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.
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1910s Expressionist Paintings
Oil, Ink
1990s Expressionist Paintings
Oil Pastel
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1960s Expressionist Paintings
Carbon Pencil
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media
1980s Expressionist Paintings
Oil, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Wood Panel, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
1960s Expressionist Paintings
Oil, Mixed Media, Board, Pencil
1990s Expressionist Paintings
Oil Pastel
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
1990s Expressionist Paintings
Oil Pastel
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media
1990s Expressionist Paintings
Oil Pastel
20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Oil, Canvas
1980s Expressionist Paintings
Oil
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
This painting sets a moody tone, employing a mainly blue color scheme with expressive brushwork. The stylized ships evoke emotions rather than realistic portray...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
This painting follows the Fauvist style of using vibrant colors, expressive brushstrokes, and simplified drawings to depict the subject. The foreground captures the interior of a ship leading toward a bridge on the horizon. The treatment of the elements adds to the artwork's expressionist charm and graphic quality.
About the Artist
Artist Robert Hofherr paints fauvist expressions, infusing his work with a strong statement reflected in his bold application of colors and spontaneous brushwork. Robert refrains from depicting a scene in its literal sense and lets the viewer reimagine a piece with their imagination. Following art school, Robert spent decades as an advertising and graphic design professional. "After my children had grown and became independent, I reconnected with painting," shares Robert. Inspired by the French artists Maurice de Vlaminck and André Derain, he now paints in an unused bedroom in his home, often accompanied by the soothing melodies of classical music. When he is not working...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Diana Elena Chelaru depicts figures grooving to the pulsating beat of the music. Bright lights cast vibrant hues across the scene, adding an electrifying...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
The painting portrays a serene pond amid lush greenery. Featuring expressive brushstrokes, the piece conveys movement and bold contrast of complementary colors, adding visual appeal. Artist Janet Dyer's approach prioritizes capturing the energy of the scene over immediate representational details.
About the Artist
Artist Janet Dyer captures picturesque scenes from her travels in expressive and gestural landscapes. Her work reflects the changes brought on by the seasons, seizing the colors and mood and reinterpreting them into lively compositions. "I believe the process of creating art is equal in importance to the final product," says Janet. She started painting when she was nine and sold her first painting at thirteen at a country fair, where it won first prize. From ages eight to seventeen, she joined countless country fairs and relished seeing her works on display. Growing up in Ohio and Michigan influenced Janet's fascination with wide open spaces. Now living in New York State, she loves to travel whenever she gets the chance and finds inspiration everywhere she goes—particularly farms and France, and farms in France. "Luckily for me, landscapes are everywhere, so I'm spoiled for choice."
Words that describe this painting: water, pond, panoramic, trees, woods, expressionism, nature, acrylic painting, green
Pond with Yellow Trees...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Gouache, Board
Artist Comments
The painting beautifully captures a blue globe adorned with an array of plants and flowers. The enchanting hues of light magenta and dark green create organic a...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
A woman holds her dress as she walks on the beach. The bright golden light outlines her body, setting her apart from the abstract purple horizon in the background. With broad brushstrokes, artist Connie Millholland...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Oil
1990s Expressionist Paintings
Oil Pastel
Artist Comments
Steering clear from realistic details, this whimsical portrayal of a nighttime graveyard opts for stylized and simplified depictions of elements. The primarily ...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
"Inspired by Paul Klee, I reimagined a quiet October evening with heavily textured colors and an emphasis on simplified linear elements," says artist Robert Hof...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
The painting portrays a tree with colorful foliage in the middle of a vast field. The leaves are painted yellow and red, with a hint of purple. The wind gently ...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
A lone tree stands in the middle of a vast meadow, with a single cloud hovering over it. Its leaves, painted in shades of yellow and red, subtly hint at the cha...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
In this lively and spirited painting, five figures revel in the music and each other's company. Tones of blue and orange embrace their forms as they hit the dan...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Diana Elena Chelaru captures the essence of movement in her composition, where two figures dance, swaying to the rhythm. Bright beams from the strobe lig...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
This painting shows a happy moment between friends dancing with each other. They close their eyes and lift their hands, fully immersing themselves in the experi...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
1970s Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas
Late 20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Oil, Canvas
1990s Expressionist Paintings
Oil Pastel
Artist Comments
"I confess that I almost always choose red when painting flowers," says artist Sharon Sieben. She presents vibrant blossoms within an earth-tone vase, creating ...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Oil, Acrylic
1990s Expressionist Paintings
Oil Pastel
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Oil, Board
1960s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Early 2000s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Encaustic
Artist Comments
With a bold palette and expressive brushstrokes, artist Robert Hofherr paints a teapot adorned with flowers on an iron chair. "The use of an abstract and colorf...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
Early 2000s Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1960s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Panel, Acrylic
1960s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Kip Decker presents a vibrant portrait of five Native Americans on horseback. They collectively look out and watch for the unforeseen, surrounded by colo...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Alix Palo portrays a delightful still life of a bouquet in a vase. The harmonious blend of purple, green, and yellow brings out the vibrancy of the flowe...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Alix Palo presents a vibrant floral arrangement with a soft and colorful palette. Set against a light gray background, the flowers spring to life, gracin...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic