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Expressionist Portrait Paintings

EXPRESSIONIST STYLE

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.

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Style: Expressionist
Period: 1970s
Patrick Boudon. Inner Family. Post-war Expressionism. 1970s.
Located in Firenze, IT
Patrick Boudon. Inner Family. Post-war Expressionism. 1970s. Patrick Boudon. Art Informel. Ecole de Paris. Technique: oil on cardboard. This painting by Patrick Boudon from the 197...
Category

1970s Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Cardboard

Family Seated on a Bench at the Port
Located in London, GB
'Family Seated on a Bench at the Port', oil on board, by François Diana (circa 1970s). A painting with a very wholesome, homespun theme harks back to a more innocent time. A family i...
Category

1970s Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Expressionist Judaica French Israeli Modernist Art Oil Painting Rabbi, Musician
Located in Surfside, FL
This is a bright, colorful oil painting of a Hasidic Musician in the the holy city of Jerusalem, Israel 1972, Oil on canvas, 29 X 26 inches Hand signed and dated. George Cheme...
Category

1970s Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

'Richard Milhouse Nixon', Carmel Art Association, Oakland Art Museum, Monterey
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Signed lower right, 'D. Crispo' for Dick Crispo (American, born 1945) and dated 1972. Dick Crispo has presented 76 one-man shows and won 36 awards for his artistry, including a gold...
Category

1970s Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Canvas

Devil: No Horns, Burning in Hell, African American Harlem Renaissance
Located in Miami, FL
In a 1971 interview with Ebony Magazine, Alvin Hollinsworth commented on his African Jesus Christ painting, "I have always felt that Christ was a Blac...
Category

1970s Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Oil

Patterns and Stripes, Expressionist Portrait by Philadelphia Artist
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Patterns and Stripes" is a painting by Philadelphia born Expressionist painter Bernard Harmon. The 40" x 34" oil on board portrait of two figures is painted in a muted color palette. The painting is framed in a new, gold frame and signed "Harmon" on verso. Figurative expressionism in the style of Alice Neel. Bernard Harmon was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1935. Harmon was primarily a portrait painter and a well loved teacher in the Philadelphia area. A graduate of the Philadelphia Museum School and Temples Tyler School of Art, Harmon traveled extensively in Europe and South America. Beloved by many, Harmon taught in the Philadelphia School District for 32 of his 54 years of life. Beginning his career as an art teacher at West Philadelphia High School, in the early 1960s he became one of the district's artists in residence, traveling from school to school to demonstrate for students how an artist works. Returning to the classroom, Harmon joined the art department at Central High School where he taught for 14 years and became an innovator in art curriculum, developing a program offering advanced placement art classes to gifted students. In his final years Harmon became a supervisor, mentoring teachers and overseeing programs in the Philadelphia school systems District #1. During his short life Harmon taught collage preparatory art classes at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, summer classes at the University of the Arts, and a Saturday program for gifted children at Drexel University. Among Harmon's portraits were commissioned by Philadelphia Jazz organist Jimmy Smith and Mayor Richardson Dilworth. Bernard Harmon was active in promoting African American Artist throughout his life time. He organized many early shows such as the "Afro American Artists...
Category

1970s Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

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...
Category

1970s Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Child Resting in Chair, Expressionist Portrait by Philadelphia Artist
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Child Resting in Chair" is a painting by Philadelphia born Expressionist painter Bernard Harmon. The 41" x 35.75" oil on board portrait is painted in a vibrant color palette. The painting is framed in a new, black wood frame and signed "Harmon" on verso. Figurative expressionism in the style of Alice Neel. Bernard Harmon was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1935. Harmon was primarily a portrait painter and a well loved teacher in the Philadelphia area. A graduate of the Philadelphia Museum School and Temples Tyler School of Art, Harmon traveled extensively in Europe and South America. Beloved by many, Harmon taught in the Philadelphia School District for 32 of his 54 years of life. Beginning his career as an art teacher at West Philadelphia High School, in the early 1960s he became one of the district's artists in residence, traveling from school to school to demonstrate for students how an artist works. Returning to the classroom, Harmon joined the art department at Central High School where he taught for 14 years and became an innovator in art curriculum, developing a program offering advanced placement art classes to gifted students. In his final years Harmon became a supervisor, mentoring teachers and overseeing programs in the Philadelphia school systems District #1. During his short life Harmon taught collage preparatory art classes at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, summer classes at the University of the Arts, and a Saturday program for gifted children at Drexel University. Among Harmon's portraits were commissioned by Philadelphia Jazz organist Jimmy Smith and Mayor Richardson Dilworth. Bernard Harmon was active in promoting African American Artist throughout his life time. He organized many early shows such as the "Afro American Artists...
Category

1970s Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Striped Dress and Boy, Expressionist Portrait by Philadelphia Artist
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Striped Dress and Boy" is a painting by Philadelphia born Expressionist painter Bernard Harmon. The 41.75" x 35.75" oil on board portrait of two figures is painted in a vibrant colo...
Category

1970s Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Woman with Earrings, Portrait of a Woman by Philadelphia Artist
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Woman with Earrings" is an oil on board portrait painting by Philadelphia born Expressionist painter Bernard Harmon of an elegantly dressed woman sitting on a chair. This work features a second environmental portrait on verso. The painting is 40" x 34" in size and is signed "Harmon" on verso. Figurative expressionism in the style of Alice Neel. Provenance: Estate of the Artist; Gratz Gallery & Conservation Studio, Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Bernard Harmon was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1935. Harmon was primarily a portrait painter and a well loved teacher in the Philadelphia area. A graduate of the Philadelphia Museum School and Temples Tyler School of Art, Harmon traveled extensively in Europe and South America. Beloved by many, Harmon taught in the Philadelphia School District for 32 of his 54 years of life. Beginning his career as an art teacher at West Philadelphia High School, in the early 1960s he became one of the district's artists in residence, traveling from school to school to demonstrate for students how an artist works. Returning to the classroom, Harmon joined the art department at Central High School where he taught for 14 years and became an innovator in art curriculum, developing a program offering advanced placement art classes to gifted students. In his final years Harmon became a supervisor, mentoring teachers and overseeing programs in the Philadelphia school systems District #1. During his short life Harmon taught collage preparatory art classes at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, summer classes at the University of the Arts, and a Saturday program for gifted children at Drexel University. Among Harmon's portraits were commissioned by Philadelphia Jazz organist Jimmy Smith and Mayor Richardson Dilworth. Bernard Harmon was active in promoting African American Artist throughout his life time. He organized many early shows such as the "Afro American Artists 1800 - 1969" at the Museum of the Philadelphia Civic Center in 1969. He was considered a Renaissance man by friends and colleagues for his interests not only in art but music and theater as well. He was familiar and friends with many other African American artists such as Doc Thrash, Selma Burke...
Category

1970s Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Knee Socks Girl, Portrait by Philadelphia Artist
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Knee Sock Girl" is an oil on board portrait painting by Philadelphia born Expressionist painter Bernard Harmon of a woman, seemingly lost in contemplation....
Category

1970s Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Les palmiers original oil on canvas painting
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Unframed Manuel Capdevila i Massana (Barcelona, ​​December 28, 1910 - April 18, 2006) was a Catalan painter and goldsmith, son of the goldsmith Joaquín Capdevila y Meya and father o...
Category

1970s Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Expressionist Seated Figure
Located in Cotignac, FR
An expressionist portrait of a seated figure, acrylic on paper by French artist Alain Caucat. Signed bottom right. Also signed and dated to the back of the framing board. Presented u...
Category

1970s Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Paper

The fishmonger La Rambla Barcelona oil on canvas painting
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Unframed Manuel Capdevila i Massana (Barcelona, ​​December 28, 1910 - April 18, 2006) was a Catalan painter and goldsmith, son of the goldsmith Joaquín Capdevila y Meya and father o...
Category

1970s Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Red Lady, Watercolor Painting by Charles Levier
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Charles Levier, French (1920 - 2003) Title: Red Lady Year: circa 1970 Medium: Watercolor on paper, signed l.l. Size: 16 x 11 inches Paper Size: 25 x 1...
Category

1970s Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

Lunch at Chez Louis
Located in London, GB
'Lunch at Chez Louis', oil on canvas, by Roland Dubuc (circa 1970s). The outdoor terrace at restaurants and cafés in France goes back centuries as they have always been a gathering place for intellectuals to meet and debate philosophical issues; for the Avant Garde set to display their works; for artists to compare and exchange ideas and for writers to drown their sorrows over their artistic anguish or melancholy. Even the freedom fighters of the French Revolution and later the French Resistance would meet in cafés to plot their course. Regular people of course also enjoy these venues. A very delightful feature of these French institutions is that there is always room for quiet book readers, romantic couples, business meetings and lively groups of friends sharing a bottle of wine. The artist Dubuc captures a slice of this lovely aspect of French culture in this smile-inducing depiction painted in vivid oils. With a background of greenery, the patrons enjoy the outdoors protected from the intense sun by the table's parasols. Ah, the life. The artwork is in good vintage condition, is framed and signed by the artist in the lower left hand corner. Please enjoy the many photos accompanying this listing. Upon request a video may be provided. About the Artist: Roland DuBuc (1924-1998), French artist, the sixth of 13 children and son of a construction worker. The very precariousness of the family's financial situation forced him to go to work at the age of 14. In extreme poverty, he moved to Rouen where he was lodged by the Salvation Army. During that time he struck up friendships with several artists who gave him advice and taught him techniques of drawing. He moved to other cities later where he met painters including, among others, Fred Pailhès...
Category

1970s Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Pattern Skirt, Expressionist Portrait of a Woman by Philadelphia Artist
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Pattern Skirt" is an oil on board interior portrait of a young woman sitting, painted by Philadelphia born Expressionist artist Bernard Harmon. The painting is 39 1/2" x 36" in size...
Category

1970s Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Girl at Desk, Expressionist Portrait of Young Woman by Philadelphia Artist
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Girl at Desk" is an oil on board portrait painting by Philadelphia born Expressionist painter Bernard Harmon of a young woman, presumably a student, sitting by her desk. This work features a second portrait on verso of an elegant older woman. The painting is 40" x 36" in size and is signed "Harmon" on verso. Figurative expressionism in the style of Alice Neel. Bernard Harmon was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1935. Harmon was primarily a portrait painter and a well loved teacher in the Philadelphia area. A graduate of the Philadelphia Museum School and Temples Tyler School of Art, Harmon traveled extensively in Europe and South America. Beloved by many, Harmon taught in the Philadelphia School District for 32 of his 54 years of life. Beginning his career as an art teacher at West Philadelphia High School, in the early 1960s he became one of the district's artists in residence, traveling from school to school to demonstrate for students how an artist works. Returning to the classroom, Harmon joined the art department at Central High School where he taught for 14 years and became an innovator in art curriculum, developing a program offering advanced placement art classes to gifted students. In his final years Harmon became a supervisor, mentoring teachers and overseeing programs in the Philadelphia school systems District #1. During his short life Harmon taught collage preparatory art classes at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, summer classes at the University of the Arts, and a Saturday program for gifted children at Drexel University. Among Harmon's portraits were commissioned by Philadelphia Jazz organist Jimmy Smith and Mayor Richardson Dilworth. Bernard Harmon was active in promoting African American Artist throughout his life time. He organized many early shows such as the "Afro American Artists 1800 - 1969" at the Museum of the Philadelphia Civic Center in 1969. He was considered a Renaissance man by friends and colleagues for his interests not only in art but music and theater as well. He was familiar and friends with many other African American artists such as Doc Thrash, Selma Burke, Paul Keene...
Category

1970s Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Board, Oil

Fashion Girl, Expressionist Portrait of a Woman by Philadelphia Artist
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Fashion Girl" is an oil on board portrait painting by Philadelphia born Expressionist painter Bernard Harmon of a stylishly dressed woman sitting on a chair. This work features a se...
Category

1970s Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Modern Man, Expressionist Portrait in Red, White, and Blue
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Modern Man" is a painting by Philadelphia born Expressionist painter Bernard Harmon. The 40" x 36" oil on canvas portrait features a young African American man posing casually and s...
Category

1970s Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Self portrait original oil on canvas painting
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Joan Cruspinera Muñoz was born in 1945 in Tiana, Barcelona. This Catalan artist is a painter, draftsman and painter. His training is extensive and int...
Category

1970s Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Stars and Stripes, Expressionist Portrait with American Flag
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Stars and Stripes" is an oil on board portrait of a young woman with an American Flag, painted by Philadelphia born Expressionist artist Bernard Harmon. The painting is 41 3/4" x 35...
Category

1970s Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Hippie portrait original oil on canvas painting
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Frame size 80x69 cm. Joan Cruspinera Muñoz was born in 1945 in Tiana, Barcelona. This Catalan artist is a painter, draftsman and painter. His training...
Category

1970s Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Blonde in Red Swim Suit
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Charles Levier, French (1920 - 2003) Title: Blonde I Year: circa 1960 Medium: Watercolor on paper, signed l.l. Size: 16 x 11 inches Paper Size: 25 x 19.5 in. (63.5 x 49.53 cm)
Category

1970s Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

Girls at the Gate, Oil Painting by Wellington Virgolino de Sousa
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Wellington Virgolino de Sousa, Brazilian (1929 - 1988) Title: Meninas No Portao (Girls at the Gate) Year: 1974 Medium: Oil on board, signed lower Size...
Category

1970s Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Blonde, Watercolor Painting by Charles Levier
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Charles Levier, French (1920 - 2003) Title: Blonde Year: circa 1970 Medium: Watercolor on paper, signed l.l. Size: 16 x 11 inches Paper Size: 25 x 19.5 in. (63.5 x 49.53 cm)
Category

1970s Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

Portrait of a Girl, Oil Painting by Sandu Liberman
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Sandu Liberman, Romanian/Israeli (1923 - 1977) Title: Portrait of a Girl Year: Circa 1970 Medium: Oil on Canvas, signed l.r. Size: 13 x 10 in. (33.02 x 25.4 cm) Frame Size:...
Category

1970s Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Mother, Oil Painting by Chaim Goldberg
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Chaim Goldberg, Israeli (1917-2004) Title: Mother Medium: Oil on Canvas, signed in English lower left and Hebrew lower right Size: 24 x 20 inche...
Category

1970s Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Mujer de Juchitan
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Raul Anguiano, Mexican (1915 - 2006) Title Mujer de Juchitan Year: 1974 Medium: Oil on Canvas, signed l.l., signed, dated and titled verso Size: 25.5 x 37.25 in. (64.77 x 94...
Category

1970s Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

The Masquerade by Jean Jansem
Located in La Canada Flintridge, CA
The Masquerade, oil painting signed lower right JANSEM. The painting size is 38"x51" with framed (original frame) size 47"x60". Excellent in condition. From 1934 – 1936 he attended ...
Category

1970s Expressionist Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Expressionist portrait paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Expressionist portrait paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add portrait paintings created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of orange, red, purple, blue and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Bernard Harmon, Julien Wolf, Shana Wilson, and Masri Hayssam. Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Fabric and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Expressionist portrait paintings, so small editions measuring 3.5 inches across are also available. Prices for portrait paintings made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1 and tops out at $190,000, while the average work sells for $3,000.

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