Expressionist Paintings
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.
Early 2000s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Linen, Oil
1930s Expressionist Paintings
Gouache
Artist Comments
Reimagining a simple still life with oranges, this composition replaces traditional perspective with a more abstract structure. Grids and flat surfaces allow si...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Watercolor, Archival Paper, Mixed Media
1990s Expressionist Paintings
Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
A cluster of agricultural buildings transforms into an exploration of color and texture. Stripped of perspective and realistic detail, the composition relies on...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Unimposing buildings and houses transform into a collection of intersecting, colorful shapes. Repetition and abstraction elevate the scene beyond its source ima...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
A small northern UK town bursts to life through Fauvist expression and colors. The flattened perspective stacks buildings atop one another, with roads and ele...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
1990s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Oil, Canvas
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard
1970s Expressionist Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Tall beach grass stretches across the foreground, with a small pool of water reflecting the sky. In the distance, layers of sand and sea stack into soft, hori...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
An expansive blue sky meets the ocean in a quiet, seamless horizon, with a single cloud drifting gently above. Below, the shoreline is alive with wispy grasse...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
Bold and full of movement, this dynamic scene invites the viewer to wander along a riverbank lined with trees. Hints of pink and blue ripple through the scene...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
A vibrant forest opens to reveal a hidden pond, its still surface mirroring the brilliant colors of the trees. Bursts of orange, green, blue, and yellow dance...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Wood, Acrylic
Early 2000s Expressionist Paintings
Board, Oil
Late 20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Wood, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Neon Light, Acrylic
Early 2000s Expressionist Paintings
Paper, Ink, Watercolor
Early 20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Bold brushstrokes capture the lively yet restful energy of a marsh. The colors shift and blend, reflecting the ever-changing landscape. The scene portrays the...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Oil
Early 2000s Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Oil, Board
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Fabric, Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1920s Expressionist Paintings
Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Lacquer, Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Mixed Media, Watercolor, Archival Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil