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Expressionist Art

EXPRESSIONIST STYLE

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.

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Style: Expressionist
Item Ships From: Europe
Snowman in a fairy forest
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this oil painting, I've captured a whimsical snowman, the embodiment of winter joy. The expressive strokes and vibrant palette evoke the crisp, enlivening air of a snowy forest. T...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Fiona - original abstracted women form painting - contemporary figurative art
Located in London, Chelsea
This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet Contemporary Art Gallery and online. Vibrant, expressive, and bursting with energy, Fiona (Sketch 2...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Poolside 4-original figurative abstract female form painting-contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet Contemporary Art Gallery and online. Poolside 4 radiates the feeling of sun-drenched leisure, where...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Sylvie, fond rouge, 1995, original lithograph by Jean Jansem, handsigned
Located in Les Acacias GE, GE
Jean Jansem (1920-2013) Sylvie, fond rouge, 1995 Lithographie sur papier Arches Signée en bas à droite et justifiée en bas à gauche 64,5 x 50 cm / 76 x 56 cm Bibliographie: Impri...
Category

Late 20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Church of Saint-Nicolas du Chardonnet in Paris
Located in London, GB
'The Church of Saint-Nicolas du Chardonnet, Paris', gouache on art paper by Lucien Génin (circa 1930s). In Paris' 5th Arrondissement the site in which Saint-Nicolas du Chardonnet is ...
Category

1930s Expressionist Art

Materials

Paper, Gouache

Pelican 1974 - Expressionist animal art watercolour/gouache bird painting
Located in London, GB
This beautiful large vibrant animal painting is by Aubrey Williams, Guyanese artist. It is a watercolour/gouache painting of a magnificent Pelican and painted in 1974. Williams has r...
Category

1970s Expressionist Art

Materials

Watercolor

Sea. Sailboat
Located in Zofingen, AG
"In this oil painting, I've infused the canvas with the tranquil yet invigorating spirit of the sea. The sailboat, a focal point, carries within it a sense of adventure and freedom. ...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Soulmate Modern Figurative Oil Painting by Ukranian Artist Dasha Pogodina
Located in Zofingen, AG
Participant SOLO EXHIBITION in Thun, Switzerland "Strength, and Vulnerability" December 2022. Please get in touch with us if you have any questions about this artwork. MATERIALS: Th...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Pont Neuf Paris Misty River Seine Scene, French Expressionist Signed Oil
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: French School, signed and dated 1970's Title: Pont Neuf, Paris Medium: signed oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas: 9.5 x 13 inches Provenance: private collec...
Category

20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil

Pink bouquet 35X35 oil painting.
Located in Zofingen, AG
In my creation, I sought to capture the fleeting beauty of life through vibrant strokes, harmoniously blending realism and impressionism. This oil painting is a celebration of nature...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Colorful vase by Jean Krillé - Oil on wood 92x65 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Of Germanic descent, the painter Jean Krillé was born in 1923 in Switzerland. His father, writer and poet, oriented him towards art and culture. From the age of 16, he enrolled at th...
Category

Late 20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil

Somerset Lake by Joanna Commings, Original art, landscape art, Impasto art
Located in Deddington, GB
Somerset Lake by Joanna Commings [2021] original and hang signed by the artist Acrylics on canvas Image size: H:50 cm x W:60 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:50 cm x W:60 cm ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic

Frosch Serenade - Drawing by L. von Hoffmann - Early 20th Century
Located in Roma, IT
Frosch Serenade is an original drawing in watercolour and pencil on paper, realized by Ludwig Von Hofmann . Framed. In very good conditions. The artwork represents a nude woman-bu...
Category

1910s Expressionist Art

Materials

Watercolor, Pencil

Mid 20th Century Modernist; 'Meadow Landscape with Wildlife' Expressionist oil
Located in Frome, Somerset
A fine Modernist/Expressionist oil by listed Swedish artist Sune Blomqvist (1919-1989) 'Meadow Landscape with Wildlife' circa 1950-60. oil on canvas 33cmx41cm gallery frame 40cmx48cm...
Category

1950s Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil

Fiesta campestre - Óleo sobre tela
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
La obra va firmada por el artista en la parte inferior y en la trasera va firmada a lápiz La obra se presenta enmarcada Medidas obra: 41 cm. altura x 60 cm. ancho Estado de conser...
Category

Early 19th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil

Reliefs Alpins
Located in Miami, FL
Her work with signs, symbols and esoteric spirituality reflects her passion for the ancient past and represents a symbolic return to the ground from which we emerged. Her work creates a commentary about “beginnings” and the transmission of signs and emotions through visual elements evoking a spiritual essence to our scientific notion of etymology. After studying under Rolf Dürig...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Villa the Private Pool-original abstract figurative painting-contemporary art
Located in London, Chelsea
This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet Contemporary Art Gallery and online. "Villa the Private Pool" by Iryna Yermolova is a captivating a...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Lavender scent
Located in Zofingen, AG
"In this oil painting, I sought to capture serenity and harmony. The brushstrokes radiate a calm energy, marrying the soft purples and blues of a blooming lavender field with the gen...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

White boat
Located in Zofingen, AG
"In this oil painting, I've captured a solitary boat mirroring life's simplicity. The palpable textures and the interplay of light and shadow reflect an in...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Summer Soirée
Located in Coltishall, GB
Summer Soirée. Inspired by Rachaels life in Norfolk where she she enjoys dog walks along the North Norfolk coast and working in her studio close to the Norfolk Broads. Surrounded by ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Acrylic

Christmas souvenir 80X80 oil painting
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this oil painting, I've poured my soul into capturing the warmth and vitality of the holiday spirit. Each stroke embodies the lush richness of the red petals, contrasting with th...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Riverside
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this piece, I channeled the serene yet vibrant essence of nature's transitions. Wisps of oil paint blend to capture the fleeting moments when light kisses the landscape, creating ...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Love and umbrellas 60X80 oil painting
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this oil painting, I've intertwined expressionism with impressionist touches to capture a couple's serene walk under a vibrantly hued autumnal canopy. The realism of the wet path ...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Evening colors by the river
Located in Zofingen, AG
"In this oil painting, I sought to capture the tranquil yet vibrant essence of nature's beauty. Melding impressionism with touches of realism, I've layered texture and color to evoke...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Sunflower 50X40
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this piece, I've explored the juxtaposition of life's ephemerality and enduring warmth. The sunflower, despite its wilting state, is a vibrant focal point that offers a moment of ...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Sunflower 50X40
Sunflower 50X40
$1,908 Sale Price
21% Off
Summer #4, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Acrylic on unmounted canvas. Belongs to a series started in the summer 2020. I like going to the beach to sketch people . The beach is a place where you get all types of live models ...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Nude with a yellow medallion by William GOLIASCH - Oil on canvas 46x81 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on canvas Gilded wood frame 85 x 50 x 2 cm
Category

Mid-20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil

Romance in Paris 55X40 oil on canvas
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this oil painting, I've captured the essence of love and beauty inspired by the enchanting city of Paris. The vivid, soft brushstrokes of the blooming roses in the foreground are ...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Ancestor Face - Original lithograph
Located in Paris, IDF
Bengt Lindström (1925-2008) Ancestor Face Original Lithograph Printed signature in the plate Numbered / 400 ex On vellum 31 x 22.5 cm (c. 12 x 9 in) Excellent condition
Category

Late 20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Snow peaks 60X50
Located in Zofingen, AG
Through the textured layers of oil paint, I've sought to express the raw, exhilarating power of nature. My brushstrokes breathe life into this canvas, capturing the dynamic interplay...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Snow peaks 60X50
Snow peaks 60X50
$1,968 Sale Price
25% Off
Stéphanie au collant à damier, 1989, original lithograph by Jean Jansem, signed
Located in Les Acacias GE, GE
Jean Jansem (1920-2013) Stéphanie au collant à damier, 1989 Lithographie sur papier Arches Signée en bas à droite et justifiée en bas à gauche 50 x 65 cm / 54 x 76 cm Bibliographi...
Category

Late 20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Flower Bomb, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
“Flower Bombâ€
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil

In the Kingdom of Ice 50X70
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this painting, I've unleashed a cascade of raw emotion onto the canvas, blending realism with strokes of expressionism to capture the majesty and serenity of a glacial kingdom. The palette resonates with the cool tranquility of snow-capped peaks and the deep, reflective waters, inviting the viewer into a moment of stillness...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Pegasus and the Witches (after Shakespeare's Macbeth) 1974. 46x38cm
Located in Riga, LV
Vladimir Glushenkov (1948-2009) (May 21, 1948, Riga - December 26, 2009, Riga) - painter, graphic artist, poet, translator. Vladimir Glushkenkov was born in family with Russian-Poli...
Category

1970s Expressionist Art

Materials

Tempera, Cardboard

Rêveries, Female nude, Oil, figurative, Contemporary Expressionism, French Art
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Sophie Dumont's oil painting captivates the viewer with a bold representation of a reclining woman, seen from behind. The artist's style, characterized by rounded and sensual figures...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil

Autumn flowers. Cardboard, oil, 70x50 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Edgars Vinters (1919-2014) Edgars Vinters is working in oil, watercolor and monotype techniques. He paints landscapes in different seasons and flowers. In 1970 the significant place...
Category

1990s Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil, Cardboard

Les palmiers original oil on canvas painting
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Unframed Manuel Capdevila i Massana (Barcelona, ​​December 28, 1910 - April 18, 2006) was a Catalan painter and goldsmith, son of the goldsmith Joaquín Capdevila y Meya and father o...
Category

1970s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Port Provençal by Bürgisser - Oil on wood 27x35 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Oil on cardboard with frame. Total size with frame is 47x39 cm Artist from Zurich Switzerland, unknown from the gallery
Category

20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil

Provence Sunset French Expressionist Original Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
AKOS BIRO (HUNGARIAN 1911-2002) watercolour/ gouache painting on card, signed size: 7.75 x 10.75inches Beautifully colourful, original painting by the very popular and highly regard...
Category

Late 20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil Pastel, Gouache

Provence Fishing Harbour French Expressionist Original Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
AKOS BIRO (HUNGARIAN 1911-2002) watercolour / gouache, size: 9.75 x 6.25 inches Beautifully colourful, original painting by the very popular and highly regarded Hungarian/ French pa...
Category

Late 20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil Pastel, Gouache

Sunset over the Sea, French Expressionist Original Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
AKOS BIRO (HUNGARIAN 1911-2002) watercolour/gouache size: 7.75 x 11 inches Beautifully colourful, original painting by the very popular and highly regarded Hungarian/ French painter...
Category

Late 20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil Pastel, Gouache

Still life with flowers and apple. Oil on paper, 39. 5 x 30 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Still life with flowers and apple. Oil on paper, 39. 5 x 30 cm Victor Karnauh (1950, Dnepropetrovsk Oblast, Ukrainian SSR – 2012, Dnepropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine) – a painter, a monu...
Category

1990s Expressionist Art

Materials

Paper, Oil

Beautiful sea
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this oil painting, I've captured the raw, spirited dance of the sea. Through energetic strokes and a rich palette, I blended realism with expressionism to evoke the ocean's majest...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Beautiful sea
Beautiful sea
$1,240 Sale Price
20% Off
Still life with Oranges and Owls, Oil On Canvas, Floral, Interior, Still life
Located in Deddington, GB
Still Life with Oranges and Owls is an Original Painting by Eleanor Woolley. Painted in the Artist's Gloucestershire Studio this miniature painting shows a still life of a selection of objects arranged by the Artist. Twos stone owls sit atop a stack of books, with two small oranges and a pear. A small jug of flowers slightly obscures the window. We can see out into the garden, where there are texturally painted trunks...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil

Figure on Sandy Beach Boat & Dog, French Expressionist Original Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
AKOS BIRO (HUNGARIAN 1911-2002) watercolour/ gouache painting size: 7.5 x 11 inches Beautifully colourful, original painting by the very popular and highly regarded Hungarian/ Frenc...
Category

Late 20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil Pastel, Gouache

Pieretto Bianco (Italian painter) - Early 20th century figure painting - Satyr
Located in Varmo, IT
Pietro Bianco Bortoluzzi, known as Pieretto Bianco (Trieste 1875 - Bologna 1937) - Satyr and Nymph. 50.5 x 50.5 cm without frame, 57.5 x 57.5 cm with frame. Oil on cardboard, in a ...
Category

Early 20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Bright Orange - Joanna Flatau, Contemporary art, Expressionist painting
Located in Paris, FR
A tribute to Amy Winehouse Acrylic paint on canvas Signed Unique work Joanna Flatau was born in Varsaw, Poland. She graduated from Varsaw History of Arts University and from the F...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Jean Dufy, 1925 watercolour painting of the port of Le Havre, France
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Jean Dufy (French, 1888 – 1964) Vue de port du Havre, circa 1925 Watercolour on paper Signed ‘Jean Dufy’ (lower right) and inscribed on the reverse 19.1/4 x 23.1/4 in. (48.5 x 59 cm....
Category

20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Surrealist Portrait - Original Etching (Plate signature), 1946
Located in Paris, IDF
Jean Cocteau Surrealist Portrait, 1946 Original etching Printed signature in the plate On BFK Rives vellum, 32,5 x 25 cm (c. 12,7 x 9,8 inch) Edition limited to 300 copies (unnumber...
Category

1940s Expressionist Art

Materials

Etching

Spanish Shadows - Original, Contemporary, Cityscape
Located in Deddington, GB
Spanish Shadows is an Original Painting by Eleanor Woolley. This painting is inspired by the Artist trips to Spain, the hot pink tones reflecting the heat on the streets. Long shadow...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Earth Goddess - Triptych, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Original semi-abstract figurative acrylics painting on canvas, painted edges and ready to hang. The "Earth Goddess - Triptych", symbolizes all life and fertility, who is nourishing, ...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Acrylic

The Royal Storm, Original Skyscape Painting, Contemporary Statement Art
Located in Deddington, GB
The Royal Storm By Sheryl Roberts [2021] Please note that insitu images are purely an indication of how a piece may look A vibrant powerful depiction of the dramatic skies in a pano...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

20th Paris School Collage Cutout Artwork Wonderful Interior Design options!
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
"Collage" by Bernard Herzog (French, b.1935) signed lower corner signed and stamped verso with catalogue number photo collage cut outs on paper, unframed overall paper: 25.5 x 20 in...
Category

Mid-20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Photographic Film, Magazine Paper

Low tide by Richard Blades. Oil painting. Sunset over the sea. Turner influence
Located in Coltishall, GB
Richard K Blades mesmerizing oil painting captures the ethereal beauty of a sunset over a tranquil sea. The sky, painted in vivid hues of orange and crimson, seamlessly blends with s...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Patient, Doctor, Death and Devil - Etching and Aquatint by E. Nolde, 1911
Located in Roma, IT
Patient, Doctor, Death and Devil, is an original etching and aquatint on paper, realized by Emil Nolde in 1911, hand-signed, titled and numbered IV.5, total edition 30 copies in 5...
Category

1910s Expressionist Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

Man with bird, Painting, Acrylic on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
My paintings and drawings are very personal, they capture my everyday life, my reaction to things I experienced, either yesterday, in my childhood or even events I imagine. My portra...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Studies - Original Offset and Lithograph by George Grosz - 1923
Located in Roma, IT
Studies is an original offset and lithograph realized by George Grosz. The artwork is the plate n.10 from the portfolio Ecce Homo published between 1922/1923, edition of Der Malik-V...
Category

1920s Expressionist Art

Materials

Paper, Lithograph, Offset

British Mid 20th Century watercolour on board still life painting of flowers
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Derrick Latimer Sayer (British, 1917 – 1992) A vase of summer blooms Watercolour on board 24.3/4 x 16.3/4 in. (60.3 x 42.5 cm.) Sayer studied at the Chelsea School Art under Henry Mo...
Category

20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Watercolor, Board

Mid-Century French Feutre on Paper. In the Stables..
Located in Cotignac, FR
Mid Century French feutre drawing on paper of a Provençal stable with horses by Jean Arène. Signed and dated bottom left and presented in a wooden frame under glass. This evocative...
Category

Mid-20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Paper, Felt Pen

"Erste Beruhrung" First Stirrings
By Ernst Neuschul
Located in Brecon, Powys
Oil on canvas, signed and dated 'EN [19]63' lower right, titled and dated to stretcher, numbered 33 and with paper label 34 to stretcher, From the family of the artist by direct des...
Category

1960s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Expressionist art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Expressionist art available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add art created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of orange, blue, purple, green and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Iryna Kastsova, George Grosz, Stephen Basso, and Marc Chagall. Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Oil Paint and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Expressionist art, so small editions measuring 1 inches across are also available.

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