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.
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
The painting beautifully captures a blue globe adorned with an array of plants and flowers. The enchanting hues of light magenta and dark green create organic a...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Acrylic
1990s Expressionist Art
Oil Pastel
1950s Expressionist Art
Watercolor
Artist Comments
This painting sets a moody tone, employing a mainly blue color scheme with expressive brushwork. The stylized ships evoke emotions rather than realistic portray...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Acrylic
Artist Comments
This painting follows the Fauvist style of using vibrant colors, expressive brushstrokes, and simplified drawings to depict the subject. The foreground captures the interior of a ship leading toward a bridge on the horizon. The treatment of the elements adds to the artwork's expressionist charm and graphic quality.
About the Artist
Artist Robert Hofherr paints fauvist expressions, infusing his work with a strong statement reflected in his bold application of colors and spontaneous brushwork. Robert refrains from depicting a scene in its literal sense and lets the viewer reimagine a piece with their imagination. Following art school, Robert spent decades as an advertising and graphic design professional. "After my children had grown and became independent, I reconnected with painting," shares Robert. Inspired by the French artists Maurice de Vlaminck and André Derain, he now paints in an unused bedroom in his home, often accompanied by the soothing melodies of classical music. When he is not working...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Acrylic
20th Century Expressionist Art
Gouache, Board
20th Century Expressionist Art
Ink, Watercolor
1970s Expressionist Art
Acrylic, Canvas
Artist Comments
Artist Diana Elena Chelaru depicts figures grooving to the pulsating beat of the music. Bright lights cast vibrant hues across the scene, adding an electrifying...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
In this lively and spirited painting, five figures revel in the music and each other's company. Tones of blue and orange embrace their forms as they hit the dan...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Acrylic
1980s Expressionist Art
Tapestry
1920s Expressionist Art
Woodcut
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Art
Aquatint
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Etching
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Late 20th Century Expressionist Art
Oil, Canvas
Artist Comments
A pink spring-flowering bulb defies its seasonal nature and blooms in the fall. Its leaves brushed with gold paint, emerge from a green vase made from stamped papers. The bold colors and varying textures, made with glued leaves, some stamping, and carved marks, add dynamic energy to the composition.
About the Artist
In 1999, Jodi Dann seized the opportunity to become a full-time painter. Today, her paintings read like hazy memories of imagined faraway places. The compositions are abstract, but possess strong architectural elements, recalling bridges, arches, and doorways. Each piece retains an overall sense of place without prescribing a location, allowing the viewer to form an individualized connection with the work. Jodi paints from her cozy studio on her property in Oregon while listening to a variety of music on Pandora. She doesn’t feel the need to strive for perfection in her work. “Life isn’t perfect,†says Jodi. “Why force a painting to be?â€
Words that describe this painting: floral, collage, paper, papers, stamps...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Mixed Media
2010s Expressionist Art
Bronze
Artist Comments
A lone tree stands in the middle of a vast meadow, with a single cloud hovering over it. Its leaves, painted in shades of yellow and red, subtly hint at the cha...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Oil
1940s Expressionist Art
Oil, Canvas
Early 19th Century Expressionist Art
Charcoal
Artist Comments
A woman holds her dress as she walks on the beach. The bright golden light outlines her body, setting her apart from the abstract purple horizon in the background. With broad brushstrokes, artist Connie Millholland...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Oil
1990s Expressionist Art
Watercolor
Artist Comments
The painting portrays a tree with colorful foliage in the middle of a vast field. The leaves are painted yellow and red, with a hint of purple. The wind gently ...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Oil
1990s Expressionist Art
Oil Pastel
Artist Comments
This painting shows a happy moment between friends dancing with each other. They close their eyes and lift their hands, fully immersing themselves in the experi...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Acrylic
Artist Comments
"I confess that I almost always choose red when painting flowers," says artist Sharon Sieben. She presents vibrant blossoms within an earth-tone vase, creating ...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Acrylic
20th Century Expressionist Art
Woodcut
Artist Comments
This is a piece of art from Scott Dykema's horse series. In the artwork, the horse is depicted as a unique and significant animal. The image is full of striking...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Artist Diana Elena Chelaru captures the essence of movement in her composition, where two figures dance, swaying to the rhythm. Bright beams from the strobe lig...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Acrylic
20th Century Expressionist Art
Encaustic
2010s Expressionist Art
Acrylic
1930s Expressionist Art
Aquatint
1920s Expressionist Art
Woodcut
2010s Expressionist Art
Oil, Acrylic
1960s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
Early 2000s Expressionist Art
Acrylic
1990s Expressionist Art
Oil Pastel
1990s Expressionist Art
Oil Pastel
1980s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
Artist Comments
With a bold palette and expressive brushstrokes, artist Robert Hofherr paints a teapot adorned with flowers on an iron chair. "The use of an abstract and colorf...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Acrylic
16th Century Expressionist Art
Handmade Paper
1960s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Art
Oil, Acrylic
1920s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Art
Etching
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Acrylic
1960s Expressionist Art
Paper, Lithograph
Artist Comments
Artist Kip Decker presents a vibrant portrait of five Native Americans on horseback. They collectively look out and watch for the unforeseen, surrounded by colo...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Acrylic
Early 2000s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Art
Lithograph
1990s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic