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.
$1,050Sale Price|30% Off
Old Friends - Abstract Expressionist Painting, Oil on Canvas, 1990s
Located in Soquel, CA
Five figures gathered of old friends--the best friends-- by San Francisco artist Michael William Eggleston (American, 20th century). From a collection of his works, unsigned. Unframe...
Oil, Canvas
$2,680Sale Price|20% Off
You Become What You Think About - 21st Century, Contemporary, Portrait, Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Eli...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$3,840Sale Price|39% Off
20th Century Bucks County Colorful Landscape Painting, Italian artist
By Louis Bosa
Located in Beachwood, OH
Louis Bosa (American, 1905–1981) Bucks County, 1934 Oil on canvas Signed and dated lower right 17.5 x 21.5 inches 25.5 x 29 inches, framed Born in Codroipo, a small village only a f...
Oil
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Woven Identities 3 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Africa
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Woven Identities is a body of work that explores the intersection of indigenous African heritage and modern global culture. In these paintings, I focus on hairstyle, tribal marks, dr...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Blue Testament 7 -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Modern Africa
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Dan...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$2,500
“Crossroads, c. 1940” WPA Polish-American Expressionist Modernist Oil Signed
By Sol Wilson
Located in Yardley, PA
“Crossroads, c. 1940” by Sol Wilson (Polish-American, 1896-1974). This expressive painting by Wilson depicts a moody village crossroads rendered with his signature textured brushwor...
Oil, Board
$56,108
Still life with plate, poster and bottle of liqueur. 1929. Oil/canvas, 69x50 cm
By Romans Suta
Located in Riga, LV
Still life with plate, poster and bottle of liqueur 1929. Oil on canvas, 69x50 cm with certificate of authenticity Romans Suta Born on April 28, 1896 in the vicinity of Cesis (La...
Canvas, Oil
$1,091Sale Price|20% Off
Large Mid Century French Expressionist Signed Oil Horse Racing Scene
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Horse Race French expressionist artist, mid 20th century signed oil on artist paper, unframed artist paper: 20 x 25.5 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: ov...
Oil
French Fauvist Post Impressionist Oil Painting Frederick Serger Ecole de Paris
Located in Surfside, FL
Frederick Serger Genre: Post Impressionist Subject: Flowers, Poppies Medium: Oil Surface: Panel Hand signed lower left Frederick Serger (given name Frederick Bedrick Sinaberger) w...
Oil, Panel
$1,964Sale Price|20% Off
The Port of Honfleur, Oil on Canvas, Expressionist, Framed, 1958
Located in London, GB
'The Port of Honfleur, France', oil on canvas, by Julien Varlet (1958). A vibrant and evocative harbour scene from the historic port city of Honfleur in Normandy, France. Colourful, ...
Canvas, Oil
Cowgirl - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Africa Women Art Deco
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube. This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Awofadeju Solom...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Colonialism (Couple of Wonders) 4 -21st Century Contemporary Figurative Art Deco
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Ama, a Ghanaian woman born in 1940 near Kumasi during British colonial rule over the Gold Coast, grows up witnessing the exploitation of cocoa farms, missionary influence, and growin...
Stone
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Reflection- 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Fashion
By Gobe Joseph
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Gob...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
$2,600Sale Price|20% Off
Soul Sisters - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Women, Love
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Dan...
Canvas, Oil
The Resonance of Light: Bouquet of Roses" Large Square Oil Painting – 2015
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
This original oil painting, representing a central part of the series "The Silent Pulse of Decadence", focuses on the narrative dialogue between silent objects and nature. The compos...
Canvas, Oil
$2,240Sale Price|20% Off
Lady In White 1 - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Women, Modern
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
She holds on to her integrity and purity. Lady in white captures a desire to be hidden, but her presence is revealed through her unquenched innermost beauty. Lady in white captures h...
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,200Sale Price|20% Off
Somebody Call Me - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Expressionism, Africa
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Oso...
Canvas, Acrylic, Polymer
Barcelona Original Gouache Painting on Cardboard, Expressionist, 1980s
By Agustin Rio
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
A. Rio Barcelona .Original gouache paper painting . AGUSTIN RIO ( Barceona 1923 – Barcelona 1997) Formed in Llotja i al Cercle Artístic de Sant Lluc He appeared individually in 195...
Gouache, Cardboard
$701
Tranquility. Blue, small, night, landscape, gift sized, village, quiet, calm
Located in Oslo, NO
A quiet landscape rests in shades of blue and soft carmine, as if evening has gently settled over a dream. The hills dissolve into one another like slow breathing, and the air feels ...
Oil, Canvas
$448Sale Price|20% Off
Gregorio Muñoz Montoro (1906–1978) - Técnica mixta - Interior con figuras
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
Firmado en la parte inferior por el artista Medidas obra: 32 cm. de altura x 23 cm. de ancho Medidas marco: 55 cm. de altura x 45 cm. de ancho Se presenta enmarcada la obra con un...
Oil
$360Sale Price|20% Off
One More Shot 3 - 21st Century Contemporary Figurative, Sport, Football, Green
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Eli...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Joseph Solman, "Girl Reading" Expressionist Interior Figure Painting
Located in Rockport, MA
Painting size without frame: 8"x12" Painting size with frame: 12"x16" Painting is signed lower left corner. An expressive interior portrait by renowned American modernist Joseph So...
Oil, Board
20th century painting of monks in Venice, Italian pink figural work
By Louis Bosa
Located in Beachwood, OH
Louis Bosa (Italian-American, 1905–1981) Island of the Monks, c. 1930 Oil on masonite Signed lower right 14 x 24 inches 23 x 33 inches, framed Born in Codroipo, a small village only...
Oil
$2,280Sale Price|20% Off
2Pac and Snoop Oil Painting on Canvas, Expressionist, 21st Century
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
"2Pac and Snoop" by James Ogamba Tochukwu is a striking artwork that pays homage to the iconic figures of 2Pac and Snoop Dogg, two influential fi...
Canvas, Oil
$1,960Sale Price|20% Off
Ewie - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Floral, Modern, Women
By Kum Cletus
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Born in 1993 in...
Canvas, Acrylic
Copons Barcelona Original Acrylic Painting, Expressionist, 1990s
By Joan Copons
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Original work of the Spanish artist Joan COPONS. -Barcelona-jardin. original acrylic painting
Canvas, Oil
Friends. Family, friendship, strange creations, yellow, beige, whimsy, whimsical
Located in Oslo, NO
"This painting that I called "Friends" is from my favorite series "We and Our Mountains", "Friends" is a painting that appeals to my love for strange and mystic solutions, there’s so...
Canvas, Oil
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Self Portrait -21st Century, Contemporary, Portrait, Africa, People
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity About Artist Emma...
Canvas, Coffee, Mixed Media
$1,495
19th Century Impressionist Manner Oil Seascape Winter Sunset Harbor Scene Signed
Located in Stockholm, SE
This marine oil on canvas resonates with French Impressionism of the late 19th century (reminiscent of the circle or followers of Eugène Boudin) and captures the fleeting poetry of w...
Canvas, Wood, Oil
"Roadster" (2005) Expressionist Still-Life, Oil Painting on Panel
Located in Denver, CO
"Subject matter to me is a vehicle for me to explore how I observe life. My urban influences are an assembly of varied fabrics stitched together to form a tapestry. It is not to re...
Oil, Panel
$520Sale Price|20% Off
Siblings 1 -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Abstraction, Modern, Interior
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by the Gal...
Canvas, Acrylic
Woman in a Red Dress
By Béla Czóbel
Located in Chicago, IL
In an article published in Le Figaro (Paris, March 19, 1964), Raymond Cogniat comments on Czóbel’s unique artistic style. He writes: “...Czóbel, who arrived Paris in the first years...
Canvas, Oil
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Woven Identities 5 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Africa
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Woven Identities is a body of work that explores the intersection of indigenous African heritage and modern global culture. In these paintings, I focus on hairstyle, tribal marks, dr...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$3,200Sale Price|20% Off
Don't Rush Life 3 - 21st Century Contemporary Figurative, Portrait, Africa, Men
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Where am from Bandana was once a common style, we called it Big Boy Style, then it's seem to me like a style or fashion only, because our elder brothers only allowed to used it but n...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Quiet Strength 1 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Portrait, Oil, Modern, Fashion
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by the Gal...
Canvas, Oil
$1,752Sale Price|20% Off
David's Journey Oil and Acrylic Painting, Expressionist, 21st Century
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
"David's Journey" by Joshua Salami is a captivating artwork that beautifully encapsulates the spirit of a young man embarking on a profound voyage of self-discovery, passion, and vis...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Trying to Leave Myself 2 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Portrait, People
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity About Artist Emma...
Canvas, Mixed Media
$1,440Sale Price|20% Off
Echoes of the Mind 2 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Floral
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Bey...
Canvas, Oil
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Solitude - 21st Century, Contemporary, Portrait, Expressionism, Africa
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity About Artist Emma...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,683
Where are we? Who are we? Psychology, lost, emotional, young woman, questions
Located in Oslo, NO
The philosophical painting “Where are we, who are we?” shows a young woman with two mysterious, bird-like figures in soft pastel tones. The scene carries quiet uncertainty, inviting ...
Canvas, Oil
$1,800
"Mexican Outdoor Scene with Figures" Expressionistic Style Oil Painting on Board
Located in New York, NY
A strong modernist oil painting depicted in the Mid Century by Russian painter Michael Baxte. Mostly known for his abstracted figures on canvas or street scenes, this piece is a wond...
Oil, Masonite
$1,580
No Ordinary Winter's Tale: Resilience, the War 1943, German Expressionist oil
Located in Norwich, GB
This is no ordinary winter scene. It is the story of prosecution and survival; of resolve and resilience during World War 2, as it was experienced by German Expressionist Heinz Lohma...
Oil, Board
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Woven Identities 10 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Africa
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Woven Identities is a body of work that explores the intersection of indigenous African heritage and modern global culture. In these paintings, I focus on hairstyle, tribal marks, dr...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Sakura in the city park – Impressionist Landscape Oil Painting Wall Art
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
This vibrant oil painting is an evocative landscape painting titled Sakura in the city park created by the internationally registered artist Elena Lukina in 2022.As a comforting land...
Canvas, Oil
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Waiting for My Name to Return - 21st Century, Contemporary, Portrait, People
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity About Artist Emma...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,160Sale Price|20% Off
Figures on the Street
Located in North Clarendon, VT
Beautiful oil on board painting, figures on a street circa 1930. Signed lower left, 14.5" x 11" painting, 19.5" x 16" framed. Alweil was born in Galicia and studied at the art acade...
Oil
$7,450
Perfect Duet -21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Floral Mixed Media
By Gobe Joseph
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Gob...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Come A Long Way 1 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Portrait, Oil, Modern, Fashion
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by the Gal...
Canvas, Oil
Blooming balcony – Impressionist Landscape Garden Oil Painting Wall Art
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
This vibrant oil painting is an evocative landscape painting titled Blooming balcony created by the internationally registered artist Elena Lukina in 2020.As a comforting landscape p...
Canvas, Oil
Untitled - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Women, African
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Dan...
Canvas, Oil, Charcoal
$3,200Sale Price|20% Off
Yellow Ambitions -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Surrealism Women
By Elisha Nyong
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
“Thus wrote I, since my One Love was torn from me. I cannot work: I cannot think: I seek distraction here: I seek distraction there: but this is all my truth, that I Who love have lo...
Linen, Oil
$11,935Sale Price|30% Off
Piazza di Spagna, Roma Oil on Canvas, Expressionist, Framed, 1930s
By Yves Brayer
Located in London, GB
'Piazza di Spagna, Roma' oil on canvas, by Yves Brayer (1933). At the bottom of the Spanish Steps, is one of the most famous squares in Rome. It owes ...
Canvas, Oil
Seed of Joy - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Women, African
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Dan...
Canvas, Oil
$4,228Sale Price|50% Off
"Expressionist Oil Painting 'Landscape', Canvas, Belgian, Circa 1928"
Located in London, GB
'Landscape', oil on canvas, by Charles Kvapil (1928). The artist, Kvapil, has scores of tremendous artworks which depict scenes in nature such as this one. Here, a bit of Mediterrane...
Canvas, Oil
$634Sale Price|40% Off
Market Day in Piazza Grande, Expressionist Oil on Board, 1940s, Framed
Located in London, GB
'Market Day in Piazza Grande, Locarno, Switzerland', oil on board, by unknown artist (1947-48). Locarno is an utterly charming Italian-speaking resort located on the northern shore o...
Oil, Board
$360Sale Price|20% Off
One More Shot 4 - 21st Century Contemporary Figurative, Sport, Football, Green
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Eli...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$1,309Sale Price|40% Off
Church of Saint-Nicolas du Chardonnet, Gouache on Paper, 1930s, Framed
By Lucien Génin
Located in London, GB
'The Church of Saint-Nicolas du Chardonnet, Paris', gouache on art paper by Lucien Génin (circa 1930s). In Paris' 5th Arrondissement the site in which Saint-Nicolas du Chardonnet is ...
Paper, Gouache
Happy snowman 30X30
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this oil painting, I've captured a moment of pure, childlike wonder—a cheerful snowman set against a winter twilight. Its bright, lively colors evoke innocence and nostalgia, invi...
Oil
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Woven Identities 6 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Africa
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Woven Identities is a body of work that explores the intersection of indigenous African heritage and modern global culture. In these paintings, I focus on hairstyle, tribal marks, dr...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$3,506
Monster's club. Symbolic childhood painting, brothers, boys room decor, twins
Located in Oslo, NO
"Monster's club" is an oil painting where two children stand among imagined monsters, reflecting the fears of childhood — created by the mind yet deeply felt. The painting speaks abo...
Canvas, Oil