beijing, CN
textured Figurative painting- Water Series No.5 by He Wenjue Dimension : 30 x 20cm Material :oil on canvas Date: 2009 About Water Series He Wenjue grew...
Category

Early 2000s Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Players' transfer -Julien Wolf 21st century, Contemporary Expressionist Painting
Located in Paris, FR
Oil on canvas 2019 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

Poultry Seller - Jewish School of Paris
Located in London, GB
This oil painting is hand signed by the artist "I. Ryback" in the lower left corner. This painting was created in the early 1930's Provenance: The authenticity of this work has been...
Category

1930s Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Italian Tuscany Figurative Expressionism Female 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

Zucchini Blossom
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

The Lobsters
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 create...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary 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

Lotus
Located in Miami, FL
Lotus is a painting made by Evelyne Ballestra, a French contemporary artist. This piece is a part of a flower series, defined by their distinct bright colors, satiny, silky, vibratin...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Wacky felucca Julien Wolf Contemporary art painting expressionnist outsider
Located in Paris, FR
Oil paint on canvas Hand-signed on the back by the artist “At first glance, we are invited to a colorful carnival. Everything is movement here! As if Julien Wolf had tried to captur...
Category

2010s Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

COLD SNAP seated female figure on subway cool blue winter tones
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Oil painting on plywood signed on reverse. There is a rough texture to the surface of the painting a technique used by the artist on many of his wood paintings.
Category

2010s Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Plywood, Oil

First pressure Julien Wolf Contemporary art painting expressionnist colour
Located in Paris, FR
OIl paint on canvas Hand-signed on the back by the artist “At first glance, we are invited to a colorful carnival. Everything is movement here! As if Julien Wolf had tried to captur...
Category

2010s Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Ivre d'Embruns
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. 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, Ballestra began her flower...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Warm Reflections Florida theme water pool exterior warm colors tranquil theme
Located in Brooklyn, NY
oil on linen canvas heavy duty stretchers framing recommended but not necessary. signed on reverse
Category

2010s Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Two Yellow Parakeets and the Surviving Plant" Oil Painting by Pat Berger
Located in Pasadena, CA
Something is mesmerizing about the paintings of Pat Berger - a captivating force that immediately draws us in. Her work is characterized by a unique composi...
Category

1950s Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Dusk in the Garden - Greenwich Village - Moody Monochromatic - Whitney Museum
Located in Miami, FL
The setting reminds us of a Rear Window by Alfred Hickcock but Evergood did it 8 years before. It's most likely Greenwich Village since Evergood lived there. This is a very big and heavy to lift painting Signed lower left Framed 56 x 51 in a period very heavy rustic wood frame. Exhibited Center Gallery, Bucknell University, PA, among others venus. gallery label remnants on verso - The Walker Art Center, Minneapolis The Whitney Museum of American Art Annual 1949 - Label Provenance: Naomi and Walter Rosenblum Best Viewed with a top gallery light...
Category

1940s Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Contemporary Textured Figurative Painting - Water Series No.2
Located in Beijing, CN
textured Figurative painting- Water Series No.2 by He Wenjue Dimension : 30 x 20cm Material :oil on canvas Date: 2009 About Water Series He Wenjue grew up in Hunan province, China, where the tributaries of the Xiangjiang River surround almost every town. Water nurtures life, and life creates prosperity and hope. In the late 1990s, He Wenjue began to paint inspired by the theme of water, initially prompted by its natural beauty and liquidity. Unlike David Hockney’s renowned pool portrait series, He Wenjue’s paintings display endless expanse of water. Although the surface of water reflects the intense blue colour of the sky, it does not conceal the energy of the water flow: the combination of blue and black makes the water surface look like a strong magnetic black hole. This image generates in the viewers a feeling of anxiety and concern for the swimmers. Even though the combative swimmers, depicted by He Wenjue with reference to Lucian Freud’s expressive style, are carried away by the waves and look pale and weak, however, their naked bodies, still illuminated by an obsidian light, rise and fall between the waves. For He Wenjue, water is a symbol of any kind of living space: the dynamism of the water surface and the unstable nature of the water represent the instability of society in a universal sense, while the swimmers who strive forward represent the individuals who face many difficulties when they are looking for their own place and making every effort to pursue freedom. About the artist: He Wenjue was born in 1970 in Hunan Province, China. He received his MA in painting from Jilin Academy of Fine Arts. Member of Chinese Art Association, Member of Chinese Painting Association.The vice-President of Hunan Oil-Painting Association. Research Fellow of Beijing Academy of China Xieyi Oil Painting.He is currently the vice president of Hunan Oil Painting Society, a member of China Artists Association and a member of Chinese Oil Painting Society. His works have been displayed on exhibitions at“Scenery in Map”ShangHai Solo Exhibition、Solo Exhibition, Frank Schlag Gallery, Essen, Germany、Sense of the Sparkle: He Wenjue Singapore Solo Exhibition, Singapore、Water: Senses of Sparkle, Tang Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand、The 9th & The 10th National Annual Fine Arts Exhibition、The first Chinese Freehand Brushwork Oil Painting、4th Jakarta Contemporary Ceramics Biennale, 6th BICMA ,、Painting the Present, Certosa di San Giacomo, Via Certosa 1 - Capri, Capri, Italy、The 2nd Chinese Oil Painting Biennale, The National Art Museum of China、The Xinjiang International Art Biennial 2014、Ethics as the DNA Art: The 9th Florence Biennale、SEA OF PEACE: Japan-Korea Contemporary Art Exhibition, Incheon Art Platform, Incheon, Korea、Faces and Figures, Germany、East side, Michael Schultz Gallery, Berlin, Germany、Vanhaerents Museum Collection, Brussel Belgium、China...
Category

Early 2000s Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

white mink, oil painting of urban scene, w snow, music reference in shadow
Located in Brooklyn, NY
*ABOUT Stephen Basso Stephen Basso's highly original pastels and oil paintings are romantic, yet thought provoking fantasies. His whimsical works are alive with boundless imagina...
Category

Early 2000s Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Off Broadway multi figurative purple colors dancers women in gowns
Located in Brooklyn, NY
a recent painting signed and dated on reverse oil on stretched linen canvas heavy duty wooden stretchers framing recommended but not necessary.
Category

2010s Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas, Linen

Lynx speak Nicolas Kennett 21st Century Bristish painting portrait expressionist
Located in Paris, FR
Oil paint on wood panel Signed on the back "Incanto" or the enchantment of shifting "Nicolas Kennett revisits the organic world through painted and sc...
Category

2010s Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Wood Panel, Oil

Vision, colorful, mystical watercolor
Located in Brooklyn, NY
vivid colors, watercolor, mixed media, spiritual theme
Category

2010s Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media, Watercolor

Ballets Russes
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 create...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Ballerina" Expressionist Scene
Located in Austin, TX
Linda Dumont 10" x 8" - Oil on Panel
Category

Late 20th Century Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

A small picodon ? Julien Wolf Contemporary Expressionist Painting
Located in Paris, FR
Oil on canvas 2017 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 brought the dawn in its wake Timothy Archer 21st Century Contemporary paint
Located in Paris, FR
Oil paint and pastel on paper Signed and dated lower right
Category

2010s Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil Pastel, Paper, Oil

"Siamo in ogni cosa" by Enzio Wenk, 2010 - Oil Paint on Canvas, Expressionism
Located in Bresso, IT
Translated title: "We are in everything" Oil paint on canvas. It features a wooden frame and it can't be hung, since it is meant to lean against the wall.
Category

2010s Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Wood

The faithfuls - Joanna Flatau, 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

"Duck Lake" California Expressionist Oil Landscape by John Mitchell Martin
Located in Pasadena, CA
This oil painting features a calm lake where eleven black ducks swim. The artist painted a water pipe on the lake's left bank while a palm tree stands alone at the center. John Mit...
Category

20th Century Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Emotional
Located in Rye, NY
‘Emotional’ is a large expressionist figurative oil on canvas painting of vertical format created by Vietnamese artist La Ba Quan in 2011. Featuring a palette made of grey, brown, bl...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

STILL WINTER SNOW
Located in Aventura, FL
Original oil on canvas painting. Hand signed on front; signed and titled on verso by the artist. Canvas is stretched. Artwork is in excellent condition. Stretched. Certificate of au...
Category

20th Century Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Iris
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

Late 20th Century Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Faccia Ubriaca" by Enzio Wenk, 1993-1997 - Mixed Media on Canvas, Portrait
Located in Bresso, IT
Translated title: "Drunken face". Mixed media on canvas.
Category

1990s Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media

MIDNIGHT SILHOUETTE
Located in Aventura, FL
Original oil on canvas painting. Hand signed on front; signed and titled on verso by the artist. Canvas size 24 x 12 inches. Frame size is approx 35.5 x 23.5 inches. Artwork is i...
Category

20th Century Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Survival colour - Julien Wolf, 21st Century, Contemporary Expressionist Drawing
Located in Paris, FR
Pastel 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

Mister Universe - Julien Wolf, 21st Century, Contemporary Expressionist Painting
Located in Paris, FR
Oil on canvas 2019 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

Juliette
Located in Austin, TX
By Pep Suari 39.5" x 32 Acrylic on Canvas
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Fisherman
Located in Austin, TX
By Pep Suari 39" x 39" Acrylic on Canvas
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

What should I do with the ball ? Julien Wolf Contemporary Expressionist Painting
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

Jeremy on acid - Julien Wolf, 21st Century, Contemporary figurative painting
Located in Paris, FR
Oil on canvas Signed Unique work
Category

2010s Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Is the sun burning your retina ?Julien Wolf, Contemporary Expressionist painting
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

From here 2 hours and a half' wait! Julien Wolf Contemporary Expressionist Paint
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

Supper is not over ! - Julien Wolf, Contemporary Expressionist Painting
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. In 2007, he graduated and obtained the DNSEP Art and Decorative Art section...
Category

2010s Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Las pirañas de mi vida, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Large Abstract portrait Painting, , gray & black, White , on canvas ,work by Dimitris Pavlopoulos Painting created with acrylic . Colors: gray & black, White , Abstract Canvas Col...
Category

2010s Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Boy in black shirt, Painting, Acrylic on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
My work is about dealing with the real world and above all using the images that surround us in everyday life. I often search for the unexpected. An ironic turn to images or things y...
Category

2010s Expressionist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

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.

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