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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
The Theory on Jazz History
The Theory on Jazz History

The Theory on Jazz History

By Jose Borrell

Located in Atlanta, GA

This painting is in excellent condition and has only been shown in a gallery setting. The painting measures 78" x 35" and 81"x 38" with frame. Known for his hyperrealist nudes and portraits, Jose Borrell captures both the human form and emotions. Transcending beyond mere documentation, Borrell transmits the personality and essence of his subjects. His latest series focuses on twentieth-century American jazz saxophonist Ben Webster, and true to Borrell's signature trait, the paintings transmit the vibrant energy of the acclaimed musician. Born in 1909 in Kansas City, Missouri, Ben Webster studied violin in elementary school and taught himself piano. In 1927-1928 he played for silent movies in Kansas City and in Amarillo, Texas. After a friend introduced him to basic chords on the saxophone, he devoted himself to the instrument and played with many emerging orchestras in the bustling 1930s Kansas City jazz...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Villiers le Bel
Villiers le Bel

Villiers le Bel

Located in Paris, FR

PRESSEMANE Joseph 'Villiers le Bel'. Oil on board. Signed. 47 x 21 cm. Titled and signed on the back. Biography Born Jozef Presman in 1904 in Berestechko, Ukraine, he studied at th...

Category

1950s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Expressionist Oil on Board: The Life-Drawing Class, Circa 1960s
Expressionist Oil on Board: The Life-Drawing Class, Circa 1960s

Expressionist Oil on Board: The Life-Drawing Class, Circa 1960s

Located in London, GB

'The Life-Drawing Class', oil on board, by French (likely) artist M David (circa 1960s). A swirling, colourfully vivacious artwork that is immediately attractive and captivating. A l...

Category

1960s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Barcelona and Its People Oil Painting, Figurative Expressionism, 1979
Barcelona and Its People Oil Painting, Figurative Expressionism, 1979

Barcelona and Its People Oil Painting, Figurative Expressionism, 1979

By Josep Martinez Lozano

Located in Sitges, Barcelona

Title: Barcelona and Its People Artist: Josep Maria Martínez Lozano (1923–2006) Year: 1979 Technique: Oil on canvas mounted on board Dimensions: 29.13 x 21.65 in Condition: Unfr...

Category

1970s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Board

Untitled Couple Mid Century Jewish Expressionist OIl Painting
Untitled Couple Mid Century Jewish Expressionist OIl Painting

Untitled Couple Mid Century Jewish Expressionist OIl Painting

By Belle Golinko

Located in Surfside, FL

Abstracted painting of a man and a woman, the paint has been applied to textured plastic. An abstracted painting of a couple applying paint to the textured plastic surface. Genre Ex...

Category

1950s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Plastic, Oil

Wura (Gold) - 21st Century, Expressionist, Figurative Nude Portrait, Oil, Women
Wura (Gold) - 21st Century, Expressionist, Figurative Nude Portrait, Oil, Women

Wura (Gold) - 21st Century, Expressionist, Figurative Nude Portrait, Oil, Women

By Sayeed Momoh

Located in Ibadan, Oyo

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

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Blossoming Benevolence, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Blossoming Benevolence, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

Blossoming Benevolence, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

By Amanda Dagg

Located in Yardley, PA

"Blossoming Benevolence" is a captivating 20x20 inch acrylic on canvas painting that exudes warmth and vibrancy. The artwork features a thick, textured surface that adds depth and di...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Woman with Earrings, Portrait of a Woman by Philadelphia Artist
Woman with Earrings, Portrait of a Woman by Philadelphia Artist

Woman with Earrings, Portrait of a Woman by Philadelphia Artist

By Bernard Harmon

Located in Doylestown, PA

"Woman with Earrings" is an oil on board portrait painting by Philadelphia born Expressionist painter Bernard Harmon of an elegantly dressed woman sitting on a chair. This work features a second environmental portrait on verso. The painting is 40" x 34" in size and is signed "Harmon" on verso. Figurative expressionism in the style of Alice Neel. Provenance: Estate of the Artist; Gratz Gallery & Conservation Studio, Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Bernard Harmon was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1935. Harmon was primarily a portrait painter and a well loved teacher in the Philadelphia area. A graduate of the Philadelphia Museum School and Temples Tyler School of Art, Harmon traveled extensively in Europe and South America. Beloved by many, Harmon taught in the Philadelphia School District for 32 of his 54 years of life. Beginning his career as an art teacher at West Philadelphia High School, in the early 1960s he became one of the district's artists in residence, traveling from school to school to demonstrate for students how an artist works. Returning to the classroom, Harmon joined the art department at Central High School where he taught for 14 years and became an innovator in art curriculum, developing a program offering advanced placement art classes to gifted students. In his final years Harmon became a supervisor, mentoring teachers and overseeing programs in the Philadelphia school systems District #1. During his short life Harmon taught collage preparatory art classes at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, summer classes at the University of the Arts, and a Saturday program for gifted children at Drexel University. Among Harmon's portraits were commissioned by Philadelphia Jazz organist Jimmy Smith and Mayor Richardson Dilworth. Bernard Harmon was active in promoting African American Artist throughout his life time. He organized many early shows such as the "Afro American Artists 1800 - 1969" at the Museum of the Philadelphia Civic Center in 1969. He was considered a Renaissance man by friends and colleagues for his interests not only in art but music and theater as well. He was familiar and friends with many other African American artists such as Doc Thrash, Selma Burke...

Category

1970s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Down with flowers
Down with flowers

Down with flowers

By Giacomo Modolo

Located in Torino, IT

The lights of The Lights Of Sinners are glimmers that burn out at dawn: when a new day supplants the dreams of the night, scattering the remnants of a bonfire or a ritual, or like th...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Lonely pines 2, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Lonely pines 2, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

Lonely pines 2, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

By Dimitry Spiros

Located in Yardley, PA

Lonely pines 2 - Impressionism OIL, ACR, CANVAS,, large size, 76cmx 61cm, 30" X 24" in. 2023 Vibrant colors, rich textures and color tones accurate original brushstroke are the ha...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Escapade 2 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Modern, Africa
Escapade 2 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Modern, Africa

Escapade 2 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Modern, Africa

By Faith Gbadero

Located in Ibadan, Oyo

This piece was born from a moment of stillness, a quiet observation of how we carry entire landscapes within us. I kept thinking about how we often stand between mountains we did not...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Maya Green, Dance Me To The End Of Love Oil on Canvas Palette Knife 12 x 12"
Maya Green, Dance Me To The End Of Love Oil on Canvas Palette Knife 12 x 12"

Maya Green, Dance Me To The End Of Love Oil on Canvas Palette Knife 12 x 12"

By Maya Green

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Collectible Piece. Dance Me To The End Of Love The painting is oil on canvas and painted with a pallet knife. Gallery Stretching & Wrap SIZE: 12 x 12" Maya Green, is a Ukrainian-Jewish contemporary...

Category

Early 2000s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Still life with jonquilles

Still life with jonquilles

By Bernard Buffet

Located in New York, NY

Any additional questions we suggest a phone conversation through 1st. Dibs . Bernard Buffet paintings sell between $100,000.00 for a small painting too several million dollars. This ...

Category

1990s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

The Breakfast Room
The Breakfast Room

The Breakfast Room

By Donald Purdy 1

Located in New York, NY

A great early date for this artist where he was coming out of the origins of expressionist and fauve works of art. A unique composition depicting a woman setting out a table laden w...

Category

1960s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Oil

Paused, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Paused, Painting, Oil on Canvas

Paused, Painting, Oil on Canvas

By Debbie Pacheco

Located in Yardley, PA

There is a comfort being with friends, whether talking or just standing together. These two paused on the street for a moment while the city continued to move on. The painting is sof...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Muse of Mystery", Encaustic, Oil, and Paper on Wood
"Muse of Mystery", Encaustic, Oil, and Paper on Wood

"Muse of Mystery", Encaustic, Oil, and Paper on Wood

By Linden Godlove

Located in Detroit, MI

Celebrating our common colors as well as our diversity is Linden Godlove’s latest series of encaustics, “The Muses.” The paintings are modeled after icons, with a direct gaze that hearkens a response to their spirit, to find company in their character. This particular piece is the "Muse of Mystery" and is part of a set of nine that are sold separately from one another. Encaustic painting is an ancient art form (some early icons are encaustic), where hot wax is mixed with pigment and resin, and painted while liquid. Throughout the process, everything is repeatedly fused with fire and sometimes things melt in an unintended direction. Linden’s process involves repeatedly carving parts out and filling them back in, so the works are splayed out in a loose application of hot liquid, then cut back, then washed over with brushes of hot wax again. It’s a combination of chaos and control. The series draws inspiration from women all over the globe, as originally photographed by Mihaela Noroc for her book The Atlas of Beauty. A portion of the proceeds from these sales will go towards her project. While internationally influenced, the pieces were painted, scraped, and carved at the artist’s hundred year old Detroit...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Wood, Paper, Encaustic, Oil

"Muse of Insight", Encaustic, Oil, and Paper on Wood
"Muse of Insight", Encaustic, Oil, and Paper on Wood

"Muse of Insight", Encaustic, Oil, and Paper on Wood

By Linden Godlove

Located in Detroit, MI

Celebrating our common colors as well as our diversity is Linden Godlove’s latest series of encaustics, “The Muses.” The paintings are modeled after icons, with a direct gaze that he...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Wood, Paper, Encaustic, Oil

"Harvest" Working Women Hungarian European Modernism Expressionism 1926 WPA Era
"Harvest" Working Women Hungarian European Modernism Expressionism 1926 WPA Era

"Harvest" Working Women Hungarian European Modernism Expressionism 1926 WPA Era

By Stephen Csoka

Located in New York, NY

"Harvest" Working Women Hungarian European Modernism Expressionism 1926 WPA Era. 10 x 11 inches oil on board. Painted in Hungary. Stephen (Istvan) Csoka was born in Gárdony, Hungary on January 2, 1897 and died in New York in 1989. He is best remembered as a painter and etcher of portraits, nudes, landscapes, genre, and horses. Csoka studied at the Budapest Royal Academy of Art and his memberships include Associate of the National Academy of Design in New York City; the Society of American Etchers in Brooklyn, NY; the Society of Brooklyn Artists; and the Hungarian Etchers Association. Csoka's exhibitions and awards include a medal at the Barcelona International Exhibition in 1929; a prize at the City of Budapest Exhibit in 1930; prizes at the Society of American Etchers in 1942 and 1945; prizes at the Library of Congress in 1944 and 1946; a prize at the Society of Brooklyn Artists in 1944; a prize at the Philadelphia Watercolor Club in 1945; the Corcoran Gallery of Art in 1945; the Carnegie Institute in 1943, 1944, and 1945; the Art Institute of Chicago in 1944; the Los Angeles Museum of Art in 1945; the National Academy of Design from 1940 through 1945; one-artist shows at the Contemporary Artists in 1940, 1943, and 1945; and the Minneapolis State Fair in 1943. *Stephen continued to recieve awards and exhibit his work throughout his life. In 1997, Hofstra Museum sponsored a Retrospective/Centennial exhibition in honor of his birth. Collections representing Csoka's work are the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY; the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA; the British Museum, London, England; the Bezalel National Museum, Jerusalem, Israel; the Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio; Whistler House Museum of Art, Lowell, MA; the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH; Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH; the Sheldon Swope Art Museum, Terre Haute, IN; the Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile, AL; the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis, MN; the Museum of New Mexico, Santa Fe, NM; the Budapest Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest, Hungary; Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest, Hungary, the Museum of the City of Budapest, Budapest, Hungary; the Library of Congress, Washington, DC; Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; the Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA; Georgia Museum of Art, Athens, GA; Hofstra Museum, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY; Holocaust Museum, Glen Cove, NY; National Academy of Art, New York, NY; New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans, LA; New York Historical Society, New York, NY;New York Public Library, New York, NY; National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC; Peabody Museum, Cambridge, MA; Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA; Reading Public Museum, Reading, PA; Livingston Arts Center, Mount Morris, NY; Ball State Teachers College, Muncie, IN; City College, New York, NY; Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, NY; Hungarian Consulate, New York, NY; Hungarian Heritage, New Brunswick, NJ; Hunter College, New York, NY; IBM Collections; Princeton Print Club...

Category

1920s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Talking Things Out, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Talking Things Out, Painting, Oil on Canvas

Talking Things Out, Painting, Oil on Canvas

By Debbie Pacheco

Located in Yardley, PA

Looking into a restaurant where two friends are at lunch,there is a play of reflections from outside mixing with what is inside. As the friends sit and talk about all that is on the...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

LADY ON THE COUCH, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
LADY ON THE COUCH, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

LADY ON THE COUCH, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

By Victor Sheleg

Located in Yardley, PA

I only make original works. Each is a one of a kind so you will have the only one! My artwork is my emotions and you can see that emotions on the canvas - You can experience it each...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Lofoton Morning, Norway
Lofoton Morning, Norway

Lofoton Morning, Norway

By Tom Irizarry Studio

Located in Booklyn, NY

Verified original work by Tom irizarry. Handmade oil paint made by artist, pigments on canvas, 16 x 20 inches. Morning view of Lofoton mountain range, Norway. 2024. 16 x 20 inches, o...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Pigment

Silence, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Silence, Painting, Oil on Canvas

Silence, Painting, Oil on Canvas

Located in Yardley, PA

œWe sit silently and watch the world around us. This has taken a lifetime to learn. It seems only the old are able to sit next to one another and not say anything and still feel cont...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Flower Field, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Flower Field, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

Flower Field, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

By Karin Goeppert

Located in Yardley, PA

Flower Field ist a large acrylic painting in glowing colors. The grey in the paintings really highlights the brillant reds. The work is ready to hang and signed on the front, the ...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Fallobst, Painting, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper
Fallobst, Painting, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper

Fallobst, Painting, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper

By Karin Goeppert

Located in Yardley, PA

Fallobst, which means Windfall or Fallen Fruit in English is a nature inspired painting. I love the warm colors of autumn and the scent of apples in the air. I worked on strong wate...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Two Sculptors

Two Sculptors

By Airom

Located in Santa Monica, CA

Oil paint and ink.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Ink, Oil

Expressionist Still Life With Flowers Framed Oil Painting on Canvas, Mid century
Expressionist Still Life With Flowers Framed Oil Painting on Canvas, Mid century

Expressionist Still Life With Flowers Framed Oil Painting on Canvas, Mid century

Located in Cotignac, FR

Mid century oil on canvas still life of flowers in a vase by A Thuillier. The painting is signed bottom left and is presented in a gilt wood and hessian cloth period frame. This vib...

Category

Mid-20th Century Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Mid-Century Modern Expressionist Oil Painting on Canvas
Mid-Century Modern Expressionist Oil Painting on Canvas

Mid-Century Modern Expressionist Oil Painting on Canvas

Located in Palm Beach, FL

Modern Expressionist oil painting on canvas with several texturing techniques and a fiery hot use of color. Signed in the lower right F. Howard and titled on the back Royal Hunt of t...

Category

20th Century Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Obstacles Ahead, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Obstacles Ahead, Painting, Oil on Canvas

Obstacles Ahead, Painting, Oil on Canvas

By Debbie Pacheco

Located in Yardley, PA

She takes a deep breath and gets ready for her day. The path is clear at the moment but she knows she will run into obstacles. Here is that woman. Always observing and preparing for ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Moon Spirit Dancer, " Oil on Canvas
"Moon Spirit Dancer, " Oil on Canvas

"Moon Spirit Dancer, " Oil on Canvas

By Bruno Surdo

Located in Chicago, IL

Chicago-based fine art painter Bruno A. Surdo is classically trained in drawing and oil painting in the tradition of Renaissance masters. With strong command of the human form, Surdo creates dynamic compositions of people and places that communicate a rich commentary on the world around him. Depicting trees from personal encounters, Surdo’s latest body of work entitled “Tree Spirits” takes us on a foray into the forest, where leaves, branches and burls express something deeply personal. Applying his mastery of figurative realism to the natural world, he experiments with form and texture to uncover the intangible spirits of trees. This large-scale painting entitled “Moon Spirit Dancer...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Reading, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

Reading, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

By Gabriella DeLamater

Located in Yardley, PA

Reading Acrylic, canvas 18"×24" :: Painting :: Expressionism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Hang: Yes :: Signed: ...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Yellow Durag - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Fashion

Yellow Durag - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Fashion

By Gobe Joseph

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 Gob...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic

Silence, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Silence, Painting, Oil on Canvas

Silence, Painting, Oil on Canvas

By Anamaria Cepoi

Located in Yardley, PA

œWe sit silently and watch the world around us. This has taken a lifetime to learn. It seems only the old are able to sit next to one another and not say anything and still feel cont...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Winterstimmung 2, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Winterstimmung 2, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

Winterstimmung 2, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

By Karin Goeppert

Located in Yardley, PA

3 small paintings which convey the joys and beauty of winter. It mustn't be a dark season. The works are painted with acrylic colours on canvas. They are ready to hang. They are prot...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

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.