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.
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
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
$2,245Sale Price|50% Off
“Sabine”, Expressionist Portrait of a Young Woman, Oil on Canvas, framed, N°187
Located in Genève, GE
A captivating portrait of a young woman titled “Sabine”, painted by Swiss artist Jean Ducommun. Although unsigned on the front, the work bears the artist...
Oil, Canvas
$1,063
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
$827Sale Price|33% Off
French Accordion Player Portrait Oil Painting Figurative European Interior Scene
By Albert Roca
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
French Accordion Player Portrait Oil Painting Figurative European Interior Scene Artist: Albert Roca (Spanish, born 1945) Title: Accordionist with Pipe Me...
Oil, Board
Tranquil Day, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Vibrant autumn trees paint a distant forest in shades of red, orange, and yellow. Soft layers of beige and blue land stretches across the foreground. A pale sky...
Oil
Full Calm
Located in Zofingen, AG
In crafting this piece, I explored the tranquil interplay of light and texture over the serene expanse of water, reflecting a quiet sunset. The gentle blending of acrylic and oil in ...
Oil, Acrylic, Cardboard
Market scene
Located in Genève, GE
Work on panel Dimension with frame : 39 x 48.3 x 3.5 cm This work depicts a vibrant scene of a bustling market, captured with a dark, earthy palette that evokes a nostalgic atmospher...
Oil
$2,552Sale Price|20% Off
Small city center. 2013. Cardboard, oil, 97x123 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Street view. 2013. Cardboard, oil, 97x123 cm
Oil, Cardboard
$1,692Sale Price|20% Off
Oil on canvas French Expressionist Alsatian Village by E. Ritter France
Located in Valladolid, ES
Amazing and extraordinary oil on canvas painting is signed by Etienne Ritter in the lower right corner. It depicts a European village from the French region of Alsace, following the...
Canvas
Coll Bardolet Bolero Mallorquin original expressionist watercolor painting
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Bolero Mallorquin original expressionist watercolor painting. virtual frame Spanish painter maximum representative of the art of Mallorca at the end of the 20th century. Costumbrista...
Watercolor
$1,228Sale Price|20% Off
Tennis. Figurative Oil Painting, Olympic Games, Sport, Realistic, Polish artist
Located in Warsaw, PL
The painting shows two tennis players which is one of the official sports of the Olympic Games. The tennis match has a spectacular character and dynamics well captured in the paintin...
Canvas, Oil
$8,050
Evening Mood, Original Painting on Canvas, Hand Signed, 36 x 48 in. Stretched
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. Stretched. Certificate of au...
Canvas, Oil
$1,214Sale Price|20% Off
Vue sur la Ville au Toit Rouge / View Over the City of Red Roofs
Located in London, GB
Vue sur la Ville au Toit Rouge (View Over the City of Red Roofs), oil on canvas, by Guy Le Péqueux (circa late 1960s). The artist channels his expressionist sensibility into a vivid,...
Canvas, Oil
$2,120Sale Price|20% Off
In Between -21st Century, Contemporary, Portrait Painting, Oil, Women Art
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure FREE Shipping Worldwide 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 Authent...
Canvas, Oil
Swan Original impasto Miniature oil painting for living room
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Swan" captures the delicate strength and fleeting beauty of a ballerina's dance. I poured my passion for movement and grace into every brushstroke, using oil on canvas to highlight ...
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard
Black Ink on white paper, Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Painting
By TUSET
Located in Carballo, ES
Black And White Minimal Painting is an original artwork realized by TUSET in 2020. We can frame it in natural wood on request. The title of this works is "From the Apollonian picto...
Ink, Handmade Paper
$2,240Sale Price|20% Off
Between Sky and Soul -21st Century Contemporary, Figurative, Nature Modern Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
This painting explores the harmony between nature’s vastness and the quiet strength of the human spirit. The subject’s calm presence stands against the backdrop of sky and water, sug...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
View From Artist's Porch; Including his Two Sons, New Milford, Connecticut
By Johann Berthelsen, 1883-1972
Located in Dallas, TX
Johann Berthelsen (Danish/ American 1883 - 1972) View From Artist's Porch; Including his Two Sons, New Milford, Connecticut', Circa 1947/48. Oil on canvas. Signed lower right. P...
Oil
Coral Tulips Triptych
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this triptych, I poured my soul into each brushstroke, capturing the delicate, vibrant energy of coral tulips amid a dark backdrop. The contrast breathes life and passion into eve...
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard
$750
Violin Original Expressionist Acrylic Painting, Framed, 2010-Present
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
RAVENTÓS Mª Assumpció – (San Sadurní d’Anoia, Barcelona 1930).. iolin original expressionist acrylic painting Raventos trained at the elite Sant Jordi School of Fine Arts in Barcelo...
Acrylic, Cardboard
$1,640Sale Price|20% Off
African Boy IV Painting, Expressionist Acrylic on Canvas, 21st Century
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
African Boy is a series of paintings by talented artist Faith Gbadero. This series of Artworks capture the response and attitudes of African young adults...
Canvas, Acrylic, 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
$1,380
Marina Diptych, Abstract Seascape Gestures in Blue, Acrylic Painting on Paper
Located in Barcelona, ES
This series by Enric Servera explores the relationship of humans to salt and seawater. The intention of these works is to submerge us into the sea, a salty treasure that surrounds us...
Paper, Acrylic
"Shadow Lace" (2017) Expressionist Winter Still-Life, Watercolor Painting
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
$2,240Sale Price|20% Off
Lady In White 1 - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Women, Modern
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
She holds on to her integrity and purity. Lady in white captures a desire to be hidden, but her presence is revealed through her unquenched innermost beauty. Lady in white captures h...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,720Sale Price|20% Off
Self Love 4 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Portrait, Mixed Media, African Woman
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure FREE Shipping Worldwide Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Signed on the front side and accompanie...
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Marian Begg, Expressionist Oil on Masonite Portrait Painting by Joseph Solman
Located in Long Island City, NY
In the mid-1960s Joseph Solman (American, 1909 - 2008) was commissioned to create portraits of the Begg family. This is a portrait of Marian Begg, the mother in the mid-century nuclear family...
Oil, Masonite
$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
$2,200
"Mexican Countryside Landscape Mountain Scene with Trees" Expressionistic Style
Located in New York, NY
A strong modernist oil painting depicted in 1962 by Russian painter Michael Baxte. Mostly known for his abstracted figures on canvas or street scenes, this piece is a wonderful repre...
Oil, Masonite
$1,656Sale Price|20% Off
French Expressionist Provence Luberon Poppy Field Oil Painting Ambrogiani Style
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title French Expressionist Provence Luberon Poppy Field Oil Painting Ambrogiani Style Key Details Artist: French School, mid 20th century Subject: Provençal landscape, believed to de...
Oil
Air Tulips: Mixed, paper, acrylic, oil pastel, 57x81cm
Located in Zofingen, AG
‘Air Tulips’ is an immersive journey into the very heart of a bloom. In this large-format mixed media work (57x81 cm), the tulips are not just flowers—they are a vibrant, breathing f...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Archival Paper
$2,200Sale Price|20% Off
Somebody Call Me - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, 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 Oso...
Canvas, Acrylic, Polymer
Tulips Red 4
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Tulips Red 4" is a vibrant floral painting where passion meets bold expression. Red takes center stage, brought to life through expressive strokes of oil stick on paper. The artist'...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Archival Paper
$1,600Sale Price|20% Off
My Mind: Expressionist Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Unframed
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...
Acrylic, Canvas
$2,360Sale Price|20% Off
True Friend 1 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Women Love Men
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, Acrylic
Venetian Gondolas 2
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this piece, I poured my love for Venice into every brushstroke, blending expressionism and realism. The oil medium brings the shimmering water to life, while the gondolas gently f...
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard
Hydro-Genesis: Luminous Flux – Museum Scale Masterpiece (145x100)
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this monumental 145x100 cm canvas, the proprietary "Ordered Chaos" method is pushed to its technical and emotional limits. Part of a profound, decade-long study titled Hydro-Genes...
Canvas, Oil
$1,520Sale Price|20% Off
Landscape 139 by Jean Krille - Oil on Canvas board 50x60 cm
By Jean Krille
Located in Geneva, CH
Jean Krillé’s paintings are known for their expressive use of color and dynamic, abstract forms, blending realism with abstraction in his depictions of nature. His landscapes often f...
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard
The Severn Vale, Original, Landscape, Expressionist
Located in Deddington, GB
The Severn Vale is an Original Painting by Eleanor Woolley This miniature painting shows the vast Severn vale looking out from Edge near Stroud. The little patchwork fields of pink a...
Oil, Board
$1,440Sale Price|20% Off
Unbroken Poise -21st Century Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Modern, Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
There’s a poise that comes not from perfection but from resilience and the quiet strength we all carry from within. This artwork speaks to the moments when life tests us, yet we choo...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Wheat and Poppies, Botanic Drawing, Expressionist Gestures, Watercolor Paper
Located in Barcelona, ES
This expressionist botanical drawing on paper captures the raw vitality of country wildflowers through fresh, vigorous gestures. Milano's drawings abandon precise realism in favor of...
Paper, Wax Crayon, Acrylic
$1,380
Sea of Blues Diptych, Abstract Blue & White Fish Patterns, Mediterranean Style
Located in Barcelona, ES
This series by Enric Servera explores the relationship of humans to salt and seawater. The intention of these works is to submerge us into the sea, a salty treasure that surrounds us and reminds us of its natural beauty and the importance of its preservation. Details: Title: Sea of Blue N28 & 29 Medium: Mixed Media on Paper Size: 63 x 180 cm (each panel measures 63x90 cm); 24.8 x 70.8 inches (24.8 x 36 inches). Year: 2024 * Frame is for illustrative purposes only. Artwork shipped carefully rolled and packaged in a tube. * Certificate of Authenticity provided. Enric Servera (Ciutadella de Menorca, 1970) lives and works between Barcelona and Menorca, Spain. His works explores the colors and forms of the ocean, inspired by the fauna and flora of the Mediterranean Sea. His work has shown in galleries across Spain, and is part of several public and private collections. Words that may describe this series of artworks are: Mediterranean-inspired art, abstract sea paintings...
Watercolor
$2,400Sale Price|20% Off
Adored Acrylic Painting in Expressionist Style, Unframed, 21st Century
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
In a realm of canvas and color, Where dreams and emotions unfurl, Lies a masterpiece, captivating and tender, Artistry called "All Time Adored." "All Time Adored," a tribute to prof...
Acrylic, Canvas
$1,840Sale Price|20% Off
Solicitude IV Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Expressionist, 21st Century
By Akande John
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
"Solicitude" invites the audience into a world of contemplation and reflection, where the central theme revolves around the power of empathy and its a...
Acrylic, Canvas
Emotional Metamorphosis 2, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
This vibrant medium-sized artwork explores the ever-changing emotional landscape. Its vivid colors and bold strokes suggest a blossoming, floral motif. The piec...
Acrylic
$4,240Sale Price|20% Off
Guy's Talk - 21st Century, Contemporary, Impasto, Modern, Expressionist, Men
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 (Issued by the Gallery) About ...
Canvas, Acrylic
"Azure Pond Study" (2025) – Original Oil on Canvas by Elena Lukina
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
Immerse yourself in the serene beauty of "Japanese Spring Paradise," a painting where the fleeting charm of cherry blossoms meets the timeless grandeur of Mount Fuji. This original o...
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard
"Happy Fish: The Golden Kiss" (2025) – Original Oil on Canvas by Elena Lukina
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
"The Golden Kiss" (2025) is a masterpiece of emotional depth and technical brilliance within Elena Lukina’s internationally acclaimed series, "Vitality in Motion: The Koi Symphony" (...
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard
$568Sale Price|29% Off
"Mise en abîme", Painters on the beach - Oil on cardboard 50x70 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Oil on cardboard with frame. Total size with frame 58x78 cm Signed and dated, illegible signature by the gallery
Oil
Expressionist Oil Painting Paris Scene View Architectural Visionism Olivier Foss
By Oliver Foss
Located in Surfside, FL
"Street Scene" by Olivier B. Foss is an iconic artwork representational of mid-century French Expressionist painting. The artist's personal visionary style is at once gestural, power...
Canvas, Oil
Gorgeous cactus flowers (colorful painting on paper)
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This modern colorful artwork "Gorgeous cactus flowers" is full of vivid colors which are my tools of expression. I explore the beauty of these beautiful pink blooming cactus flower...
Paper, Acrylic
Flowers in a Vase, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A variety of flowers spring from a white vase, their shapes and orientations creating a lively sense of movement. The background accentuates the freshness of th...
Acrylic
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
Two Young Spanish Girls, Oil on paper
Located in Saint Amans des cots, FR
Oil on paper by Edouard Goerg (1893-1969), France, 1937-1938. Two young Spanish girls. Measurements : with frame: 61.3x51.8 cm - 24.1x20.4 inches, view: 39x28.6 cm - 15.4x11.25 inche...
Paper, Oil
$4,135
Expressionist Figurative Portrait, Oil on Canvas, by a School of Paris Artist
Located in NANTES, FR
This work by Menachem Gueffen presents a very free portrait of a woman, halfway between figuration and expressionism. This painting is highly instinctive, the bold black outlines st...
Oil
Elisabeth Spalding 1938 Garden Flowers Still Life, Colorado Modernist
By Elisabeth Spalding
Located in Denver, CO
"From Carla's Garden – Just Before Frost" is a captivating 1938 oil painting by American artist Elisabeth Spalding (1868–1954), one of the pioneering figures of Colorado art and an i...
Oil
Expressionist Fauvist View From a Window, The Balcony, Follower of Raoul Dufy
Located in Cotignac, FR
Expressionist Fauvist French oil on canvas view from a window to a balcony by Jean-Jacques Philippon. The painting is signed and dated bottom right and there is an exhibition label f...
Canvas, Oil
$3,840Sale Price|39% Off
20th Century Bucks County Colorful Landscape Painting, Italian artist
By Louis Bosa
Located in Beachwood, OH
Louis Bosa (American, 1905–1981) Bucks County, 1934 Oil on canvas Signed and dated lower right 17.5 x 21.5 inches 25.5 x 29 inches, framed Born in Codroipo, a small village only a f...
Oil
$954Sale Price|63% Off
Mid-Century French Expressionist Oil, 'Anniversary Flowers and Champagne'.
Located in Cotignac, FR
Mid Century Expressionist oil on canvas tablescape of flowers and Champagne. This wonderfully energetic painting straddles the line between impressionism and expressionism. The form...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic