Expressionist 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.
Early 2000s Expressionist Paintings
Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Oil, Fiberboard
1950s Expressionist Paintings
Oil, Masonite
1990s Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
A colorful glimpse into a wooded area reveals a pond and grassy wetland. Light reflects off the water, creating depth in the painting. The bright colors infus...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
Early 2000s Expressionist Paintings
Board, Oil
1950s Expressionist Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
Waves gently roll towards the shore, reflecting shades of blue and green under a bright sky. Tall grasses in the foreground sway lightly, adding texture to th...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
Houses take on geometric forms, with a single illuminated window adding a touch of charm to the title. The scene evokes an imaginative nighttime world, blendi...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
1980s Expressionist Paintings
Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1990s Expressionist Paintings
Watercolor
Artist Comments
A lake house stands serenely as the sun dips below the horizon, its silhouette softly outlined against the glowing sky. Lily pads float gently on the water, t...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
The artwork depicts an expressionist city landscape at night, emphasizing emotions and subjective experience over realism. A woman's figure lies among the sta...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Robert Hofherr rendered a colorful view of autumn wood in a Fauvist lens. With simplified details, the interplay of line, color, and texture creates vi...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
1980s Expressionist Paintings
Crayon, Cardboard
Artist Comments
A group of trees stands close together, their autumn-tinted canopies blending into one. Their hazy surroundings mirror the softness of the cloud above. In the...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
A town exudes a whimsical charm with its expressionist portrayal. The simple and non-traditional images of the houses, lamp posts, and residents burst with mu...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
1930s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Early 2000s Expressionist Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
A cluster of agricultural buildings transforms into an exploration of color and texture. Stripped of perspective and realistic detail, the composition relies on...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Unimposing buildings and houses transform into a collection of intersecting, colorful shapes. Repetition and abstraction elevate the scene beyond its source ima...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
A small northern UK town bursts to life through Fauvist expression and colors. The flattened perspective stacks buildings atop one another, with roads and ele...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Tall beach grass stretches across the foreground, with a small pool of water reflecting the sky. In the distance, layers of sand and sea stack into soft, hori...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
An expansive blue sky meets the ocean in a quiet, seamless horizon, with a single cloud drifting gently above. Below, the shoreline is alive with wispy grasse...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
Bold and full of movement, this dynamic scene invites the viewer to wander along a riverbank lined with trees. Hints of pink and blue ripple through the scene...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
A vibrant forest opens to reveal a hidden pond, its still surface mirroring the brilliant colors of the trees. Bursts of orange, green, blue, and yellow dance...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Shadows of tall, slender trees rise from the darkness. A subtle ray of moonlight illuminates the landscape, casting a delicate glow that contrasts against the...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Oil
1990s Expressionist Paintings
Wire
Artist Comments
A vibrant night sky stretches over the city. Ethereal blues mirror the celestial depths, while fiery oranges echo the birth of the stars. Geometric shapes and...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic, Cardboard
Early 2000s Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
1980s Expressionist Paintings
Mixed Media
19th Century Expressionist Paintings
Oil
Early 2000s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Early 2000s Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
Early 2000s Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Oil
Late 20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Oil
Early 2000s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1960s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1980s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1990s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Paper, Gouache
20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
Early 20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Ink, Watercolor
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Oil, Board
Late 20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
