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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
Tulips on a turquoise background. Oil on cardboard, 47 x 45, 5 cm
Tulips on a turquoise background. Oil on cardboard, 47 x 45, 5 cm

Tulips on a turquoise background. Oil on cardboard, 47 x 45, 5 cm

Located in Riga, LV

Tulips on a turquoise background. Oil on cardboard, 47x45,5 cm Aleksandr Rodin (1922-2001) Painter Born in a family of farmers. Wife Rasma Lace - art scholar. Studied at the Staling...

Category

1970s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Cardboard

Spring bouquet. Oil on cardboard, 85 x 74, 5 cm
Spring bouquet. Oil on cardboard, 85 x 74, 5 cm

Spring bouquet. Oil on cardboard, 85 x 74, 5 cm

Located in Riga, LV

Spring bouquet. Oil on cardboard, 85x74,5 cm Aleksandr Rodin (1922-2001) Painter Born in a family of farmers. Wife Rasma Lace - art scholar. Studied at the Stalingrad School of Art,...

Category

1970s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Cardboard

Tulips with pear. Oil on cardboard, 50x40 cm
Tulips with pear. Oil on cardboard, 50x40 cm

Tulips with pear. Oil on cardboard, 50x40 cm

Located in Riga, LV

Tulips with pear. Oil on cardboard, 50x40 cm Aleksandr Rodin (1922-2001) Painter Born in a family of farmers. Wife Rasma Lace - art scholar. Studied at the Stalingrad School of Art,...

Category

1970s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Cardboard

A view from Highnam Church by Eleanor Woolley, landscape, affordable, oil paint
A view from Highnam Church by Eleanor Woolley, landscape, affordable, oil paint

A view from Highnam Church by Eleanor Woolley, landscape, affordable, oil paint

By Eleanor Woolley

Located in Deddington, GB

Eleanor Woolley An autumnal view looking towards the Cotswold escarpment from Highnam Church. I painted this landscape late in the day when the colours had turned to rust and mauve. ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Untitled" - Original Textured Portrait Oil Painting - Darker Tones with Red
"Untitled" - Original Textured Portrait Oil Painting - Darker Tones with Red

"Untitled" - Original Textured Portrait Oil Painting - Darker Tones with Red

By Duan Zhaonan

Located in Carmel, CA

Duan Zhaonan (Chinese, born 1955) "Untitled" 2022 Oil paint on canvas, stretcher bars The artist signed the bottom right corner of the painting. This untitled work by Duan Zhaonan is a powerful example of the artist’s psychologically charged portraiture. The face emerges through dense, layered brushwork, built from muted grays, earthen browns, and flashes of raw white that feel scraped and reworked over time. The eyes are heavy and inward, the mouth marked with a deep, rusted red, giving the figure a sense of gravity and lived experience. Rather than aiming for likeness, Duan constructs presence. The portrait feels weathered, contemplative, and unresolved, inviting prolonged looking. About the Artist: Duan Z. was born in Yunnan, China, and is now a renowned figure in Chinese Opera, Specializing as a Painter, Educator, Playwright, and Producer. He serves as Director of the Chinese Dramatic Literature Society and Chairman of the American Chinese Culture Artists Association. Since 1986, Duan has been writing about in more than twenty regular columns under the title “Duan’s Opera Figure...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars

Cancer Dentist

Cancer Dentist

By Rob Lynch

Located in Buffalo, NY

An original oil on MDF by contemporary conceptual painter Rob Lynch. This work was part of a recent pop up exhibition The Dreamer Who Dreams, which was curated to raise money for Th...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Fiberboard

'Positano' original mixed media painting signed c2005
'Positano' original mixed media painting signed c2005

'Positano' original mixed media painting signed c2005

Located in Frome, Somerset

'Positano' , Amalfi Coast of Italy. Signed original mixed media painting by Andy Gradwell circa 2005. mixed media on paper 50cmx 60cm Glazed wooden frame with limewax finish 80cm x...

Category

Early 2000s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media

Come away with me, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Come away with me, Painting, Oil on Canvas

Come away with me, Painting, Oil on Canvas

Located in Yardley, PA

Pure beauty lies in harmony, which expresses individuality. Each flower is beautiful, each is endowed with its own uniqueness. A person is able not only to notice and analyze the bea...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Dancing reflections...Flow, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Dancing reflections...Flow, Painting, Oil on Canvas

Dancing reflections...Flow, Painting, Oil on Canvas

Located in Yardley, PA

A series of works was born in me instantly and I created the best emotions on the canvas. My inspiration was helped by a trip to France and an endless love for the works of Claude Mo...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

Third Eye
Third Eye

Third Eye

Located in Buffalo, NY

An unsigned large scale oil on un-stretched canvas, created in the 1970's. This work is meant to hang pinned to the wall.

Category

1970s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

A Magisterial Acrylic Landscape Painting, "Golden Prairie 2"
A Magisterial Acrylic Landscape Painting, "Golden Prairie 2"

A Magisterial Acrylic Landscape Painting, "Golden Prairie 2"

Located in San Diego, CA

A one of a kind 12x12 Magisterial Acrylic Landscape Painting executed by artist Joe A. Oakes. A certificate of authenticity will be provided upon its purchase or delivery. Born in ...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

"Portrait of a Man" - Textured Expressionist Portrait - Pastel and Earth Tones
"Portrait of a Man" - Textured Expressionist Portrait - Pastel and Earth Tones

"Portrait of a Man" - Textured Expressionist Portrait - Pastel and Earth Tones

By David Leviathan

Located in Carmel, CA

David Leviathan (Israeli, born 1964) "Portrait of a Man" 2006 Oil paint on canvas, stretcher bars The artist signed the back of the painting. “Portrait of a Man” is a powerful examp...

Category

Early 2000s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars

The Annunciation

The Annunciation

By Jackie Felix

Located in Buffalo, NY

An original acrylic on paper by American female artist Jackie Felix from the artist Blue Mary period. This work is currently featured in the exhibition at Benjaman Gallery "Over the...

Category

1990s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Paper

"Old Man" - Original Raw Expressionist Thick Textured Portrait - Earth Tones
"Old Man" - Original Raw Expressionist Thick Textured Portrait - Earth Tones

"Old Man" - Original Raw Expressionist Thick Textured Portrait - Earth Tones

By David Leviathan

Located in Carmel, CA

David Leviathan (Israeli, born 1964) "Old Man" 2006 Oil paint on canvas, stretcher bars The artist signed the bottom right corner of the painting. “Old Man” is a powerful figurative...

Category

Early 2000s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars

Dusk in the Garden - Greenwich Village  - Moody Monochromatic - Whitney  Museum
Dusk in the Garden - Greenwich Village  - Moody Monochromatic - Whitney  Museum

Dusk in the Garden - Greenwich Village - Moody Monochromatic - Whitney Museum

By Philip Evergood

Located in Miami, FL

The setting reminds us of a Rear Window by Alfred Hickcock but Evergood did it 8 years before. It's most likely Greenwich Village since Evergood lived there. This is a very big and heavy to lift painting Signed lower left Framed 56 x 51 in a period very heavy rustic wood frame. Exhibited Center Gallery, Bucknell University, PA, among others venus. gallery label remnants on verso - The Walker Art Center, Minneapolis The Whitney Museum of American Art Annual 1949 - Label Provenance: Naomi and Walter Rosenblum Best Viewed with a top gallery light...

Category

1940s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Redemption run
Redemption run

Redemption run

By Giacomo Modolo

Located in Torino, IT

The stylistic and conceptual choices of Giacomo Modolo's research place the discourse on Form at the forefront, particularly through the depiction of felines, the undisputed protagon...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

The Play We Met

The Play We Met

Located in Torino, IT

Jiri Hauschka (1965, Czech Republic) lives and works in Prague. Jiri Hauschka, born in Sumperk, Czechia in 1965, is an acclaimed painter whose work balances abstraction and magic r...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Hidden Play

Hidden Play

Located in Torino, IT

Jiri Hauschka (1965, Czech Republic) lives and works in Prague. Jiri Hauschka, born in Sumperk, Czechia in 1965, is an acclaimed painter whose work balances abstraction and magic r...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Dance beetwen the balls, 2025, 80x60 cm, acrylic on canvas copy

Dance beetwen the balls, 2025, 80x60 cm, acrylic on canvas copy

Located in Torino, IT

Jiri Hauschka (1965, Czech Republic) lives and works in Prague. Jiri Hauschka, born in Sumperk, Czechia in 1965, is an acclaimed painter whose work balances abstraction and magic r...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

To build a house
To build a house

To build a house

Located in Torino, IT

Work published in catalog. Jiri Hauschka (1965, Czech Republic) lives and works in Prague. Jiri Hauschka, born in Sumperk, Czechia in 1965, is an acclaimed painter whose work balanc...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Thank you for your love

Thank you for your love

Located in Torino, IT

The work is published in the artist's catalog. Jiri Hauschka (1965, Czech Republic) lives and works in Prague. Jiri Hauschka, born in Sumperk, Czechia in 1965, is an acclaimed paint...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Lotus
Lotus

Lotus

By Evelyne Ballestra

Located in Miami, FL

Lotus is a painting made by Evelyne Ballestra, a French contemporary artist. This piece is a part of a flower series, defined by their distinct bright colors, satiny, silky, vibratin...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Polish Expressionist Profile Portrait Drawing TWO CHILDREN
Polish Expressionist Profile Portrait Drawing TWO CHILDREN

Polish Expressionist Profile Portrait Drawing TWO CHILDREN

By Josef Presser

Located in Surfside, FL

Genre: Other Subject: Figures Medium: Other, Gouache Surface: Paper Country: United States sight size 17 X 13 inches Emigrating to Boston in 1913 from Poland with his Russian-Jewis...

Category

Mid-20th Century Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Paper, Pastel, Gouache

Brooklyn 1990
Brooklyn 1990

Brooklyn 1990

By Tom Irizarry Studio

Located in Booklyn, NY

One of the tallest buildings in Brooklyn was The Williamsburg Savings Bank. I was always fond of this beautiful bank adorned in blue and multi colored tiles in it's lavish hallway....

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Pigment

"Into My Studio" oil on canvas by Masri
"Into My Studio" oil on canvas by Masri

"Into My Studio" oil on canvas by Masri

By Masri Hayssam

Located in Carmel, CA

Masri is a passionate Italian, US-based artist whose work has been exhibited in USA, the UK, Germany, Lebanon, Italy and Norway. His work is varied and known especially in Europe, an...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Double Namaste, let us touch and unite, colorful yoga reference
Double Namaste, let us touch and unite, colorful yoga reference

Double Namaste, let us touch and unite, colorful yoga reference

By Janet Morgan

Located in Brooklyn, NY

Watercolor, mixed media, using resists. Janet Morgan’s explosive art captures the exuberance and deep wisdom we humans yearn to experience. Her sense of humor and spiritual depth s...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media, Watercolor, Archival Paper

Milford Sound
Milford Sound

Milford Sound

By Tom Irizarry Studio

Located in Booklyn, NY

In one of the most exotic places on earth, in the mountains of New Zealand, a lake is formed by a glacier - a fjord. The stillness of this place is otherworldly. Indeed, supernatural...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Pigment

Untitled
Untitled

Untitled

Located in Palm Desert, CA

"Untitled" is an oil on panel painting by Duncan Martin. The framed size is 17 x 20 7/8 x 1 inch. Provenance: Private Collection

Category

Late 20th Century Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Chasing Bubbles, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Chasing Bubbles, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

Chasing Bubbles, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

By Jorge Calero

Located in Yardley, PA

Quantum physics had revealed nowadays the existence of dark matter, as Heraclitus guessed long ago and we are still finding out the fundamental particles as the atomist guessed also....

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

le berceau des conquilles, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
le berceau des conquilles, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

le berceau des conquilles, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

By Jorge Calero

Located in Yardley, PA

As the artist, I poured my soul into creating a vivid expression of nature's untamed beauty. The lush acrylic hues capture the spontaneous dance of light through foliage and the thri...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

The Dalmatian Port
The Dalmatian Port

The Dalmatian Port

By Jakob Steinhardt

Located in London, GB

JAKOB STEINHARDT 1887-1968 Zerków, Germany 1887-1968 Nahariya, Israel (German/Israeli) Title: The Dalmatian Port / Dalmatinischer Hafen, 1928 Technique: Original Signed, Dated and...

Category

1920s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil

County Mayo Beach
County Mayo Beach

County Mayo Beach

By Tom Irizarry Studio

Located in Booklyn, NY

This painting is one of the finest examples of Tom's painting style and materials. Color and paint burst across the canvas, imbued with movement of clouds, sun and water. From a distant shore, County Mayo...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Pigment

Expressionist Oil on Canvas Painting, "My Black Shoes"
Expressionist Oil on Canvas Painting, "My Black Shoes"

Expressionist Oil on Canvas Painting, "My Black Shoes"

Located in San Diego, CA

This is a one of a kind original figurative oil painting on canvas by San Diego artist Shahla Dorafshan. Its dimensions are 48"x36". It is unframed. A certificate of authenticity wil...

Category

2010s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Countryside. 1990. Paper, watercolor, 28x30 cm
Countryside. 1990. Paper, watercolor, 28x30 cm

Countryside. 1990. Paper, watercolor, 28x30 cm

Located in Riga, LV

Countryside. 1990. Paper, watercolor, 28x30 cm Dzidra Bauma (1930) Dzidra Bauma works in watercolor technique. She paint figural compositions, portraits...

Category

1990s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

River. 2000, oil on canvas, 70x90 сm

River. 2000, oil on canvas, 70x90 сm

Located in Riga, LV

River. 2000, oil on canvas, 70x90 сm Valdis Bush (1924-2014) studied at the Art academy of Latvia (1945 – 1950), his favorite professors being A. Skride, L. Svemps, yet he did not ...

Category

Early 2000s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Landscape with trees. 1991, canvas, cardboard, oil, 34x49 cm
Landscape with trees. 1991, canvas, cardboard, oil, 34x49 cm

Landscape with trees. 1991, canvas, cardboard, oil, 34x49 cm

Located in Riga, LV

Landscape with trees. 1991, canvas, cardboard, oil, 34x49 cm Valdis Bush (1924-2014) studied at the Art academy of Latvia (1945 – 1950), his favorite professors being A. Skride, L....

Category

1990s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Cardboard, Canvas

Lilies. 2004, oil on cardboard, 49, 5x70 cm

Lilies. 2004, oil on cardboard, 49, 5x70 cm

Located in Riga, LV

Lilies. 2004, oil on cardboard, 49,5x70 cm Valdis Bush (1924-2014) studied at the Art academy of Latvia (1945 – 1950), his favorite professors being A. S...

Category

Early 2000s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil, Cardboard

Suburb. 1963, watercolor on paper, 27x38 cm

Suburb. 1963, watercolor on paper, 27x38 cm

Located in Riga, LV

Suburb. 1963, watercolor on paper, 27x38 cm Dzidra Bauma (1930) Dzidra Bauma works in watercolor technique. She paint figural compositions, portraits, l...

Category

1960s Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

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.