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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
ROSY CHEEKS, Painting, Acrylic on Paper
ROSY CHEEKS, Painting, Acrylic on Paper

ROSY CHEEKS, Painting, Acrylic on Paper

By Victor Sheleg

Located in Yardley, PA

I only do original work. Each one is unique, so you only get one! My work is my emotions and you can see those emotions on the canvas - you can experience them every day you have the...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

At the Theatre
At the Theatre

At the Theatre

By Donald Roy Purdy

Located in New York, NY

Born in 1924 Donald Purdy in the 1960s did a series of works on clay-coated paper. He loved working in this medium and he would apply oil paint and then rub it away with a cloth to ...

Category

Mid-20th Century Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Clay, Oil, Board

Patterns and Stripes, Expressionist Portrait by Philadelphia Artist
Patterns and Stripes, Expressionist Portrait by Philadelphia Artist

Patterns and Stripes, Expressionist Portrait by Philadelphia Artist

By Bernard Harmon

Located in Doylestown, PA

"Patterns and Stripes" is a painting by Philadelphia born Expressionist painter Bernard Harmon. The 40" x 34" oil on board portrait of two figures is painted in a muted color palette. The painting is framed in a new, gold frame and signed "Harmon" on verso. Figurative expressionism in the style of Alice Neel. Bernard Harmon was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1935. Harmon was primarily a portrait painter and a well loved teacher in the Philadelphia area. A graduate of the Philadelphia Museum School and Temples Tyler School of Art, Harmon traveled extensively in Europe and South America. Beloved by many, Harmon taught in the Philadelphia School District for 32 of his 54 years of life. Beginning his career as an art teacher at West Philadelphia High School, in the early 1960s he became one of the district's artists in residence, traveling from school to school to demonstrate for students how an artist works. Returning to the classroom, Harmon joined the art department at Central High School where he taught for 14 years and became an innovator in art curriculum, developing a program offering advanced placement art classes to gifted students. In his final years Harmon became a supervisor, mentoring teachers and overseeing programs in the Philadelphia school systems District #1. During his short life Harmon taught collage preparatory art classes at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, summer classes at the University of the Arts, and a Saturday program for gifted children at Drexel University. Among Harmon's portraits were commissioned by Philadelphia Jazz organist Jimmy Smith and Mayor Richardson Dilworth. Bernard Harmon was active in promoting African American Artist throughout his life time. He organized many early shows such as the "Afro American Artists...

Category

1970s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Émile Bernard (French, 1868-1941) Self Portrait
Émile Bernard (French, 1868-1941) Self Portrait

Émile Bernard (French, 1868-1941) Self Portrait

By Émile Bernard

Located in Dallas, TX

Émile Bernard (French, 1868-1941) Autoportrait Self Portrait executed circa 1915 Oil on canvas Signed Emile Bernard (lower right) 20 x 18 1/2 in. (50.8 x 47cm) Frame: 28.5 x 26.5 x ...

Category

1810s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Linda Holt:  Recent Koi & Abstractions"
"Linda Holt:  Recent Koi & Abstractions"

"Linda Holt: Recent Koi & Abstractions"

By Linda Holt

Located in Wellesley, MA

NOTE: The painting on the left of this diptych has been sold however it can be replaced with the 30" x 40" ("Two Koi June") pictured individually as an added image. It's the one w...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Oil

Mistletoe, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Mistletoe, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

Mistletoe, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

By Nadia NL

Located in Yardley, PA

Title: Mistletoe Original Acrylic Painting Medium: Acrylic Support: Stretched Canvas, Staple-free edges, Acid free, Ready to Hang Size : 20? x 16? x 1.1/2? ( 50.8 cm x 40.6 cm x ...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Blooming Love Story, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

Blooming Love Story, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

By Elisa Costa

Located in Yardley, PA

My work talks about memories and dialogues with various fabrics, laces, colours and textures. The process of transforming different materials into unique pieces inspires me. They ca...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Street Art, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Street Art, Painting, Oil on Canvas

Street Art, Painting, Oil on Canvas

By Debbie Pacheco

Located in Yardley, PA

There is a beauty to the posters and graffiti on the streets that are in built up and torn down over time. As this woman walks by unfazed by her surroundings, she seems to become par...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Woman VI, Painting, Acrylic on Paper

Woman VI, Painting, Acrylic on Paper

Located in Yardley, PA

In my pictures I try to combine the visual and the conceptual. For me, drawing is a medium of knowledge which, beyond direct expression, makes visible material and immaterial forces,...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Large-Scale Abstract Expressionism with Aqua, Teal, Grey, & White
Large-Scale Abstract Expressionism with Aqua, Teal, Grey, & White

Large-Scale Abstract Expressionism with Aqua, Teal, Grey, & White

By D.S. Silver

Located in Soquel, CA

Expressive and dynamic large-scale abstract expressionist painting by D.S. Silver (American, 20th Century), c.1985. Big and bold brushstrokes in a palette of cool colors, including aqua, teal, grey, and white, dance across the huge canvas...

Category

1980s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars

Large-Scale Modern Argyle Abstract
Large-Scale Modern Argyle Abstract

Large-Scale Modern Argyle Abstract

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...

Category

1980s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars

Nude with cat, Painting, Acrylic on Paper
Nude with cat, Painting, Acrylic on Paper

Nude with cat, Painting, Acrylic on Paper

Located in Yardley, PA

My artwork is my emotions. The starting points for my work are often my personal memories and experiences as well as reflections on reality, but also photographs that I find in newsp...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

"Bright sunset", Painting, Oil on Canvas
"Bright sunset", Painting, Oil on Canvas

"Bright sunset", Painting, Oil on Canvas

Located in Yardley, PA

One of a kind original Oil painting by Ukrainian artist Alisa Onipchenko-Cherniakovska - Canvas painting stretched and ready to hang (NOT FRAMED. The sides are painted with acrylic. ...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Congress Avenue" Expressionist painting of downtown Austin, Texas
"Congress Avenue" Expressionist painting of downtown Austin, Texas

"Congress Avenue" Expressionist painting of downtown Austin, Texas

Located in Austin, TX

A painting of Congress Avenue in downtown Austin, Texas from Pep Suari's visit to Austin. Suari is an artist based in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. This piece is executed in acrylic on p...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Archival Paper

Juliette
Juliette

Juliette

Located in Austin, TX

By Pep Suari 39.5" x 32 Acrylic on Canvas

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

LADY ON THE COUCH, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
LADY ON THE COUCH, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

LADY ON THE COUCH, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

Located in Yardley, PA

I only make original works. Each is a one of a kind so you will have the only one! My artwork is my emotions and you can see that emotions on the canvas - You can experience it each...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

"Princess Diana, " an Oil Canvas signed by Alayna Rose
"Princess Diana, " an Oil Canvas signed by Alayna Rose

"Princess Diana, " an Oil Canvas signed by Alayna Rose

By Alayna Rose

Located in Milwaukee, WI

"Princess Diana" is an original oil painting created by Alayna Rose. This piece was created shortly after the death of Princess Diana in 1997. The painting effectively captures the distance and sadness surrounding the event. Alayna Rose did not set out to make a tribute painting...

Category

1990s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Magenta Bloom I, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Magenta Bloom I, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

Magenta Bloom I, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

By silvia vassileva

Located in Yardley, PA

This square painting is part of a diptych, inspired by spring in the city and the Pantone Color of 2023 - Viva Magenta. The bold shapes of the blooming flowers are rendered with mage...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Cats and a Woman
Cats and a Woman

Cats and a Woman

Located in Austin, TX

By Pep Suari 39" x 39" Acrylic on Canvas

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

A Boy Grown Old, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

A Boy Grown Old, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

Located in Yardley, PA

Sarah Boisvert combines abstraction and figuration in her stunning works. She plucks personal references, experiences, and memories to create thoroughly expressive paintings. Whil...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Island, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Island, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

Island, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

By Rinalds Vanadzins

Located in Yardley, PA

"Island" is a breathtaking painting by the talented artist Rinalds Vanadzins. This piece depicts a lush and tropical island, complete with lush foliage, pristine beaches, and crystal...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Edmund Pick Morino Still Life With Chicken
Edmund Pick Morino Still Life With Chicken

Edmund Pick Morino Still Life With Chicken

Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL

Still Life With Chicken, Oil on canvas singed and dated 1923, from the Collection of Bass Museum Of Art. Canvas size 14 1/5x17 1/4 framed 21 3/8 x 23 7/8 Edmund Pick-Morino was the ...

Category

1920s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Boats in Haze, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Boats in Haze, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

Boats in Haze, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

By silvia vassileva

Located in Yardley, PA

Boats in Haze is a large marine painting, inspired by the beauty of the sea in a foggy morning. The soft light and pale colors are distressed and blended, expressing the marine layer...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Sisters, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Sisters, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

Sisters, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

Located in Yardley, PA

TITLE - Sisters SIZE - 36Wx36Hx2D in INCHES " So distant yet so close. So different yet so similar. We have our own, unspoken language"”a look that makes one of us fall on the...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

LILY REFLECTIONS
LILY REFLECTIONS

James ColemanLILY REFLECTIONS, 2011

$2,640Sale Price|40% Off

LILY REFLECTIONS

By James Coleman

Located in Aventura, FL

Original mixed media painting on canvas. Hand signed on front; signed and titled on verso by the artist. Canvas is stretched. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of authe...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media

Mother and Child by Béla Kádár - Work on paper
Mother and Child by Béla Kádár - Work on paper

Mother and Child by Béla Kádár - Work on paper

By Béla Kádár, 1877-1955

Located in London, GB

*PLEASE NOTE UK BUYERS WILL ONLY PAY 5% VAT ON THIS PURCHASE. Mother and Child by BÉLA KÁDÁR (1877-1955) Gouache on paper 86 x 56.8 cm (33 7/8 x 22 3/8 inches) Signed lower right Kádár Béla This work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity signed by Gábor Einspach on behalf of The First Hungarian Painting Expert's Office. Provenance Private collection, Israel The Hungarian artist Béla Kádár was born in Budapest in 1877 to a working-class Jewish family. Following his father’s death, he was forced to start working from an early age after only six years to primary schooling and was apprenticed as an iron-turner. In 1902, Kádár attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Budapest. After leaving the Academy, he worked at a mural painting company. Only when he visited Berlin and Paris and being exposed to the avant-garde art of the time, did Kádár direct his attention to painting once again. In 1910, the artist won the Kohner prize, and the same year he was awarded his first solo exhibition at the Hungarian National Gallery. By 1918, Kádár moved to Western Europe. Today he is one of the most famous members of the early twentieth-century Hungarian avant-garde. Over the course of his time living in Berlin, Kádár’s style changed. His expressionistic, graphic works were gradually replaced by paintings that were more romantic and delicate in nature. Incorporating and often synthesising stylistic elements of Cubism, Futurism, Constructivism, Neo-Primitivism and German Expressionism, Kádár’s decorative and metaphysical subject matter was often based upon traditional Hungarian folklore, and his subject-matter became increasingly narrative. His paintings in this period often feature surrealistic dream-like imagery, reminiscent of compositions by Marc Chagall. Despite his variety of subjects, ranging from abstracted figures and landscapes to interiors and objects, his paintings are typically rendered in a bright, jewel-toned palette and feature a fractured approach to rendering space. In 1923 in Berlin, Kádár was invited by Herwath Walden to exhibit at the highly influential Galerie Der Sturm...

Category

1930s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Gouache

Guanajuato
Guanajuato

Guanajuato

By Pablo Almela

Located in Guadalajara, Jalisco

Guanajuato Pablo Almela Oil on Canvas 75 x 75 cm 1947, MX Framed He studied at the School of Arts and Crafts in Madrid, there he established a painting and ceramic workshop with his brothers, before leaving for exile in Mexico during the Spanish Civil War. In Mexico he began to paint and at the same time he worked as a ceramist and restorer. He cultivated friendship with Federico García Lorca...

Category

Mid-20th Century Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

LOVELY MUSIC
LOVELY MUSIC

Stephen ShortridgeLOVELY MUSIC

$3,500Sale Price|30% Off

LOVELY MUSIC

By Stephen Shortridge

Located in Aventura, FL

Original oil on canvas painting. Hand signed on front; signed and titled on verso by the artist. Canvas is stretched. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of authenticity ...

Category

20th Century Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Moon Spirit Dancer, " Oil on Canvas
"Moon Spirit Dancer, " Oil on Canvas

"Moon Spirit Dancer, " Oil on Canvas

By Bruno Surdo

Located in Chicago, IL

Chicago-based fine art painter Bruno A. Surdo is classically trained in drawing and oil painting in the tradition of Renaissance masters. With strong command of the human form, Surdo creates dynamic compositions of people and places that communicate a rich commentary on the world around him. Depicting trees from personal encounters, Surdo’s latest body of work entitled “Tree Spirits” takes us on a foray into the forest, where leaves, branches and burls express something deeply personal. Applying his mastery of figurative realism to the natural world, he experiments with form and texture to uncover the intangible spirits of trees. This large-scale painting entitled “Moon Spirit Dancer...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Two Lovers" Expressionist Depiction of Two Figures
"Two Lovers" Expressionist Depiction of Two Figures

"Two Lovers" Expressionist Depiction of Two Figures

Located in Austin, TX

"Two Lovers" - Expressionist Depiction of Two Figures Artist: Pep Suari Medium: Oil paint on canvas Size: 40" x 32.5" A romantic contemporary expressionist painting of two lovers emb...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

La Toilette No. 60.

La Toilette No. 60.

By Rudolf Bauer

Located in New York, NY

Lithograph printed on tan wove newsprint-type paper. Signed in pencil and in the stone. 15 3/4 x 12 3/4". Sheet Size: Image Size 8 1/4 x 6 3/4". Rudolf Bauer (1889-1953) executed hi...

Category

1920s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Lithograph

Beside river bank, Painting, Oil on Canvas

Beside river bank, Painting, Oil on Canvas

By Thong Le

Located in Yardley, PA

Landscape at night river bank :: Painting :: Expressionism :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready t...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Francis Albert Sinatra, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Francis Albert Sinatra, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

Francis Albert Sinatra, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

By Iryna Kastsova

Located in Yardley, PA

Francis Albert Sinatra is an American film actor, filmmaker, producer, showman, and singer. Painted in a modern style with brushes and a palette knife. Pop Art. Expressionism. Sponta...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Blue And Orange Relaxing Nude 2, Painting, Acrylic on Paper
Blue And Orange Relaxing Nude 2, Painting, Acrylic on Paper

Blue And Orange Relaxing Nude 2, Painting, Acrylic on Paper

Located in Yardley, PA

Original contemporary figurative painting on heavy textured paper, unframed. Colourful and textured painting in blue and orange acrylics layered with the palette knife. Part of a se...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

"Melody in G" Kim Simmonds of Savoy Brown large  42x32" acrylic on canvas
"Melody in G" Kim Simmonds of Savoy Brown large  42x32" acrylic on canvas

"Melody in G" Kim Simmonds of Savoy Brown large 42x32" acrylic on canvas

By Kim Simmonds

Located in Southampton, NY

Sad news of the passing of this great artist, guitarist and founding member of Savoy Brown. Kim was a long-time friend who will be missed by fans and all that loved him worldwide. Considered one of the architects of British blues, Kim Simmonds was the founder and lead guitarist of the internationally known Rock and Roll and Blues band SAVOY BROWN. He started the Savoy Brown Blues Band in 1965 and early gigs included performing with Eric Clapton and Cream. On stage in America, Rod Stewart and the Faces and KISS opened for Savoy Brown in the early days. As a soloist and leader of Savoy Brown, Kim Simmonds has released over 47 albums. This painting is as much a part of Music memorabilia...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Seated boy with guitar

Seated boy with guitar

Located in Winterswijk, NL

Maybe he is my father at younger age…? ‒ The „boy with guitar“ is a picture about imminent joy, not lacking a little bit of nostagia.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

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.