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.
Expressionist Portrait of a Woman, Oil on Canvas, Framed, 1991
Located in NANTES, FR
This work by Menachem Gueffen is an elegant and modern portrait of a seated woman, characteristic of his approach between figuration and expressionism. The frontal composition, simpl...
Oil
Women. maternity, pregnant, care, mother, daughter, small, framed, happy
Located in Oslo, NO
A bright, sun-drenched landscape in beige, red and warm yellow, with two women. One of them is pregnant, her rounded figure becoming part of the landscape’s soft, organic shapes. The...
Canvas, Oil
Saul Raskin “The Binding of Isaac”
By Saul Raskin
Located in San Francisco, CA
Saul Raskin: 1878-1966. Well, listed Russian American artist who has auction results as high as $8750. He’s most famous for painting biblical scenes such as this beautiful piece. I’v...
Oil
$489
"Blooming pink" Contemporary expressionist still life floral painting on paper
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
“Blooming Pink” is a vibrant original floral painting by French artist Natalya Mougenot, a contemporary expression of color, emotion, and painterly freedom. This 29.7 x 42 cm (appro...
Paper, Acrylic
Portrait of a Woman
By Erich Waske
Located in Wien, 9
Deling with the work of Erich Waske today, one encounters first of all a number of reasons why this outstanding artist has fallen into such undeserved oblivion. In addition to the de...
Oil, Panel
$970
Pentium II, Expressionist Painting, Vigorous Gestures Icons, Acrylic on Paper
Located in Barcelona, ES
Details: Title: Pentium II Medium: Acrylic Painting on Watercolor Paper Size: 100x 70 cm (40x 28 inches). Year: 2026 Artist: Alberto de Blobs Artist's signature: Right corner * Fra...
Paper, Acrylic
Expressionist Large Oil Painting of Two Knitters, Signed, 73x92 cm
By Jean Arène
Located in Cotignac, FR
French Mid Century Large Expressionist oil on canvas of two seated Provencale figures, Le Tricoteur, by Jean Arene. The painting is signed and dated bottom left. Painted when Arene...
Canvas, Oil
Tyria
Located in Westport, CT
René Romero Schuler’s expressionistic paintings depict delicate female figures that she paints using a dry-brushed, minimalist hand, leaving her subjects mostly featureless but nonet...
Canvas, Oil
$11,250
"Orange" - Contemporary Figurative Landscape Acrylic Painting in Orange and Blue
Located in Carmel, CA
Maura Petersen (American, born 1956) "Orange" 2021 Oil Paint, Canvas, Stretcher Bars The artist signed the bottom left of the painting. In "Orange," Maura Petersen captures a solita...
Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars
$979Sale Price|30% Off
Jazz Night Abstract Expressionist Oil on Board, Signed, 39.2x30 cm
By Thierry Miramon
Located in Cotignac, FR
Late 20th century abstract expressionist oil on board representation of a lively jazz night by French artist, Thierry Miramon, signed top left and pres...
Acrylic, Board
$640Sale Price|20% Off
Two Sculptors
By Airom
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Oil paint and ink.
Ink, Oil
$1,107Sale Price|42% Off
Melancholic Clown with Accordion Painting, Spanish Figurative Oil on Canvas 1978
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Expressionist Clown Accordion Player Painting, European Oil on Canvas, 1978 Artist: Antoni Mut Torroja Title: Acordeón melancólico (No. 5) Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 81 × 54 ...
Oil
$524
"Pure Joy" Contemporary figurative woman's portrait acrylic painting on paper
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
Original Contemporary Figurative Painting of a Woman, 50 × 50 cm (19.7 × 19.7 inches), Acrylic and Acrylic Pen on Professional Acid-Free French Paper By French Artist Natalya Mougeno...
Paper, Acrylic
Registry of unauthorized incarnations. Mystery painting, philosophy, psychology
Located in Oslo, NO
A red background holds traces of blue and white beings, half-formed, half-remembered. They seem to gather in quiet defiance, as if claiming a place in a world that never asked for th...
Canvas, Oil
Maximilien Luce La Cueilleuse de Fruits
Located in Dallas, TX
Maximilien Luce (French, 1858-1941) La Cueilleuse de Fruits oil on newsprint laid down to board signed Luce (lower right) Sight: 13 1/2 x 6 1/2 in. (34.3 x 16.5cm) Frame: 17.5 x 10 I...
Oil, Newsprint
$1,500
Escapade 2 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Modern, Africa
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
This piece was born from a moment of stillness, a quiet observation of how we carry entire landscapes within us. I kept thinking about how we often stand between mountains we did not...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Down with flowers
Located in Torino, IT
The lights of The Lights Of Sinners are glimmers that burn out at dawn: when a new day supplants the dreams of the night, scattering the remnants of a bonfire or a ritual, or like th...
Oil
Cosmical Language Oil Painting on Canvas, Expressionist, 21st Century
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....
Canvas, Oil
$2,680Sale Price|20% Off
Let The Poor Breathe -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Abstraction, Africa
By Olajide Kuti
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 Ola...
Canvas, Acrylic
$18,000
Girl with Ribbon in Hair, Expressionist Portrait by Philadelphia Artist
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Girl with Ribbon in Hair" is a painting by Philadelphia born Expressionist painter Bernard Harmon. The 40" x 35.75" oil on board portrait is painted in a vibrant color palette and l...
Oil, Board
Farewell. Childhood, emotional, balloon, landscape, bright, rural, house, bright
Located in Oslo, NO
During this long and short life we say goodbye to many things. We say goodbye to childhood, to people, to countries, to our dreams and hopes, and even to our beliefs. We also say goo...
Canvas, Oil
$1,580
Poppies and Wildflowers, Botanical Painting Triptych, Illustration Style Prairie
Located in Barcelona, ES
Poppies and Wildflowers unfolds as a lyrical triptych, where fluid brushwork and a vibrant yet balanced palette evoke the quiet vitality of spring. Red poppies emerge among delicate ...
Acrylic, Watercolor, Handmade Paper
$2,250
Eric Dolphy: Original 1960s Portrait of John Coltrane Jazz Saxophone Musician
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
This is an original 1960s oil painting on board of Eric Dolphy, the African-American jazz musician who played with the Chico Hamilton's quintet, the Charles Mingus Jazz Workshop, and...
Oil, Board
$2,331
"Eternal Bond" Contemporary figurative expressionist oil painting of two women
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
"Eternal Bond" is a contemporary figurative painting by French artist Natalya Mougenot, measuring 80 x 60 x 1.5 cm / 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.6 in. Created in her expressive and intuitive s...
Canvas, Oil
$2,797
Crazy sun. Bright, houses, yellow, blue, landscape, semi abstract, fantasy
Located in Oslo, NO
Yellow here refuses to behave like light. It pushes through the landscape, swallowing distance and turning familiar forms into something uncertain. Blue holds its ground, cooling the...
Canvas, Oil
El vendedor de antiguedades - Óleo sobre cartón entelado - Firmado y enmarcado
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
La obra va firmada en la parte inferior y fechada del año 1982 Se presenta enmarcada la pintura El estado de conservación de la obra es bueno Medidas de la obra: 46 x 38 cm. Medi...
Oil
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...
Canvas, Handmade Paper, Ink
Abstract with Subject 10 (House), Painting by John Clem Clarke
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: John Clem Clarke, American (1937 - ) Title: Abstract with Subject 10 (House) Year: 1972 Medium: Acrylic and Spraypaint on Canvas, signed and dated verso Size: 70 x 40 in. (1...
Canvas, Spray Paint, Acrylic
$3,880Sale Price|20% Off
Even in Pain - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Modern, Love
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Set in a small, resilient village on September 1, 2022, ADEROGBA, a young artist, loses his eyesight due to a sudden illness. With a chain on his hands symbolizing pain. Devastated b...
Canvas, Acrylic, Oil
Twin Soul - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Modern, Women, Love
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
This painting, Twin Soul, explores the invisible bond that connects two bodies, two individuals, two spirits. Though they appear as separate individuals, they share a profound sense ...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Winter Shadows 31, Eleanor Woolley, Original Night Time Painting, Affordable Art
Located in Deddington, GB
Winter Shadows 31 [October 2021] original Oil Paint on Canvas Image size: H:15 cm x W:15 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:15 cm x W:15 cm x D:3cm Sold Unframed Please note t...
Canvas, Oil
The Picasso from Tangier, "At the Café," a French painting from 1930, signed
Located in Pistoia, IT
Antonio Fuentes (Tangier 1905 - 1995) "At the Cafe. Oil on panel, signed in the lower left corner. A beautiful work in the Expressionist style by the great Moroccan painter known as ...
Oil, Cardboard
$1,900
Bountiful. Mature female figure with plant strong vibrant green and red color
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Oil on wood signed and dated on reverse Stephen Basso's highly origional pastels and oil paintings are romantic yet thought provoking images. His whimsical works are alive with boun...
Wood, Oil
MidCentury Expressionist Portrait Painting, Oil on Canvas, Circle Ludwig Meidner
Located in Cotignac, FR
Mid century Expressionist oil portrait on canvas by Lirondo. The painting is signed and dated bottom right. This artwork presents a striking, expressionist portrait of a contemplati...
Canvas, Oil
"Flatirons" (2025), Impressionist Rocky Mountain Landscape, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Painted plein air in Boulder, Colorado. Kirsten Savage is one of Colorado’s top representational artists. As an avid world traveler and experienced mountaineer, Kirsten spends her t...
Oil, Panel
$1,480Sale Price|20% Off
Gazing Through Ankara 2, Expressionist Oil on Canvas, Unframed
By Bakare Abubakri-sideeq Babatunde
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
"Gazing Through Ankara" is a captivating series of paintings that celebrates the beauty, diversity, and individuality of black African women through the exploration of eyewear and An...
Fabric, Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Research & Development Figural 3 & 4
By Bruce Adams
Located in Buffalo, NY
A pair of paintings in one singular frame presentation by American contemporary artist Bruce Adams Art is the R&D for culture. Artists Conduct the R&D for society. In the late tw...
Acrylic, Canvas
Three Corals Together, Modern Marine Triptych, Colorful Illustration Style
Located in Barcelona, ES
In this vibrant triptych, Romina Milano explores the delicate vitality of fragile ecosystems through coral-like formations that pulse with chromatic intensity. Each panel exists as a...
Acrylic, Watercolor, Handmade Paper
Benet "Barcelona" - Original Cancas. urban landscape acrylic painting
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
"Barcelona" - Original Cancas. urban landscape acrylic painting. B. Sarsanedas Planella was born in 1942 in Rupit (Barcelona). 1957. He attends drawing and painting classes at the ...
Canvas, Oil
$4,280Sale Price|20% Off
In This Moment - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Men, 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
The Lobsters Oil Painting, Expressionist Style, 21st Century, Unframed
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...
Canvas, Oil
$2,400Sale Price|20% Off
Help Has Come -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Painting, Past and Present
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
This piece reflects the power of divine timing and the sudden arrival of long-awaited answers. A grayscale man waits at a train station, burdened with hope, symbolizing longing and ...
Canvas, Oil
Nude in the Shadow Original Painting, Oil on Oval Canvas, 27.5x19.6 in
Located in Forest Hills, NY
Original painting representing a female nude in afternoon light . Female nude seen by a female artist - female gaze. Painted on oval canvas. Size is 65 x46 cm / 25.5 x18in. Ready fo...
Canvas, Acrylic
$4,300
"Slanted Light, Rifle Falls, CO" - Expressionist Landscape, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"Slanted Light, Rifle Falls, CO" is a beautiful original oil painting by American artist Joellyn Duesberry, depicting an expressionist abstraction of a rolling waterfall in Colorado....
Linen, Oil
$757
"Blue and gold" Contemporary figurative still life abstract acrylic painting
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
"Blue and Gold" is an original contemporary floral still life painting by French artist Natalya Mougenot, featuring a radiant bouquet of yellow flowers in a cobalt blue vase. Paint...
Paper, Acrylic
$8,042
Contemporary Splatters of Vibrant Red Background w. Bull & Woman Form Painting
Located in ALCOY/ALCOI, ES
Title: «La Bruja» Collection: Muses Description: Acrylic on canvas, figurative, Vibrant, modern "Who is the witch of the big city today? How does she stand out from everyone else? She wants to break the rules and obeys her inner voice, she is not afraid to be herself, she chooses her own path, she lets magic enter her life every day, because living her life and loving herself is true magic." The artwork in question may celebrate the power and freedom of self-expression. The focus is on a woman who defies convention and chooses to live life on her own terms. She is described as a "witch," which suggests that she is seen as someone who is in touch with the mystical and the spiritual. The artwork may depict this woman as a bold and confident figure, with an unapologetic attitude and a strong sense of personal style. The imagery may be colorful and fantastical, with elements of nature and magic woven into the composition. The artwork may also convey a sense of joy and empowerment, with the message that being true to oneself is the ultimate form of magic. Overall, the artwork celebrates individuality, creativity, and the courage to pursue one's own path in life. Victoria Tsemka...
Canvas, Acrylic
$990Sale Price|39% Off
Barcelona and Its People Oil Painting, Figurative Expressionism, 1979
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Title: Barcelona and Its People Artist: Josep Maria Martínez Lozano (1923–2006) Year: 1979 Technique: Oil on canvas mounted on board Dimensions: 29.13 x 21.65 in Condition: Unfr...
Oil, Board, Canvas
A small picodon ? Julien Wolf Contemporary Expressionist Painting
By Julien Wolf
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...
Canvas, Oil
$1,800Sale Price|20% Off
Her Shattered Heart - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Floral
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
A soul that finds happiness after a broken heart and she decides to be single for the rest of her life. She wanted to travel, live abroad, gain new experiences and didn’t want to sta...
Canvas, Acrylic
$3,080Sale Price|20% Off
Ties That Binds Us 1 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Portrait Painting, Oil, 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 (Issued by the Gal...
Canvas, Oil
$2,800Sale Price|20% Off
Between Absence and Memory -21st Century, Contemporary, Portrait, Africa, People
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Between Absence and Memory explores the fragile space where presence lingers even after it is gone. Through the dialogue of figures and silhouettes, the work reveals how absence is n...
Canvas, Coffee, Mixed Media
North African Prostitutes Red Light District Tunisia
Located in Miami, FL
For Playboy Magazine, German-American artist and illustrator Franz Altschuler paints a heart-pounding scene of a red-light district in Tunisia. What's immediately distinctive is how ...
Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic, Wood Panel
Carnival Corn by Steve Tracy, Original 40x30" Oil on Canvas
Located in Loveland, CO
Carnival Corn by Steve Tracy 40x30" image size (48" x 38" including the ornate, gilded gallery frame) Original Oil on Canvas, Signed lower right as pictured. The piece showcases Trac...
Canvas, Oil
$2,600Sale Price|20% Off
Ejima (Twins) - 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, Charcoal
$1,500
Escapade 1 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Modern, Africa
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
This piece was born from a moment of stillness, a quiet observation of how we carry entire landscapes within us. I kept thinking about how we often stand between mountains we did not...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$1,752Sale Price|20% Off
Emancipation Oil and Acrylic Painting, Expressionist, 21st Century
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
This painting conveys the enthusiasm for freedom of self-expression regardless of the restriction to decide what you are and what you want to express by the way you dress and the way...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$104,000
No Photos Please
By Todd White
Located in Toronto, ON
42" x 31" Unframed Original - Oil on Canvas Hand Signed by Todd White Todd white captures restaurant, night and Hollywood scenes with contrasting colors serving the viewer’s eyes a...
Canvas, Oil
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Yellow Durag - 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
$4,000Sale Price|20% Off
Odd Tales From an Old Flame -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Surrealism
By Elisha Nyong
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
A dream spills open like an old book without words— Its pages breathe smoke and feathered wings, keys that unlock nothing, clocks that refuse to tell time. In the half-light, a figur...
Linen, Oil
$1,280Sale Price|20% Off
Boubou - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Plants, Women, Africa
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 Josue M Pierre ...
Canvas, Acrylic