Expressionist Landscape Paintings
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.
Artist Comments
A vibrant autumn scene unfolds as towering trees with golden leaves stretch toward the azure sky. The quiet neighborhood below hosts quaint houses nestling am...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
A layer of snow wraps a serene forest. Painted with a limited color palette of Payne's Grey and Phthalo Green, accented with Titanium White, the scene exudes ...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Wood, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Photographic Film, Magazine Paper
1990s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Mixed Media, Acrylic
Early 2000s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Acrylic
1960s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil, Masonite
Late 20th Century Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars
Early 2000s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Photographic Film, Magazine Paper
2010s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Satin Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Photographic Film, Magazine Paper
Artist Comments
"Swimming on a lake under a full moon is a truly magical experience," shares artist Rebecca Klementovich. She paints the enchanting venture through a moonlit ...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1970s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil, Masonite
1980s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil, Canvas
Late 20th Century Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil, Canvas
2010s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1970s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil
Early 2000s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Resin, Chalk, Oil, Wood Panel, Graphite
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil, Masonite
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
Artist Comments
September flourishes at its peak, with trees painted in vibrant autumn hues. A field of grass wraps around the foreground, with a small patch illuminated by s...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil, Linen
Late 20th Century Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil, Handmade Paper
1980s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Acrylic
1960s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil, Masonite
1960s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil, Masonite
Artist Comments
Artist George Peebles displays an expressionist landscape bringing autumnal hues together in one area. The green leaves turn a fiery red as the season changes...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil
20th Century Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil
Mid-19th Century Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Paper, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1950s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil
1940s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil, Cardboard
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil
Early 2000s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Watercolor
2010s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1990s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil Pastel
Late 20th Century Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas
Early 2000s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Late 20th Century Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Ink, Watercolor
1960s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Gesso, Ink, Acrylic, Wood Panel
20th Century Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1980s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Paper, Watercolor