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.
11 Breath of Silence Venice Biennale 2026 Project
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
THE PROJECT: INDEPENDENT PAVILION VENICE 2026 This work is a cornerstone of the "In Minor Keys: The Turquoise Silence" series — a large-scale artistic manifesto created specifically ...
Canvas, Oil
Fantasy with Flowers 54
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
$3,311
Large modern expressionist figurative still life painting "Threefold Grace"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
"Threefold Grace" is a contemporary still life by French artist Natalya Mougenot, whose vibrant floral compositions celebrate color as emotion and gesture as language. In this radia...
Canvas, Linen, Acrylic
$2,100
Raventos SHEET MUSIC Violin original expressionist acrylic paintig
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Partituras original expressionist acrylic paintig. RAVENTÓS Mª Assumpció – (San Sadurní d’Anoia, Barcelona 1930). Raventos trained at the elite Sant Jordi School of Fine Arts in Bar...
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
$2,400Sale Price|20% Off
Look Through My Eyes: Expressionist Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Afolayan Emmanuel's "Look Through My Eyes" is a captivating artwork featuring a woman in a seductive pose. The piece is a celebration of female beaut...
Canvas, Oil
Big Rio, Original Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Oil Painting on Linen
Located in Boston, MA
Big Rio, Original Contemporary Expressionist Landscape Painting 48" x 48" x 1.75" (HxWxD) Oil on Linen This large square-format work by artist Carol Tippit Woolworth features a stunning color palette of rich greens and reds combined with muted blues, purples, and orange tones. There is a balance, both with the color, but also with the composition as the Rio Grande wraps around the curves in the Southwestern landscape, opening up towards the viewer and simultaneously guiding your eye around to the landscape in the distance. This Mexican desert appears calm and a bit desolate, but also bursting with life and energy through the colors used and the loose, energetic mark making that is characteristic of expressionist landscape works. Artist Commentary: The Rio Grande About the Artist: Art has always been a central part of Carol's life. Constantly drawing as a child, the passion to create something two dimensional has continued to this day, through oil and gouache. Carol currently lives in Santa Fe, NM and exhibits at Smilow Mathiesen Gallery on Canyon Road. She graduated with a BA in Art through the University of California at Santa Barbara, with an emphasis in Painting, but has continued to study at various art institutions (Parsons NYC; Silvermine Artists Guild, CT; Rohaton Art Center, CT; Delaware College of Art & Design (DCAD), DE) throughout her career. She now teaches painting at DCAD (Continuing Education), has several private art students, and leads painting workshops in France twice a year. She also works as a self-employed graphic designer. Carol has always been interested in France, the French landscape and French culture. She loves the fields and hilltop towns,and the strong clean lines and shapes they create. The past couple of years this influence has dominated her work. Her landscapes are a constant search for color, contrast, and shapes. Recently Carol has discovered the natural beauty of Lancaster County PA and Northern New Mexico, and is applying her French vocabulary to these new areas. Another influence early on was of an artist whom she babysat for, and who lived across the street, in Santa Barbara: Priscella Bender Shore. She eventually became her favorite art teacher and mentor at the Santa Barbara Community College. Priscella's work was of women in a swimming pools, reflecting and refracting light. They were both figurative and abstract. This images haunted Carol's memories until she could recently recreate the swimming pool paintings...
Linen, Oil
$360Sale Price|20% Off
One More Shot 4 - 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
$1,212Sale 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
$495Sale Price|20% Off
Mid-20th Century French Expressionist Landscape River and Colorful Mountains
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Expressionist Landscape signed gouache painting on artist paper painting: 9.75 x 12.75 inches provenance: private collection, England condition: very good and sound condition Descr...
Gouache
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Woven Identities 6 - 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
3 Whisper of the Adriatic Venice Biennale 2026 Project
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
THE PROJECT: INDEPENDENT PAVILION VENICE 2026 This work is a cornerstone of the "In Minor Keys: The Turquoise Silence" series — a large-scale artistic manifesto created specifically ...
Canvas, Linen, Oil
Tulips Grey
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 dynam...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Archival Paper
"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
$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
$1,260Sale Price|30% Off
Abstract Expressionist Embrace Earth Figurative
Located in Soquel, CA
Compelling abstract expressionist painting "Embrace" figurative by San Jose, California area artist Daniel David Fuentes (American, 20th Century). From a collection of his works. Un...
Canvas, Oil
Flowers n°2 Still Life Painting, Oil on Wood, Expressionist, 1941
Located in Genève, GE
Signed and dated "Fleurs Genève 1941 n°2", inscription on the verso. Dimensions with frame: 59 x 46 x 5 cm This expressive still life depicts a bouquet of flowers arranged in an orn...
Oil, Wood Panel
"Red poppies and daisies in a vase" ( modern expressive floral painting)
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This modern colorful floral artwork "Red poppies and daisies in a vase " is full of vivid colors ( red, yellow, green, blue, purple) which are my tools of expression. I explore th...
Paper, Acrylic
$3,548
Monster's club. Symbolic childhood painting, brothers, boys room decor, twins
Located in Oslo, NO
"Monster's club" is an oil painting where two children stand among imagined monsters, reflecting the fears of childhood — created by the mind yet deeply felt. The painting speaks abo...
Canvas, Oil
$212
"Burst of spring colors " (Contemporary semi-abstract expressive floral art)
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This artwork belongs to my “Floral” series which is full of expressive brush strokes where I could experience a floral theme. It is a bold and eclectic mix of art which radiates str...
Paper, Acrylic
Genesis II
Located in West Hollywood, CA
We are proud to premier for the first time in more than twenty years, the paintings of Austrian/American artist Gustav Rehberger (1910–1995). ...
Mixed Media
"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
Stolphärbre in Moonlight
Located in North Clarendon, VT
Beautiful colorist Alf Sundstrom oil on canvas painting of moonlight over a Stolphärbre in Sweden 1923. Wilhelm Alfons (Alf) Maria Sundström was born April 16, 1888 in Nansta, Gävle...
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
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Blue Testament 10 -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
Woman with a Chef's Hat, Expressionist Oil Painting, Framed, 1910s
By René Guinand
Located in Genève, GE
A compelling and psychologically charged portrait by Swiss painter René Guinand, signed and dated 1918. Executed in oil on canvas, this striking work depi...
Oil, Canvas
Mid Century Modern Mini Expressive Landscape Oil Painting - Woodland Colour
Located in Bristol, GB
WOODLAND COLOUR Size: 38 x 33 cm (including frame) Oil on board A small but very impactful mid century modernist landscape composition, painted in oil onto board. In this painting ...
Oil, Board
$2,680Sale Price|20% Off
Bohemian - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Surrealism, Africa, Women
By Elisha Nyong
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
"The Bohemian" is part of a new collection titled "Ode to Guardians and the Impuissant". It is a visual discourse on the frail but resilient nature of black women whom I call black h...
Linen, Oil
$1,800
"Love Poem" (2024) by Leigh Ann Van Fossan, Original Acrylic Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Leigh Ann Van Fossan's "Love Poem" is an original acrylic depicting an impressionistic aspen landscape in soft pastel colors. Van Fossan was born in Vail, Colorado, and began oil p...
Canvas, 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
$1,600Sale Price|20% Off
Resilience - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Women, 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 (Issued by the Gal...
Canvas, Acrylic
Still life with peonies
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
In creating this piece, I sought to capture the effervescence of nature's transient beauty. I used oil to express the delicate vibrancy of peonies, with my brushstrokes blending impr...
Canvas, Oil
Fantasy with Flowers 53
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
Azalea and Dogwood, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
In a vibrant yard, pink flowering trees and yellow bushes flourish, partially concealing a two-story house with their lush foliage. The bright morning sunlight ...
Acrylic
Strawberries
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this oil painting, I attempted to capture the vivid textures and luminous vibrancy of strawberries. Using a blend of expressionism and impressionism, I focused on the interplay of...
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Blue Testament 9 -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
$1,703
The call of the ancestors. Family painting, mother and daughter, green artwork
Located in Oslo, NO
“The Call of the Ancestors” is part of Alter Ego series, inspired by Carl Jung’s psychology. The oil painting shows a young woman and her mother in a rural landscape. The scene is q...
Canvas, Oil
$3,711
Framed En Grisaille Self Portrait Three-Quarter Nude In Heroic Pose Circa 1925
Located in Sutton Poyntz, Dorset
Alexandre-Louis Martin. Belgian ( b.1887 - d.1954 ). Self-Portrait Of The Artist. Oil On Canvas. Signed On The Reverse Of The Canvas. Image size 22.4 inches x 16.9 inches ( 57cm x 43...
Canvas, Oil
Kinetic Motion: 18x24cm Impasto Oil on Canvas Panel (2024)
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Kinetic Motion" is a vibrant 2024 original oil study from the prestigious series Gravity of Light: Marine Chronicles. Created as an intimate 18x24 cm work on professional canvas pan...
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard
Guitarist
Located in Barcelona, CT
the painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Oil
$520Sale Price|20% Off
Blue Sky - 21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract Expressionism, 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
$1,101Sale 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
$1,000Sale Price|20% Off
Bulb Vase - 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
$414
Contemporary Expressionist portrait woman acrylic on canvas "Silent Power"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
"Silent Power" is a contemporary expressionist portrait by French artist Natalya Mougenot, infused with elements of Fauvism, Expressionism, Cubism, and Modern Naïve Art. It forms par...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,120Sale Price|60% Off
Dancer in Red - Large Colorful Expressive Figurative Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Bettina Mauel expresses vitality and sensuality in her abstract and figurative paintings. “I paint what I experience,” she articulates. “This includes landscapes, dancers, and peop...
Canvas, Oil
Anima and Animus. Carl Jung, psychology, man and a woman, couple, bird
Located in Oslo, NO
"Anima and Animus" is an oil painting from Alter Ego series, inspired by Carl Jung’s analytical psychology. The series explores the inner world of the self — the tension between diff...
Canvas, Oil
Contemporary abstract expressionist vivid acrylic portrait on paper "True self"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This contemporary expressionist, figurative abstract portrait was created by French artist Natalya Mougenot as part of her ongoing series devoted to the human face—not just as a like...
Paper, Acrylic
Barcelona Original Gouache Painting on Cardboard, Expressionist, 1980s
By Agustin Rio
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
A. Rio Barcelona .Original gouache paper painting . AGUSTIN RIO ( Barceona 1923 – Barcelona 1997) Formed in Llotja i al Cercle Artístic de Sant Lluc He appeared individually in 195...
Gouache, Cardboard
In the Dales, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Robert Hofherr captures a group of old barns in an expressive style. Executed quickly and energetically, the piece emphasizes instinct over overthinking....
Acrylic
$7,300
Kinetic Azure: Deep Turquoise Abstract Expressionism – Large Palette Knife Oil
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this monumental 80x120 cm work from her 2024 pivotal collection, Elena Lukina redefines the boundaries of contemporary marine abstraction. 'Kynetic Azure' is not merely a depictio...
Canvas, Oil
Contemplation
Located in West Hollywood, CA
We are proud to present for the first time in more than twenty years, the paintings of Austrian/American artist Gustav Rehberger (1910–1995). G...
Mixed Media
$2,040Sale Price|20% Off
Resilience -21st Century Contemporary Figurative Portrait, Woman against Nature
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 Ogu...
Canvas, 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
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
5 Waiting for the Tide Venice Biennale 2026 Project
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
THE PROJECT: INDEPENDENT PAVILION VENICE 2026 This work is a cornerstone of the "In Minor Keys: The Turquoise Silence" series — a large-scale artistic manifesto created specifically ...
Canvas, Oil, Linen
$2,080Sale Price|20% Off
Love and Bond 3 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Whites, Black
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
A better society is not built solely by wealth or power, but by shared values. By the courage to love without condition, the strength to treat all as equals, and the wisdom to honor ...
Canvas, Oil
New Realism Watercolor Portrait of a Young Girl by Ben Silbert (1893-1940)
Located in San Francisco, CA
This is not a joyful young girl free of worry. Instead, based on her expression in 1922 when this portrait was done. by American artist Ben Silbert (1893-1940), the sitter’s childhoo...
Watercolor
9 Frequency 432 Oil Painting on Canvas, Expressionist, Unframed, 2010+
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
THE PROJECT: INDEPENDENT PAVILION VENICE 2026 This work is a cornerstone of the "In Minor Keys: The Turquoise Silence" series — a large-scale artistic manifesto created specifically...
Canvas, Oil
$1,800Sale Price|20% Off
Africa Motherhood - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Modern
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, Acrylic
10 Through the Mist of Time Venice Biennale 2026 Project
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
THE PROJECT: INDEPENDENT PAVILION VENICE 2026 This work is a cornerstone of the "In Minor Keys: The Turquoise Silence" series — a large-scale artistic manifesto created specifically ...
Canvas, Oil
$2,400Sale Price|20% Off
Queen Eniola Oil Painting on Canvas, Expressionist, Unframed Art
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
"Queen Eniola" is a stunning portrait of an African queen created by the Nigerian artist, Theophilus Madaki. The painting depicts Queen Eniola, a pow...
Canvas, Oil