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.
1970s Expressionist Paintings
Masonite, Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Paper, Oil Crayon, Oil
1980s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Early 2000s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1990s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Oil, Board
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
"I confess that I almost always choose red when painting flowers," says artist Sharon Sieben. She presents vibrant blossoms within an earth-tone vase, creatin...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
1960s Expressionist Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1980s Expressionist Paintings
Masonite, Acrylic
Early 2000s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1980s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1990s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars
1960s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1970s Expressionist Paintings
Oil, Cardboard
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
1960s Expressionist Paintings
Mixed Media, Paint
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
1960s Expressionist Paintings
Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Wood, Oil
1970s Expressionist Paintings
Oil
1990s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Oil
Early 20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist George Peebles shares autumn in full circle in an expressionist landscape. The green leaves turn a fiery red as the season changes. Breathtaking combin...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Oil
Early 2000s Expressionist Paintings
Mixed Media, Paper
20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Oil, Board
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Mixed Media, Archival Ink, Acrylic, Watercolor, Rag Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic, Wood Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Mylar, Oil
20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Diana Elena Chelaru presents an expressionist portrait of a lady with her two cats. She communicates her love for them through gentle caresses as they sleep. Flowers and organic shapes decorate her beautiful rich plum dress...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Board
1980s Expressionist Paintings
Mixed Media, Cardboard
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Mixed Media, Watercolor, Archival Paper
2010s Expressionist Paintings
Acrylic
1990s Expressionist Paintings
Oil, Cardboard, Canvas
1970s Expressionist Paintings
Oil, Canvas
Early 2000s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard
Early 2000s Expressionist Paintings
Canvas, Oil