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.
Late 20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Wood, Oil
Artist Comments
A vibrant blend of colors captures the energy of a bustling morning scene. Figures in motion stride across the composition, their forms loosely defined yet full...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Bold colors and expressive brushstrokes transform a secluded home nestled among trees. Shapes of color replace realistic details, inviting the viewer to interpr...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
A solitary cloud in a bright blue sky stretches over the sea. The water meets the shore with small waves rolling in. The grass adds texture in the foreground. H...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media
1970s Expressionist Paintings
Masonite, Oil
Late 20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel, Board
1970s Expressionist Paintings
Charcoal, Oil, Board
20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1990s Expressionist Paintings
Watercolor
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Watercolor, Archival Paper, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1960s Expressionist Paintings
Oil, Masonite
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Wood, Plywood, Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
1980s Expressionist Paintings
Gouache, Cardboard
Artist Comments
A classic American room takes on a stylized form, with a central fireplace anchoring the composition. The altered perspective and colors enhance the artistic am...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Oil, Board
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Bold colors bring the towering Empire State Building to life. Minimal lines and dynamic hues convey constant motion, reflecting the unstoppable spirit of New Yo...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
1940s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
The composition depicts an expressionist rendition of a winter forest. It transforms grays, tans, and browns into lavender, rust, and deep blue. Simplified de...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
Late 20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Early 2000s Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Late 20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
Reimagining a simple still life with oranges, this composition replaces traditional perspective with a more abstract structure. Grids and flat surfaces allow si...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
Early 20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Ink, Pen
Artist Comments
Artist Robert Hofherr captures a waterfront view of Castine, Maine, in a Fauvist style. He highlights essential details, emphasizing expressive brushwork and ...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
1990s Expressionist Paintings
Wood, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Oil
1980s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1990s Expressionist Paintings
Oil
1980s Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
Late 20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Oil
20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
Artist James Hartman began this painting by creating texture with homemade tools. He envisioned standing at the edge of the woods, looking through to an indistinct light. The oil colors were allowed to drip and settle into the textured surface, enhancing depth and movement, while his tools helped define the landscape in a way that captures shifting light.
About the Artist
When James Hartman was in art school, he became fascinated with the Society of Six, a group of artists who painted en plein air (outdoors) and exhibited together in the San Francisco Bay Area during the early 20th Century. James's paintings of the Northern California landscape pay tribute to some of the great Bay Area artists of the past. His expressive scenes feel alive through his vibrant use of color and his painterly brushwork. James’s paintings have an immediate visual impact from a distance, yet up close, dissolve into a series of confident marks and strokes. There is a simultaneous complexity and steadiness in his flattened, color-blocked planes. Knowledge and observation are essential elements of James’s working practice. To this end, he spends a large proportion of his time painting on location. His body of work captures the fresh and sunlit essence of the coastal California hills.
Words that describe this painting: trees, texture, bright, woods, sunlight, panoramic, forest...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Oil
1980s Expressionist Paintings
Linen, Oil, Graphite
Artist Comments
A gray sky looms over the distant ocean, while wisps of grass emerge from the foreground. The rugged sand contrasts with the gentle waves. Earthy browns and g...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Oil
1990s Expressionist Paintings
Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Oil, Linen
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Oil, Board
Early 2000s Expressionist Paintings
Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1990s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Mixed Media, Watercolor, Archival Paper
Artist Comments
Red, orange, and yellow leaves burst from a dense grove of trees. Dramatic purple and blue clouds hover in the sky above while blades of grass sway gently in ...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Oil
1960s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Paint, Oil
Artist Comments
Colorful trees provide refreshing shade to a cluster of farm buildings. Autumn foliage surrounds the scene, wrapping it in seasonal beauty. The bright palette a...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
