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.
Aurora over a Northern Lake, 1916
Located in Stockholm, SE
Aurora over a Northern Lake, signed and dated “G Claeson 1916”, oil on canvas. This evocative landscape, executed in an expressionist manner, and on the same time almost modern, cap...
Canvas, Oil
Expressionist 20th Century Colourful English Landscape Oil Painting EAST ANGLIA
Located in Cirencester, GB
ARTIST: Ronald Ronaldson (1919-2015) British TITLE: "East Anglian Landscape" SIGNED: lower right MEDIUM: oil on board SIZE: 63cm x 48cm inclusive of frame CONDITION: very good DETA...
Oil
Original VINTAGE EXPRESSIONIST Oil Painting LANDSCAPE WITH HORSES Devon English
Located in Cirencester, GB
ARTIST: Barbara Vincent (1921-) English TITLE: "Landscape With Horses" SIGNED: lower right and dated 1969 MEDIUM: oil on board SIZE: 48cm x 39cm inclusive of frame CONDITION: very...
Oil
$2,421
Shadow marshes. Richard K Blades. Painting of sea at sunset. Turner influence.
Located in Coltishall, GB
A warm sunset over Norfolk's Cromer beach. Between Thoughts is a sublime oil painting that captures the mesmerizing tranquility of a sunset over thw North Sea. The horizon is ablaze...
Oil, Board
European School 1955 Signed Oil painting Ox Cart Rural Landscape Framed Art
Located in Palm Coast, FL
This expressive 1955 oil painting on board depicts a rural countryside scene featuring a farmer guiding oxen pulling a cart along a rugged country path. The composition captures move...
Oil
$1,176Sale Price|37% Off
Mediterranean Village of Mallorca oil on canvas painting
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Artist: Bernat Sanjuan i Tarré (Barcelona, 1915 – Deià, Mallorca, 1979) Title: Mediterranean Village of Mallorca Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 65 × 92 cm (25.6 × 36.2 in) Framed:...
Canvas, Oil
$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
"Canyon River" (2025), Original Expressionist Impasto Landscape, Oil Painting
By Sandra Pratt
Located in Denver, CO
"Canyon River" (2025) is a beautiful original impasto oil painting, created on linen panel by American artist Sandra Pratt, which depicts a vast forest, captured in an expressionisti...
Canvas, Oil
View of the Lake, Oil on Cardboard, Landscape Painting, 26x36.5 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Janis Rikmanis (1901.5.IV – 1968.25.III) graduated Figurative painting studio of Latvia Art academy (1931). He took part in exhibitions since 1929. Self-exhibitions were made in Riga...
Oil, Cardboard
$790
Vivid Lush Leaves Sketch, Botanic Drawing, Expressionist Style, Watercolor Paper
Located in Barcelona, ES
This expressionist botanical drawing on paper captures the raw vitality of exotic flowers through fresh, vigorous gestures. Milano's drawings abandon precise realism in favor of emot...
Paper, Wax Crayon, Acrylic
$3,095
Eventide by Richard K Blades. Oil painting of the sea at sunset after a storm.
Located in Coltishall, GB
Richard K Blades is an expressive landscape painter working in the English Romantic tradition. He follows in a long line of artists such as Turner, Constable, Seago, Daubigney and C...
Oil, Board
$1,780Sale Price|40% Off
'The Park' by M. Phidias (circa 1920s)
Located in London, GB
'The Park', oil on canvas, by M. Phidias (circa 1920s). Painted using this artist's trademark impasto, the effect is to add depth and texture to the exuberant display of hues and ref...
Canvas, Oil
Julien Meunie Almond original acrylic painting
By Julen Meunie
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
" ALMOND original acrylic painting. framed Julien was born in 1948 in Vichy, France. He studied art and theater in Clermont-Ferrand at the same time as finishing his degree in Fren...
Canvas, Oil
$1,580
Poppies and Wildflowers, Figurative Triptych, Large Botanical Landscape on Paper
Located in Barcelona, ES
This original painting by Romina Milano presents a lyrical field of poppies and wildflowers, where gestural brushwork and simplified forms create a vivid, contemporary botanical comp...
Acrylic, Watercolor, Handmade Paper
'Port-Vendres' Côte Vermeille, France, California, Large Post-Impressionist Oil
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Signed verso, 'Ant McNaught', (American, 1952-2026), titled 'Port de Vendres', dated 2022 and inscribed '(After Derain, 1905)'. This California Post-Impressionist and Abstract Expre...
Canvas, Oil
1940s Signed German Impressionist Oil of Rio de Janeiro in Style of Max Slevogt
Located in Soquel, CA
German Impressionist Painting of Rio de Janeiro's Guanabara Bay and Sugarloaf Mountain in style of Max Slevogt This vivid landscape painting offers a panoramic view of Rio de Janeir...
Oil, Board
Between Thoughts. Richard K Blades. Painting of sea at sunset. Turner influence.
Located in Coltishall, GB
A warm sunset over Norfolk's Cromer beach. Between Thoughts is a sublime oil painting that captures the mesmerizing tranquility of a sunset over thw North Sea. The horizon is ablaze...
Oil, Board
$1,496Sale Price|20% Off
Lake view by A. Muller - Oil on canvas 60x73 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on canvas with a frame; total size 80x93 cm
Oil
Fantasy with Flowers 23
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Fantasy with Flowers" (series of 200+ pictures) paper 59x42cm On the paper acrylic, oil pastel, felt-tip pen, ink, gold leaf, pencils, silver,mixed media. Flowers are a smile of ...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Archival Paper
$4,176Sale Price|50% Off
Landscape
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
$5,503Sale Price|40% Off
Corsican Chestnut Trees
Located in London, GB
'Corsican Chestnut Trees', oil on canvas, by Charles Kvapil (1933). The artist, Kvapil, has many artworks which depict scenes in nature such as this one....
Canvas, Oil
Raventos 6 Winds Vines Trees Square Sunset original expressionist acrylic
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
"Paisaje de castilla" original expressionist acrylic painting RAVENTÓS Mª Assumpció – (San Sadurní d’Anoia, Barcelona 1930). Raventos trained at the elite Sant Jordi School of Fine...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$1,192Sale Price|57% Off
Tableau n°60 by Jean Krillé - Oil on paper and canvas 50x70 cm
By Jean Krille
Located in Geneva, CH
Of Germanic descent, the painter Jean Krillé was born in 1923 in Switzerland. His father, writer and poet, oriented him towards art and culture. From the age of 16, he enrolled at th...
Oil
$485Sale Price|20% Off
Mid-20th Century French Expressionist Landscape River and Colorful Mountains
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Expressionist Landscape signed gouache painting on artist paper painting: 9.75 x 12.75 inches provenance: private collection, England condition: very good and sound condition Descr...
Gouache
1940's French Signed Oil Expressionist Landscape Riverside Scene
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Riverside Scene By Alex Levrat, French 1941 signed & dated oil on board, framed Framed: 15 x 18 inches Board : 13 x 16 inches Provenance: private collection, France Condition: very g...
Oil
$4,500
"Serene House" (2025), Original Expressionist Impasto Landscape, Oil Painting
By Sandra Pratt
Located in Denver, CO
"Serene House" (2025) is a beautiful original impasto oil painting, created on linen panel by American artist Sandra Pratt, which depicts a vast forest, captured in an expressionisti...
Canvas, Oil
$4,444
Last by Richard K Blades. Moody seascape with setting sun. Turner influence
Located in Coltishall, GB
Sunset over the sea after a storm rolls by... portrays a mesmerizing seascape at dusk, where the horizon blurs in a harmonious blend of colors. Blades skillfully manipulates light a...
Oil, Board
$1,227Sale Price|30% Off
The Mill
Located in London, GB
'The Mill', watercolour and graphite on paper, adhered on canvas, by Louis Latapie (circa 1930s). A colourful wintery scene, the bare trees are like wireless ...
Canvas, Paper, Watercolor, Graphite
"Secret Garden" (2023) by Leigh Ann Van Fossan, Original Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Leigh Ann Van Fossan's "Secret Garden" (2023) is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a path surrounded by colorful flowers and trees arching over. Van Fossan was born in...
Canvas, Oil
Mountain Range, Oil Painting on Canvas by Jalal Gharbi
Located in Long Island City, NY
A large oil painting of a dramatic Mountain Range by Tunisian-born artist, Jalal Gharbi (1920 - 2005). The painting measures 30 x 40 inches and the frame 37.5 x 47.5 inches.
Canvas, Oil
$850
Raventos CADAQUES Small Vertical original expressionist acrylic canvas
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
RAVENTÓS Mª Assumpció – (San Sadurní d’Anoia, Barcelona 1930). Raventos trained at the elite Sant Jordi School of Fine Arts in Barcelona. Raventós expanded her studies in etching and...
Canvas, Oil
"Sunset" (2025), Original Expressionist Impasto Landscape, Oil Painting
By Sandra Pratt
Located in Denver, CO
"Serene House" (2025) is a beautiful original impasto oil painting, created on linen panel by American artist Sandra Pratt, which depicts a vast plain at dusk, captured in an express...
Canvas, Oil
Hydro-Genesis: Luminous Flux – Museum Scale Masterpiece (145x100)
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this monumental 145x100 cm canvas, the proprietary "Ordered Chaos" method is pushed to its technical and emotional limits. Part of a profound, decade-long study titled Hydro-Genes...
Canvas, Oil
Gravity of Light: Marine Chronicles
Located in Zofingen, AG
A cornerstone of the 'Gravity of Light: Marine Chronicles' collection, this 2012 masterpiece marks the origins of Elena Lukina’s signature philosophy: "The Turquoise Silence." Painte...
Canvas, Oil
Early 20th Century Swiss Alps Village Landscape
By Otto Hamel
Located in Soquel, CA
Substantial small painting of a Swiss Mountain village by Otto Hamel (German, 1866-1950). Signed "Otto Hamel" lower right. Presented in a giltwood frame. Image, 9.5"H x 13"L. A Germ...
Oil, Board
Light and Stone in Harmony Sway, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Soft light hits two peaks, casting soft, blue shadows on the cliffs below. In the foreground, a meadow lights up with small, dancing trees. The composition and ...
Oil
Market scene
Located in Genève, GE
Work on panel Dimension with frame : 39 x 48.3 x 3.5 cm This work depicts a vibrant scene of a bustling market, captured with a dark, earthy palette that evokes a nostalgic atmospher...
Oil
"On the Pier" (2025), Original Impasto Oil Painting of Red House
By Sandra Pratt
Located in Denver, CO
"On the Pier" (2025) is a beautiful original impasto oil painting, created on linen panel by American artist Sandra Pratt, which depicts a picturesque pier with a red house. Born 1...
Oil, Board
Lady with a Parasol at the Beach, Mid-20th Century Oil on Canvas
Located in St. Albans, GB
Hubert Glansdorff Belgian 1877 – 1963 Signed bottom right Picture Size: 19 x 28" (47 x 70cm) Outside Frame Size: 27 x 36" (67 x 90cm) A rare chance ...
Oil
Colourful French Expressionist Landscape, Promeneur au Pigeonnier
Located in Cotignac, FR
French landscape, Expressionist oil on board by Jean Arene. The painting is signed bottom left, titled dated and signed to the back and is presented in the original 'Arene' frame sup...
Oil
$7,096Sale Price|20% Off
Venice Grand Canal Landscape Bouvard Aldine 19/20th Century Paint Oil on canvas
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Antoine Bouvard, called Marc Aldine (L'Isere 1875 - Paris 1957) Signed 'Bouvard' lower right View of Venice with the Grand Canal (link) oil on canvas 60 x 86 cm Framed 70 x 96 cm. Very good condition We present an evocative view of Venice with a glimpse of the fascinating Grand Canal, signed by the famous French Vedutist Antoine Bouvard, also known by his pseudonym, Marc Aldine. Considered one of the most talented illustrators of the lagoon city who worked there in the first part of the 20th century, he became one of the most acclaimed vedutists of that period, with a success that led him to exhibit throughout France and Italy as well as in numerous European galleries...
Oil
Mid Century Expressionist Landscape, Oil on Canvas. The Countryside
Located in Cotignac, FR
Mid Century oil on canvas landscape painting by Franco Hungarian artist Elemer Vagh Weinmann. The painting is signed bottom right and is presented in a custom gilt frame with a white...
Canvas, Oil
$1,882Sale Price|20% Off
Peony Paradise" is an interior painting by Volskaya Lilia.
Located in Zofingen, AG
shipped in roll Peony Paradise" is an interior painting by Volskaya Lilia. The painting is executed in light, bright colors. The luxurious peonies are strategically placed at the e...
Oil, Canvas
$2,070Sale Price|20% Off
Blooming tree
Located in Zofingen, AG
"In this oil painting, I endeavored to capture the ephemeral beauty of nature's awakening. With each stroke, I sought to embody the delicate dance of blossoms on a gentle breeze, inf...
Canvas, Oil
Café de la Gare - Mid 20th Century French Expressionist Figurative Oil Painting
Located in Sevenoaks, GB
A superb mid 20th century French expressionist oil on canvas depicting a café de la gare (station café) as inscribed on the reverse. Numerous well dressed figures stand at the café ...
Canvas, Oil
Expressionist Colorful Landscape Oil Paint : San Antonio
Located in Segovia, ES
San Antonio . Oil on canvas by Spanish artist Chico Montilla. Measurements: (H) 65 x (W) 81 x 2 (D) cm. Framed 85 x 101 x 5 cm. San Antonio, another expressionist view of the countr...
Canvas, Oil
Chestnut Hill, Original Paintin
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The artwork depicts a wooded valley in a Philadelphia suburb in Fauvist style. Flat shapes and colors create an almost abstract effect in the composition. Minim...
Acrylic
$11,803Sale Price|30% Off
Piazza di Spagna Roma
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
Afternoon Colors, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A path leads to Mt. Diablo in this Fauvist landscape. Artist James Hartman used thick layers of oil paint to create an expressive and textured outdoor scene. In...
Oil
Oil painting on board "Rough sea with steamer on the horizon" by S.A.Vinogradoff
Located in Gavere, BE
Sergey VINOGRADOV ( 1869 - 1938 ) Rough sea with steamer on the horizon Sergei Arsenievich Vinogradov ( Russian: 1869–1938 ) was a Russian-Soviet Impressionist painter; known for l...
Gold Leaf
Low tide by Richard Blades. Oil painting. Sunset over the sea. Turner influence
Located in Coltishall, GB
Richard K Blades mesmerizing oil painting captures the ethereal beauty of a sunset over a tranquil sea. The sky, painted in vivid hues of orange and crimson, seamlessly blends with s...
Oil, Board
In the wildflowers Original impasto Miniature oil painting for living room
Located in Zofingen, AG
"In the Wildflowers" is an oil painting where the artist's passion meets serene natural beauty. This piece blends impressionism with realism, capturing a tender moment with soft colo...
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard
In Solitude by the Sea, Expressionist Oil Painting on Canvas, 2010-
Located in Zofingen, AG
"In solitude by the sea" is an original oil painting on canvas that captures a quiet moment on the beach. Soft brushstrokes and a delicate expression evoke solitude and introspection...
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard
$790
Nature-Inspired Painting, Tropical Flora in Brown and Green, Modern Nature Forms
Located in Barcelona, ES
This painting explores an intimate and imaginative relationship with nature, transforming tropical flora into expressive, living forms. Rather than depicting a specific landscape, th...
Paper, Wax Crayon, Acrylic
Mushrooms in the Forest" is an oil painting by Volskaya Liliуa.
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Mushrooms in the Forest" is an oil painting by Volskaya Liliуa. Have you been to a forest where there are so many trees that it becomes dark under their canopy? How does it feel? I ...
Canvas, Oil
J. Meunie 6 Tree Almond Blossom Vertical original acrylic painting
By Julen Meunie
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
" ALMOND BLOSSOM original acrylic painting. framed Julien was born in 1948 in Vichy, France. He studied art and theater in Clermont-Ferrand at the same time as finishing his degree ...
Wood, Oil
Oil painting on canvas " Rough sea with coastline on the horizon " by Schubring
By Richard Schubring
Located in Gavere, BE
Schubring, Richard (1853-1902) Rough sea with coastline on the horizon Oil on canvas. Signed and dated lower right. “1895” Richard SCHUBRING is an artist born in 1853 and deceased...
Gold Leaf
$760Sale Price|20% Off
Dracaena, Botanical Garden Plant Still-Life
Located in Soquel, CA
Fun and expressive botanical still-life painting of a Dracaena plant in front of a window by Bay Area artist Michael Pauker (American, b.1957), 1976. The bright green leaves are depi...
Canvas, Oil
$1,800
"Love Poem" (2024) by Leigh Ann Van Fossan, Original Acrylic Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Leigh Ann Van Fossan's "Love Poem" is an original acrylic depicting an impressionistic aspen landscape in soft pastel colors. Van Fossan was born in Vail, Colorado, and began oil p...
Canvas, Acrylic
The Genesis of Spring – Large Scale Abstract Masterpiece (100x100)
Located in Zofingen, AG
"The Genesis of Spring: A Visual Symphony of Vitality" Part of the "Koi Symphony" Collection (2020–2025) The Concept: Beyond the Surface In this monumental 100x100 cm canvas, Elena L...
Canvas, Oil