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.
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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
Artist Comments
Orchard trees stand in the distance, their foliage adorned in autumn's seasonal colors. Tall grass fills the foreground, blending seamlessly with the field. T...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Late 20th Century Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media
1940s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
The artwork portrays an abstract depiction of the moon emerging in the sky. It invites exploration of artistic interpretations of a cosmic landscape. Captivat...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Wood, Acrylic
Artist Comments
A serene and mysterious atmosphere envelops a snow-covered landscape. Traces of grass dot the foreground, while a shroud of fog softly blurs the distant tree ...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Wood, Acrylic
Artist Comments
The artwork offers a glimpse of a peaceful summer day at the beach. The tranquil sea stretches into the distance, while the sandy, pink shore gradually transi...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Wood, Acrylic
Late 20th Century Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil Pastel, Gouache
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Photographic Film, Magazine Paper
Early 2000s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
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
1950s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Late 20th Century Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Watercolor
2010s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Linen, Oil
Artist Comments
In awe of the images from the James Webb Telescope, artist Diana Elena Chelaru creates a series inspired by the depths of the universe. The mystery and vibran...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Acrylic
1950s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil
1980s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil
1980s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Acrylic
20th Century Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil
1990s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Watercolor
1970s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Photographic Film, Magazine Paper
2010s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil, Canvas
1930s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil
2010s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Early 2000s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Oil
1980s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil, Cardboard
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Wood, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Linen, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
Late 20th Century Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Ink, Watercolor
2010s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil, Canvas
Late 20th Century Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Paper, Wax
2010s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil, Linen
2010s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Linen, Oil
1980s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Photographic Film, Magazine Paper
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil, Masonite
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1960s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Early 2000s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1990s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil, Cardboard, Canvas
1990s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil
1960s Expressionist Landscape Paintings
Oil, Masonite