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.
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Quiet Strength 1 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Portrait, Oil, Modern, 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
$3,120Sale Price|40% Off
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
Church in the Square
Located in Sheffield, MA
Élisée Maclet French, 1881-1962 Church in the Square Oil on board 18 ¼ by 24 in, w/ frame 26 ¼ by 32 in Signed lower left Born in Lihons-en-Santerre April 12, 1881, Elisée Maclet b...
Oil
Registry of unauthorized incarnations. Mystery painting, philosophy, psychology
Located in Oslo, NO
A red background holds traces of blue and white beings, half-formed, half-remembered. They seem to gather in quiet defiance, as if claiming a place in a world that never asked for th...
Canvas, Oil
$5,880
Streaming Light, Yountville Napa, Original Painting on Canvas, Signed, 24x36 in.
Located in Aventura, FL
Original oil on canvas painting. Hand signed n front; signed and titled on verso by the artist. Canvas is stretched. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of authenticity i...
Canvas, Oil
Moment of the Evening, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The seascape painting captures the quiet beauty of the coast just before sunset. Sharp blades of grass frame the foreground while calm blue water stretches towa...
Oil
$3,200Sale Price|20% Off
In Bloom - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Realism, Nude, Black and White
By Sayeed Momoh
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
As in the process of the creation of In Bloom, a blatant ensembling of thoughts and becoming lurked around the process, masked and dropped against a suspended figure in an intimate-a...
Paper, Charcoal
$2,120Sale Price|20% Off
Solitude Gaze - 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
$1,480Sale Price|20% Off
Lonewolf - 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
$46,500
Untitled
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Fairfield, CT
Hunt Slonem is a renowned painter known for producing Representational imagery and combining Abstract Expressionism. Slonem was born in Kittery, York County, ME. He attended Skowhega...
Oil
Expressionist Oil Painting Paris Scene View Architectural Visionism Olivier Foss
By Oliver Foss
Located in Surfside, FL
Hand signed upper right Oil painting on canvas, Unframed "Street Scene" by Olivier B. Foss is an iconic artwork representational of mid-century French Expressionist painting. The ...
Canvas, Oil
$2,600Sale Price|20% Off
Culture 3 Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Expressionist, 21st Century
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, Acrylic
Elena Lukina: Radiant Vitality. Gold. Solar Echoes Series. 2022
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
In the landscape "Radiant Vitality" (2022), which serves as a pivotal anchor within the "Solar Echoes" series, Elena Lukina focuses on the interplay of chromatic vibration and atmosp...
Oil, Linen
"Lighthouse of Peggy's Cove" - Impasto Expressionist Coastal Landscape Painting
By Sandra Pratt
Located in Denver, CO
"Lighthouse of Peggy's Cove" is a beautiful original impasto oil painting, created on linen panel by American artist Sandra Pratt, which depicts a lighthouse on a rocky peninsula, st...
Oil, Board
$360Sale Price|20% Off
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...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
"Summer glow" Contemporary figurative woman's portrait acrylic painting on paper
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
“Summer Glow” by Natalya Mougenot is a contemporary figurative portrait painting depicting a woman at rest, created in acrylic on heavyweight professional acid-free Canson paper, var...
Paper, Acrylic
Sullivan's Barn, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The expressionist landscape painting depicts a weathered barn in southern Massachusetts. Artist Robert Hofherr simplifies the scene into bold blocks of color an...
Acrylic
$1,560Sale Price|20% Off
The Preparation - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative, Africa, Music
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
A quiet moment before the music begins. Surrounded by scattered fragments, she gathers her thoughts onto paper while the cello waits beside her, holding the weight of the melodies ye...
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,280Sale Price|20% Off
Melodies Between Fragments -21st Century Contemporary, Figurative, Africa, Music
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
A violinist shaped from broken wooden pieces, holding herself together through music. The birds move with the rhythm, turning the silence around her into something living. Shipping ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Maximilien Luce (French, 1858-1941) Femme Lavant le Linge
Located in Dallas, TX
MAXIMILIEN LUCE (French, 1858-1941) Femme Lavant le Linge Estate stamped signature 'Luce' (lower right) Oil on canvas Canvas: 16 1/4 x 13 in. (41.3 x 33.0 cm) framed: 25 1/4 x 22 x 1...
Canvas, Oil
$3,440
Survival colour - Julien Wolf, 21st Century, Contemporary Expressionist Drawing
By Julien Wolf
Located in Paris, FR
Pastel and charcoal on paper 2020 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 St...
Paper, Charcoal, Oil Pastel
"Traditional Indian Lady"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
This painting celebrates the "strength, grace, and cultural richness of traditional women". Rather than a static portrait, I use dynamic color splashes and fluid paint drips to symb...
Canvas, Acrylic
Le Moulin Rouge - Expressionist Cityscape Gouache and Watercolor by Gen Paul
By Gen Paul
Located in Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Expressionist gouache and watercolour on paper figures in landscape circa 1950 by French painter and engraver Gen Paul. This charming and vibrantly coloured work depicts the famous M...
Paper, Watercolor, Gouache
$2,680Sale Price|20% Off
Let The Poor Breathe -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Abstraction, Africa
By Olajide Kuti
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Ola...
Canvas, Acrylic
$4,472
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
$2,040Sale Price|20% Off
Ajoke - 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
$1,306Sale Price|20% Off
French Modernist Biblical Style Oil Painting Group Figures Desert Journey
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
**Title** French Modernist Biblical Style Oil Painting Group Figures Desert Journey **Key Details** **Artist:** French School, indistinctly signed and dated **Title:** Group of Figu...
Canvas, Oil
Majorca original watercolor paper expressionist painting
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Majorca original watercolor paper expressionist painting.
Watercolor
The red apple. Psychology, man and a woman, duality, couple, love story
Located in Oslo, NO
A young woman and a red-faced man merge into one figure, two inner states held in a single body. The image draws on Carl Jung’s psychology, where opposing forces coexist within the p...
Canvas, Oil
Raventos Blue Navy Sunrise original abstract mixed media
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
original abstract painting. virtual framed RAVENTÓS Mª Assumpció – (San Sadurní d’Anoia, Barcelona 1930). Raventos trained at the elite Sant Jordi School of Fine Arts in Barcelona. ...
Acrylic, Cardboard
Rocky Mountain Fantasy No. 8, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A winding road disappears into Rocky Mountain National Park beneath a chartreuse sky filled with semi-circular clouds. Purple mountains rise beyond the forest, ...
Acrylic
Gloutorama - Julien Wolf, 21st Century, Contemporary Expressionist Drawing
By Julien Wolf
Located in Paris, FR
Pastel and charcoal on paper 2020 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 St...
Paper, Charcoal, Oil Pastel
Giner Bueno Reparando Las Redes Painting, Acrylic Canvas, Framed
By Giner Bueno
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Giner Bueno (1935-2000) Reparando Las Redes Painter from Alicante, son of the painter Luis Giner Valls. He studied at the School of Arts and Crafts of Valencia and finished his stu...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,032
Barca amarrada en el muelle - Óleo sobre tela - Año 1974 - Sin enmarcar
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
Firmado por el artista en la parte inferior En la parte trasera, va nuevamente firmado y fechado del año 1974 Se presenta sin enmarcar la obra Medidas obra: 50 cm. de altura x 61 ...
Oil
$1,146
Port de La Selva (Girona) - Óleo sobre tela - Año 1974 - Sin enmarcar
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
Firmado por el artista en la parte inferior En la parte trasera, va nuevamente firmado, fechado del año 1974 y titulado Se presenta sin enmarcar la obra Medidas obra: 50 cm. de al...
Oil
Puerto de Barcelona - Óleo sobre tela - Año 1974 - Sin enmarcar
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
Firmado por el artista en la parte inferior En la parte trasera va nuevamente firmado, fechado del año 1974 y titulado Se presenta sin enmarcar la obra Medidas obra: 50 cm. de alt...
Oil
$1,800Sale Price|20% Off
African Beauty -21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Women, Africa
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
The beauty of Africa lies in the faces of its people, a beauty that reveals itself to those who take the time to truly see. Through this artwork, I aim to showcase the rich and diver...
Canvas, Acrylic
The Equestrian Circus Oil Painting on Canvas, Late 20th Century
Located in Genève, GE
Work on canvas signed - Dimension with frame : 109 x 109 x 6 cm This vibrant oil on canvas by Italian artist Carlo Roselli (born 1939) depicts a lively equestrian circus performance, one of the recurring and most recognizable subjects within the artist's oeuvre. At the center of the composition, a group of luminous white horses gallops around the circus ring while acrobats perform among them. In the background, a horse-drawn carriage, performers and a densely packed audience contribute to the theatrical energy of the scene. Roselli constructs the composition through a rich and expressive palette dominated by fiery reds, oranges, ochres and deep browns. Against these warm tones, the almost ivory-white horses create a dramatic visual contrast and introduce a sweeping circular rhythm that guides the eye around the arena. Rather than describing the spectacle with strict realism, the artist transforms the circus into a dreamlike world of movement, color and theatrical fantasy. Figures are deliberately stylized, while the spectators dissolve into rhythmic touches of color. The resulting atmosphere lies between reality and imagination, evoking both the excitement and nostalgia traditionally associated with the circus. Born in Milan in 1939, Carlo Roselli lived in Paris and London before settling in Rome in the 1960s. His experience of the theater played an important role in the development of his distinctive figurative language. Performers, crowds, horses, musicians and theatrical environments became recurring subjects throughout his career. The circus in particular occupies a significant place in Roselli's oeuvre, allowing him to combine his fascination with performance, human gesture and chromatic expression. An expressive and highly decorative example of late 20th-century Italian figurative painting, distinguished by its dynamic composition, theatrical subject and warm, luminous palette. Carlo Roselli, Carlo Roselli Painting, Italian Artist, Italian Painting, Equestrian Circus, Circus Painting, Circus Horses, White Horses Painting...
Oil, Canvas
Raventos Blue Boat original expressionist acrylic painting
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Escritura y Barcos original expressionist acrylic painting RAVENTÓS Mª Assumpció – (San Sadurní d’Anoia, Barcelona 1930). Raventos trained at the elite Sant Jordi School of Fine Arts...
Acrylic
$2,400Sale Price|20% Off
Little Sleep, Little Slumber - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Woman
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
This is an opening verse of a shared exhaustion that pushes and pulls between the body's need for rest and the unrelenting demands of survival. It plays on the biblical proverb (Prov...
Canvas, Mixed Media
Genesis II
Located in West Hollywood, CA
We are proud to premier for the first time in more than twenty years, the paintings of Austrian/American artist Gustav Rehberger (1910–1995). ...
Mixed Media
$4,800Sale Price|40% Off
Large-Scale Modern Argyle Abstract Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
By D.S. Silver
Located in Soquel, CA
Whimsical large-scale abstract presenting a modernist take on old-fashioned argyle shapes with contemporary color palate by D.S. Silver (American, 20th Century), a San Francisco, Cal...
Canvas, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
$1,160Sale Price|20% Off
Embracing Self -21st Century Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Modern, Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Made of layers, memories, lessons, scars, and hopes. Some parts are soft, some messy, some still taking shape, but all of them matter. You are texture, movement, and story. You don’t...
Canvas, Acrylic
$15,600
Portrait
Located in Atlanta, GA
Eugène Lavieille began his career engraving works by Jean-François Millet and Charles Emile Jacque and was, by 1841, studying with the greatest French landscape painter of the centur...
Oil
$801
"Many within" Contemporary figurative portrait of women acrylic painting paper
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
"Many within" is a contemporary figurative mixed-media painting by French artist Natalya, created in her ongoing series dedicated to women, exploring feminine identity, inner transfo...
Paper, Acrylic
$810
Olympic Palette on Cream, Vertical Painting, Simple Colorful Gestures on Beige
Located in Barcelona, ES
"Olympic Pattern on Cream" is an abstract painting diptych by Spanish artist Natalia Roman. It is a beautiful series of rhythmic brushstrokes combined with subtle tones and unique sh...
Acrylic, Paper
At the Flower Market
By Walt Kuhn
Located in Sheffield, MA
Walt Francis Kuhn American, 1877-1949 At the Flower Market Oil on Canvas 15 by 18 in, w/ frame 22 ½ by 25 ½ in Signed lower right A painter and major organizer of the Armory Show, ...
Oil
Landscape with haystacks, Oluf Høst painting, oil on canvas, Bognemark, Denmark
Located in Aarhus C, DK
A rare and atmospheric work by the Bornholm painter Oluf Høst, executed in oil on canvas. The motif depicts a characteristic Bornholm landscape with haystacks at Bognemark on Bornhol...
Oil, Canvas
$4,280Sale Price|20% Off
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
Blue, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A woman peacefully floats in a world of sand and sea. Layers of blue and ochre blend her figure with the surroundings, creating a dreamlike effect. Artist Richa...
Acrylic
The Lonely Tree, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The landscape captures the quiet power of a solitary tree standing against the horizon. The bright pink color of its leaves and the field in the foreground cont...
Acrylic
$2,240Sale Price|20% Off
My Brother - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Men, Colour Pattern
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, Acrylic
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Bloom 2 - 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, Mixed Media, Oil, 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
$3,600Sale Price|20% Off
Cap of Many Colors, Expressionist Acrylic on Canvas, 21st Century
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
"Cap of Many Colors" is a captivating artwork that features a man wearing a colorful cap that is reminiscent of a rainbow. The piece is both visually striking and thought-provoking, leaving a lasting impression on viewers long after they have finished admiring it. Created by Rotimi Godwin...
Canvas, Acrylic
Ballerina 4
Located in Zofingen, AG
In creating this piece, I immersed myself in the fusion of expressionism, impressionism, and pop art to capture the dynamic spirit of a ballet dancer. With acrylic and oil, I layered...
Canvas, Acrylic, Oil
$2,560Sale Price|20% Off
Sisters in Yellow 4 -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Love African Fabric
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. "Often, in old a...
Canvas, Acrylic
$516
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
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Bloom 1 - 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, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
Portrait of a Man by Swedish Artist Martin Eder, 1954, Gouache on Masonite
By Martin Eder
Located in Stockholm, SE
Martin Eder was a Swedish drawing teacher, artist and ceramicist. Martin was born on the island of Gotland and spent a lot of time there, he also lived in Sala. Martin was a curious ...
Masonite, Gouache