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.
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1990s Expressionist Art
Oil, Wood
1950s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Acrylic, Cardboard
1950s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
Artist Comments
Food and tableware take center stage in this Fauvist still life. Instead of realistically arranging the objects on a tabletop, the piece evolved organically dur...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Acrylic
1910s Expressionist Art
Etching
Artist Comments
A tranquil landscape welcomes the beginning of autumn. A cloudy sky stretches over the vast field and the ocean, adorned with scattered trees and a puddle. The ...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Oil
1970s Expressionist Art
Paper, Oil Pastel
1970s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
1980s Expressionist Art
Etching
1970s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
20th Century Expressionist Art
Etching
Artist Comments
A nude woman strikes a seductive pose, her hair hanging gracefully in sweeping curves. Created with oil paint and graphite, the piece started as an experiment f...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Oil
1960s Expressionist Art
Board, Oil
1990s Expressionist Art
Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Art
Aquatint
1970s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
1930s Expressionist Art
Woodcut
1950s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
1960s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
1960s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
1960s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
Artist Comments
This painting features a woman as the central subject, depicted with bold textures and spontaneous brushstrokes. Her white dress against the deep blue backgroun...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Oil
Early 2000s Expressionist Art
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
1970s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
1960s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Art
Oil
Artist Comments
A red-haired girl enjoys a cup of tea on her balcony. Accompanied by her dog, they relish the night's gentle breeze as they observe the town below. The artwork ...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Mixed Media
1990s Expressionist Art
Acrylic
1990s Expressionist Art
Lithograph, Ink
1970s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
1960s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
1960s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic
1960s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
1930s Expressionist Art
Bronze
1970s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
1960s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
1950s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
2010s Expressionist Art
Acrylic
1990s Expressionist Art
Acrylic
1950s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Art
Acrylic
1950s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
1960s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
1950s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
1960s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
1950s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
Early 2000s Expressionist Art
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
1950s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
1950s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
1990s Expressionist Art
Acrylic
1950s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
1960s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
Artist Comments
A serene and mysterious atmosphere envelops a snow-covered landscape. Traces of grass dot the foreground, while a shroud of fog softly blurs the distant tree li...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Oil
1950s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
1980s Expressionist Art
Ceramic