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.
$2,000Sale Price|20% Off
RED SHORE 2 - original painting by Paula Craioveanu Landscape
Located in Forest Hills, NY
"Red Shore 2 ", acrylic on canvas, 40x100cm, Shipped strected. Comes with a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist.
Canvas, Acrylic
Purple evening and jasmine" floral still life in oil of Volskya Lily.
Located in Zofingen, AG
Purple evening and jasmine" floral still life in oil of Volsky Lily.When the energy starts flowing through me, I don't control the process - the brush moves by itself. The picture se...
Canvas, Oil
Tulips Red 7
Located in Zofingen, AG
I poured vibrant energy into this piece, blending acrylic, oil pastel, and colored pencil to create bold, expressive tulips that burst with life. The fusion of expressionism, impress...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Archival Paper
Spring Tulips and daffodils" floral still life in oil of Volskay Lily.
Located in Zofingen, AG
Spring Tulips and daffodils" floral still life in oil of Volsky Lily.When the energy starts flowing through me, I don't control the process - the brush moves by itself. The picture s...
Canvas, Oil
$4,121Sale Price|30% Off
The Yellow Pitcher
Located in London, GB
'The Yellow Pitcher', oil on canvas, by Charles Kvapil (1939). A prolific painter of bouquets, the artist created dozens of tableaux with flowers as sub...
Canvas, Oil
$1,440Sale Price|20% Off
La Dolce Vita (The Sweet Life) - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, 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 Ola...
Canvas, Acrylic
$4,030Sale Price|35% Off
Stone Head
Located in Vancouver, CA
Herbert Siebner (1925-2004) was a German-born Canadian painter whose work is characterized by its expressive use of color and texture, and its exploration of themes of war, exile, an...
Oil, Board
Voila
Located in Westport, CT
René Romero Schuler’s expressionistic paintings depict delicate female figures that she paints using a dry-brushed, minimalist hand, leaving her subjects mostly featureless but nonet...
Canvas, Oil
Holding up to Memories, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A solitary woman leans into a vast, swirling blue field. Spiraling strokes of orange and yellow shimmer like stars, adding warmth to the cool, dominant palette....
Acrylic
Tulips Red 3
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Tulips Red 3" bursts with life, a vivid floral painting where passion blooms in every detail. Red tulips take center stage, their vibrant hues energized by touches of blue, yellow, ...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Archival Paper
Interior With Red Flowers On The Table Still Life
Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL
Interior With Red Flowers On The Table Large oil on canvas, signed lower right, title on verso. Born in 1952, Jean-Pierre Mocci arrived in Provence at the age of 8. Self-taught artist, he was interested in the visual arts from a very young age. Participating in many craft fairs, he exhibits paintings and art crafts. He is a complete artist who can be described as a "jack of all trades": oil paintings, watercolors, sculptures, bronzes and ceramics. But it is by painting his adopted Provence that Jean Pierre Mocci...
Oil, Canvas
$3,800
French Modernist Large Paris Street Oil Painting Expressionist Henry D'anty
By Henri d'Anty
Located in Surfside, FL
Large oil on canvas Paris, France street scene with house and tree. Hand signed Framed Dimensions 41 x 48.5 Canvas is 40 X 32 inches Henri Maurice D'Anty, listed French artist, Henry d'Anty 1910-1998 Born 1910 in Belleville France. Died in December 4 1998. Educated at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière and the Académie Julian Paris. Painter of the school of Paris. ((painter of de l'Ecole de Paris et Peintre Témoin de son Temps) He participated in numerous exhibitions and was rewarded number of prizes for his work in France and abroad D'Anty was born in Belleville, and it was here that he came to know the picturesque architectural quality of small sloping streets, sometimes broken by flights of steps, like those of Montmartre. Afterwards he moved to Saint Maurice, where he came under the spell of the banks of the Marne with its blue green reflections, the heavy river barges, sail boats, and the lock with its large dark mass, which all made their impressions, as did a later visit in northern France, long before he thought seriously about painting. But in both eye and mind, he was already storing secret visions and emotions. During a holiday in Brittany, he discovered an entirely new awareness of colors, or rather of colors of the enchanting, subtle tones which make up the varied atmospheres of the Breton scene. He is linked to both post impressionism and expressionism. He was part of the Ecole de Paris (School of Paris) and showed with Francois Arnal, Franz Priking, Isis Kischka, Roland Dubuc, Bernard Maurice Quentin, Michel Patrix, Roger Bezombes, Lucien Joseph Fontanarosa, Bernard Buffet, Jean Marzelle, Maurice Blond, Isaac Antcher, Francis Bott, Jean Jansem, Alfred Charles Weber...
Canvas, Oil
$4,280Sale Price|20% Off
Attitude - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Africa Women Fashion
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
The painting titled “Attitude” captures the very ‘essence’ of his subjects who they are and what they represent outside of their roles experiences obligations and accomplishments. Ma...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
The toilet - Young woman with a red scarf
Located in Genève, GE
Work on wood Dimension with frame :80 x 61 x 3 cm This work of art is a striking painting that captures an intimate moment with remarkable skill. The image depicts a woman seen from ...
Oil
RAVENTOS Piano original abstract mixed media
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
"JARDIN" original abstract mixed media painting RAVENTÓS Mª Assumpció – (San Sadurní d’Anoia, Barcelona 1930). Raventos trained at the elite Sant Jordi School of Fine Arts in Barcelo...
Canvas
$1,960Sale Price|20% Off
Thread of Becoming (Meditating) -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Nature
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
The beauty of life can be captured through the silent dialogue between past and future—an intergenerational bond woven through time. Their intertwined silhouettes and warm, fluid mot...
Canvas, Acrylic
Red poppies 40Х40 oil painting
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this oil painting, I've poured my passion into every brushstroke, capturing the wild spirit of nature through a vibrant dance of reds and subdued background hues. My expressionist...
Canvas, Oil
$1,480Sale Price|20% Off
Gazing Through Ankara 1
By Bakare Abubakri-sideeq Babatunde
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
"Gazing Through Ankara" is a captivating series of paintings that celebrates the beauty, diversity, and individuality of black African women through the exploration of eyewear and An...
Fabric, Canvas, Oil, Mixed Media
$520
"Rain To The North" (2024) by Leigh Ann Van Fossan, Original Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Leigh Ann Van Fossan's "Rain To The North" (2024) is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a valley with a few houses in the distance and a storm brewing above. Van Fossan...
Oil, Panel
Tulips Yellow 3, Expressionist Pastel on Paper, 2025
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this piece, I poured raw emotion into vibrant yellow tulip forms, blending oil pastel and colored pencil to create energetic motion. The expressive strokes capture a spontaneous d...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Archival Paper
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Waiting for My Name to Return - 21st Century, Contemporary, Portrait, People
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 Emma...
Canvas, Acrylic
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Where The Body Breaks The Line - 21st Century, Contemporary, Portrait, People
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 Emma...
Canvas, Coffee, Mixed Media
$2,120Sale Price|20% Off
In Whom I Confide - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Modern Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
There is a special kind of trust that exists between sisters—not just those bound by blood, but those connected by the unshakable bond of sisterhood. In a world that often feels chao...
Canvas, Acrylic
Pink bouquet 35X35 oil painting.
Located in Zofingen, AG
In my creation, I sought to capture the fleeting beauty of life through vibrant strokes, harmoniously blending realism and impressionism. This oil painting is a celebration of nature...
Canvas, Oil
Blue Memories, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A Fauvist composition depicts a series of reimagined abandoned structures, stacked one on top of another. The layered mix of deep blue, green, and brown hues co...
Acrylic
Helen Howells, Never to Part, Original Landscape Painting, South Wales Art
Located in Deddington, GB
Never to Part by Helen Howells [2021] Original Oil on Canvas Image size: H:75 cm x W:120 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:75 cm x W:120 cm x D:3.5cm Sold Unframed Please note tha...
Canvas, Oil
$1,688Sale Price|24% Off
Man with Yellow Tie
Located in Los Angeles, CA
ALEXANDER KREISEL "MAN WITH YELLOW TIE" OIL ON CANVAS BOARD, SIGNED RUSSIAN-AMERICAN, C.1935 26 X 19.5 INCHES FRAMED 29.5 X 23.5 INCHES Alexander Krei...
Canvas, Oil
$1,396Sale Price|20% Off
1970’s Huge French Expressionist Green Landscape Avenue of Trees, signed oil
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Avenue of Trees French Expressionist School, signed front and back Dated 1974 oil on canvas, framed framed: 37 x 44 inches canvas: 32 x 39 inches private collection, France the p...
Canvas, Oil
Reverte Almond and olive trees. original painting
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
ANTONIO REVERTE OLIVA (Monteagua, Murcia, 1943 – Gavà, Barcelona, 2014). A self-taught artist, Antonio Reverte settled in Catalonia in 1961, in the Barcelona town of Viladecans. In ...
Acrylic
Pink Lady
By Jackie Felix
Located in Buffalo, NY
An original oil on canvas painting by American modern female artist Jackie Felix.
Canvas, Oil
Coral tulips 1
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this piece, I poured my soul into capturing the vibrant energy and delicate beauty of tulips. Through bold brushstrokes and rich oil hues, I aimed to evoke warmth and resilience. ...
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard
Jardin des Tuileries
By Gabriel Spat
Located in Sheffield, MA
Gabriel Spat American, 1890-1967 Jardin des Tuileries Oil on board 8 ⅛ by 11 ⅛ in, w/ frame 13 ¾ by 17 in Signed lower left Gabriel Spat spent most of his career in France painting...
Oil
$1,440Sale Price|20% Off
Fractured Innocence - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Abstraction, 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 Ola...
Canvas, Acrylic
Tulips Red 6
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Tulips Grey" is a vibrant floral painting where emotion takes center stage through swirling colors. Acrylic, oil pastel, and colored pencil dance across the paper, creating a dynami...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Archival Paper
$790
Tropical Foliage, Illustration Style Painting, Faux Naive Still Life, Gouache
Located in Barcelona, ES
This expressionist botanical drawing on paper captures the raw vitality of country wildflowers through fresh, vigorous gestures. Milano's drawings abandon precise realism in favor of...
Paper, Wax Crayon, Acrylic
The Joshua Tree in the Canyon, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A Joshua tree stands among yellow desert bushes, its leaves appearing to glow under the bright sun. In the distance, a blue ridge and a mountain rise. Rugged fo...
Oil
Gladiolus 2
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Gladiolus 2" captures the passionate spirit of blooming gladiolus. Fiery reds and glowing yellows express movement and vitality. The artist's bold, impressionistic strokes blend the...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Archival Paper
Personnages Dans un Parc
By Pierre Anfosso
Located in Sheffield, MA
Pierre Anfosso French, 1928-2004 Personnages Dans un Parc Oil on Canvas 15 by 18 in, w/ frame 21 ½ by 24 ½ in Signed lower left Pierre Anfosso (1 Dece...
Oil
$1,205Sale Price|20% Off
Vue sur la Ville au Toit Rouge / View Over the City of Red Roofs
Located in London, GB
Vue sur la Ville au Toit Rouge (View Over the City of Red Roofs), oil on canvas, by Guy Le Péqueux (circa late 1960s). The artist channels his expressionist sensibility into a vivid,...
Canvas, Oil
Woven Identities 1 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Africa
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Woven Identities is a body of work that explores the intersection of indigenous African heritage and modern global culture. In these paintings, I focus on hairstyle, tribal marks, dr...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$1,431Sale Price|20% Off
Houses in Twilight: Expressionist Landscape Oil Painting, c. 1950
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Author: Francisco Salès (Barcelona, 1904 – Paris, 1976) Title: Houses in the Twilight Technique: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 50 x 73 cm (19.7 x 28.7 in) Dimensions with frame: 58 x 81 ...
Canvas, Oil
Life with Beagle Figurative Art Animal Painting 24" x 24" Women in Art
Located in Houston, TX
Jeanie Tomanek: I don’t intentionally set out to make a calming painting, no, but I do try to have a sense of hope in my stories. I’m an optimist who believes there’s always some way...
Oil, Cotton Canvas
"Sanctuary" (2025) Original Acrylic Painting, Whimsical Interior
Located in Denver, CO
Leigh Ann Van Fossan's "Sanctuary" is an original acrylic and pastel painting depicting a warm interior with a cozy cat perched on a chair peering out a picturesque window. Van Fos...
Canvas, Charcoal, Acrylic
$2,040Sale Price|20% Off
Almost Arrived -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Painting, Realism
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...
Canvas, Oil
Alfonsas Dargis "The Old Country"
Located in San Francisco, CA
Alfonsas Dargis:1909-1996. Listed artist who was born in Lithuania and emigrated to the Rochchester N.Y. area in 1951. He has auction results up to ? $1700 but has sold for much high...
Oil
$14,900
Still of Flowers in a Blue Vase Pierre Ambrogiani (France, 1905-1985)
Located in SANTA FE, NM
"Still Life of Flowers in a Blue Vase" Pierre Ambrogiani (France, 1905-1985) Oil on panel Circa 1960 15 3/4 x 20 (20 1/4 x 24 1/2 frame) inches If the artists Diego Velázquez (Spai...
Oil, Panel
"Horses in the field" with yellow popular trees
Located in New York, NY
"Horses in the field" is unique by the artist, because of the location where they are grazing among the yellow popular trees.
Oil
$2,280Sale Price|20% Off
Lingering
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Lingering" is an artwork that captures the essence of anticipation and longing. It portrays a seated woman, elegantly dressed in an orange gown, engrossed in her thoughts as she eage...
Canvas, Oil
Horses of Branges
Located in New York, NY
The condition is excellent and ready to hang. A photo certificate accompanies this painting and will be included in the forth coming catalogue raisonne. Signed lower right, and dated...
Oil
$2,680Sale Price|20% Off
Don't Look Back, Your Life Isn't There Anymore -21st Century, Contemporary Women
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 Eli...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Melancholic Clown with Accordion Painting, Spanish Figurative Oil on Canvas 1978
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Expressionist Clown Accordion Player Painting, European Oil on Canvas, 1978 Artist: Antoni Mut Torroja Title: Acordeón melancólico (No. 5) Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 81 × 54 ...
Oil
Fantasy with Flowers 57
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 ...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Archival Paper
Copons Flower Park original acrylic
By Joan Copons
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Original work of the Spanish artist Joan COPONS. -Barcelona-jardin. original acrylic painting
Canvas, Oil
$1,002Sale Price|23% Off
1970s Expressionist Acrylic. 'Seated Figure'.
Located in Cotignac, FR
An expressionist portrait of a seated figure, acrylic on paper by French artist Alain Caucat. Signed bottom right. Also signed and dated to the back of the framing board. Presented u...
Paper, Acrylic
Collioure, a Mediterranean Street Scene and the Church of Notre Dame des Anges
Located in Cotignac, FR
Early 20th Century oil on canvas view of Collioure in the south of France, home to the Fauvists. The painting is initial signed E.L.Y bottom right (as yet undeciphered). The location...
Canvas, Oil
Poppy meadow 50X70
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this oil painting, I have captured the wild spirit of a meadow, brimming with vibrant poppies. My brushstrokes dance with expressionism and impressionism, while fine art technique...
Canvas, Oil
$1,567Sale Price|45% Off
Hillside in Galilee
Located in North Clarendon, VT
Fantastic estate find, Hillside in Galilee by Arieh Allweil. A beautiful expressionist painting by an exceptional artist. Oil on board, signed lower right, 15" x 11" painting, 20" x ...
Oil
Amroth seascape at night
By Rupert Aker
Located in Deddington, GB
Amroth seascape at night by Rupert Aker [2021] original Oil on board Image size: H:30 cm x W:40 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:40 cm x W:40 cm x D:3cm Frame Size: H:33 cm x W:...
Oil, Board
Remembering, Original Seascape Painting, Contemporary Art
Located in Deddington, GB
'Remembering' is an original seascape painting by Helen Howells. 'Remembering' was inspired by my beloved South Wales Coastline, and was painted during lockdown. Harnessing my memori...
Canvas, Oil
Abstract III, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
New work by Ludmila in abstract style. The artist works in two styles - the first is more feminine, with smooth lines reminiscent of underwater plants, and the second is completely o...
Oil