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.
"A Likely Story" (2020) By Linda Prokop, Original Bronze Sculpture
Located in Denver, CO
"A Likely Story" (2020) By Linda Prokop is an original bronze sculpture that depicts an abstracted portrait of a young girl standing next to a large bear. About the Artist: Linda Pr...
Bronze
Carved banana wood sculpture, expressionist bust, astonished face
Located in Carballo, ES
Hand-carved sycamore wood sculpture by the artist Álvaro de la Vega (1954, Lugo, Spain) in 2008. It is part of a series of sculptures of facial expressions. The sculpture measures 41...
Wood
$2,731
Bust portrait of a man with his mouth open, hand-carved in sycamore wood
Located in Carballo, ES
Hand-carved sycamore wood sculpture by the artist Álvaro de la Vega (1954, Lugo, Spain) in 2008. It is part of a series of sculptures of facial expressions. The sculpture measures 40...
Wood
Women in the Garden, Porcelain Vase
Located in Long Island City, NY
This painted porcelain vase is of Chinese origin. Women can be seen socializing in an ancient Chinese garden. The analogous color scheme creates a serene and comfortable design. Or...
Porcelain
$7,500
Art Deco Expressionist Bronze Judaica Rabbi Sculpture Los Angeles Modernist
By Peter Krasnow
Located in Surfside, FL
Bronze Jewish Rabbi. Original Patina. Art-deco wood carved base. It is signed with initials P.K. and marked "Calif Art Bronze Fdry LA" (California Art Bronze Foundry Los Angeles). it is not dated. PETER KRASNOW (1886-1979), Russian-Ukrainian, American artist painter and sculptor, born Feivish Reisberg, was a California modernist and colorist artist known for his abstract wood sculptures and architectonic hard-edge paintings and drawings which were often based on Hebrew calligraphy and other subjects related to his Jewish heritage...
Bronze
Price Upon Request
The Mystical Supper
Located in New York, NY
Dionisios Fragias is a New York -based artist born on the Greek island of Kefalonia and raised in New York City. He is the protege of the artist Jeff Koons whose years-long mentorshi...
Steel, Stainless Steel
$2,850
H 22 in W 11 in D 10 in
"GRASS SPEAKS IN RIDDLES" Abstract Sculpture 22" x 11" x 10" in by Shawn Kolodny
Located in Culver City, CA
"GRASS SPEAKS IN RIDDLES" Abstract Sculpture 22" x 11" x 10" in by Shawn Kolodny Medium: Stainless Steel & Automotive Paint Creating art to reflect the times we live in, Kolodn...
Steel
$1,340
H 25 in W 13 in
"GORBUNOK" Sculptural Lamp by 25" x 13" inch Grigorii Gorkovenko
Located in Culver City, CA
"GORBUNOK" Sculptural Lamp by 25" x 13" inch Grigorii Gorkovenko A desk lamp which is made of genuine wood and filled with special energy and handmade work by the “GV design” master...
Plastic, Wood
"XMITTER" Helmet & Jacket Sculpture
Located in Chicago, IL
To Chicago-based artist Patrick Fitzgerald, his sculptures are a means of traveling through time. Working from found materials, Fitzgerald constructs miniature soap box cars...
Wire
A Step Ahead
By Jim Rennert
Located in Greenwich, CT
A businessman trying to stay a step ahead of a large ring that appears to me rolling towards him. Edition of 45
Bronze
$975Sale Price|50% Off
H 8 in W 10 in D 7.5 in
After Botero Bull Bronze Sculpture, Contemporary, 20th Century, Ed. A thru Z
Located in Cuauhtemoc, Ciudad de México
After Fernando Botero – Bull Bronze Sculpture Edition A thru Z This beautifully executed bronze sculpture is an After Fernando Botero work, created in faithful homage to the artis...
Marble, Bronze
$3,600
H 34 in W 18.5 in D 9 in
Hand Carved Painted Wood Folk Art Americana Sculpture Pair American Gothic
By Curtis Jeré
Located in Surfside, FL
C. Jeré ( or Curtis Jere) is a metalwork artist of wall sculptures and household accessories. C. Jeré works are made by Artisan House. Curtis Jer...
Metal
$450
H 1.75 in W 3.5 in D 2.25 in
"Cowrie Shell" (2024) By Tony Hochstetler, Original Bronze Sculpture
Located in Denver, CO
Tony Hochstetler's "Cowrie Shell" (2015) is an original handmade bronze sculpture that depicts the shell of a cowrie. TONY HOCHSTETLER is a sculptor of unusual animals and botanical...
Bronze
Balloon Dog (Blue)
By Jeff Koons
Located in Calabasas, CA
Artist: Jeff Koons Title: Balloon Dog (Blue) Year: 2021 Medium: Porcelain with metallic chromatic coating Dimensions: 15 3/4 x 18 7/8 x 6 3/16 inches (40 x 47.9 x 15.7 cm) Edition: 7...
Porcelain
$1,100
H 18 in W 18 in D 5 in
Contemporary Sculpture Installation Still Life Flora Light Botanical Porcelain
Located in Buffalo, NY
Botanical brambles emerge in ascension from a rectangular vessel and its atmospheric purple light. “Looking Between" (Blue) (2022) by Colleen Toledano. Porcelain, flocking, light, re...
Porcelain, Resin, Lights
$1,100
H 11 in W 15 in D 11 in
Contemporary Sculpture Installation Still Life Flora Light Botanical Porcelain
Located in Buffalo, NY
Delicate green and pink flora emerge from a pool of milky white light. “Looking Between I” (2022) by Colleen Toledano. Porcelain, flocking, light, resin.
Porcelain, Resin, Lights
$945
H 13 in W 12 in D 4 in
Think Green, Two Children, Green Patina Bronze Sculpture, "In Stock"
Located in Kolkata, West Bengal
Subrata Biswas - Think Green - H: 13 Inches x W: 12 Inches X D: 4 Inches Bronze Sculpture. Subrata Biswas’s three sculptures ‘Think Green’, ‘Amigo’ and ‘City Bred’ a conscious selec...
Bronze
$3,800
H 20 in W 5.5 in D 7 in
Listening, bronze sculpture, childs portrait, black granite base, green patina
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Listening, bronze sculpture, childs portrait, black granite base, green patina 35 lbs
Granite, Bronze
Sold
H 28.5 in W 12 in D 10 in
"Mother Earth" (2016) By Linda Prokop, Original Bronze Sculpture
Located in Denver, CO
"Mother Earth" (2016) By Linda Prokop is an original bronze sculpture that depicts an abstracted portrait of a woman surrounded by a variety of animals. About the Artist: Linda Prok...
Bronze
Sold
H 9 in W 8 in
Fine 1950's French Expressionist Sculpture in Clay Nude Lady Model c.1950's
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Black Nude Sculpture by Josine Vignon (French 1922-2022) painted clay, approx: 9 x 8 inches provenance: the artists estate
Clay
Sold
H 4 in W 9 in
Fine 1950's French Expressionist Sculpture in Clay Nude Lady Model
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Artists Model by Josine Vignon, French 1922-2022 clay sculpture approx 4 x 9 inches provenance: the artists estate
Clay
"Poppies", Deep Red and Orange Glass, Vase,
Located in Detroit, MI
“Poppies” is a poetic interpretation of a garden flower rendered in exquisite colored glass by Craig Mitchell Smith. Craig is an extraordinary glass artist who is currently active in his Lansing, Michigan studio. He has changed the way we think about glass. He has received national recognition for his glass sculptures and is known throughout the United States for his solo gallery and public garden exhibitions. Craig’s revolutionary techniques in kiln-formed glass inspire experts in the field and is said to be the most innovative kiln glass artist in America today. Craig Mitchell Smith’s glass garden includes a bounty of massive dandelions gone to seed, graceful grapevines on bowing arbors, and brilliant fields of poppies and sunflowers. The Lansing, Michigan, artist has been creating floral forms in kiln-formed glass since 2006 using revolutionary techniques that have poised him as one of the most innovative kiln glass artists in America today. Originally a painter, theatrical set designer, home restorer, and flower arranger, Smith followed a random road into fused glassmaking that has now taken him around the world. Entirely self-taught in glass, the artist believes that his eclectic background and skills with stagecraft influence his methods and how he thinks about his current medium. Smith’s aesthetic is decidedly theatrical, his style painterly. Split nearly evenly between private home installations...
Metal
Fierce Wolf
Located in Bozeman, MT
Wendy Klemperer was born in 1958 in Boston, MA. Raised in Cambridge and Watertown, she was most able to explore her passion for animals and nature during summers spent at her grandmo...
Steel
Sold
H 17 in W 4.5 in D 4.5 in
Art Deco Expressionist Bronze Judaica Rabbi Sculpture Los Angeles Modernist
By Peter Krasnow
Located in Surfside, FL
Bronze Jewish Rabbi. Original Patina. Art-deco wood carved base. It is signed with initials P.K. and marked "Calif Art Bronze Fdry LA" (California Art Bronze Foundry Los Angeles). it is not dated. PETER KRASNOW (1886-1979), Russian-Ukrainian, American artist painter and sculptor, born Feivish Reisberg, was a California modernist and colorist artist known for his abstract wood sculptures and architectonic hard-edge paintings and drawings which were often based on Hebrew calligraphy and other subjects related to his Jewish heritage. Krasnow lived in Los Angeles for most of his life. Born in Novohrad-Volynskyi, Zawill, Ukraine, Krasnow immigrated to the United States in 1907, apprenticing with his father who was an interior decorator. He studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago graduating in 1916. While in New York exhibiting at the Whitney Club, he met photographer Edward Weston and began a lifelong friendship. Krasnow and his wife Rose drove cross-country in 1922 to settle in Los Angeles, where he quickly became part of a small but active art community. His notable peers included Weston, fellow artists Henrietta Shore...
Bronze
Corrida Verte
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Corrida Verte is a white earthenware ceramic plate beautifully engraved with engobe, a form of painting with colored clay, and glaze. It is stamped "Madaura Plein Feu/Empreinte Ori...
Ceramic
Young Wood Owl
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Ceramic painted in brown and black on white enamel,, glazed. With knife decoration. From an edition of 500. Height 26 cm. On the underside with the stamps: Madoura Plein Feu as well ...
Ceramic