Expressionist Art
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.
1930s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Paper, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic
Late 20th Century Expressionist Art
Woodcut
1970s Expressionist Art
Oil, Canvas
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Art
Lithograph
Late 20th Century Expressionist Art
Woodcut
Late 20th Century Expressionist Art
Woodcut
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Paper, Mixed Media
Early 2000s Expressionist Art
Drypoint
1960s Expressionist Art
Oil, Canvas
1980s Expressionist Art
Oil, Cardboard
1950s Expressionist Art
Oil Pastel
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Mixed Media
Early 2000s Expressionist Art
Oil, Cardboard, Canvas
2010s Expressionist Art
Oil
Late 20th Century Expressionist Art
Acrylic, Oil, Canvas
2010s Expressionist Art
Fabric, Linen, Thread
1980s Expressionist Art
Acrylic, Paper, Oil
1950s Expressionist Art
Cardboard, Canvas, Oil
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Art
Oil
20th Century Expressionist Art
Charcoal, Lithograph
1920s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Oil
1920s Expressionist Art
Paper, Lithograph
Early 2000s Expressionist Art
Glass, Blown Glass
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Art
Woodcut
Mid-19th Century Expressionist Art
Lithograph, Laid Paper
1960s Expressionist Art
Board, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Gesso, Ink, Panel
Late 20th Century Expressionist Art
Gouache, Oil Pastel
Late 20th Century Expressionist Art
Gouache, Oil Pastel
1980s Expressionist Art
Oil, Canvas
1940s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Oil Crayon, Oil, Archival Paper, Color Pencil, Graphite
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Acrylic, Canvas
1960s Expressionist Art
Carbon Pencil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Paper, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Oil
1910s Expressionist Art
Etching, Paper
Late 20th Century Expressionist Art
Gouache, Oil Pastel
1920s Expressionist Art
Paper
Late 20th Century Expressionist Art
Oil Pastel, Gouache
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Art
Glaze, Ceramic
1980s Expressionist Art
Paper, Watercolor
Early 2000s Expressionist Art
Drypoint
1960s Expressionist Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Paper, Pastel, Ink, Acrylic, Watercolor
1970s Expressionist Art
Acrylic, Paper
20th Century Expressionist Art
Oil
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Art
Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Art
Wool, Cotton, Yarn
1980s Expressionist Art
Oil
1960s Expressionist Art
Watercolor
1990s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil