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.
La Mer à Cassis, Expressionist Oil on Paper, Late 20th Century
By Armand Avril
Located in Cotignac, FR
Late 20th century oil on paper view of the Mediterranean sea at the port of Cassis in the south of France by French artist Armand Avril. The painting is initial signed bottom right a...
Oil, Acrylic, Paper
Colorful Spanish Village Landscape with Thick Impasto and Yellow Fields Oil Art
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Colorful Spanish Village Landscape with Thick Impasto and Yellow Fields Artist: Ulpiano Carrasco Title: Pozoseco, Cuenca Year: 1999 / 2000 Medium: Oil on canvas Canvas dimensions: 7...
Oil
$3,259
The Last Sun. Richard K Blades. Painting of sea at sunset. Turner influence.
Located in Coltishall, GB
A moody sunset over the sea captured in oil paint. The Last Sun captures a breathtaking sunset over a tranquil seascape. The composition is dominated by a brilliant display of warm ...
Oil, Board
Aurora over a Northern Lake, 1916
Located in Stockholm, Stockholm
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
$3,999
Expressive Castilian Landscape Oil Painting with Olive Trees and Impasto Spain
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Expressive Castilian Landscape Oil Painting with Olive Trees and Impasto Artist: Ulpiano Carrasco Title: Verano en Castillejo Year: 1998 Technique: Oil on canvas Artwork dimensions: 54 × 65 cm / 21.26 × 25.59 in Framed dimensions: 78 × 89 cm / 30.71 × 35.04 in Signature: Signed and dated on the reverse Inscription: Titled “Verano en Castillejo” on the reverse Framing: Framed Condition: Good overall condition, with rich original impasto and visible pictorial texture Description A vibrant expressive landscape by Spanish artist Ulpiano Carrasco, titled Verano en Castillejo and dated 1998 on the reverse. This oil on canvas represents a powerful Castilian landscape, built through dense impasto, energetic brushwork and a luminous palette of greens, yellows, blues, whites and earthy reds. The composition captures an open rural panorama with olive trees, rolling cultivated fields and distant hills, transforming the Spanish countryside into an intense chromatic experience. Carrasco does not approach landscape as simple topography. His painting turns nature into matter, rhythm and emotion. The fields appear almost sculpted with paint, while the olive trees emerge as dark, expressive forms against the vibrating surface of the land. The result is a landscape full of movement, heat and Mediterranean-Castilian atmosphere. The work is especially attractive for collectors of Spanish contemporary landscape painting, expressive impasto painting, Mediterranean landscapes, olive tree paintings...
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
$2,442
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
"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...
Oil, Canvas
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
Evening lights of Prague. The Charles Bridge.
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this piece, I've sought to capture the ethereal glow of twilight embracing the iconic architecture. The playful dance of light and shadow melds realism with a hint of impressionis...
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard, Giclée
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
Reverte Albarracinoriginal painting
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
ANTONIO REVERTE OLIVA (Monteagua, Murcia, 1943 – Gavà, Barcelona, 2014). A self-taught artist, Antonio Reverte settled in Catalonia in 1961, in the Barcelona town of Viladecans. In ...
Acrylic
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
$3,123
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
North West. Richard K Blades. Oil painting of the sea and sky Turner influence.
Located in Coltishall, GB
North West - a tumultuous seascape beneath a dramatic sky. Blades' textured brushstrokes that merge shades of deep indigo and soft pink, suggest an impending storm. The transition fr...
Oil, Board
Emglish Peak District, Original painting, landscape, contemporary
Located in Deddington, GB
English Peak District is an Original Oil painting by Eleanor Woolley. The rugged landscape and climbing contours are the inspiration for this Oil Painting. I love the hills that go u...
Canvas, Oil
Full Calm
Located in Zofingen, AG
In crafting this piece, I explored the tranquil interplay of light and texture over the serene expanse of water, reflecting a quiet sunset. The gentle blending of acrylic and oil in ...
Oil, Acrylic, Cardboard
$974Sale Price|20% Off
French Expressionist Sludgy Green & Brown Landscape Very Thick Oil Impasto
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Green Landscape French artist, indistinctly signed, dated verso 1985 oil painting on canvas, in wooden frame canvas: 10 x 17 inches wooden frame: 9.5 x 16 inches provenance: private ...
Oil, Canvas
Meneses. MALLORCA. square. LANDSCAPE- original acrylic wodd painting
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
MAJORCA. LANDSCAPE- original acrylic wodd painting. This Catalan painter, settled for years in Mallorca, offers a series of landscapes in which the natural is treated in the impress...
Wood, Oil
$1,197Sale Price|20% Off
Vue sur la Ville au Toit Rouge / View Over the City of Red Roofs
Located in London, GB
Vue sur la Ville au Toit Rouge (View Over the City of Red Roofs), oil on canvas, by Guy Le Péqueux (circa late 1960s). The artist channels his expressionist sensibility into a vivid,...
Canvas, Oil
Sea. Sailboat.
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this piece, I sought to capture the serene dance between sky and sea, interspersed with the graceful ballet of a sailboat. Infused with the essence of expressionism and the delica...
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard, Giclée
$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
"Valley View" (2009) by Jann T. Bass, Original Oil Painting of Landscape
Located in Denver, CO
"Valley View" (2009) by Jann T. Bass is an original handmade oil painting that depicts a lush green valley with a small lake in the middle. This painting measures 9 x 12 inches and i...
Oil, Board
$1,959Sale Price|20% Off
'The Port of Honfleur' by Julien Varlet (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
$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
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
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
Amroth seascape at night
By Rupert Aker
Located in Deddington, GB
Amroth seascape at night by Rupert Aker [2021] original Oil on board Image size: H:30 cm x W:40 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:40 cm x W:40 cm x D:3cm Frame Size: H:33 cm x W:...
Oil, Board
$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
"Sarabono" (2009) by Jann T. Bass, Original Oil Painting of Landscape
Located in Denver, CO
"Sarabono" (2009) by Jann T. Bass is an original handmade oil painting that depicts a colorful flowery landscape. This painting measures 12 x 14 inches and is ready to hang.
Oil, Board
Paris Street Scene, Expressionist Cityscape Oil Painting
Located in Genève, GE
Dimensions with frame: 47 x 34 x 3,5 cm. Signed "A Carducci" in the lower right corner. A vibrant and expressive depiction of a Parisian street scene, animated by pedestrians, shopfronts, and early automobiles under a lively urban atmosphere. The composition captures the dynamic rhythm of city life, with figures moving through a bustling intersection framed by Haussmannian architecture. Executed with bold, gestural brushwork and a richly textured surface, the painting emphasizes movement, light, and immediacy over fine detail. The artist employs a dynamic palette of warm browns, greys, and ochres, punctuated by vivid accents of red, yellow, and blue, bringing energy and depth to the scene. The wet pavement and reflections suggest recent rain, enhancing the sense of atmosphere and modernity. The buildings are rendered with a semi-abstract approach, their forms slightly distorted through expressive handling, aligning the work with Post-Impressionist and early Expressionist tendencies. This painting reflects the vitality of early 20th century Paris, appealing to collectors of modernist cityscapes, Parisian subjects, and expressive urban painting. paris street scene painting, scène de rue à paris, paris cityscape oil painting...
Oil, Cardboard
Vintage Modernist Beach Sunset Vibrantly Toned Seascape Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage French expressionist beach scene. Framed. Measuring: 10 by 15 inches overall and 4 by 9 painting alone. Signed. Excellent condition, ready to hang and enjoy.
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
$7,095Sale 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
$5,552Sale Price|45% Off
¨Topiaria¨. Expressionist colorful garden. Big format Oil on canvas
Located in Segovia, ES
Topiaria. Big format Oil on canvas Beautiful garden by Chico Montilla. Measurements: (H) 130 x (W) 195 x 3 cm. Framed 142 x 207 x 5 cm. Colorful expressionist view of a garden with plants that have been given artistic form through the topiary art...
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
$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
$1,380
Marina Diptych, Abstract Seascape Gestures in Blue, Acrylic Painting on Paper
Located in Barcelona, ES
This series by Enric Servera explores the relationship of humans to salt and seawater. The intention of these works is to submerge us into the sea, a salty treasure that surrounds us...
Paper, Acrylic
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
$10,500Sale Price|30% Off
'Riflessi A Tiburon', by Marco Sassone, Oil on Linen, Waterfront Landscape, 1983
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
This framed oil on linen painting, 'Riflessi A Tiburon,' by Marco Sassone, an American-Italian painter, is measured at 30 x 24 inches in a horizontal format. Sassone paints an Expres...
Linen, Oil
$520
"Rain To The North" (2024) by Leigh Ann Van Fossan, Original Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Leigh Ann Van Fossan's "Rain To The North" (2024) is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a valley with a few houses in the distance and a storm brewing above. Van Fossan...
Oil, Panel
Expressionist Fauvist View From a Window, The Balcony, Follower of Raoul Dufy
Located in Cotignac, FR
Expressionist Fauvist French oil on canvas view from a window to a balcony by Jean-Jacques Philippon. The painting is signed and dated bottom right and there is an exhibition label f...
Canvas, Oil
The Joshua Tree in the Canyon, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A Joshua tree stands among yellow desert bushes, its leaves appearing to glow under the bright sun. In the distance, a blue ridge and a mountain rise. Rugged fo...
Oil
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
Spanish Shadows - Original, Contemporary, Cityscape
Located in Deddington, GB
Spanish Shadows is an Original Painting by Eleanor Woolley. This painting is inspired by the Artist trips to Spain, the hot pink tones reflecting the heat on the streets. Long shadow...
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
$1,567Sale Price|45% Off
Hillside in Galilee
Located in North Clarendon, VT
Fantastic estate find, Hillside in Galilee by Arieh Allweil. A beautiful expressionist painting by an exceptional artist. Oil on board, signed lower right, 15" x 11" painting, 20" x ...
Oil
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
$4,483
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
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
Edith Desternes, The Church Notre-Dame de l'Assomption in Auvers-sur-Oise, 1920s
Located in Saint Amans des cots, FR
Oil on canvas by Edith Desternes (1901-2000), France, 1920s. The Church Notre-Dame de l'Assomption in Auvers-sur-Oise. This church has been painted in ...
Canvas, Oil
$2,540Sale Price|20% Off
Small city center. 2013. Cardboard, oil, 97x123 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Street view. 2013. Cardboard, oil, 97x123 cm
Oil, Cardboard
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
Kinetic Motion: 18x24cm Impasto Oil on Canvas Panel (2024)
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Kinetic Motion" is a vibrant 2024 original oil study from the prestigious series Gravity of Light: Marine Chronicles. Created as an intimate 18x24 cm work on professional canvas pan...
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard
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
1 Depth in Minor Painting, Turquoise Palette, Venice Biennale 2026
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Depth in Minor" is the fundamental work that opens the entire Venetian cycle. It captures the incredible, translucent emerald light within a cresting wave — a symbol of inner streng...
Canvas, Linen, Oil
Polzeath
By Rupert Aker
Located in Deddington, GB
Polzeath, evening [2021] original Acrylic on canvas Image size: H:40 cm x W:50 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:40 cm x W:50 cm x D:2cm Frame Size: H:43 cm x W:53 cm x D:3cm Sol...
Canvas, Acrylic
$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
Pons Fullana. Cala Figuera. Mallorca. Acrylic paint
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Andreu Pons Fullana . 1947. Realist landscape painter with an expressionist touch.
Acrylic