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.
Mirando al Cielo 7 - Murmuration Japan Asiatic Landscape Photograph
By Rosa Basurto
Located in Brighton, GB
Mirando al Cielo 7 is a beautiful 30cm x 30cm Digital Print on 50cm x 50cm Cotton Paper. This is a Limited Edition of 9 + 2 Artist Proofs in this size. In this image by Spanish ph...
Photographic Paper, Digital, Color
Broome at Mercer - NYC Photography, 32"x54", Signed Limited Edition of 4
By Viet Chu
Located in New York, NY
" I started my Empty Streets of New York City series in SoHo at the start of the Covid pandemic (early 2020) because of the uniqueness and beautiy of the iron cast buildings, includi...
Archival Pigment
Mirando al Cielo 8 - Renaissance Landscape Swallows Murmuration Landscape
By Rosa Basurto
Located in Brighton, GB
Mirando al Cielo 8 is a beautiful 30cm x 30cm Digital Print on 50cm x 50cm Cotton Paper. This is a Limited Edition of 9 + 2 Artist Proofs in this size. Rosa Basurto is a self-taught...
Color, Digital, Photographic Paper, C Print
Mirando al Cielo 11 - Birds Murmuration in Sky Mountain Region Japan Photograph
By Rosa Basurto
Located in Brighton, GB
Mirando al Cielo 11 is a beautiful 30cm x 30cm Digital Print on 50cm x 50cm Cotton Paper. This is a Limited Edition of 9 + 2 Artist Proofs in this size. Rosa Basurto is a self-taugh...
Color, Digital, Photographic Paper, C Print
Wall Street Bull - NYC Photography, 54"x36", Signed Limited Edition of 5
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 financi...
Archival Pigment
Mirando al Cielo 15 - Murmuration Asiatic Countryside Landscape
By Rosa Basurto
Located in Brighton, GB
Mirando al Cielo 15 is a beautiful 30cm x 30cm Digital Print on 50cm x 50cm Cotton Paper. This is a Limited Edition of 9 + 2 Artist Proofs in this size. Rosa Basurto is a self-ta...
Color, Digital, Photographic Paper, C Print
Mirando al Cielo 13 - Murmuration Countryside Landscape Photograph
By Rosa Basurto
Located in Brighton, GB
Mirando al Cielo 13 is a beautiful 30cm x 30cm Digital Print on 50cm x 50cm Cotton Paper. This is a Limited Edition of 9 + 2 Artist Proofs in this size. Rosa Basurto is a self-taug...
Color, Digital, Photographic Paper, C Print
Mirando al Cielo 12 - Birds Murmuration Sky Landscape Photograph
By Rosa Basurto
Located in Brighton, GB
Mirando al Cielo 12 is a beautiful 30cm x 30cm Digital Print on 50cm x 50cm Cotton Paper. This is a Limited Edition of 9 + 2 Artist Proofs in this size. Rosa Basurto is a self-taug...
Color, Digital, Photographic Paper, C Print
Mirando al Cielo 5 - Countryside Murmuration Misty Landscape Photograph
By Rosa Basurto
Located in Brighton, GB
Mirando al Cielo 5 is a beautiful 30cm x 30cm Digital Print on 50cm x 50cm Cotton Paper. This is a Limited Edition of 9 + 2 Artist Proofs in this size. Rosa Basurto is a self-taught...
Photographic Paper, Color, C Print, Digital
Mirando al Cielo 6 - Murmuration Misty Country Landscape Photograph
By Rosa Basurto
Located in Brighton, GB
Mirando al Cielo 6 is a beautiful 30cm x 30cm Digital Print on 50cm x 50cm Cotton Paper. This is a Limited Edition of 9 + 2 Artist Proofs in this size. Rosa Basurto is a self-taught...
Color, C Print, Photographic Paper, Digital
Mirando al Cielo 3 - Lone Walker Countryside Murmuration Landscape Photograph
By Rosa Basurto
Located in Brighton, GB
Mirando al Cielo 3 is a beautiful 30cm x 30cm Digital Print on 50cm x 50cm Cotton Paper. This is a Limited Edition of 9 + 2 Artist Proofs in this size. Rosa Basurto is a self-taught...
Photographic Paper, Color, Digital, C Print
Mirando al Cielo 2 - Misty Landscape Countryside Murmuration Photograph Print
By Rosa Basurto
Located in Brighton, GB
Mirando al Cielo 2 is a beautiful 30cm x 30cm Digital Print on 50cm x 50cm Cotton Paper. This is a Limited Edition of 9 + 2 Artist Proofs in this size. Rosa Basurto is a self-taught...
Cotton, Photographic Paper, Digital, C Print
MetLife - NYC Architecture Photography, 54"x36", Signed Limited Edition of 5
By Viet Chu
Located in New York, NY
"Taken at around 6pm on Mar 28, 2020, Park Avenue was practically deserted and empty. I was standing on E 63rd St when I took this photo. I used a 70-200mm lens to compress the scene...
Archival Pigment
$4,200
Hudson Yards Mood - NY Skyline Photography, 54"x36", Signed Limited Edition of 5
By Viet Chu
Located in New York, NY
"Standing at 16 ft tall, "Brick House" is a bronze statue made by artist Simone Leigh as an inaugural commission of the High Line Plinth (NYC) in 2019, wh...
Archival Pigment
Manhattanhenge Phenomenon, Mystical Light Setting Sun, Manhattan Solstice
Located in Miami, FL
Mitchell Funk has been chronicling lighting effects in New York for over 50 years. This recent photography captures the magical moment of golden light pouring into 42nd street while...
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment
Dog Walker in Central Park Snow
Located in Miami, FL
Simultaneously, graphic and subtle, New York's classic Central Park South skyline is puntucated with a solitary figure with two dogs Signed and dated on lower right, numbered on v...
Photographic Paper
Manhattanhenge Phenomenon, Mystical Light Setting Sun, Manhattan Solstice
Located in Miami, FL
Mitchell Funk has been chronicling lighting effects in New York for over 50 years. This recent photography captures the magical moment of golden light pouring into 42nd street while...
Photographic Paper, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment
Old Las Vegas Dunes Hotel Neon
Located in Miami, FL
Mitchell Funk was a trailblazer in shooting neon signs with dramatic angles, acute compostion and powerful color. Although this is a nocturnal image it has vibrant life energy. ...
Inkjet
Bryant Park, New York City
Located in Miami, FL
Negative Color with colored gels creates a wonderfully fantasy of a classic urban park. The work was done in 1971 during the Psychedelic period. Signed , dated lower right, Edition ...
Photographic Paper
$4,400
H 48 in W 71 in
Wild West I - large scale photograph of iconic landscape of American West
By Frank Schott
Located in San Francisco, CA
Wild West I by Frank Schott from a series of photographic observances around Monument Valley 48 x 71 inches / 122cm x 180cm signed edition of 7 27 x 40 inches / 68cm x 102cm signed...
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Giclée
$2,200
H 27 in W 40 in D 0.3 in
Marmo di Carrara - large format photograph of iconic Italian marble quarry
By Frank Schott
Located in San Francisco, CA
Signed large scale photograph of the Mediterranean marble quarries in Carrara, Italy, iconic material source of classic Italian art and architecture, captured with a large format camera to allow epic scale print sizes with incredible image details Marmo di Carrara...
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Archival Ink, Giclée
$1,240
H 34 in W 60 in D 0.1 in
'Pounding Heart' Large scale triptych photograph. Ocean, sea, Beach cottage wave
Located in Penzance, GB
'Pounding Heart' Archival photographic triptych. Limited Edition of 25. Unframed. _________________ The wild Atlantic explodes in a raw release of energy, the graceful formation of ...
Photographic Paper, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Digital, Giclée, Archi...
$3,200
H 21 in W 21 in
David Burdeny - Red Leaves, Paris, France, Photography 2018, Printed After
Located in Stamford, CT
All available sizes & editions for each size of this photograph: 21” x 21" Edition of 7 32” x 32" Edition of 7 44” x 44” Edition of 10 59" x 59" Edition of 5 While the spaces th...
Archival Pigment
$2,000
H 26 in W 40 in
Big Sur - large format photograph of iconic California coastal landscape
By Frank Schott
Located in San Francisco, CA
Big Sur by Frank Schott 26 x 40 inches / 66cm x 102cm signed edition of 25 48 x 72 inches / 122cm x 183cm signed edition of 7 archival quality fine art pigment print limit...
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Archival Ink, Giclée
$1,800
H 40 in W 30 in
City Lights - large scale photograph of the light reflections at Night
By Frank Schott
Located in San Francisco, CA
Large scale original art photography from a series of dramatic abstract observations of City Lights and Reflections City Lights by Frank Schott (2023) 40 x 30 inches / 102cm x 76cm...
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Giclée, Archival Pigment
John Moulton Barn
Located in Kansas City, MO
Jack Hayhow Title: John Moulton Barn Photographic Print on fine Paper Year: 2020 Size: 24x36 inches Description: Available in multiple sizes - please inqu...
Archival Paper, Archival Pigment
$965
H 36 in W 24 in D 0.1 in
'The Optimism of Spring' Photograph Cherry blossom Sakura flowers green pink
Located in Penzance, GB
'The Optimism of Spring' ('Mono No Aware' Series) 24 x 36" edition Limited edition archival photograph, hand signed and numbered. Unframed _________________ The cherry blossoms burst...
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Digital, Giclée, Archi...
$4,825
H 30 in W 60 in D 0.1 in
'For the Brave, Tennessee' Limited Edition Triptych. Landscape, Flowers, nature.
Located in Penzance, GB
'For the Brave, Tennessee' Master Edition (1 of 5). Archival Giclée print. Triptych . Hand signed and numbered, Unframed. _________________ Scarlet poppies and purple lupine, scatte...
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Giclée
$1,732Sale Price|20% Off
H 23.63 in W 23.63 in D 0.08 in
Harness Racing, lonely beach, black and white photograph, limited landscape
Located in Vienna, Vienna
Archival pigment ink print, produced in a limited edition of 9. Fine art prints are produced to order on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta. Each print is stamped on the reverse, signed and...
Archival Pigment
$1,400
H 16 in W 20 in D 1.75 in
Patrick Sansone, Ideal and Bird, 2021, Lambda C Print, Ed 1/10, Photography
Located in Darien, CT
Patrick Sansone uses analog cameras and film to create photographs that reference stillness, lure, and intermission. Decaying signage, abandoned industrial sites, and defunct storefr...
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Lambda
Tribeca in Gold, Street Photography by Mitchell Funk
Located in Miami, FL
Edward Hopper's sense of late light combined with the isolation and desolation of New York is depicted in color photography by Mitchell Funk. Golden light paints 70's New York in a m...
Photographic Paper, Inkjet, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment
Sascha The Horse
By Kristina Gale
Located in East Hampton, NY
Sascha the Horse in a farm / field in the Hamptons Part of a series /100 C-Print on Kodak Paper Other barnyard animals : Hamlet the Pig, Stormy the Cow
C Print
Sascha The Horse
By Kristina Gale
Located in East Hampton, NY
Sascha the Horse in a farm / field in the Hamptons Part of a series /100 C-Print on Kodak Paper Other barnyard animals : Hamlet the Pig, Stormy the Cow
C Print
Sold
H 14.5 in W 16.5 in D 0.5 in
"Monterey Bay" - California Coastal Trees, Cyanotype / Watercolor Landscape
Located in Soquel, CA
Soft watercolor accents add to the beauty of this cyanotype and watercolor titled "Monterey Bay" by Cheryl Trotter (American, 20th century), 1994. Signed and dated lower right "Chery...
Watercolor, Laid Paper, Photographic Paper