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.
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Early 2000s Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Leafless trees stretch upward against a vibrant, lime-green sky. A purple path leads the eye into the distance. The limited palette makes the scene cohesive a...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1970s Expressionist Paintings
Oil
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic, Polymer
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic, Ballpoint Pen
Early 20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1990s Expressionist Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Wood, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
1960s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Paint, 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, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Naoko Tadotsu demonstrates a colorful tree on a sunny summer afternoon. Reflections of bright sunlight from a nearby river pierce through the leaves of the lush foliage. A compelling display of blue and green marks intensifies in the warm background. "The lights and leaves together create an illusion of a large stained glass," says Naoko.
About the Artist
Brilliant prismatic trees radiate in artist Naoko Tadotsu’s expressionist compositions. “I am always in awe of nature, color, and light,†says Naoko. These three facets establish her vibrant works in fluid strokes of vivid hues. Roots of her influence trace back to growing up in Osaka, where these elements were abundant. Naoko migrated to New York where she was immersed and fell in love with the world of art. What was once unexpressed inspiration inevitably translated onto the canvas. Her work often crosses into abstraction, capturing her feelings towards nature and painting...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Late 20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Oil Pastel, Gouache
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Late 20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Oil Pastel, Gouache
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Oil
Early 2000s Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Paper, Oil Pastel, Ink, Oil
Late 20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Early 2000s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
Late 20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Varnish, Stretcher Bars
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Ink, Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1990s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1990s Expressionist Paintings
Wood, Acrylic
Artist Comments
A vibrant autumn scene unfolds as towering trees with golden leaves stretch toward the azure sky. The quiet neighborhood below hosts quaint houses nestling am...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1970s Expressionist Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
This painting portrays a woman with an ambiguous expression, adding a mysterious mood to the piece. The blue streaks in her hair and the shadow on her face cr...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Oil
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Photographic Film, Magazine Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Wood, Acrylic