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.
Strength - NYC Architecture Photography, 36"x52", Signed Limited Edition of 5
By Viet Chu
Located in New York, NY
" I wanted to find a symbol of strength and resiliency for NYC and through the framing of the Empire State Building by the Manhattan Bridge, and I believe it is represented here. The...
Archival Pigment
"Model in black & white" Photography on canvas
Located in Carmel, CA
Malissa - "Model in black & white" Photography on canvas The photograph comes with a certificate of authenticity and a letter of appraisal.
Canvas, Photographic Film, Black and White
Gold Dust
Located in East Hampton, NY
Black & White Photography Gold Dust Printed to Order Unframed Also available in 20"x30" The area that would become Gold Point, one of Nevada’s best ghost towns, was first settled ...
Archival Pigment
Sound of the Sea
By Harold Davis
Located in Boston, MA
Artist Commentary: Using an x-ray photograph as its basis, this expressive study in motion echoes work by Picasso and other modernists. Words that describe this piece: shell, Nauti...
Photographic Paper
Heart 02
Located in New York, NY
ABOUT THIS PIECE: Danish photographer Kim Høltermand photographed the Herning Art Museum in Jutland, Denmark. He is known for his moody, quiet photos that show public spaces before t...
Photographic Paper
Heart 04
Located in New York, NY
ABOUT THIS PIECE: Danish photographer Kim Høltermand photographed the Herning Art Museum in Jutland, Denmark. He is known for his moody, quiet photos that show public spaces before t...
Photographic Paper
$6,000
H 17 in W 14 in D 2 in
Joan Didion, Hollywood, 1968 (22-2) Three Quarters Portrait
Located in New York, NY
Listing includes framing with UV plexiglas. Joan Didion by Julian Wasser Silver gelatin print Image Size: 11 x 8 inches Frame Size: 17 x 14 x 2 inches Edition 11 of 15 Signed on verso by Julian Wasser Please note the frame is in good condition. The print is in mint condition. Artist Biography - Julian Wasser started his career in photography in the Washington DC bureau of the Associated Press where he met and accompanied the famous news photographer Weegee – who would become a lasting influence on him. In the mid-60s Wasser moved to Los Angeles as a contract photographer for TIME, LIFE, and FORTUNE magazines and becoming internationally known as the go to guy for getting candid but memorably composed photographs. (His iconic images of Jack Nicholson and Anjelica Huston; Marcel Duchamp and Eve Babitz...
Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment
$1,750
H 17 in W 14 in
My Education. Limited Signed Print, Michael St. Pierre with Bonkers '04 & Book
By Bruce Weber
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Bruce Weber. My Education. Art Edition No. 101–200, ‘Michael St. Pierre with Bonkers, Thousand Oaks, California’, 2004 Edition of 100 Archival pigment print on Hahnemühle Ultra Smoot...
Cotton, Archival Pigment
$2,997
H 20.48 in W 13.78 in D 0.08 in
Old couple - Signed limited edition fine art print, Black white, Paris Vintage
Located in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona
Old couple, Paris - Signed limited edition archival pigment print - Edition of 5 This image was captured on film. The negative was scanned creating...
Photographic Film, Archival Paper, Black and White, Giclée, Pigment, Arc...
$4,197
H 40 in W 29.52 in D 0.02 in
Stocking -Signed limited edition print, Black white photo, Contemporary, Sexy
Located in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona
Stockings - Signed limited edition archival pigment print - Edition of 5 This image was captured on film in 1982. This print that is being offered is a high-quality Archival...
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Photographic Film, Black and White, ...
Heart 03
Located in New York, NY
ABOUT THIS PIECE: Danish photographer Kim Høltermand photographed the Herning Art Museum in Jutland, Denmark. He is known for his moody, quiet photos that show public spaces before t...
Photographic Paper
$2,997
H 21.66 in W 14.18 in D 0.08 in
Lisa - Signed limited edition contemporary print, Back white photo, Sensual
Located in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona
Lisa - Signed limited edition archival pigment print - Edition of 5 ( Available : 4 ) This image was captured on film. The negative was scanned creating a digital file which...
Archival Paper, Black and White, Archival Pigment, Photographic Film, Gi...
Cindy Sherman in her New York Studio, 14 September 1993
Located in New York, NY
Cindy Sherman in her New York Studio, 14 September 1993 Backstage at Cindy Sherman’s studio in SoHo with paraphernalia, accoutrements of her work. P...
Archival Pigment
Diana Vreeland, Chelsea, New York City, 1981
Located in New York, NY
Diana Vreeland, Chelsea, New York City, 1981 Photographed by Jonathan Becker Contemporary 14" x 14" Archival Pigment Print Edition Nº 1 of 6 Certificate of Origin Signed and Titled ...
Archival Pigment
$10,000
H 30 in W 24 in
"Jefferson Memorial" by Carrie Mae Weems Black and White, Photograph, Figure)
Located in New York, NY
This archival pigment print on Canson paper comes directly from the publisher, Lincoln Center Editions. It is signed and numbered en verso by the artist. It is in excellent condition and has never been framed. Note: The image of the framed print is for reference purposes only. Carrie Mae Weems (b. 1953) is an American artist whose extensive body of work investigates cultural identity, sexism, class, political systems, and the consequences of power. Weems is widely recognized for her revolutionary approach to the expression of narratives about women, people of color and working-class communities, “conjuring lush art...
Archival Pigment
$6,000
H 28 in W 28 in
John Chamberlain at Kim Esteve’s bar, Sao Paulo, Brazil, October 1994
Located in New York, NY
John Chamberlain at Kim Esteve’s bar, Sao Paulo, Brazil, October 1994 X Photographed by Jonathan Becker Contemporary 28" x 28.5" Archival Pigment Print Edition Nº 1 of 9 Certifica...
Archival Pigment
Sold
H 32 in W 54 in
Bullish Night - NYC Photography, 32"x54", Signed Limited Edition of 4
By Viet Chu
Located in New York, NY
" As a part of my Empty Streets of New York City series, I wanted to include the Wall Street Bull which represents one of the core tenet of the financial might of the city during the...
Archival Pigment
Bombay Star Series #3
By James Mannix
Located in East Hampton, NY
Bombay Beach , California Photography Edition of 10 UNFRAMED: Print to Order About the Artist: Short Biography in a Nutshell: A fun journey My first foray into the art world was ...
Photographic Paper