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.
$2,625Sale Price|25% Off
'Port-Vendres' Côte Vermeille, France, California, Large Post-Impressionist Oil
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Signed verso, 'Ant McNaught', (American, born 1952), titled 'Port de Vendres', dated 2022 and inscribed '(After Derain, 1905)'. This California Post-Impressionist and Abstract Expre...
Canvas, Oil
$875Sale Price|25% Off
19th Century Torero and Bull Oil Painting, Figurative Expressionism
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Title: Torero and Bull Artist: José María Tuser Vázquez (1919-1986) Technique: Oil on canvas mounted on board Dimensions: 18.9 x 15 inches Framing: Unframed Art Movement: Costumbrismo, Figurative Expressionism Theme: Bullfighting Date of Creation: Second half of the 20th century DESCRIPTION The painting Torero and Bull depicts a classic bullfighting scene, where a matador, elegantly dressed in a golden and violet traje de luces, performs a pass with the cape while the bull, wounded with banderillas, bows toward the ground. The composition conveys dynamism and tension, emphasizing the drama of the moment with loose and expressive brushstrokes. The background is rendered in warm, diffused tones, contrasting with the deep black of the bull and the vivid hues of the cape. The thick brushwork and vibrant oil application enhance the sense of movement and emotion in the scene, a distinctive feature of Tuser Vázquez’s bullfighting paintings. ARTIST'S BIOGRAPHY José María Tuser Vázquez (Barcelona, 1919 - 1986) was a Spanish painter specializing in bullfighting themes. He trained at the School of Arts and Crafts in Barcelona, where he developed a strong foundation in drawing and painting. From 1947 onwards, he dedicated his artistic production to tauromaquia, creating posters, illustrations, and paintings that captured the intensity of the bullfighting spectacle. He was a regular contributor to the magazine El Ruedo and designed a series of postcards featuring traditional Spanish costumes for Editorial Artigas in the 1940s. His work has been auctioned numerous times and is highly valued by collectors of bullfighting art...
Board, Oil, Canvas
$1,750
Togetherness - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Abstraction, Africa, Love
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...
Canvas, Acrylic
Night Lights, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Simplified shapes and colors form a fragmented image of a village and night sky. Accents of warm colors from the moon and houses balance the dominant blue and g...
Acrylic
Finding Solace - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Abstraction, Floral
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...
Canvas, Acrylic
Pablo Picasso – Studies for Guernica (Facsimile Edition, 1990). Litgrafía
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
Pablo Picasso – Studies for Guernica (Facsimile Edition, 1990). Edición 161 / 750. Framed facsimile reproduction of two original studies created by Pablo Picasso in 1937 for Guernic...
Color Pencil
2 Funny pink ballerinas. Original impasto Miniature oil painting.
Located in Zofingen, AG
This original oil painting captures two funny pink ballerinas in a lighthearted dance. The artist's use of impasto brings a delightful texture to the canvas, enhancing the ballerinas...
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard
Café de la Gare - Mid 20th Century French Expressionist Figurative Oil Painting
Located in Sevenoaks, GB
A superb mid 20th century French expressionist oil on canvas depicting a café de la gare (station café) as inscribed on the reverse. Numerous well dressed figures stand at the café ...
Canvas, Oil
Life with Beagle Figurative Art Animal Painting 24" x 24" Women in Art
Located in Houston, TX
Jeanie Tomanek: I don’t intentionally set out to make a calming painting, no, but I do try to have a sense of hope in my stories. I’m an optimist who believes there’s always some way...
Oil, Cotton Canvas
Tulips Red 3
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Tulips Red 3" bursts with life, a vivid floral painting where passion blooms in every detail. Red tulips take center stage, their vibrant hues energized by touches of blue, yellow, ...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Archival Paper
$1,800
Unbroken Poise -21st Century Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Modern, Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
There’s a poise that comes not from perfection but from resilience and the quiet strength we all carry from within. This artwork speaks to the moments when life tests us, yet we choo...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Colourful French Expressionist Landscape, Promeneur au Pigeonnier
Located in Cotignac, FR
French landscape, Expressionist oil on board by Jean Arene. The painting is signed bottom left, titled dated and signed to the back and is presented in the original 'Arene' frame sup...
Oil
$2,950
Sisterhood -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Women, Modern, Love
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, Acrylic
Mid Century Expressionist Landscape, Oil on Canvas. The Countryside
Located in Cotignac, FR
Mid Century oil on canvas landscape painting by Franco Hungarian artist Elemer Vagh Weinmann. The painting is signed bottom right and is presented in a custom gilt frame with a white...
Canvas, Oil
$3,350
Don't Be Perfect, Be Real -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait Women
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 Eli...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$2,170
Afternoon Stroll - 1950's French Expressionist Mid Century Landscape Painting
Located in Sevenoaks, GB
A beautiful large 1950's French expressionist oil on canvas depicting locals taking an afternoon stroll, by Paris painter André Beaucé. Excellent quality ...
Canvas, Oil
$1,250
Mason-Jar - 21st Century, Contemporary, Still Life, Abstract, Plants, Flower
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure 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 Josue M Pierre ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,496Sale Price|20% Off
Lake view by A. Muller - Oil on canvas 60x73 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on canvas with a frame; total size 80x93 cm
Oil
Low tide by Richard Blades. Oil painting. Sunset over the sea. Turner influence
Located in Coltishall, GB
Richard K Blades mesmerizing oil painting captures the ethereal beauty of a sunset over a tranquil sea. The sky, painted in vivid hues of orange and crimson, seamlessly blends with s...
Oil, Board
Gravity of Light: Marine Chronicles
Located in Zofingen, AG
A cornerstone of the 'Gravity of Light: Marine Chronicles' collection, this 2012 masterpiece marks the origins of Elena Lukina’s signature philosophy: "The Turquoise Silence." Painte...
Canvas, Oil
Light and Stone in Harmony Sway, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Soft light hits two peaks, casting soft, blue shadows on the cliffs below. In the foreground, a meadow lights up with small, dancing trees. The composition and ...
Oil
$3,350
Don't Rush Life 1 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Africa Men
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Where am from Bandana was once a common style, we called it Big Boy Style, then it’s seem to me like a style or fashion only, because our elder brothers only allowed to used it but n...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Gazing Through Ankara 1
By Bakare Abubakri-sideeq Babatunde
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
"Gazing Through Ankara" is a captivating series of paintings that celebrates the beauty, diversity, and individuality of black African women through the exploration of eyewear and An...
Fabric, Canvas, Oil, Mixed Media
Still Life with Wildflowers, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Vases and pots support an array of textured wildflowers, standing out against a rich, dark background. A freeform stripe pattern on the tablecloth adds rhythm a...
Oil
The Joshua Tree in the Canyon, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A Joshua tree stands among yellow desert bushes, its leaves appearing to glow under the bright sun. In the distance, a blue ridge and a mountain rise. Rugged fo...
Oil
$355Sale Price|20% Off
Abstract Expressive woman's portrait acrylic on paper "What she holds within"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This contemporary abstract expressionist woman's portrait "What she holds within "was created by the French artist Natalya Mougenot. With her hand gently resting against her chin and...
Paper, Acrylic
The red apple. Mother and daughter, family, rural landscape, village, ancestors
Located in Oslo, NO
“The Red Apple” shows an old and a young woman as one figure. They share the same body, the same presence — youth and age together. The apple recalls the story of Eve. It stands for ...
Canvas, Oil
Coll Bardolet Bolero Baile Mallorquin original expressionist watercolor
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Bolero Mallorquin original expressionist watercolor painting. virtual framed Spanish painter maximum representative of the art of Mallorca at the end of the 20th century. Costumbrist...
Watercolor
$3,350
One Mind With Many Thoughts - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Sometimes, our thoughts can be the enemy. We need to be careful about our thoughts because we can lose ourselves. Life can be tough, filled with challenges and difficulties, but it's...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
In Whom I Confide - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Modern Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
There is a special kind of trust that exists between sisters—not just those bound by blood, but those connected by the unshakable bond of sisterhood. In a world that often feels chao...
Canvas, Acrylic
Flowers in the morning dew, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Flowers in the morning dew The most beautiful flowers are in the early morning. When the dawn just dawned, the petals began to gradually bloom, with the water lily, the lotus in th...
Acrylic
$3,350
Don't Look Back, Your Life Isn't There Anymore -21st Century, Contemporary Women
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 Eli...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Abike 1 -21st Century Contemporary Figurative Portrait of Modern Woman, Umbrella
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 Ogu...
Canvas, Acrylic
$3,350
Bohemian - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Surrealism, Africa, Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
"The Bohemian" is part of a new collection titled "Ode to Guardians and the Impuissant". It is a visual discourse on the frail but resilient nature of black women whom I call black h...
Linen, Oil
$1,800
"Love Poem" (2024) by Leigh Ann Van Fossan, Original Acrylic Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Leigh Ann Van Fossan's "Love Poem" is an original acrylic depicting an impressionistic aspen landscape in soft pastel colors. Van Fossan was born in Vail, Colorado, and began oil p...
Canvas, Acrylic
C'est le Passe que Nous Attendons
Located in Long Island City, NY
An oil painting by Theo Tobiasse from 1967. An expressionist-style textural painting of intensely dark and vivid color palette. Inspired from the artist's personal experiences of the...
Canvas, Oil
Tulips Red 7
Located in Zofingen, AG
I poured vibrant energy into this piece, blending acrylic, oil pastel, and colored pencil to create bold, expressive tulips that burst with life. The fusion of expressionism, impress...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Archival Paper
Mid Century Expressionist Matador
Located in San Francisco, CA
Beautiful mid century mystery painting. Expressionist bull fighting oil on canvas with fabulous fauvist colors. It is signed upper right corner, but I cannot make it out. Painting me...
Oil
Tulips Red 6
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Tulips Grey" is a vibrant floral painting where emotion takes center stage through swirling colors. Acrylic, oil pastel, and colored pencil dance across the paper, creating a dynami...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Archival Paper
RAVENTOS Piano original abstract mixed media
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
"JARDIN" original abstract mixed media painting RAVENTÓS Mª Assumpció – (San Sadurní d’Anoia, Barcelona 1930). Raventos trained at the elite Sant Jordi School of Fine Arts in Barcelo...
Canvas
Blue Memories, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A Fauvist composition depicts a series of reimagined abandoned structures, stacked one on top of another. The layered mix of deep blue, green, and brown hues co...
Acrylic
$3,350
GenZ Lovers -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Abstraction, Africa, Couple
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...
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,055Sale Price|20% Off
Blooming tree
Located in Zofingen, AG
"In this oil painting, I endeavored to capture the ephemeral beauty of nature's awakening. With each stroke, I sought to embody the delicate dance of blossoms on a gentle breeze, inf...
Canvas, Oil
Dreaming in a Cave, Pastel Pink and Blue Diptych, Cartoon Style Black Lines
Located in Barcelona, ES
"Dreaming in a Cave" is an abstract expressionist painting by Romina Milano where a dance of black gestures unfolds across colorful brushstrokes infused with raw emotion. Romina Mi...
Acrylic, Watercolor, Paper
$1,051Sale Price|25% Off
Bullfighting Scene oil on canvas painting
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Title: Bullfighting Scene Artist: José María Tuser Vázquez (1919-1986) Technique: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 16.1 x 13 inches (unframed) Date: c. 1950-1960 Condition: Good Provenance:...
Canvas, Oil
$825Sale Price|20% Off
Still life with flowers. 1986. Paper, watercolor, 61.5x86 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Still life with flowers. 1986. Paper, watercolor, 61.5x86 cm Dzidra Bauma (1930) Dzidra Bauma works in watercolor technique. She paint figural compositi...
Paper, Watercolor
$1,520Sale Price|20% Off
Landscape 139 by Jean Krille - Oil on Canvas board 50x60 cm
By Jean Krille
Located in Geneva, CH
Jean Krillé’s paintings are known for their expressive use of color and dynamic, abstract forms, blending realism with abstraction in his depictions of nature. His landscapes often f...
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard
Autumn Foliage, Oil Painting
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...
Oil
$4,125Sale Price|25% Off
'Woman Sleeping', Large Modernist Figural Oil, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Portland
By Julio Lavallen
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
'Woman Sleeping' by Julio Lavallen, 1987. Large Modernist Figural Oil, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Portland ---- Signed lower left, 'Lavallen' for Julio Lavallen (Argentinian, born 195...
Canvas, Oil
$1,800
La Dolce Vita (The Sweet Life) - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, 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 Ola...
Canvas, Acrylic
$3,800
French Modernist Large Paris Street Oil Painting Expressionist Henry D'anty
By Henri d'Anty
Located in Surfside, FL
Large oil on canvas Paris, France street scene with house and tree. Hand signed Framed Dimensions 41 x 48.5 Canvas is 40 X 32 inches Henri Maurice D'Anty, listed French artist, Henry d'Anty 1910-1998 Born 1910 in Belleville France. Died in December 4 1998. Educated at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière and the Académie Julian Paris. Painter of the school of Paris. ((painter of de l'Ecole de Paris et Peintre Témoin de son Temps) He participated in numerous exhibitions and was rewarded number of prizes for his work in France and abroad D'Anty was born in Belleville, and it was here that he came to know the picturesque architectural quality of small sloping streets, sometimes broken by flights of steps, like those of Montmartre. Afterwards he moved to Saint Maurice, where he came under the spell of the banks of the Marne with its blue green reflections, the heavy river barges, sail boats, and the lock with its large dark mass, which all made their impressions, as did a later visit in northern France, long before he thought seriously about painting. But in both eye and mind, he was already storing secret visions and emotions. During a holiday in Brittany, he discovered an entirely new awareness of colors, or rather of colors of the enchanting, subtle tones which make up the varied atmospheres of the Breton scene. He is linked to both post impressionism and expressionism. He was part of the Ecole de Paris (School of Paris) and showed with Francois Arnal, Franz Priking, Isis Kischka, Roland Dubuc, Bernard Maurice Quentin, Michel Patrix, Roger Bezombes, Lucien Joseph Fontanarosa, Bernard Buffet, Jean Marzelle, Maurice Blond, Isaac Antcher, Francis Bott, Jean Jansem, Alfred Charles Weber...
Canvas, Oil
Nude Female Figurative Cubist Abstraction
Located in PARIS, FR
This painting by Lucenti Vuattolo is a figurative abstraction with a beautiful patina colour palette.
Oil
Far in Mind, female nude colorful reclining direct gaze
By Tom Bennett
Located in Brooklyn, NY
An expressionist, colorful and direct oil painting of a nude female figure, strecthing back against an an abstract background. Aesthetically sensuous with active brushstrokes applie...
Oil, Board
$5,350
Attitude - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Africa Women Fashion
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
The painting titled “Attitude” captures the very ‘essence’ of his subjects who they are and what they represent outside of their roles experiences obligations and accomplishments. Ma...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
At the Table, Oil on Cardboard, 76x97 cm. Unsigned
Located in Riga, LV
Janis Rikmanis (1901.5.IV – 1968.25.III) graduated Figurative painting studio of Latvia Art academy (1931). He took part in exhibitions since 1929. Self-exhibitions were made in Riga...
Oil, Cardboard
Collioure, a Mediterranean Street Scene and the Church of Notre Dame des Anges
Located in Cotignac, FR
Early 20th Century oil on canvas view of Collioure in the south of France, home to the Fauvists. The painting is initial signed E.L.Y bottom right (as yet undeciphered). The location...
Canvas, Oil
Irises on Blue
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this painting, I sought to capture the ephemeral beauty of irises, using vibrant strokes of acrylic and oil to express their dynamic, almost lively forms against a vivid blue back...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Chestnut Hill, Original Paintin
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The artwork depicts a wooded valley in a Philadelphia suburb in Fauvist style. Flat shapes and colors create an almost abstract effect in the composition. Minim...
Acrylic
Holding up to Memories, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A solitary woman leans into a vast, swirling blue field. Spiraling strokes of orange and yellow shimmer like stars, adding warmth to the cool, dominant palette....
Acrylic
Solitude - 21st Century, Contemporary, Portrait, Expressionism, 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 Emma...
Canvas, Acrylic