Skip to main content

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.

to
577
684
646
743
711
897
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
13
1,000
2,667
6
7
23
42
37
73
122
132
104
124
42,909
37,486
22,370
8,448
4,042
3,297
2,527
1,196
1,187
1,049
1,029
457
308
1,708
1,408
561
1,585
1,285
1,030
569
397
389
333
297
252
243
218
185
153
133
112
93
90
87
85
79
3,519
2,231
1,878
1,843
1,275
44
42
38
34
34
908
199
1,607
1,420
Style: Expressionist
Woman with red cheeks, Painting, Acrylic on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
In this work I have captured deep emotions through vibrant, expressive brushstrokes in acrylic on paper. The figurative elements in the expressionist style reflect intensity and huma...
Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Swan
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this oil painting, I imbued the canvas with the spirit of grace and resilience embodied by a dancer. Through a blend of expressionism and realism, I sought to capture the precise ...
Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Vintage Mid-Century Swedish Landscape Framed Oil Painting - Planes
Located in Bristol, GB
PLANES Size: 36 x 70 cm (including frame) Oil on Canvas A beautifully textured and atmospheric mid-century landscape composition, executed in oil onto canvas. The painting presents...
Category

1960s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Cherry Blossom Season, Still-Life Oil Painting, 2021
Located in Boston, MA
Artist Commentary: I planted a cherry tree to remind me of the one I had outside my window as a child. It was a Japanese Keanza and very beautiful. About the artist: Lynne's work ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Composition with Shapes, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Unimposing buildings and houses transform into a collection of intersecting, colorful shapes. Repetition and abstraction elevate the scene beyond its source ima...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Journey So Far
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
This painting is a tribute to all Mothers and womanhood as a whole. She is tough, resilient, emotional, fragile, and vulnerable, but still, they remain strong through the different s...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Charcoal, Acrylic

A Bronx Wedding, colorful dancing celebration w musicians blue sky butterflies
Located in Brooklyn, NY
*ABOUT Stephen Basso Stephen Basso's highly original pastels and oil paintings are romantic, yet thought provoking fantasies. His whimsical works are alive with boundless imagina...
Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

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 ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Wooded Village, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A whimsical village emerges among trees. The carefully arranged houses and foliage form an engaging scene. The bright color palette reinforces the non-represent...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

'Positano' original mixed media painting signed c2005
Located in Frome, Somerset
'Positano' , Amalfi Coast of Italy. Signed original mixed media painting by Andy Gradwell circa 2005. mixed media on paper 50cmx 60cm Glazed wooden frame with limewax finish 80cm x...
Category

Early 2000s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media

Mid Century French Expressionist Oil on Canvas, Rêve Mauve
Located in Cotignac, FR
French Expressionist oil on canvas of an imaginary landscape by Gisele Grant-Gapail. The painting is signed. titled and dated to the back of the canvas. An impactful and strong riot...
Category

Mid-20th Century Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Japanese autumn, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Japanese autumn In the fall, Japan seems to put on a new cloak, an autumn more brilliant and charming than any other time of the year. Everywhere, there is a wonderful transformatio...
Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Spring Herbs 35X45
Located in Zofingen, AG
As the artist, I poured my soul into this creation, blending the vivid hues of nature with impassioned brushstrokes to encapsulate the serene yet wild spirit of the landscape. The mo...
Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Sitges Spain acrylic on canvas mediterranean seascape urbanscape
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Illegible signature. Frameless.
Category

1960s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Canvas

PASSION
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this creation, I united expressionism, impressionism, and a touch of pop art to capture a visceral, emotional explosion. Using bold strokes of acrylic and oil, I portray the inten...
Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Canvas

Dandelions at sunrise 70X90
Located in Zofingen, AG
When I get to work with dandelions, I associate them with our wonderful, beautiful and fragile, like a crystal world. The magic field of solar dandelions from which it is impossible ...
Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Dandelions in the meadow 30X40
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this oil painting, I sought to capture the delicate interplay between strength and ephemeral beauty. The dandelions, poised against a field of gold and green, embody nature's flee...
Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Dandelions in flight 60X60
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this work, I've captured the ephemeral beauty of nature's cycle. I chose oils to convey the rich vibrancy and delicate dance of seeds on the wind. The artistry here lies in the dy...
Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Fragment of a lawn of dandelions 50X70
Located in Zofingen, AG
In creating this piece, I reveled in the play of light and shadow amongst the vibrant dandelions and ethereal seed heads, capturing nature's fleeting beauty. With each brushstroke, I...
Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

French Modernist LANDSCAPE WITH HOUSES School of Paris Oil Painting
Located in Surfside, FL
"School of Paris" Isis Kischka was born in Paris on the 26 October 1908 to a Polish Jewish family who had migrated from the Ukraine two years earlier. After completing studies in c...
Category

20th Century Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Sunny dandelions 50X70
Located in Zofingen, AG
This work symbolizes our wonderful, beautiful and fragile, like a crystal world. The magic field of solar dandelions from which it is impossible to take your eyes off. A short moment...
Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Tenderness 40X30
Located in Zofingen, AG
This work symbolizes our wonderful, beautiful and fragile, like a crystal world. The magic field of solar dandelions from which it is impossible to take your eyes off. A short moment...
Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Foaming wave 50X70 oil on canvas
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this dance of blues and whites, I've poured my soul into the wild embrace of the ocean's foam. Every stroke captures the relentless power and ethereal beauty of the waves. It's an...
Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Knee Socks Girl, Portrait by Philadelphia Artist
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Knee Sock Girl" is an oil on board portrait painting by Philadelphia born Expressionist painter Bernard Harmon of a woman, seemingly lost in contemplation....
Category

1970s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

"The Lovers" by Shana Wilson - Nude Young Women in Intimate Figurative Painting
Located in Carmel, CA
Shana Wilson (Canadian, born 1966) "Lovers" 2014 Oil Paint, Board The artist signed the back of the painting. About the Artist: Shana Wilson, born in Edmonton in 1966, has carved a ...
Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

"Morning Sky" By Sandra Pratt (2024), Original Midwestern Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"Morning Sky" is a beautiful original oil painting, created on linen panel by American artist Sandra Pratt. Depicting snow-capped mountains covered in blue ice looming over the villa...
Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

St Ives Harbour, Original, Landscape, contemporary
Located in Deddington, GB
St Ives Harbour is an Original Oil Painting by Eleanor Woolley. Inspired by last summers trip to Cornwall, St Ives Harbour shows the quiet of Penwith Harbour at sunset. The sky refle...
Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"The Last Supper in the Kuril Islands, Tea with KAWS"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
This work was the second in a series of works "Secret Dinner in the Kuril Islands." It serves as a continuation after the work "In Search of Pokemon". After the sale of this picture,...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Acrylic, Wood, Canvas

Upright Bass, Expressionist Portrait of Musician by Philadelphia Artist
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Upright Bass" is a painting by Philadelphia born Expressionist painter Bernard Harmon. The 40" x 34" oil on board group portrait of a musician is painted...
Category

1960s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Beautiful sea
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this oil painting, I've captured the raw, spirited dance of the sea. Through energetic strokes and a rich palette, I blended realism with expressionism to evoke the ocean's majest...
Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Beautiful sea
Beautiful sea
$1,246 Sale Price
20% Off
St. Tropez - original abstract figurative oil painting - contemporary artwork
Located in London, Chelsea
This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet Contemporary Art Gallery and online. St. Tropez by Iryna Yermolova is a vibrant and expressive cele...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Expressionist French Landscape, Bright Colours, Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Expressionist French Landscape, Bright Colours, Oil Painting circle of Pierre Ambrogiani (French 1907-1985) Oil painting on canvas, unframed Canvas size: 6.5 x 9.5 inches Beautiful ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Evening Bay
Located in Zofingen, AG
The canvas is glued onto thick cardboard. In this painting, I poured my fascination with the interplay of light on water, using acrylic and oil to capture the ephemeral glow of sunse...
Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Acrylic, Cardboard

Pink Seascape
Located in Deddington, GB
Pink Seascape by Rupert Aker [2021] original Acrylic on canvas Image size: H:20 cm x W:20 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:20 cm x W:20 cm x D:2cm Frame Size: H:23 cm x W:23 cm ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Diana (Ode to Van Dyke) female nude w blue tones brushstrokes
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This colorful, textured , abstracted expressionist homage to a detail of the Van Dyke painting "Diana and the Nymph Discovered by Saturn", pays trib...
Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Murmuring Forest, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Two figures stand close in an abstract forest, their forms blending with the trees. Directional brushstrokes capture the gentle sound of wind rustling through t...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Turtles, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
As the artist, I poured my soul into creating a vivid expression of nature's untamed beauty. The lush acrylic hues capture the spontaneous dance of light through foliage and the thri...
Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

"Gothic Window, " Acrylic on Masonite signed by David Barnett
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Gothic Window" is an original acrylic painting on masonite board by David Barnett. The artist signed the piece on the back. This painting depicts a geometric and abstracted renderin...
Category

1960s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Acrylic

Missing Land 02, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
The artist painted a landscape of the countryside in Summer. She was inspired by the historical landscape of her place of birth, as described in the book ‘Buitenplaatsen in het Wes...
Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Dream
Located in Saint Amans des cots, FR
Oil on canvas by Madé Gourdon, France, 1960s. "Dream". with frame: 70x61 cm - without frame: 55x46 cm. 10F format. Signed "Madé Gourdon" in the lower left. In its frame Montparnasse....
Category

1960s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Burlap, Oil

"Promenade" (2024) by Leigh Ann Van Fossan, Original Acrylic Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Leigh Ann Van Fossan's "Promenade" is an original acrylic depicting an abstracted adobe landscape. Van Fossan was born in Vail, Colorado, and began oil painting at the age of 12. S...
Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

'Under the Water' by Via Li - Vivid Emotional Female Figurative Painting
Located in Carmel, CA
'Under the Water' by Via Li is a compelling 48" x 36" figurative acrylic painting on canvas that captivates with its raw emotional intensity and vivid color palette. The artwork feat...
Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Girl Thinking, Expressionist Portrait of Young Woman by Philadelphia Artist
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Girl Thinking" is a painting by Philadelphia born Expressionist painter Bernard Harmon. The 40" x 30" oil on board portrait of a young woman is painted in a vibrant color palette. The painting is framed in a new, black wood frame and signed "B Harmon" on verso. Figurative expressionism in the style of Alice Neel. 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

1960s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

True Friend 1 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Women Love Men
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...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

'In My Corner' by Via Li - Figurative Woman in Repose - Vibrant Expressionist
Located in Carmel, CA
'In My Corner' by Via Li is a deeply emotive figurative acrylic painting that captures a poignant sense of vulnerability and introspection. This 40" x 30" canvas utilizes a soft yet ...
Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Monstera 6, Vibrant Abstract Expressionist Foliage Original Mixed Media Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
In the realm of vibrant expressions, Italian artist Giuseppe Beddru masterfully brings to life abstracted flora in a spectacular fusion of color and form. The canvas dances with an o...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media

Head with Plant
Located in New York, NY
Lester Johnson "Head with Plant" 1959 oil on paper. Early figurative expressionist painting on paper. Nicely framed.
Category

1950s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Paper, Oil

Fauvist Harbor, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Vibrant colors fill the sky and water, setting a lively and energetic tone for the harbor scene. Bold brushstrokes and color replace literal representation, cap...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Les Jardin Du Giverny
Located in Sheffield, MA
Frederick William MacMonnies American, 1863-1937 Les Jardin Du Giverny Oil on Canvas 21 by 25 in, w/ frame 27 ⅞ by 31 ⅞ in A sculptor of classical figures, American-born Frederick ...
Category

Early 20th Century Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

King Arthur's Knights Battle - Sword Fighting
Located in Miami, FL
Italian Illustrator Gianni Benvenuti depicts a sword battle in a post-cubist/expressionist style. Without regard for proper perspective, the picture is as representative as it is abs...
Category

1960s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Tempera

"Yearning" (2024) by Leigh Ann Van Fossan, Original Acrylic Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Leigh Ann Van Fossan's "Yearning" is an original acrylic depicting an impressionistic landscape with a stormy blue sky. Van Fossan was born in Vail, Colorado, and began oil paintin...
Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Wild Abundance - Colorful Large artwork Showstopper Expressionistic Beautiful
Located in Cullinan, ZA
Title: Wild Abundance Colorful Large artwork Showstopper Expressionistic Beautiful This vibrantly colorful celebration using different media will bring energy and abundance to any r...
Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Entrance of sailboats to Venice
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this painting, I've channeled the serene yet vibrant spirit of maritime life, blending realism with expressive strokes reminiscent of impressionism. The sailboats and gondola, set...
Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Acrylic, Cardboard

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...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil

Joyful Spring
Located in Coltishall, GB
Joyful Spring… An expressive painting filled with the colours and emotions of spring time flowers found in the Norfolk countryside. Rachael Dalzell’s paintings are colourful and exp...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Acrylic

Misty Morning in Vietnam, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A soft mist drapes over the narrow streets of a traditional Vietnamese town, muting the colors of weathered buildings with faded shutters and moss-covered tiles...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Dancing Shadows -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Fashion, Women
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 Elie HATUNGIMAN...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Drums, Expressionist Group Portrait of Three Musicians by Philadelphia Artist
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Drums" is a painting by Philadelphia born Expressionist painter Bernard Harmon. The 34" x 40" oil on board group portrait of three musicians playing t...
Category

1960s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

My Sister and Friend 1
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
My Sister and Friend 1 is an Original painting by Esther Obiwuru. Esther created My Sister and Friend with Acrylic on a 36W by 48H primed canvas. My Sister and Friend depict the ins...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Village of Iseh, Bali (1948)
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Theo Meier (1908-1982) View of the Village of Iseh, painted from the house of Theo Signed and dated 48 Theo Meier lower left Oil on canvas, 68.5 x 50 cm In original frame carved by the artist. Note: Theo Meier arrived in Bali in 1936 with the intention of going on to Tahiti where he had been before. However Bali turned out to be the paradise he had been searching for in his dreams and he had no desire any more to move elsewhere. Bali at that time was still a very traditional place where society lived according to an acient religious system and in a luscious tropical setting the modern world was ignored. Here he met Walter Spies...
Category

Mid-20th Century Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Rosewood, 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.

Recently Viewed

View All