A resurgence of interest in Expressionism, Pop art, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism and other movements gained steam among artists of the 1970s and ’80s, in part as a reaction to the austerity of the prevailing minimalism and Conceptual art of the era. A decadent, bold and brash art style called Neo-Expressionism saw painters returning to figural representation, creating highly textured works that were imbued with intensely personal narratives.
Neo-Expressionist paintings are sensuous in nature and highly subjective in meaning. Expressive brushwork, highly pigmented colors and layered forms and materials lent sculptural attributes to the work and were used to depict symbolic narratives from history, mythology and the artist’s personal experience.
Prominent figures such as Jean-Michel Basquiat led the Neo-Expressionist movement in the United States with paintings and prints that were raw, emotional and often violent in nature. In Germany, Die Neuen Wilden (the “New Fauves”) was the name given to a group of postwar artists that included the likes of sculptor Georg Baselitz and Gerhard Richter, a painter and photographer who explored the possibilities of both abstraction and realism, sometimes in a single piece. The work of the New Fauves — labeled as such for its return to Fauvism’s textured brushwork and use of vibrant colors — shares commonalities with Neo-Expressionism, and Baselitz was a pioneer of the movement in Europe. In addition, Willem de Kooning’s pulsating action paintings and Julian Schnabel’s experimentation with the materiality of paintings also took shape during this period.
“I was trying to make paintings different from the paintings that I saw a lot of at the time, which were mostly minimal, and they were highbrow and alienating, and I wanted to make very direct paintings that most people would feel the emotion behind when they saw them,” said Basquiat.
Neo-Expressionism generated some polarizing opinions, with some celebrating the revival of personal subjectivity in art while others criticizing the movement for being too commercially driven and nostalgic. But most experts agree that Neo-Expressionism was a huge commercial success and culturally impactful, paving the way for the postmodern work of artists like Richter and Sigmar Polke.
Find original Neo-Expressionist paintings, prints, mixed-media works and other art on 1stDibs.
Dance of Shapes: Neo-Expressionist Mixed Media Painting, 130x100 cm
By Jean Sanglar
Located in Miami, FL
Jean Sanglar was born in France in 1926. He draws with taste and talent from an early age, however, his family will only consider this a mere hobby. After studying law, he later took...
Mixed Media
Hunt Slonem Oil Painting "Slidel" Black and Red Bunny
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Houston, TX
Hunt Slonem Oil Painting "Slidel" Black and Red Bunny A single rabbit gestured in black on a red background in a vintage frame Unframed: 8 x 6 inches Framed: 12.5 x 10.5 inches *Pai...
Oil, Panel
White Water Lilly's
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Woodmere, OH
Hunt Slonem (b. 1951) is an internationally celebrated American artist whose vibrant and instantly recognizable works have made him one of the most collectible contemporary painters ...
Canvas, Oil
Hunt Slonem Oil Painting "Field" Black and Pink Bunny
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Houston, TX
Hunt Slonem Oil Painting "Field" Black and Pink Bunny A single rabbit gestured in black on a pink background in a vintage frame Unframed: 8 x 6 inches Framed: 12.5 x 10.5 inches *Pa...
Oil, Panel
Pink Profile
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Woodmere, OH
Hunt Slonem (b. 1951) is an internationally celebrated American artist whose vibrant and instantly recognizable works have made him one of the most collectible contemporary painters ...
Wood, Oil
Water Lily Tondo
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Woodmere, OH
Hunt Slonem (b. 1951) is an internationally celebrated American artist whose vibrant and instantly recognizable works have made him one of the most collectible contemporary painters ...
Canvas, Oil
Hunt Slonem Oil Painting "Pink Double" Monkey Couple
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Houston, TX
Hunt Slonem Oil Painting "Pink Double" Monkey Couple A monkey couple gestured in black and white on a pink background in a vintage frame Unframed: 10 x 8 inches Framed: 14.5 x 12.5 ...
Oil, Panel
Hunt Slonem Oil Painting "Cloud 9" White and Blue Mottled Bunny
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Houston, TX
Hunt Slonem Oil Painting "Cloud 9" White and Blue Mottled Bunny A single rabbit gestured in black on a mottled white and blue background in a vintage frame Unframed: 10 x 8 inches F...
Oil, Panel
Miracle Ascension
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Woodmere, OH
Hunt Slonem (b. 1951) is an internationally celebrated American artist whose vibrant and instantly recognizable works have made him one of the most collectible contemporary painters ...
Wood, Oil
$19,000
Birds Cry
By Ford Crull
Located in Brooklyn, NY
“It is terrifying to paint. When you start out, you are faced with this great unknown. And you think, am I ever going to paint again? Yet, as you work, it starts to formulate itsel...
Canvas, Oil
Untitled by Enzio Wenk, 2020 -Acrylic on Canvas, Neo-Expressionism
By Enzio Wenk
Located in Bresso, IT
Acrylic on canvas.
Canvas, Acrylic
3 Butterflies
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Woodmere, OH
Hunt Slonem (b. 1951) is an internationally celebrated American artist whose vibrant and instantly recognizable works have made him one of the most collectible contemporary painters ...
Wood, Oil
$7,600Sale Price|20% Off
Salvation!
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Matthew Marcot is an American, self-taught artist specializing in Abstract and Neo-Expressionism, and primary mediums are semiotics and collage. An underlying theme in Marcot’s work ...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$900Sale Price|25% Off
Nude , 100x75cm, acrylic, canvas
Located in Yerevan, AM
Untitled , 100x75cm, acrylic, canvas
Canvas, Acrylic
$8,000
Hunt Slonem Oil Painting "Yellow Submarine" Single Black, Green and Yellow Bunny
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Houston, TX
Hunt Slonem Oil Painting "Yellow Submarine" Single Black, Green and Yellow Bunny A rabbit gestured in black with areas of green on a yellow background in a vintage frame Unframed: 1...
Oil, Panel
Untitled (0673)
By Hunt Slonem
Located in New York, NY
This whimsical and sophisticated painting was realized by the esteemed contemporary painter, Hunt Slonem in 2016. It presents a stylized rabbit in profile, rendered with loose and ex...
Canvas, Oil
$6,500
"Pink Summer KMH 010, " Acrylic & Mixed Media signed by Katherine Hartley
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Pink Summer KMH 010" is an original acrylic and mixed media painting by Katherine Hartley. The artist signed the piece lower right. This piece depicts a line of girls in dresses amo...
Mixed Media, Acrylic
Heartland
By Ford Crull
Located in Brooklyn, NY
“It is terrifying to paint. When you start out, you are faced with this great unknown. And you think, am I ever going to paint again? Yet, as you work, it starts to formulate itsel...
Canvas, Oil Crayon, Oil
Untitled Neo-Expressionist Mixed Media Painting, Late 20th Century
By Jean Sanglar
Located in Miami, FL
Jean Sanglar was born in France in 1926. He draws with taste and talent from an early age, however, his family will only consider this a mere hobby. After studying law, he later took...
Mixed Media
$3,600
circus rider, colorful circus interior woman and elephant bright cheerful happy
Located in Brooklyn, NY
an early work by artist on canvas Stephen Basso's highly original pastels and oil paintings are romantic, yet thought provoking fantasies. His whimsical works are alive with bou...
Canvas, Oil
Learning to Move - Contemporary Abstract Figurative Mixed Media Art on Canvas
By Soren Grau
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Drawing inspiration from cultural icons and global events, Soren Grau's street art-infused Neo-expressionism invites art enthusiasts to be a part of a narrative larger than life. In ...
Canvas, Mixed Media
Jay-Z Basquiat. Transformation. Contemporary Neo Expressionist Painting
By Sax Berlin
Located in Brecon, Powys
This piece is inspired by the obsession Jay-Z has for Basquiat. Jay-Z believes that he is the new Basquiat and has been photographed transforming himself into the artist. In this pai...
Silver Leaf
$8,000
"Diamond Jubilee" White Bunny on Ultramarine Blue Background Oil Painting Framed
By Hunt Slonem
Located in New York, NY
A wonderful composition of one of Slonem's most iconic subjects, Bunnies. This piece depicts a gestural figure of a white bunny on an ultramarine blue diamond dust background with th...
Glass, Resin, Oil, Acrylic, Wood Panel
$20,000
New Blue
By Ford Crull
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Got Blues?
Enamel
Tondo Radial Bunnys
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Woodmere, OH
Hunt Slonem (b. 1951) is an internationally celebrated American artist whose vibrant and instantly recognizable works have made him one of the most collectible contemporary painters ...
Canvas, Oil
Patterson Boats Green Golden acrylic painting
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Patterson. virtual framed Licenciado en Bellas Artes por ISPEJV, en la Habana en 2002, especialización en Restauración y Conservación de pintura Mural y caballete. Ha ejercido co...
Acrylic
Hunt Slonem Oil Painting "Mexican Red Head" Multicolor Amazon Parrot
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Houston, TX
Hunt Slonem Oil Painting "Mexican Red Head" Multicolor Amazon Parrot A single bird gestured in yellow, red and green on a white background in a vintage frame Unframed: 10 x 8 inches...
Oil, Panel
Hunt Slonem "Lories & Amazons" Multicolor Parrots on Metallic Background
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Houston, TX
Hunt Slonem Oil Painting "Lories & Amazons" Multicolor Parrots on Metallic Background A family of seven birds on a gold and multicolor background in a vintage frame Unframed: 30 x 2...
Oil, Panel
Untitled Neo-Expressionist Mixed Media Painting, Late 20th Century
By Jean Sanglar
Located in Miami, FL
Jean Sanglar was born in France in 1926. He draws with taste and talent from an early age, however, his family will only consider this a mere hobby. After studying law, he later took...
Mixed Media
Hunt Slonem Oil Painting "Lime" Black Outline Bunny on Green
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Houston, TX
Hunt Slonem Oil Painting "Lime" Black Outline Bunny on Green A single rabbit gestured in black on a light green background in a vintage frame Unframed: 13 x 8 inches Framed: 22 x 17...
Oil, Panel
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth 2
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Woodmere, OH
Hunt Slonem (b. 1951) is an internationally celebrated American artist whose vibrant and instantly recognizable works have made him one of the most collectible contemporary painters ...
Wood, Oil
Diamond Dust Hutch Snow
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Woodmere, OH
Hunt Slonem (b. 1951) is an internationally celebrated American artist whose vibrant and instantly recognizable works have made him one of the most collectible contemporary painters ...
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$56,000
"Trio Precious Metals Hutch" Bunnies on Metallic Silver Gold & Bronze Background
By Hunt Slonem
Located in New York, NY
A stunning composition of one of Slonem's most iconic subjects, Bunnies. This piece depicts gestural figures of Bunnies against a metallic silver gold & bronze background. Slonem tra...
Canvas, Oil
Hunt Slonem Oil Painting "Red Rose" Black and Red Bunny
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Houston, TX
Hunt Slonem Oil Painting "Red Rose" Black and Red Bunny A single rabbit gestured in black on a red background in a vintage frame Unframed: 8 x 6 inches Framed: 12.5 x 10.5 inches *P...
Oil, Panel
Hunt Slonem Oil Painting "Glisten X" Rainbow Bunnies
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Houston, TX
Hunt Slonem Oil Painting "Glisten X" Rainbow Bunnies White diamond dust bunnies gestured on a rainbow resin background in a gold contemporary floating frame. Unframed: 34 x 26 inche...
Glass, Resin, Oil, Acrylic
Sharp Edge. Contemporary Neo Expressionist Painting
By Sax Berlin
Located in Brecon, Powys
Sticking to his 1980s Neo-expressionist roots Sax Berlin produces a topical piece close to his heart. Let his work do the talking Oil and acrylic paint on stareched canvas Signed
Oil, Acrylic
$38,000
Pink Butterflies
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Fairfield, CT
Hunt Slonem is an American painter, sculptor, and printmaker. He is best known for his Neo-Expressionist paintings of butterflies, bunnies, and his tropical birds, often based on a p...
Canvas, Oil
$8,000
"Spa" Black Outline Bunny on Teal Blue Oil Painting on Panel in Antique Frame
By Hunt Slonem
Located in New York, NY
A wonderful composition of one of Slonem's most iconic subjects, Bunnies. This piece depicts a gestural figure of a black bunny on Teal Blue background with thick use of paint. It is...
Oil, Wood Panel
Hunt Slonem Oil Painting "Ofelia" Black and White Bunny
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Houston, TX
Hunt Slonem Oil Painting "Ofelia" Black and White Bunny A rabbit gestured in black on a white background in a vintage frame Unframed: 10 x 8 inches Framed: 17 x 15 inches *Painting ...
Wood, Oil
Hunt Slonem Oil Painting "South Hampton" Black and Pink Bunny
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Houston, TX
Hunt Slonem Oil Painting "South Hampton" Black and Pink Bunny A single rabbit gestured in black on a pink background in a vintage frame Unframed: 8 x 6 inches Framed: 12.5 x 10.5 in...
Oil, Panel
$1,512Sale Price|20% Off
Landscape 133 (Utah) by Jean Krille - Oil on Canvas 51x60 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
Hunt Slonem Oil Painting "All Ears" Black Outline Bunny on White
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Houston, TX
Hunt Slonem Oil Painting "All Ears" Black Outline Bunny on White A single rabbit gestured in black on a white background in a vintage frame Unframed: 10 x 8 inches Framed: 15.5 x 13...
Oil, Panel
No Kings No War: Large Neo-Renaissance Oil Painting, 78.75x59 Inches
By Sax Berlin
Located in Brecon, Powys
Sax Berlin is a caring, compassionate man and his egalitarian outlook is translated into his art. This piece is large and impactful and shows this ascending star of the art world at ...
Oil, Acrylic
$527
"Studio per vaso" by E. Wenk, 2020-2022 - Acrylic Paint on Paper, Abstract Vase
By Enzio Wenk
Located in Bresso, IT
Translated title: "Study for a vase" Acrylic paint on high-quality cotton paper, which is handmade in Italy. This is part of an album. It's been drawn in one go, with no erasure. ...
Paper, Acrylic
Hunt Slonem Oil Painting "Veil" Red Diamond Dust Glitter Bunny
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Houston, TX
Hunt Slonem Oil Painting "Veil" Red Diamond Dust Glitter Bunny A rabbit gestured in red on a matching background in a vintage frame Unframed: 10 x 8 inches Framed: 15 x 13 inches *P...
Glass, Resin, Glitter, Oil, Panel
Cornucopia Oil Painting on Canvas, Neo-Expressionist, Framed, 2010+
Located in Miami, FL
Born 1949, Fréjus, France French artist Evelyne Ballestra studied painting in the South of France before moving to Switzerland where she met her mentor, Rolf Dürig, a master of the ...
Canvas, Oil
$44,750
Fratillery
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Woodmere, OH
Hunt Slonem (b. 1951) is an internationally celebrated American artist whose vibrant and instantly recognizable works have made him one of the most collectible contemporary painters ...
Canvas, Oil
$6,800Sale Price|20% Off
Peace
By ETTE
Located in Brooklyn, NY
“PEACE” is sentimental to the artist. A painting she refused to sell for quite some time. Her grandmother, an artist herself, gifted ETTE a tube of gold paint before she passed away....
Canvas, Acrylic
Ecstasy: Contemporary Neo Expressionist Oil Painting
By Sax Berlin
Located in Brecon, Powys
This painting from the Atlantic studio of Sax Berlin captures the essence of ecstasy. It’s imbued with a special sense of immediacy and fluid movement. The painting draws one in and ...
Oil, Acrylic
Hunt Slonem Oil Painting "Red 4" Black and Red Bunny
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Houston, TX
Hunt Slonem Oil Painting "Red 4" Black and Red Bunny A single rabbit gestured in black on a red background in a vintage frame Unframed: 8 x 6 inches Framed: 12.5 x 10.5 inches *Pain...
Oil, Panel
Hunt Slonem Oil Painting "Red Duet" Bright Orange Bunny Couple
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Houston, TX
Hunt Slonem Oil Painting "Red Duet" Bright Orange Bunny Couple A pair of rabbits gestured in black on a bright orange background in a vintage frame Signed, dated, and titled to verso...
Oil, Panel
Untitled Neo-Expressionist Mixed Media Painting, Late 20th Century
By Jean Sanglar
Located in Miami, FL
Jean Sanglar was born in France in 1926. He draws with taste and talent from an early age, however, his family will only consider this a mere hobby. After studying law, he later took...
Mixed Media
$3,150Sale Price|30% Off
Landscape 143 by Jean Krille - Oil on Masonite 100x100 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...
Masonite, Oil
Diet Street Art Basquiat Style
Located in OIA, ES
"Diet" is a thought-provoking piece that delves into the complexities of life and the human condition. The use of surreal imagery and symbolism in the painting invites the viewer to ...
Enamel
$11,718
Neo-Expressionist Oil Painting of horses in Landscape Green/Blue, 19th Century
Located in PARIS, FR
'A VAST LANDSCAPE WITH HORSES,' Theo Champion (1887– 1952) was a German painter whose work has been presented by leading galleries and museums, including Galerie Berinson. Trained at...
Oil
Hunt Slonem Oil Painting "Red Rover" Single Bunny
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Houston, TX
Hunt Slonem Oil Painting "Red Rover" Single Bunny A single rabbit gestured in black on a red background in a vintage frame Unframed: 8 x 6 inches Framed: 11 x 9 inches *Painting is ...
Oil, Panel
Magico Restaraunte en Paris
Located in Atlanta, GA
This painting is in excellent condition and has only been shown in a gallery. This painting features the beautiful Art Deco interior of the Beef Bar Restaurant in Paris. Her works were recently featured in the March issue of American Art Collector magazine 2022. A hardbound-book is included with your purchase. Whether depicting lively night parties on the beach, Parisian streets, or bustling sidewalk cafes of her native Madrid, the paintings of Paloma Hinojosa...
Canvas, Oil
$17,600Sale Price|20% Off
Songbirds Sing
By Ford Crull
Located in Brooklyn, NY
“My work can be understood through the mind, but it is best felt with the heart, experienced through the emotions, recognized as a manifestation of the spiritual that is born on the ...
Canvas, Oil
"Red Cross/Flower"- Colorful & Vibrant Neo-Expressionist Painting
By Ford Crull
Located in Brooklyn, NY
“It is terrifying to paint. When you start out, you are faced with this great unknown. And you think, am I ever going to paint again? Yet, as you work, it starts to formulate itself....
Canvas, Wax Crayon, Oil
$2,562Sale Price|40% Off
"Cafe Society", Surreal Large-Scale Figurative Abstract
Located in Soquel, CA
"Cafe Society", a large-scale figurative abstract evoking the style of Basquiat, where many faces, figures, and a blue bust with glowing eyes are layered in a surreal, dream-like space by Bay Area artist Michael Pauker (American, b.1957). Signed "Michael Paulker...
Canvas, Oil