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.
Expression with sunflowers 50X50
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
In creating this vibrant piece, I embraced the vivid, passionate essence of sunflowers. My brushstrokes carry the emotion of raw energy juxtaposed with the gentle dance of light, hop...
Canvas, Oil
"Roadster" (2005) Expressionist Still-Life, Oil Painting on Panel
Located in Denver, CO
"Subject matter to me is a vehicle for me to explore how I observe life. My urban influences are an assembly of varied fabrics stitched together to form a tapestry. It is not to re...
Oil, Panel
$360Sale Price|20% Off
One More Shot 3 - 21st Century Contemporary Figurative, Sport, Football, Green
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
$960Sale Price|20% Off
In My Mind - 21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract, Mixed Media, Colour Field
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 (Issued by the Gal...
Canvas, Charcoal, Ink, 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
"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
$1,800
"Mexican Outdoor Scene with Figures" Expressionistic Style Oil Painting on Board
Located in New York, NY
A strong modernist oil painting depicted in the Mid Century by Russian painter Michael Baxte. Mostly known for his abstracted figures on canvas or street scenes, this piece is a wond...
Oil, Masonite
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Self Portrait -21st Century, Contemporary, Portrait, Africa, 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
Friends. Family, friendship, strange creations, yellow, beige, whimsy, whimsical
Located in Oslo, NO
"This painting that I called "Friends" is from my favorite series "We and Our Mountains", "Friends" is a painting that appeals to my love for strange and mystic solutions, there’s so...
Canvas, Oil
$3,200Sale Price|20% Off
Don't Rush Life 3 - 21st Century Contemporary Figurative, Portrait, Africa, Men
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Where am from Bandana was once a common style, we called it Big Boy Style, then it's seem to me like a style or fashion only, because our elder brothers only allowed to used it but n...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Lily pond
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
In crafting this tranquil scene, I've poured my soul into the serene play of light and reflections, seeking to capture the pond’s subtle dance of water and lily pads. My use of oils ...
Canvas, Oil
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Woven Identities 5 - 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
'Roses' by Betsy Podlach - Red and Pink Flowers - Still-Life Oil Painting
Located in Carmel, CA
Betsy Podlach (American, born 1964) "Roses" 2021 Oil Paint, Canvas, Stretcher Bars The artist signed the back of the painting. Betsy Podlach's 'Roses' is a vibrant expressionist sti...
Oil, Canvas, Stretcher Bars
Far in Mind, female nude colorful reclining direct gaze
By Tom Bennett
Located in Brooklyn, NY
An expressionist, colorful and direct oil painting of a nude female figure, strecthing back against an an abstract background. Aesthetically sensuous with active brushstrokes applie...
Oil, Board
$520Sale Price|20% Off
Siblings 1 -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Abstraction, Modern, Interior
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 (Issued by the Gal...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,214Sale Price|20% Off
Family on a Bench at the Port, Expressionist Oil on Board, 1970s
Located in London, GB
'Family Seated on a Bench at the Port', oil on board, by François Diana (circa 1970s). A painting with a very wholesome, homespun theme harks back to a more innocent time. A family i...
Oil, Board
$1,440Sale Price|20% Off
Echoes of the Mind 2 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Floral
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 Bey...
Canvas, Oil
$6,000Sale Price|20% Off
1940s Signed German Impressionist Oil of Rio de Janeiro in Style of Max Slevogt
Located in Soquel, CA
German Impressionist Painting of Rio de Janeiro's Guanabara Bay and Sugarloaf Mountain in style of Max Slevogt This vivid landscape painting offers a panoramic view of Rio de Janeir...
Oil, Board
$1,103Sale Price|20% Off
Large Mid Century French Expressionist Signed Oil Horse Racing Scene
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Horse Race French expressionist artist, mid 20th century signed oil on artist paper, unframed artist paper: 20 x 25.5 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: ov...
Oil
$5,800Sale Price|20% Off
Large Mid-Century Modern Abstract Urban Painting by Henriette Stolz, Cityscape
Located in Denver, CO
This dramatic mid-century abstract cityscape by American modernist Henriette “Yetti” Stolz (20th century) showcases her bold interpretation of urban energy and architectural form. Pa...
Oil, Putty, Panel
Marsh Near the South River, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
This simple study of a southern Massachusetts marsh transforms the landscape through bold color and the removal of unnecessary detail. Expressive brushwork give...
Acrylic
$1,704
Where are we? Who are we? Psychology, lost, emotional, young woman, questions
Located in Oslo, NO
The philosophical painting “Where are we, who are we?” shows a young woman with two mysterious, bird-like figures in soft pastel tones. The scene carries quiet uncertainty, inviting ...
Canvas, Oil
$1,580
No Ordinary Winter's Tale: Resilience, the War 1943, German Expressionist oil
Located in Norwich, GB
This is no ordinary winter scene. It is the story of prosecution and survival; of resolve and resilience during World War 2, as it was experienced by German Expressionist Heinz Lohma...
Oil, Board
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
We are the same. Warm colors, friendship, man with a bird, together, closed eyes
Located in Oslo, NO
The painting "We Are the Same" shows a man with closed eyes alongside a bird, both captured in quiet stillness. The scene unfolds in soft, subtle tones, where presence and reflection...
Canvas, Oil
$206
St Ives Shadows, Cornwall, Original painting, Oil on canvas, Coastal art, Beach
Located in Deddington, GB
St Ives Shadows is an Original Painting by Eleanor Woolley. Painted in the Artist's Gloucestershire Studio, St Ives Shadows is inspired by a trip to Cornwall last Summer. Photographs...
Oil, Canvas
Monet's Water Lily Pond
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this painting, I've sought to capture the essence of tranquility and the ephemeral nature of light dancing on water. Through bold, impressionistic strokes and a soothing palette o...
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Quiet Strength 1 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Portrait, Oil, Modern, Fashion
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 (Issued by the Gal...
Canvas, Oil
$4,200
"Days Like This" - Acrylic Abstract Painting With Layered Color Fields
Located in Denver, CO
"Days Like This" (2023) is an original, handmade painting by Leigh Ann Van Fossan. Created with acrylic on canvas, the artwork measures 40 x 30 x 2 inches (101.60 x 76.20 x 5.08 cm)....
Acrylic, Canvas
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Trying to Leave Myself 2 - 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, Mixed Media
Bouquet of white peonies
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this oil painting, I've captured the soft, ethereal beauty of white peonies, illuminated by a tender joy. I aimed to blend impressionistic spontaneity with delicate realism, each ...
Canvas, Oil
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Blue Testament 2 -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Modern 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 Dan...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Solitude - 21st Century, Contemporary, Portrait, Expressionism, 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 Emma...
Canvas, Acrylic
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Woven Identities 10 - 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
$641Sale Price|40% Off
Market Day in Piazza Grande, Expressionist Oil on Board, 1940s, Framed
Located in London, GB
'Market Day in Piazza Grande, Locarno, Switzerland', oil on board, by unknown artist (1947-48). Locarno is an utterly charming Italian-speaking resort located on the northern shore o...
Oil, Board
Sakura in the city park – Impressionist Landscape Oil Painting Wall Art
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
This vibrant oil painting is an evocative landscape painting titled Sakura in the city park created by the internationally registered artist Elena Lukina in 2022.As a comforting land...
Canvas, Oil
Young Girl in Green
By Béla Czóbel
Located in Chicago, IL
In a letter written to Czóbel after he had become quite ill in 1975, famous Portuguese painter Vieira da Silva writes: “My very dear Czóbel, We em...
Canvas, Oil
$12,074Sale Price|30% Off
Piazza di Spagna, Roma Oil on Canvas, Expressionist, Framed, 1930s
By Yves Brayer
Located in London, GB
'Piazza di Spagna, Roma' oil on canvas, by Yves Brayer (1933). At the bottom of the Spanish Steps, is one of the most famous squares in Rome. It owes ...
Canvas, Oil
$1,000Sale Price|20% Off
Mason-Jar - 21st Century, Contemporary, Still Life, Abstract, Plants, Flower
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube. This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Josue M Pierre ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$7,450
Perfect Duet -21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Floral Mixed Media
By Gobe Joseph
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 Gob...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Come A Long Way 1 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Portrait, Oil, Modern, Fashion
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 (Issued by the Gal...
Canvas, Oil
$275Sale Price|20% Off
20th Paris School Collage Cutout Artwork Wonderful Interior Design options!
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
"Collage" by Bernard Herzog (French, b.1935) signed and stamped verso with catalogue number photo collage cut outs on paper, unframed overall paper: 25.5 x 20 inches Highly unique ...
Photographic Film, Magazine Paper
$1,324Sale Price|40% Off
La Montera, Expressionist Gouache and Watercolor on Paper, Circa 1960s
Located in London, GB
'La Montera', gouache, watercolour and ink on art paper, by Pierre Ambrogiani (circa 1960s). The artist created many artworks with bullfighting as theme. In this case, a single torer...
Paper, Watercolor, Gouache
$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
$4,277Sale Price|50% Off
"Expressionist Oil Painting 'Landscape', Canvas, Belgian, Circa 1928"
Located in London, GB
'Landscape', oil on canvas, by Charles Kvapil (1928). The artist, Kvapil, has scores of tremendous artworks which depict scenes in nature such as this one. Here, a bit of Mediterrane...
Canvas, Oil
$1,065
Peonies in the evening garden" oil on canvas.Landscape of Liliуа Volskayaya
Located in Zofingen, AG
SHIPPED IN ROLL "Peonies in the evening garden" oil on canvas.Landscape of Lilia Volskaya. To paint this landscape, I used several techniques of oil painting on canvas. 1. The main p...
Canvas, Oil
"Mexican Landscape Water Scene with Figures and Boat" Expressionistic Style
Located in New York, NY
A strong modernist oil painting depicted in the Mid Century by Russian painter Michael Baxte. Mostly known for his abstracted figures on canvas or street scenes, this piece is a wond...
Oil, Masonite
Blooming balcony – Impressionist Landscape Garden Oil Painting Wall Art
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
This vibrant oil painting is an evocative landscape painting titled Blooming balcony created by the internationally registered artist Elena Lukina in 2020.As a comforting landscape p...
Canvas, Oil
Untitled - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Women, African
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 Dan...
Canvas, Oil, Charcoal
$3,200Sale Price|20% Off
Yellow Ambitions -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Surrealism Women
By Elisha Nyong
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
“Thus wrote I, since my One Love was torn from me. I cannot work: I cannot think: I seek distraction here: I seek distraction there: but this is all my truth, that I Who love have lo...
Linen, Oil
$7,138Sale Price|20% Off
Venice Grand Canal Landscape Bouvard Aldine 19/20th Century Paint Oil on canvas
Located in Riva del Garda, IT
Antoine Bouvard, called Marc Aldine (L'Isere 1875 - Paris 1957) Signed 'Bouvard' lower right View of Venice with the Grand Canal (link) oil on canvas 60 x 86 cm Framed 70 x 96 cm. Very good condition We present an evocative view of Venice with a glimpse of the fascinating Grand Canal, signed by the famous French Vedutist Antoine Bouvard, also known by his pseudonym, Marc Aldine. Considered one of the most talented illustrators of the lagoon city who worked there in the first part of the 20th century, he became one of the most acclaimed vedutists of that period, with a success that led him to exhibit throughout France and Italy as well as in numerous European galleries...
Oil
$1,259
Natalie Bird, Summer Bloom, Original Still Life Floral Painting, Affordable Art
By Natalie Bird
Located in Deddington, GB
Summer Bloom [2021] Original Flowers Mixed media on board Image size: H:45 cm x W:3 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:45 cm x W:30 cm x D:30cm Framed Size: H:45 cm x W:45 cm x D:3cm Sold Framed Please note that insitu images are purely an indication of how a piece may look Summer Bloom is an original painting by Natalie Bird...
Mixed Media, Board
Mint Freshness. Flower and Butterfly"
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Mint Freshness. Flower and Butterfly" by Volskaya Lilia. 350 g thick cardboard. Pastart design. The back of the painting is reinforced with 3-layer cardboard. The painting has a han...
Oil, Mixed Media, Cardboard
Seed of Joy - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Women, African
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 Dan...
Canvas, Oil
Oil painting on canvas " Rough sea with coastline on the horizon " by Schubring
By Richard Schubring
Located in Gavere, BE
Schubring, Richard (1853-1902) Rough sea with coastline on the horizon Oil on canvas. Signed and dated lower right. “1895” Richard SCHUBRING is an artist born in 1853 and deceased...
Gold Leaf
$2,100
Raventos Buildings City Blue Painting, Expressionist, Acrylic, Framed
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Especulacion del suelo. original painting. virtual framed Raventos trained at the elite Sant Jordi School of Fine Arts in Barcelona. Raventós expanded her studies in etching and lith...
Acrylic
$1,324Sale Price|40% Off
Church of Saint-Nicolas du Chardonnet, Gouache on Paper, 1930s, Framed
By Lucien Génin
Located in London, GB
'The Church of Saint-Nicolas du Chardonnet, Paris', gouache on art paper by Lucien Génin (circa 1930s). In Paris' 5th Arrondissement the site in which Saint-Nicolas du Chardonnet is ...
Paper, Gouache
"THE LONG WALK HOME" DEBRA BENDITZ TEXAS ARTIST COWBOY/VAQUERO
Located in San Antonio, TX
Debra Benditz (Born 1957) Texas Artist Image Size: 15 x 12 Frame Size: 24 x 20.5 Medium: Oil on Canvas, Signed "The Long Walk Home" We will only ship in the Continental United State ...
Oil
Fantasy with Flowers 20
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Fantasy with Flowers" (series of 200+ pictures) paper 58x41cm 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
"Arc de Fleurs" (2023) by Leigh Ann Van Fossan, Original Acrylic &Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Leigh Ann Van Fossan's "Arc de Fleurs" (2023) is an original, handmade oil and acrylic abstract painting with bright colors. This piece is a diptych comprised of two 18 x 18" canvass...
Oil, Acrylic, Canvas