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Expressionist Paintings

EXPRESSIONIST STYLE

While “expressionist” is used to describe any art that avoids naturalism and instead employs a bold use of flattened forms and intense brushwork, Expressionist art formally describes early-20th-century work from Europe that drew on Symbolism and confronted issues such as urbanization and capitalism. Expressionist artists experimented in paintings and prints with skewed perspectives, abstraction and unconventional, bright colors to portray how isolating and anxious the world felt rather than how it appeared. 

Between 1905 and 1920, Austrian and German artists, in particular, were inspired by Postimpressionists such as Paul Gauguin and Vincent van Gogh in their efforts to strive for a new authenticity in their work. In its geometric patterns and decorative details, Expressionist art was also marked by eclectic sources like German and Russian folk art as well as tribal art from Africa and Oceania, which the movement’s practitioners witnessed at museums and world’s fairs.

Groups of artists came together to share and promote the themes now associated with Expressionism, such as Die Brücke (The Bridge) in Dresden, which included Erich Heckel, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff and investigated alienation and the dissolution of society in vivid color. In Munich, Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider), a group led by Wassily Kandinsky and Franz Marc, instilled Expressionism with a search for spiritual truths. In his iconic painting The Scream, prolific Norwegian painter Edvard Munch conveyed emotional turmoil through his depiction of environmental elements, such as the threatening sky.

Expressionism shifted around the outbreak of World War I, with artists using more elements of the grotesque in reaction to the escalation of unrest and violence. Printmaking was especially popular, as it allowed artists to widely disseminate works that grappled with social and political issues amid this time of upheaval. Although the art movement ended with the rise of Nazi Germany, where Expressionist creators were labeled “degenerate,” the radical ideas of these artists would influence Neo-Expressionism that emerged in the late 1970s with painters like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Francesco Clemente.

​​Find a collection of authentic Expressionist paintings, sculptures, prints and more art on 1stDibs.

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Style: Expressionist
Soul Sisters - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Women, Love
Soul Sisters - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Women, Love

Soul Sisters - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Women, Love

By Daniel Oguche Junior

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, Oil

Mind Emancipation 2 -21st Century Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Modern Men
Mind Emancipation 2 -21st Century Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Modern Men

Mind Emancipation 2 -21st Century Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Modern Men

By Olaniyi Timothy

Located in Ibadan, Oyo

The concept of colour, race, and inequality is the concept of the mind caused by the general norms of a society, nation, or world at large . The general norms of the world that place...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Two Men Fighters Figurative Expressionist Oil Painting on Canvas, Framed, 1992
Two Men Fighters Figurative Expressionist Oil Painting on Canvas, Framed, 1992

Two Men Fighters Figurative Expressionist Oil Painting on Canvas, Framed, 1992

By Erwin Guillermo

Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL

Two Men Fighters 1992 Artist signed and dated lower left, also signed and titled on verso. Erwin Guillermo was born in Guatemala City in 1951. He is one of the best representatives of Guatemalan Art...

Category

1990s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

L'église Saint Séverin, Paris

L'église Saint Séverin, Paris

Located in Atlanta, GA

Student at the Jules Marinist Christmas, Edme Emile Laborne was a refined painter of cityscapes and landscapes. Paris, the Loire Valley, southern Spain...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Blacknificient -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Fashion, Women
Blacknificient -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Fashion, Women

Blacknificient -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Fashion, Women

By Elie HATUNGIMANA

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

Dust on the Beach, Oil Painting
Dust on the Beach, Oil Painting

Dust on the Beach, Oil Painting

By George Peebles

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A gray sky looms over the distant ocean, while wisps of grass emerge from the foreground. The rugged sand contrasts with the gentle waves. Earthy browns and g...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Paysage en campagne

Paysage en campagne

By Robert VERLUCA

Located in Atlanta, GA

Born August 4, 1945 in Chambéry. Apprenticeship in 1984 at the Etampes school founded and run by the painter Philipe Lejeune. -Price "Finez Planard" awarded by the Taylor Foundation...

Category

20th Century Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Lady In White 2 - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Women, Modern
Lady In White 2 - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Women, Modern

Lady In White 2 - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Women, Modern

By Olaniyi Timothy

Located in Ibadan, Oyo

She holds on to her integrity and purity. Lady in white captures a desire to be hidden, but her presence is revealed through her unquenched innermost beauty. Lady in white captures h...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Liberation -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Modern Women, Plant

Liberation -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Modern Women, Plant

By Kehinde Oyafajo

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...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Coast. Canvas, oil, 16x22 cm
Coast. Canvas, oil, 16x22 cm

Coast. Canvas, oil, 16x22 cm

By Janis Pupols

Located in Riga, LV

Janis Pupols (1886 – 1956) Graduated Landscape studio of V. Purvitis in Latvia Art academy (1927). He took part in exhibitions since 1925. Artist painted landscapes in different t...

Category

1930s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Dynamic Dusk, NY-original abstract cityscape painting-contemporary art
Dynamic Dusk, NY-original abstract cityscape painting-contemporary art

Dynamic Dusk, NY-original abstract cityscape painting-contemporary art

By Daniel Castan

Located in London, Chelsea

We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Zebra portrait
Zebra portrait

Zebra portrait

By Elena Lukina

Located in Zofingen, AG

In creating this zebra portrait, I delved deep into the expressive power of oil paints, utilizing a blend of expressionism and figurative styles to capture not just the zebra's strik...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Cardboard

Under the sun 50X70
Under the sun 50X70

Under the sun 50X70

By Elena Lukina

Located in Zofingen, AG

This piece is a vibrant celebration of nature's beauty and light's transformative power. Layered with oil, each brushstroke contributes to the vivid visual symphony. The sun, breakin...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Echoes Within - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Modern, Women
Echoes Within - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Modern, Women

Echoes Within - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Modern, Women

By Faith Gbadero

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 Bey...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Autumn Closing In, Oil Painting
Autumn Closing In, Oil Painting

Autumn Closing In, Oil Painting

By George Peebles

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Artist George Peebles presents an expressionist landscape shifting as autumn approaches. The green leaves turn a fiery red as the season changes. George paint...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Whimsical Mother Alkebulan - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait
Whimsical Mother Alkebulan - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait

Whimsical Mother Alkebulan - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait

By Awofadeju Solomon

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 Awofadeju Solom...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Stone

Gossip
Gossip

Gossip

Located in Genève, GE

Work on canvas Silver wooden frame 84 x 68.5 x 3.5 cm

Category

1960s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Heart Ascension (To That I Once Loved) - 21st Century, Expressionist, Balloon
Heart Ascension (To That I Once Loved) - 21st Century, Expressionist, Balloon

Heart Ascension (To That I Once Loved) - 21st Century, Expressionist, Balloon

By Rotimi Godwin

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...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Ducks in Central Park, New York, Oil Painting
Ducks in Central Park, New York, Oil Painting

Ducks in Central Park, New York, Oil Painting

By Stanislav Sidorov

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Ducks gracefully glide on a pond, echoing the harmonious rhythm of Central Park. The vibrant blue water reflects the bridge and surrounding fiery autumn foliage...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

In Bloom - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Realism, Nude, Black and White
In Bloom - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Realism, Nude, Black and White

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...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Paper, Charcoal

October Dreams, Oil Painting
October Dreams, Oil Painting

October Dreams, Oil Painting

By George Peebles

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Artist George Peebles captures a solitary tree standing in the middle of a vast field. "This is a perspective of autumn in its splendor," says George. The viv...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Sunflowers 40X30
Sunflowers 40X30

Sunflowers 40X30

By Elena Lukina

Located in Zofingen, AG

Imbued with the warmth of a golden hour, my brushstrokes capture the essence of sun-kissed petals and the dance of light on leaves. This expression of nature's joy and resilience, wi...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Fantasy with Flowers 10
Fantasy with Flowers 10

Fantasy with Flowers 10

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 ...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Archival Paper

Water Wonder Land, Oil Painting
Water Wonder Land, Oil Painting

Water Wonder Land, Oil Painting

By George Peebles

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Gentle waves roll toward a distant shore, echoing the wispy clouds above. Blades of grass in the dark foreground create contrast against the bright sky and wate...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Peace and Tranquility 2: Expressionist Oil Painting on Canvas
Peace and Tranquility 2: Expressionist Oil Painting on Canvas

Peace and Tranquility 2: Expressionist Oil Painting on Canvas

By Joshua Salami

Located in Ibadan, Oyo

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

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Hydrangeas and Rose Hips
Hydrangeas and Rose Hips

Hydrangeas and Rose Hips

By Rachael Dalzell

Located in Coltishall, GB

Hydrangeas and Rose Hips is a vibrant explosion of colour and form, skillfully blending organic and abstract elements, petals and leaves intertwine in a lively dance. Dalzells precis...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Acrylic

The Venetian Guest: Resonance in Minor Keys
The Venetian Guest: Resonance in Minor Keys

The Venetian Guest: Resonance in Minor Keys

By Elena Lukina

Located in Zofingen, AG

In this seminal work, Elena Lukina explores the boundaries between civilization and the untamed. "The Venetian Guest" is a profound manifestation of the "Minor Key" — where beauty em...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Bountiful Harvest -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Painting, Realism
Bountiful Harvest -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Painting, Realism

Bountiful Harvest -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Painting, Realism

By Oluwaseun Ojebiyi

Located in Ibadan, Oyo

This painting is a metaphor for a blessing on its way. Also, it captures the quiet edge between waiting and receiving; the moment when nothing has changed, but everything feels diffe...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Untitled 4 - 21st Century Contemporary, Expressionist Portrait, African Woman
Untitled 4 - 21st Century Contemporary, Expressionist Portrait, African Woman

Untitled 4 - 21st Century Contemporary, Expressionist Portrait, African Woman

By Kayimahe Ishmael Zed

Located in Ibadan, Oyo

Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Africa This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by the Gall...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Westin Tower, 2018

Westin Tower, 2018

By Robert VERLUCA

Located in Atlanta, GA

Born August 4, 1945 in Chambéry. Apprenticeship in 1984 at the Etampes school founded and run by the painter Philipe Lejeune. -Price "Finez Planard" awarded by the Taylor Foundation...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Untitled  -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Modern, Men, Colours
Untitled  -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Modern, Men, Colours

Untitled -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Modern, Men, Colours

By Daniel Owoeye

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

Adriatica
Adriatica

Adriatica

By Elena Lukina

Located in Zofingen, AG

In crafting this piece, I was drawn to the interplay between nature and the human spirit. The rocky shore and majestic seascape reflect life's constant motions, while the solitary fi...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

R. Poch 149 retrato familiar canvas acrylic painting
R. Poch 149 retrato familiar canvas acrylic painting

R. Poch 149 retrato familiar canvas acrylic painting

By Ramon Poch

Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL

149 acrylic painting Born in Badalona (Barcelona). Photographer and advertising film director. Founding partner of the advertising production company La Cosa de las Peliculas: He ...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

"Interior Scene with Figure" Expressionistic Style Oil Painting on Masonite
"Interior Scene with Figure" Expressionistic Style Oil Painting on Masonite

"Interior Scene with Figure" Expressionistic Style Oil Painting on Masonite

By Michael Baxte

Located in New York, NY

A strong modernist oil painting depicted in 1969 by Russian painter Michael Baxte. Mostly known for his abstracted figures on canvas or street scenes, this piece is a wonderful representation of his bold still life paintings, with expressive use of color, shape, and form. Later in his career, Baxte explores Expressionism, infusing both European and North American stylistic trends. This piece is from later in his career, but we can feel this underlying style throughout. Art measures 21.75 x 18 inches Michael Posner Baxte was born in 1890 in the small town of Staroselje Belarus, Russia. For the first half of the 19th century it was a center of the Chabad movement of Hasidic Jews, but this group was gone by the middle of the 19th century. By the time the Baxte family immigrated to the United States at the beginning of the 20th century, the Jewish population numbered only on the hundreds. The native language of the Baxte family was Yiddish. It is likely that the death of Michael Baxte’s father triggered the family’s immigration. Three older brothers arrived in New York between 1903 and 1905. Michael and his mother, Rebecca, arrived in 1907. By 1910 Michael, his mother, and brother, Joseph, were living in New Orleans and may have spent some time on a Louisiana plantation. Around 1912, Michael Baxte returned to Europe to study the violin. In 1914 he, his mother, and Joseph moved to New York City. Meanwhile, in Algeria, a talented young woman painter, Violette Mege, was making history. Since for the first time, a woman won the prestigious Beaux Art competition in Algeria. At first, the awards committee denied her the prize but, with French government intervention, Mege eventually prevailed. She won again 3 years later and, in 1916, used the scholarship to visit the United States of America. When Violette came to New York, she met Baxte, who was, by then, an accomplished violinist, teacher, and composer. Baxte’s compositions were performed at the Tokyo Imperial Theater, and in 1922 he was listed in the American Jewish Yearbook as one of the prominent members of the American Jewish community. As a music teacher he encouraged individual expression. Baxte stated, “No pupil should ever be forced into imitation of the teacher. Art is a personal experience, and the teacher’s truest aim must be to awaken this light of personality through the patient light of science.” By 1920 Michael Baxte and Violette Mege were living together in Manhattan. Although they claimed to be living as husband and wife, it seems that their marriage did not become official until 1928. On their “unofficial” honeymoon around 1917, in Algiers, Baxte confided to her his ambition to paint. There and later in New Mexico where the wonderful steeped sunlight approximates the coloring of Algiers, she taught him his heart’s desire. He never had any other teacher. She never had any other pupil. For ten years she devoted all her time, energy, and ambition to teaching, encouraging, inspiring him. Then in 1928, their mutual strivings were rewarded, as his works were being chosen as one of the two winners in the Dudensing National Competition for American Painters. Out of 150 artists from across the country participated in the Dudensing, and Michael Posner Baxte and, Robert Fawcett...

Category

1960s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Masonite

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.