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.
$1,720Sale Price|20% Off
Woman With Air Guitar and Musicians - Figurative Abstract in Oil on Canvas
Located in Soquel, CA
Modernist abstract figurative oil painting of a woman with musicians by San Francisco artist Michael William Eggleston (American, 20th century). Signed with monogram "MWE" and date...
Canvas, 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
$4,210Sale 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
$1,050Sale Price|25% Off
Life with Beagle Figurative Art Animal Painting 24" x 24" Women in Art
Located in Houston, TX
Jeanie Tomanek: I don’t intentionally set out to make a calming painting, no, but I do try to have a sense of hope in my stories. I’m an optimist who believes there’s always some way...
Oil, Cotton Canvas
$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
$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
$4,000Sale Price|20% Off
Into The Light 2 -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Surrealism, Women
By Elisha Nyong
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
A garden of broken vows— where lilies bloom with ash in their throats and mirrors drip with the sweat of secrets. Two shadows entwine, Yet one dissolves into smoke, The other crumble...
Linen, Oil
Revelation, abstract female Figure, back view, Paint strokes, colorful
By Tom Bennett
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Conremporay figurative painting created with heavy impasto and agresssive, active brush strokes featuring a semi abstracted female figure viewd from the back. A mixture of representa...
Canvas, Oil
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Blue Testament 2 -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
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Blue Testament 9 -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
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Blue Testament 10 -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
$1,303Sale 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
Saint Tropez
By Maurice EMPI
Located in London, GB
'Saint Tropez', oil on canvas, by Maurice Empi (circa 1970s). The best way to arrive in Saint-Tropez is probably by yacht—preferably your own. But for the vast majority of us, a walk...
Canvas, Oil
$55,947
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
$8,050
Evening Mood, Original Painting on Canvas, Hand Signed, 36 x 48 in. Stretched
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...
Canvas, Oil
$874
Friendship. Friends, goat, landscape, kind, together, pet, bright, mountains
Located in Oslo, NO
A vibrant fauvist landscape where a girl and her little goat share a quiet moment of companionship among colorful mountains and village houses. The bright, expressive colors transfor...
Canvas, Oil
Dance Moves, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The painting captures a lively scene where a group of people dances joyfully, lost in the music with closed eyes. Their vibrant clothing and fluid movements i...
Acrylic
$2,040Sale Price|20% Off
Resilience -21st Century Contemporary Figurative Portrait, Woman against Nature
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 Ogu...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,960Sale Price|20% Off
Mispa Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Expressionist Portrait, 21st Century
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
$1,212Sale Price|20% Off
Tennis. Figurative Oil Painting, Olympic Games, Sport, Realistic, Polish artist
Located in Warsaw, PL
The painting shows two tennis players which is one of the official sports of the Olympic Games. The tennis match has a spectacular character and dynamics well captured in the paintin...
Canvas, Oil
$3,500
“Blue Macaw, 1975” by Aubrey Williams, Guyanese Tropical Bird Gouache Signed
Located in Yardley, PA
This striking gouache captures Williams’s lifelong fascination with the natural world, filtered through his expressive modernist sensibility. The bird emerges from a hazy gray field,...
Paper, Gouache
$2,080Sale Price|20% Off
Love and Bond 3 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Whites, Black
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
A better society is not built solely by wealth or power, but by shared values. By the courage to love without condition, the strength to treat all as equals, and the wisdom to honor ...
Canvas, Oil
$11,884Sale 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
$1,600Sale Price|20% Off
Gallant Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Expressionist, Unframed Art
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
$447Sale 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
Lavender scent
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
"In this oil painting, I sought to capture serenity and harmony. The brushstrokes radiate a calm energy, marrying the soft purples and blues of a blooming lavender field with the gen...
Canvas, Oil
Young Girl in Green
By Béla Czóbel
Located in Chicago, IL
In a letter written to Czóbel after he had become quite ill in 1975, famous Portuguese painter Vieira da Silva writes: “My very dear Czóbel, We em...
Canvas, Oil
Contemporary abstract expressionist vivid acrylic portrait on paper "True self"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This contemporary expressionist, figurative abstract portrait was created by French artist Natalya Mougenot as part of her ongoing series devoted to the human face—not just as a like...
Paper, Acrylic
$2,120Sale Price|20% Off
In Between -21st Century, Contemporary, Portrait Painting, Oil, Women Art
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure FREE Shipping Worldwide 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 Authent...
Canvas, Oil
$1,800Sale Price|20% Off
Africa Motherhood - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Modern
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, Acrylic
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
$3,880Sale Price|20% Off
Anticipation of Love - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Modern
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
The lady rings on her fingers, except for one, symbolizing her commitment and love for her partner. The empty finger represents the promise of a marriage. The bike serves as a symbol...
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,500
1950's Expressionist Judaica Painting "I Lit All My Candles" Hanukkah Menorah
By Hildegard Rath
Located in Surfside, FL
Hildegard Rath, (1909-1994) painter, author, teacher, and lecturer, Born in Wurttemberg, Germany, in the Black Forest region of Germany. Hildegard Rath became a painter of landscape, portraits, still lifes, and marine subjects and also a muralist. Her father was a bank president, her mother a sculptor, writer, and illustrator of children's books. At the age of 15, Miss Rath painted her first portrait in oil as a birthday present for her father and thereafter every opportunity for study was given to her. She went to art school at the Atelier House in Stuttgart, Germany and at the Akademie der Bildenden Kunste in Berlin. She studied with Lotte Laserstein...
Canvas, Oil
"THE LONG WALK HOME" DEBRA BENDITZ TEXAS ARTIST COWBOY/VAQUERO
Located in San Antonio, TX
Debra Benditz (Born 1957) Texas Artist Image Size: 15 x 12 Frame Size: 24 x 20.5 Medium: Oil on Canvas, Signed "The Long Walk Home" We will only ship in the Continental United State ...
Oil
Chevaux, 1928 - huile sur toile, 54x73 cm.
By Peter Pálffy
Located in Nice, FR
Huile sur panneau par Peter Pàlffy, représentant des chevaux. Dimensions avec le cadre: 77x99 cm Peter Pallfy est un peintre autrichien du XX siècle que a...
Oil
"Mexican Landscape Water Scene with Figures and Boat" Expressionistic Style
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
"Shadow Lace" (2017) Expressionist Winter Still-Life, Watercolor Painting
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
$2,240Sale Price|20% Off
My Brother - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Men, Colour Pattern
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
$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
Swan Original impasto Miniature oil painting for living room
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Swan" captures the delicate strength and fleeting beauty of a ballerina's dance. I poured my passion for movement and grace into every brushstroke, using oil on canvas to highlight ...
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard
Contemplation
Located in West Hollywood, CA
We are proud to present for the first time in more than twenty years, the paintings of Austrian/American artist Gustav Rehberger (1910–1995). G...
Mixed Media
"Red poppies and daisies in a vase" ( modern expressive floral painting)
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This modern colorful floral artwork "Red poppies and daisies in a vase " is full of vivid colors ( red, yellow, green, blue, purple) which are my tools of expression. I explore th...
Paper, Acrylic
"Azure Pond Study" (2025) – Original Oil on Canvas by Elena Lukina
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
Immerse yourself in the serene beauty of "Japanese Spring Paradise," a painting where the fleeting charm of cherry blossoms meets the timeless grandeur of Mount Fuji. This original o...
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard
$1,640Sale Price|20% Off
African Boy IV Painting, Expressionist Acrylic on Canvas, 21st Century
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
African Boy is a series of paintings by talented artist Faith Gbadero. This series of Artworks capture the response and attitudes of African young adults...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$4,000Sale Price|20% Off
Onigele Yii Oil Painting of Black Woman in Ankara Head Tie
By Bakare Abubakri-sideeq Babatunde
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
The painting "Onigele Yii" depicts a striking black African woman wearing a vibrant Ankara head tie, known as gele, in the Yoruba language. Rendered with oil on canvas, the artwork c...
Fabric, Oil, Canvas, Acrylic
$1,840Sale Price|20% Off
Fortitude Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Expressionist, 21st Century
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. A difficult time can be more...
Canvas, Acrylic
Snowy winter. Children make a snowman
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this oil painting, I've captured a whimsical winter moment filled with joy and serenity. The snowman, graced with a cheerful smile, stands as a symbol of the simple pleasures and ...
Canvas, Oil
Two Young Spanish Girls, Oil on paper
Located in Saint Amans des cots, FR
Oil on paper by Edouard Goerg (1893-1969), France, 1937-1938. Two young Spanish girls. Measurements : with frame: 61.3x51.8 cm - 24.1x20.4 inches, view: 39x28.6 cm - 15.4x11.25 inche...
Paper, Oil
$2,400Sale Price|20% Off
Look Through My Eyes: Expressionist Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Afolayan Emmanuel's "Look Through My Eyes" is a captivating artwork featuring a woman in a seductive pose. The piece is a celebration of female beaut...
Canvas, Oil
$4,240Sale Price|20% Off
Guy's Talk - 21st Century, Contemporary, Impasto, Modern, Expressionist, Men
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 (Issued by the Gallery) About ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,120Sale Price|60% Off
Dancer in Red - Large Colorful Expressive Figurative Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Bettina Mauel expresses vitality and sensuality in her abstract and figurative paintings. “I paint what I experience,” she articulates. “This includes landscapes, dancers, and peop...
Canvas, Oil
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Away From The Lens 2 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Portrait, Oil, Women, 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
"Song of Gold" (2024) by Leigh Ann Van Fossan, Original Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Leigh Ann Van Fossan's "Song of Gold" (2024) is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a large field with a cloudy sky during golden hour. Van Fossan was born in Vail, Colo...
Oil, Board
The white house. fall colors, autumn, earth tones, small, framed, warm
Located in Oslo, NO
A large white house stands quietly among the warm colors of autumn. Brown earth, muted ochre, burnt orange, and deep blue tones surround it, giving the landscape a calm, grounded fee...
Canvas, Oil
Holding up to Memories, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A solitary woman leans into a vast, swirling blue field. Spiraling strokes of orange and yellow shimmer like stars, adding warmth to the cool, dominant palette....
Acrylic
$2,120Sale Price|20% Off
In Whom I Confide - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Modern Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
There is a special kind of trust that exists between sisters—not just those bound by blood, but those connected by the unshakable bond of sisterhood. In a world that often feels chao...
Canvas, Acrylic
$4,280Sale Price|20% Off
Souvenir of Resilience 3 -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, Oil, Acrylic
$1,720Sale Price|20% Off
Self Love 4 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Portrait, Mixed Media, African Woman
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure FREE Shipping Worldwide Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Signed on the front side and accompanie...
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Pre War European Hasidic Rabbi Kiddush Levana (Moon) German Judaica Oil Painting
Located in Surfside, FL
Kiddush Levanah oil painting Hand signed A. Gruenstein. It is not dated or titled. Pre War European Chasidic Rabbis Kiddush Levana (Blessing on seeing the new moon) German Judaica ...
Canvas, Oil
$1,015Sale Price|30% Off
Women Carrying Baskets with Children, Figurative Gouache on Paper
Located in Soquel, CA
Figurative gouache painting on paper of four barefoot women dressed in tribal patterned garments carrying baskets and children, by an unknown artist (...
Laid Paper, Gouache