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Expressionist 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
Artist: Bruce Adams
Research & Development Figural 1 & 2
Located in Buffalo, NY
A pair of paintings by American contemporary artist Bruce Adams. Art is the R&D for culture. Artists Conduct the R&D for society. In the late twentieth century painting was rejec...
Category

1990s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Research & Development Figural 3 & 4
Located in Buffalo, NY
A pair of paintings in one singular frame presentation by American contemporary artist Bruce Adams Art is the R&D for culture. Artists Conduct the R&D for society. In the late tw...
Category

1990s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Fish and Bicycles # 12
Located in Buffalo, NY
An original oil on paper by contemporary artist Bruce Adams from his Fish and Bicycles series. This work is currently part of an exhibition at Benjaman Gallery "Over the Fence". This piece comes framed in an archival natural wood frame presentation. The Fish and Bicycle series employs a similar strategy as my Men at Work series. This time the subject matter includes both men and women (exhibited in pairs) representing a range of gender identities. The title is derived from Irina Dunn’s witty statement (often erroneously attributed to Gloria Steinem...
Category

1980s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Paper, Oil

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"Young Woman Seated" Green & Pink Contemporary Figurative Nude by Shana Wilson
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Nandor Vagh Weinmann, Oil on cardboard, Naked Back, 1930s
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Oil on cardboard by Nandor VAGH WEINMANN (1897-1978), France, 1930s. Naked back. With frame: 64x56 cm - 25.2x22 inches ; without frame: 46x38cm - 18.1x15 inches. 8F format. Signed "Nandor V. Weinmann" lower left. In its Montparnasse frame. Very good condition. Born October 3, 1897 in Budapest, Nándor is the older brother of Elemer and Maurice Vagh-Weinmann. He came to Paris to present his work in 1931. He died on December 12, 1978 near Montereau (Seine-et-Marne) following an automobile accident. He is the most colorful of the three “expressionist” brothers. Painter of figures, landscapes, especially open mountains, and bouquets in bright colors. He is also a religious painter and then finds the tragic condition. Born in BUDAPEST on October 3, 1897, Nandor Vagh Weinmann belongs to a profoundly artistic people. 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Expressionist paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Expressionist 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 paintings created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, orange, purple, green and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Iryna Kastsova, Maria Asuncion Raventos, Masri Hayssam, and Evelyne Ballestra. Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Oil Paint 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 paintings, so small editions measuring 1 inches across are also available.

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