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.
"Road in Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona II" - Expressionist Landscape, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"Road in Cave Creek Canyon, Arizona II" is a striking expressionist landscape abstraction, created with oil paint on linen. This beautiful piece depicts a vast southwestern canyon an...
Linen, Oil
French Contemporary Art by Sandra Detourbet - Promise Indécise
Located in Paris, IDF
Ink on canvas & handmade paper Sandra Detourbet is a French artist born in 1967 who works & lives in Ivry-sur-Seine, near Paris. She is graduated in 1997 from ENSAD in Paris, Art-Sp...
Canvas, Handmade Paper, Ink
Black Melanin Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Expressionist, 21st Century
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Being black is our heritage, what we have inherited from the past to value and enjoy in the present, and to preserve and pass on to future generations. Shipping Procedure Ships in a...
Acrylic, Canvas
$1,360Sale Price|27% Off
"Sunset in Camargue" by William GOLIASCH - Oil on canvas 27x35 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Oil on canvas sold with frame Total size with frame 51x60 cm Signed and dated William GOLIASCH is a Swiss artist born in 1922 and died in 1986. His works have been sold at public au...
Oil
Israeli Judaica Rabbi Expressionist Gouachel Painting
By Adolf Adler
Located in Surfside, FL
size includes frame Adolf Adler 1917 - 1996 Adolf Adi Adler was born in Romania in 1917. Attended the Art College of Kluj Romania in 1950. (in Satu Mare, original home city of the Sa...
Paper, Gouache
$106,000
Railroad Men's Wives - American Scene Painting - Social Realism
Located in Miami, FL
American Scene Painting - Social Realism. The present work is a Depression Era account of working-class men and women. Philip Howard Francis Dixon Evergood (born Howard Blashki; 190...
Oil
$530
Contemporary expressionist dog's portrait animal painting "Cool companion"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
"Cool Companion" is an Expressionist-style dog portrait by French artist Natalya Mougenot, part of her ongoing series dedicated to dogs that celebrates the profound, unconditional bo...
Canvas, Acrylic
Cottage in a Wood, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The expressionist landscape painting depicts a small cottage surrounded by dense trees. Flat, layered brushstrokes simplify the foliage and architecture instead...
Acrylic
Mother and Child by Béla Kádár - Work on paper
By Béla Kádár, 1877-1955
Located in London, GB
*PLEASE NOTE UK BUYERS WILL ONLY PAY 5% VAT ON THIS PURCHASE. Mother and Child by BÉLA KÁDÁR (1877-1955) Gouache on paper 86 x 56.8 cm (33 7/8 x 22 3/8 inches) Signed lower right Kádár Béla This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity signed by Gábor Einspach on behalf of The First Hungarian Painting Expert's Office. Provenance Private collection, Israel The Hungarian artist Béla Kádár was born in Budapest in 1877 to a working-class Jewish family. Following his father’s death, he was forced to start working from an early age after only six years to primary schooling and was apprenticed as an iron-turner. In 1902, Kádár attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Budapest. After leaving the Academy, he worked at a mural painting company. Only when he visited Berlin and Paris and being exposed to the avant-garde art of the time, did Kádár direct his attention to painting once again. In 1910, the artist won the Kohner prize, and the same year he was awarded his first solo exhibition at the Hungarian National Gallery. By 1918, Kádár moved to Western Europe. Today he is one of the most famous members of the early twentieth-century Hungarian avant-garde. Over the course of his time living in Berlin, Kádár’s style changed. His expressionistic, graphic works were gradually replaced by paintings that were more romantic and delicate in nature. Incorporating and often synthesising stylistic elements of Cubism, Futurism, Constructivism, Neo-Primitivism and German Expressionism, Kádár’s decorative and metaphysical subject matter was often based upon traditional Hungarian folklore, and his subject-matter became increasingly narrative. His paintings in this period often feature surrealistic dream-like imagery, reminiscent of compositions by Marc Chagall. Despite his variety of subjects, ranging from abstracted figures and landscapes to interiors and objects, his paintings are typically rendered in a bright, jewel-toned palette and feature a fractured approach to rendering space. In 1923 in Berlin, Kádár was invited by Herwath Walden to exhibit at the highly influential Galerie Der Sturm...
Gouache
$450
Woven Identities 10 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Africa
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Woven Identities is a body of work that explores the intersection of indigenous African heritage and modern global culture. In these paintings, I focus on hairstyle, tribal marks, dr...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$5,350
In This Moment - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Men, 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...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Love story
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
In my artwork, I strove to capture the profound connection between beings, a moment of tenderness transcending words. This piece embodies the timeless dance of companionship and empa...
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard, Giclée
Solicitude III Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Expressionist, 21st Century
By Akande John
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
"Solicitude" invites the audience into a world of contemplation and reflection, where the central theme revolves around the power of empathy and its ability to heal and connect people. The woman's serene countenance and her gentle touch on the rose flower evoke a sense of care and concern, touching on the universal language of compassion that transcends cultural and linguistic barriers. Akande John...
Acrylic, Newsprint, Canvas
Anatole Krasnyansky Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Anatole Krasnyansky: 1930-2023. Well listed Ukrainian American artist who just passed away a few months ago. He has had auction results higher than $7100. He was born in Kyiv and emi...
Acrylic, Watercolor
Girl & Plants Enamel Glazed Ceramic Plaque Israeli Artist Awret Naive Folk Art
By Irene Awret
Located in Surfside, FL
This is a rare ceramic plaque painted with enamel glaze by famed Israeli German artist Irene Awret (these are generally hand signed Awret Safed on the verso. I just have not opened t...
Enamel
Away From The Lens 2 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Portrait, Oil, Women, Fashion
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...
Canvas, Oil
Field of poppies
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this piece, I sought to capture the vibrancy and tranquility of nature, merging the wild with the serene. The crimson poppies dance in the breeze, a sea of passion and life, while...
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard, Giclée
$1,358
Towards Cley. Richard K Blades. Oil painting of sea and sky Turner influence.
Located in Coltishall, GB
Towards Cley. This captivating artwork showcases a dramatic seascape where Blades' has skillfully blended a vivid array of colours to convey the transient beauty of twilight. With hi...
Oil, Board
Delicate wildflowers"diptych, landscape by Volskaya Liliya.
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Delicate wildflowers"diptych, landscape by Volskaya. Each of my paintings is not just canvas and paints. It is the energy that lives, breathes and interacts with a person. Before I ...
Canvas, Oil
Patterns, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Bright sunshine after a major snowstorm creates a striking contrast across the landscape. In this expressionist painting, a blue sky casts strong, colorful shad...
Acrylic
"La Alhambra se tiñe de azul" (The Alhambra Tinted in Blue), Signed, 97x146 cm
Located in Segovia, ES
"La Alhambra se tiñe de azul". Acrylic on canvas Dimensions: 97 × 146 cm Provenance: The artist's studio. Signed: Down left corner. Inspired by the landscapes of Granada, Chico ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,975Sale Price|20% Off
Racehorses Galloping in Burnt Orange Field Beautiful French Expressionist Oil
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Chantilly French Expressionist artist, 20th century oil on board, framed framed: 17.5 x 21 inches board: 13 x 16 inches inscribed verso provenance: private collection, France condit...
Oil
$2,115
Flowers in a Vase Still Life Floral Expressionist French School in Frame
Located in Pistoia, IT
Bright and sophisticated, this "Flower Vase with Anemones" signed work by French painter expressionist Lucien Roudier known as Eller (1894-1940). Fine Arts export certificate avail...
Canvas, Oil
$4,395
Antique American Expressionist Oil & Gouache Painting of Ibiza Martin Baer 1935
By Martin Baer
Located in Portland, OR
Antique Expressionist Painting of Ibiza by the American Artist Martin Baer (1894-1961), 1935. Baer was born in Chicago and early in his career worked in Germany, North Africa, and Pa...
Oil, Watercolor, Gouache
Woven Identities 5 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Africa
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Woven Identities is a body of work that explores the intersection of indigenous African heritage and modern global culture. In these paintings, I focus on hairstyle, tribal marks, dr...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$50,000
Cabeza de Nina Negra, Signed Exhibited at the Museo Guayasamín
By Oswaldo Guayasamin
Located in Miami, FL
Oswaldo Guayasamín creates a soulful and insightful portrait of a young black girl. The artist is known for his sensitive depictions of the raw human condition, systemic injustice, a...
Paper, Mixed Media, Oil
$450
Blue Testament 3 -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Modern Africa
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 Dan...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Earth Tones, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
This bold, upbeat study of a rural Massachusetts home contrasts a screen of darker trees in the foreground with a bright, sunlit midground and background. Sprin...
Acrylic
$3,850
Beautiful in my Skin - 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...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$4,584
What should I do with the ball ? Julien Wolf Contemporary Expressionist Painting
By Julien Wolf
Located in Paris, FR
Oil on canvas 2018 Signed Unique work Julien Wolf is a French painter born in 1981 in Strasbourg, France. In 2007, he graduated from the DNSEP Art section at the Strasbourg Decora...
Canvas, Oil
Emotional Metamorphosis 11: Lines of Illusion, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Petal-like shapes, vines, and organic forms overlap in this botanical painting. Created with acrylic paint, spray paint, and markers, the artwork features raise...
Acrylic
House on a Hillside, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A hillside home appears from an elevated viewpoint in this Fauvist landscape painting. Late afternoon sunlight intensifies the colors, turning browns into reds ...
Acrylic
$10,500
Original Serg Graff "Card Sharping" Fantasy Outsider Art, Surreal Poker Scene
By Serg Graff
Located in Palm Coast, FL
This extraordinary large-scale original painting by Serg Graff titled “Card Sharpening” is a wildly imaginative and deeply narrative work blending outsider art, naïve primitivism, fantasy symbolism, and surreal storytelling into one unforgettable composition. Executed in acrylic and oil on canvas, the painting depicts an eccentric underground poker tournament taking place inside the abandoned tavern “Poker Face.” Around the vivid green gaming table...
Acrylic
$799
Contemporary figurative dog's portrait acrylic painting canvas "Dog sparkle"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
“Dog Sparkle” is a contemporary acrylic dog painting by French artist Natalya Mougenot, part of her expressive ongoing series dedicated to dogs. Executed in Mougenot’s unique blend o...
Canvas, Linen, Acrylic
“Ruzafa“. Oil on Canvas, Signed, Expresionist Landscape 61x50 cm
Located in Segovia, ES
Title: “Ruzafa“ Artist: Chico Montilla (Granada, Spain) Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 61 × 50 cm. Framed : 78 x 68 x 4 cm. Provenance: The artist's studio. Signed down left corne...
Oil, Canvas
Contemporary figurative dog's portrait acrylic painting on canvas "Chic canine"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
“Chic Canine” is a contemporary acrylic dog painting by French artist Natalya Mougenot, part of her expressive ongoing series dedicated to dogs. With her distinctive painterly langu...
Canvas, Linen, Acrylic
Fantasy with Flowers 46
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Fantasy with Flowers" (series of 200+ pictures) paper 59x42cm On the paper acrylic, oil pastel, felt-tip pen, ink, gold leaf, pencils, silver,mixed media. Flowers are a smile of ...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Archival Paper
Tyria
Located in Westport, CT
René Romero Schuler’s expressionistic paintings depict delicate female figures that she paints using a dry-brushed, minimalist hand, leaving her subjects mostly featureless but nonet...
Canvas, Oil
Urban Sketch
Located in Zofingen, AG
This captivating artwork presents an abstract urban landscape, teeming with vibrant energy and movement. Rendered in a palette of muted blues, reds, and pinks, the swirling colors su...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Woven Identities 3 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Africa
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Woven Identities is a body of work that explores the intersection of indigenous African heritage and modern global culture. In these paintings, I focus on hairstyle, tribal marks, dr...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
African Radiant: Expressionist Oil and Acrylic Painting on Canvas
By Bakare Abubakri-sideeq Babatunde
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
The title of the painting, "African Radiant," captures the essence of the woman's beauty and spirit. She exudes a sense of joy and inner radiance that is infectious, and her confident gaze and proud stance suggest a deep sense of pride in her heritage and culture. Overall, "African Radiant: Celebration of Beauty and Joy" is a powerful celebration of the beauty and resilience of black African women. It invites viewers to revel in the richness and diversity of African culture and appreciate the strength and joy inherent in the African spirit. 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 Bakare Babatunde...
Canvas, Fabric, Oil, Acrylic
Modern Liberty, Large-Scale Rainbow Abstract Expressionism
By D.S. Silver
Located in Soquel, CA
Bold, bright, and colorful, this large-scale abstract expressionist piece by D.S. Silver, a San Francisco, California bay area abstract expressionist, explores abstracted modern libe...
Canvas, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
Peace and Tranquility: Expressionist Oil Painting on Canvas
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...
Oil, Canvas
"Honey and tar" abstract interior painting by Volskya Lily.
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Honey and tar" abstract interior painting by Volskya Lilya. The size of the painting is 30x20cm, canvas on cardboard. The painting was made with the help of a structural paste of va...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Israeli Judaica Old Jewish Woman Sewing Expressionist Oil Painting
By Adolf Adler
Located in Surfside, FL
Adolf Adler 1917 - 1996 Adolf Adi Adler was born in Romania in 1917. Attended the Art College of Kluj Romania in 1950. (in Satu Mare, original home city of the Satmar Hasidic group)...
Canvas, Oil
$1,042Sale Price|20% Off
Pont Neuf Paris Misty River Seine Scene, French Expressionist Signed Oil
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: French School, signed and dated 1970's Title: Pont Neuf, Paris Medium: signed oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas: 9.5 x 13 inches Provenance: private collec...
Oil
Still Life with Fruits and Vegetables
Located in Sheffield, MA
Constantin Terechkovitch Russian/French 1902-1978 Still Life with Fruits and Vegetables Oil on Canvas 25 by 31 in, w/ frame 34 ⅜ by 40 ¾ in Signed lower left Constantin Terechkovit...
Oil
$3,087
Elysium fields. Bright bold poppies. Acrylic on canvas. By Racheal Dalzell
Located in Coltishall, GB
Dominating the scene are expansive red and pink Poppies, their delicate petals exuding a sense of dynamism and life. Dalzells use of bold colors and fluid brush strokes creates a sen...
Canvas, Wood, Acrylic
Trees in Bloom, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A line of spring trees bursting with blossoms becomes the focal point of this expressive landscape. Much of the foliage is built up with smaller, flat brushstro...
Acrylic
Contemporary figurative dog's portrait acrylic painting canvas "Blue gentleman"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
“Blue Gentleman” is a contemporary acrylic dog painting by French artist Natalya Mougenot, part of her expressive ongoing series dedicated to dogs. Executed in Mougenot’s unique mix ...
Canvas, Linen, Acrylic
$644
Original Still Life Of Amaryllis Flower Oil Painting c. 1930s by Georg Gunther
Located in Cirencester, GB
ARTIST: Georg Gunther (1886-1968) German TITLE: "Still Life Of Amaryllis Lilly In a Terracotta Vase" SIGNED: lower right MEDIUM: oil on canvas SIZE: 62cm x 56cm inclusive of fram...
Oil
$1,175Sale Price|39% Off
Expressionist Clown with Dog Oil Painting 1978, Surreal Figurative modern art
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Expressionist Clown with Dog Oil Painting 1978, Surreal Figurative Character Scene, Spanish Modern Art Artist: Antoni Mut Torroja (Barcelona, 1921–1990) Title: Inspiración Year: 1...
Oil
The Picasso from Tangier, "At the Café," a French painting from 1930, signed
Located in Pistoia, IT
Antonio Fuentes (Tangier 1905 - 1995) "At the Cafe. Oil on panel, signed in the lower left corner. A beautiful work in the Expressionist style by the great Moroccan painter known as ...
Oil, Cardboard
$2,600
Love and Bond 4 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Whites, Black
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
A better society is not built solely by wealth or power, but by shared values. By the courage to love without condition, the strength to treat all as equals, and the wisdom to honor ...
Canvas, Oil
MidCentury Expressionist Portrait Painting, Oil on Canvas, Circle Ludwig Meidner
Located in Cotignac, FR
Mid century Expressionist oil portrait on canvas by Lirondo. The painting is signed and dated bottom right. This artwork presents a striking, expressionist portrait of a contemplati...
Canvas, Oil
"The Fragile Trace of a Rose" Oil Painting – Contemporary Impressionism
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
This original oil painting, representing a central part of the series "The Silent Pulse of Decadence", focuses on the narrative dialogue between human presence and the fleeting momen...
Canvas, Oil
Emancipation Oil and Acrylic Painting, Expressionist, 21st Century
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
This painting conveys the enthusiasm for freedom of self-expression regardless of the restriction to decide what you are and what you want to express by the way you dress and the way...
Oil, Canvas, Acrylic
$3,298
Large modern expressionist figurative still life painting "Threefold Grace"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
"Threefold Grace" is a contemporary still life by French artist Natalya Mougenot, whose vibrant floral compositions celebrate color as emotion and gesture as language. In this radia...
Canvas, Linen, Acrylic
Unfurling the Past - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Oil, Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure FREE Shipping Worldwide 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 Authent...
Canvas, Oil
$1,633Sale Price|30% Off
Emile's Tavern Gouache on Paper, Expressionist, Circa 1930s, Framed
By Lucien Génin
Located in London, GB
'Emile's Tavern', gouache on paper (circa 1930s), by Lucien Génin. A tavern in French is called a 'guinguette'. With the rise in living standards from the 1860s along with the develo...
Paper, Gouache