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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
Rebirth 2 -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative People, Expressionism, Women
Rebirth 2 -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative People, Expressionism, Women

Rebirth 2 -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative People, Expressionism, Women

By Emmanuel Ojebola

Located in Ibadan, Oyo

Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity About Artist Emma...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Coffee, Mixed Media

Light in the forest
Light in the forest

Light in the forest

By Elena Lukina

Located in Zofingen, AG

In this oil on canvas, I've poured my soul into capturing the ethereal play of light amidst the trees. I intertwine expressionism with realism to weave a dance of colors that evoke a...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Nature Morte
Nature Morte

Nature Morte

By Paul Aizpiri

Located in Boca Raton, FL

Paul Aizpiri was a painter and sculptor born in 1919 in Paris, France to an Italian mother and a father from the Basque Country, Spain. Aizpiri was an optimistic person since birth, ...

Category

Mid-19th Century Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Exploring Every Path 4 Magdalena Morey, Original Contemporary Impressionist Art
Exploring Every Path 4 Magdalena Morey, Original Contemporary Impressionist Art

Exploring Every Path 4 Magdalena Morey, Original Contemporary Impressionist Art

By Magdalena Morey

Located in Deddington, GB

Magdalena Morey Exploring Every Path 4 Original Cubist Inspired Landscape Painting Mixed Media on Canvas Canvas Size: H 30cm x W 30cm x D 3.5cm Sold Unframed (Please note that in sit...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Paper, Pastel, Ink, Acrylic, Watercolor

Spring poppies 50X50
Spring poppies 50X50

Spring poppies 50X50

By Elena Lukina

Located in Zofingen, AG

In creating this piece, I've poured my soul into the vivid crimson blooms, contrasting against the subdued greens and blues, evoking life's vibrancy. Each stroke is a breath, blendin...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Morning light on snowy peaks
Morning light on snowy peaks

Morning light on snowy peaks

By Elena Lukina

Located in Zofingen, AG

"In this painting, I've captured the serene beauty of dawn as it kisses the snowy peaks with warm hues of pink and purple, contrasting the cool blues and whites of the snow. It's a d...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Snowman with a flashlight 30X25
Snowman with a flashlight 30X25

Snowman with a flashlight 30X25

By Elena Lukina

Located in Zofingen, AG

In my painting, I've poured my soul into capturing the whimsical joy and innocent warmth of winter's magic. Brushstrokes of oil dance across the canvas, framing a cheerful snowman as...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Interior With Red Flowers On The Table Still Life
Interior With Red Flowers On The Table Still Life

Interior With Red Flowers On The Table Still Life

Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL

Interior With Red Flowers On The Table Large oil on canvas, signed lower right, title on verso. Born in 1952, Jean-Pierre Mocci arrived in Provence at the age of 8. Self-taught artist, he was interested in the visual arts from a very young age. Participating in many craft fairs, he exhibits paintings and art crafts. He is a complete artist who can be described as a "jack of all trades": oil paintings, watercolors, sculptures, bronzes and ceramics. But it is by painting his adopted Provence that Jean Pierre Mocci...

Category

1990s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Happy snowman 30X30
Happy snowman 30X30

Happy snowman 30X30

By Elena Lukina

Located in Zofingen, AG

In this oil painting, I've captured a moment of pure, childlike wonder—a cheerful snowman set against a winter twilight. Its bright, lively colors evoke innocence and nostalgia, invi...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

American Modernist Oil Painting Gestural Landscape WPA Artist Group of 10
American Modernist Oil Painting Gestural Landscape WPA Artist Group of 10

American Modernist Oil Painting Gestural Landscape WPA Artist Group of 10

By Ben-Zion Weinman

Located in Surfside, FL

Born in 1897, Ben-Zion Weinman celebrated his European Jewish heritage in his visual works as a sculptor, painter, and printmaker. Influenced by Spinoza, Knut Hamsun, and Wladyslaw Reymont, as well as Hebrew literature, Ben-Zion wrote poetry and essays that, like his visual work, attempt to reveal the deep “connection between man and the divine, and between man and earth.” An emigrant from the Ukraine, he came to the US in 1920. He wrote fairy tales and poems in Hebrew under the name Benzion Weinman, but when he began painting he dropped his last name and hyphenated his first, saying an artist needed only one name. Ben-Zion was a founding member of “The Ten: An Independent Group” The Ten” a 1930’s avant-garde group, Painted on anything handy. Ben-Zion often used cabinet doors...

Category

Mid-20th Century Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Wood Panel

Light the Christmas Tree! 30X30
Light the Christmas Tree! 30X30

Light the Christmas Tree! 30X30

By Elena Lukina

Located in Zofingen, AG

In my creation, I've captured the essence of holiday delight. Through the vibrant strokes of oil, I've woven a tale of innocence and joy. The snowman, adorned with a playful red scar...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Revelry, Oil Painting
Revelry, Oil Painting

Revelry, Oil Painting

By Karen Barton

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A jewel-toned hummingbird hovers mid-flight, its wings blurred by motion as it flies through the colorful sky. The scene takes inspiration from the birds that...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Horses of  Branges

Horses of Branges

By André Brasilier

Located in New York, NY

The condition is excellent and ready to hang. A photo certificate accompanies this painting and will be included in the forth coming catalogue raisonne. Signed lower right, and dated...

Category

1990s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Early to Mid 20th Century Italian Expressionist  "Pears"
Early to Mid 20th Century Italian Expressionist  "Pears"

Early to Mid 20th Century Italian Expressionist "Pears"

Located in San Francisco, CA

Mystery Italian Expressionist still life. This magnificent oil on board came from the estate of a retired Italian diplomat that had a place in Miami. He had wonderful art and antique...

Category

1940s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Textured Andalusian White Village Landscape Expressive Impasto Oil Canvas Spain
Textured Andalusian White Village Landscape Expressive Impasto Oil Canvas Spain

Textured Andalusian White Village Landscape Expressive Impasto Oil Canvas Spain

By Ulpiano Carrasco

Located in Sitges, Barcelona

Textured Andalusian White Village Landscape, Expressive Impasto Oil Artist: Ulpiano Carrasco Title: Arcos, Cádiz Year: 2000 Medium: Oil with heavy impasto on prepared board / canvas...

Category

Early 2000s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Autumn Foliage, Oil Painting
Autumn Foliage, Oil Painting

Autumn Foliage, Oil Painting

By George Peebles

Located in San Francisco, CA

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 gentl...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Gentleman 2 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract, Mixed Media
Gentleman 2 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract, Mixed Media

Gentleman 2 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract, Mixed Media

Located in Ibadan, Oyo

Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by the Gal...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Charcoal, Pastel, Acrylic

Personnages Dans un Parc
Personnages Dans un Parc

Personnages Dans un Parc

By Pierre Anfosso

Located in Sheffield, MA

Pierre Anfosso French, 1928-2004 Personnages Dans un Parc Oil on Canvas 15 by 18 in, w/ frame 21 ½ by 24 ½ in Signed lower left Pierre Anfosso (1 Dece...

Category

Mid-20th Century Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Planetary phallus"
"Planetary phallus"

"Planetary phallus"

By Kyrylo Bondarenko

Located in Edinburgh, GB

A painting as a prophetic thought. A philosophical view on the sum of humanity's actions and the future of the entire race. My images in my paintings come true in our real lives; it'...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Paper

Flower field. Summer., Painting, Acrylic on Glass
Flower field. Summer., Painting, Acrylic on Glass

Flower field. Summer., Painting, Acrylic on Glass

By Iryna Kastsova

Located in Yardley, PA

Flower field. Summer. A celebration of colorful flowers and herbs on a summer day creates an atmosphere of relaxation, harmony and bliss. Abstract expressionism. The painting is pain...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

La dama insólita (A la manera de José Gutierrez Solana) - Óleo sobre tela
La dama insólita (A la manera de José Gutierrez Solana) - Óleo sobre tela

La dama insólita (A la manera de José Gutierrez Solana) - Óleo sobre tela

Located in Sant Celoni, ES

Esta pintura tiene claras influencias del expresionismo español y la técnica del empaste, con pinceladas sueltas y uso de colores oscuros para transmitir intensidad y atmósfera emoci...

Category

1930s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Come A Long Way 2 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Portrait, Oil, Modern, Fashion

Come A Long Way 2 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Portrait, Oil, Modern, Fashion

By Afolayan Emmanuel

Located in Ibadan, Oyo

Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by the Gal...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Alstroemeria
Alstroemeria

Alstroemeria

By Rachael Dalzell

Located in Coltishall, GB

Rachael Dalzell’s paintings are colourful and expressive. Her free and lively use of paint through various techniques, mean that Rachael’s work is as much about mood as it is of pl...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Acrylic

Fractured Innocence - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Abstraction, Africa

Fractured Innocence - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Abstraction, Africa

By Olajide Kuti

Located in Ibadan, Oyo

Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Ola...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

1990's French Modernist Signed Oil The Lake at Enghien Colorful Trees
1990's French Modernist Signed Oil The Lake at Enghien Colorful Trees

1990's French Modernist Signed Oil The Lake at Enghien Colorful Trees

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

The Lake at Enghien, signed Picouet and dated 1991 oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 24 x 29 inches signed verso Provenance: private collection Condition: very good condition For more...

Category

1990s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

'Zulu Dancers'
'Zulu Dancers'

'Zulu Dancers'

Located in Amsterdam, NL

‘Zulu Dancers’ Signed bottom right Hardman, titled on a sticker at the reverse and with address Walton End, Walton Lane, Bosham, Chichester, and Price 45 gns. Oil on board, 99 x 87...

Category

20th Century Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Canal View
Canal View

Canal View

Located in Sheffield, MA

Lucien-Hector Jonas French, 1880-1947 Canal View Oil on Canvas 21 ¼ by 29 in, w/ frame 32 ½ by 40 in Signed lower left Jonas was born in the town of Anzin in northern France. He fi...

Category

Early 20th Century Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Musical Figurative Abstract
Musical Figurative Abstract

Musical Figurative Abstract

By Michael William Eggleston

Located in Soquel, CA

Bold, bright and earthy colors all play a role in this figurative abstract by Michael William Eggleston (American, 20th c.). Signed with monogram and dated "MWE '01" lower right. Unframed. Image, 42"H x 42"W. A musician is serenading a woman in her bath with the San Francisco cityscape...

Category

1990s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Sawah Landscape
Sawah Landscape

Sawah Landscape

Located in Amsterdam, NL

A sawah landscape, Sumatra Signed and dated 'Sonnega '54' (lower right), and annotated 'Voor Jan de Bas 1-1-1970 / R de Bas' (on the reverse) oil on canvas, 50,5x60,5 cm Provenance: - Collection Pieter de Bas (1909-1979) Mr de Bas was head of the MULO school and acting head of the HBS school in Medan. Thence by descent to the present owner. Exhibited: - Hotel de Boer, Medan 1954, where acquired by the first owner. The light I observed everywhere was of a special quality, fluorescent blue, shone from nowhere but radiated from every point, oddly with great depth and intensity. The light in an entirely different dimension came from nowhere and went nowhere shimmering with the glow of a bright blue jewel. The most important thing I discovered was of being omnipresent and able to understand everything at the same time, yes I could fathom creation completely. Auke Sonnega, born March 9, 1910 in Leeuwarden, known as the painter, primarily of young Balinese men and women. Originally raised in the reformed denomination, the parents of Auke apparently practised theosophy and their children, including Auke were taught these principles. The talent for drawing revealed itself at an early stage which in 1926 lead to a 4-year study of textile design at the Academy for Art and Craft in Amsterdam. He completed the academy in 1930 and worked in a carpet factory in Twente until 1934 and then followed in his sister Aafje’s footsteps leaving the Netherlands to go to the Dutch East Indies where in 1935 he started working as a graphic designer with an advertising bureau in Batavia. He was able to travel through Java and Bali on the motorbike that he brought with him from Europe, and was paid for his travelogue, enhanced with his own photo’s which appeared in several Dutch newspapers and magazines. In the 1930’s two Europeans, Walter Spies and Rudolf Bonnet...

Category

Mid-20th Century Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Le Jardin Public Arles
Le Jardin Public Arles

Le Jardin Public Arles

By Élisée Maclet

Located in Boca Raton, FL

Maclet was born the son of a gardener and a laundress at Lihons in the Santerre region in Picardy. His family was poor and he began work very young as an assistant to his father. Pic...

Category

1950s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Two Figures Mixed Media On Linen
Two Figures Mixed Media On Linen

Two Figures Mixed Media On Linen

By Jürgen Görg

Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL

Two Figures oil, graphite on linen canvas 40x30 framed. Jurgen Gorg was born in 1951 in​, Dernbach Germany. His formative years were spent in Koblentz, before moving to Maintz to s...

Category

1980s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil, Graphite

"Untitled Female"
"Untitled Female"

"Untitled Female"

By Richard Wilson

Located in Detroit, MI

“Untitled Female" is a colorful piece by Richard Wilson that has meaning for native Detroiters through use of the blues and oranges - their "Tiger" baseball team's colors and the "D"...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Still Becoming -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Memories
Still Becoming -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Memories

Still Becoming -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Memories

By Oluwaseun Ojebiyi

Located in Ibadan, Oyo

A young woman stands with a camera in her hands. Behind her sits a childhood photograph, worn at the edges, held together by memory and time. The two images merge in a single frame. ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Still life with Oranges and Owls, Oil On Canvas, Floral, Interior, Still life
Still life with Oranges and Owls, Oil On Canvas, Floral, Interior, Still life

Still life with Oranges and Owls, Oil On Canvas, Floral, Interior, Still life

Located in Deddington, GB

Still Life with Oranges and Owls is an Original Painting by Eleanor Woolley. Painted in the Artist's Gloucestershire Studio this miniature painting shows a still life of a selection of objects arranged by the Artist. Twos stone owls sit atop a stack of books, with two small oranges and a pear. A small jug of flowers slightly obscures the window. We can see out into the garden, where there are texturally painted trunks...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

French Countryside Part II
French Countryside Part II

French Countryside Part II

By Colette Wirz Nauke

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
This painting captures the beauty of the French countryside. I was inspired by the peaceful and vivid colors found in this quaint French village. I depicted t...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

CHERRY
CHERRY

CHERRY

Located in Zofingen, AG

In this painting, I imbued a whimsical essence, capturing innocence through naive strokes and a pop art vibe. I harmonized acrylic and oil to craft a texture-rich surface, like a tap...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Days of Promise -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Memories
Days of Promise -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Memories

Days of Promise -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Memories

By Oluwaseun Ojebiyi

Located in Ibadan, Oyo

There was a time when love carried no doubt. The couple in the background shares a moment that feels simple yet full of meaning. Their laughter, their closeness, and the soft light a...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Man with Yellow Tie

Man with Yellow Tie

Located in Los Angeles, CA

ALEXANDER KREISEL "MAN WITH YELLOW TIE" OIL ON CANVAS BOARD, SIGNED RUSSIAN-AMERICAN, C.1935 26 X 19.5 INCHES FRAMED 29.5 X 23.5 INCHES Alexander Krei...

Category

1930s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Echoes of a Loud Mind - 21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract, Mixed Media
Echoes of a Loud Mind - 21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract, Mixed Media

Echoes of a Loud Mind - 21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract, Mixed Media

Located in Ibadan, Oyo

Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by the Gal...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Charcoal, Acrylic, Pastel

The Fence Line, Oil Painting
The Fence Line, Oil Painting

The Fence Line, Oil Painting

By George Peebles

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A row of trees stands against a muted sky, their thick red and orange canopies rising above slender trunks. Expressive brushwork adds weight and movement to the...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

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.