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.
$5,685Sale Price|20% Off
"Giuliana con cappello" Olio su tela cm. 50 x 60 1976
Located in Torino, IT
Opera espressionista ,sui blu e azzurri Edgardo CORBELLI (Torino, 1918 – 1989) Dal tradizionale impianto paesistico degli anni ‘30, la pittura di Corbelli sfocia in esiti tecnico-e...
Canvas, Oil Crayon
Fantasy with Flowers 14
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Fantasy with Flowers" (series of 200+ pictures) On the paper acrylic, oil pastel, felt-tip pen, ink, gold leaf, pencils, silver,mixed media. Flowers are a smile of the sun that gi...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Archival Paper
Fresh Flowers, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Flowers in different colors, shapes, and sizes unfurl from a brown vase. Artist Robert Hofherr draws inspiration from the works of Fauvist master Raoul Dufy. Th...
Acrylic
The white bench
Located in New York, NY
Here the artist captures his wife leisurely sitting on a bench while in NYC and from his paintings of New York.
Oil
Fantasy with Flowers 53
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Fantasy with Flowers" (series of 200+ pictures) paper 59x42cm On the paper acrylic, oil pastel, felt-tip pen, ink, gold leaf, pencils, silver,mixed media. Flowers are a smile of ...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Archival Paper
"Verite" original lithograph
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original lithograph. This impression on chine-colle paper was printed in 1900 and published in Paris by the Revue de l'Art ancien et moderne. Image size: 7 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches...
Lithograph
Tulips 5
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this vivid expanse of warmth and vitality, I’ve unleashed my passion through oil pastel and colored pencil, embracing expressionism, impressionism, and pop art to provoke emotion....
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Satin Paper
Lovers in Blue - Original Lithograph, Stamp signature
Located in Paris, IDF
Pierre AMBROGIANI (1907-1985) Lovers in Blue, 1974 Original Lithograph (Gourdon Workshop) Signed with the artist's stamp On vellum Arches 38 x 28 cm (c. 14.9 x 11 in) Excellent con...
Lithograph
"On the Pier" (2025), Original Impasto Oil Painting of Red House
By Sandra Pratt
Located in Denver, CO
"On the Pier" (2025) is a beautiful original impasto oil painting, created on linen panel by American artist Sandra Pratt, which depicts a picturesque pier with a red house. Born 1...
Oil, Board
Antoni COSTA Man original Figurative Academician drawing painting
By A. Costa
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
man. original figurative academician drawing painting. framed Barcelona, 1904 - Barcelona, 1965 It was formed in Buenos Aires, in the Circle of San Lucas of Barcelona and the FAD. H...
Carbon Pencil
The Joshua Tree in the Canyon, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A Joshua tree stands among yellow desert bushes, its leaves appearing to glow under the bright sun. In the distance, a blue ridge and a mountain rise. Rugged fo...
Oil
$890
Illustration Style, Exotic Flamingo Bouquet, Tropical Flowers in Red on Paper
Located in Barcelona, ES
This vibrant painting captures the striking beauty and elegant forms of Flamingo flowers. Sweeping brushstrokes and vivid colors bring these flowers to life, highlighting their styli...
India Ink, Acrylic, Watercolor
Abstract Expressionist Embrace Earth Figurative
Located in Soquel, CA
Compelling abstract expressionist painting "Embrace" figurative by San Jose, California area artist Daniel David Fuentes (American, 20th Century). From a collection of his works. Un...
Canvas, Oil
"Femme Fiere" from the suite "Les Fleurs du Mal""
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Femme Fiere" from the suite "Les Fleurs du Mal" created in 1937/38, is an original color aquatint on Montval paper by renown French artist Georges Rouault, 1871-...
Aquatint
'Portrait of a Man', by Jim Riley, Oil on Canvas Painting
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
This 19.625" x 15.625" oil on canvas painting is by American artist, Jim Riley. The painting presents a frontal, half-length portrait of a figure with wavy brown hair and a calm, int...
Canvas, Oil
$1,800
"Love Poem" (2024) by Leigh Ann Van Fossan, Original Acrylic Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Leigh Ann Van Fossan's "Love Poem" is an original acrylic depicting an impressionistic aspen landscape in soft pastel colors. Van Fossan was born in Vail, Colorado, and began oil p...
Canvas, Acrylic
$796Sale Price|20% Off
Marc Chagall, The Christ at the Clock, from Chagall, 1957
By Marc Chagall
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Marc Chagall (1887–1985), titled Le Christ a l’Horloge (The Christ at the Clock), from the album Chagall, originates from the 1957 edition published by M...
Lithograph
$9,600Sale Price|20% Off
The Breakfast Room
Located in New York, NY
A great early date for this artist where he was coming out of the origins of expressionist and fauve works of art. A unique composition depicting a woman setting out a table laden w...
Masonite, Oil
Chief American Horse - Oglalla Sioux, Lithograph by Leonard Baskin
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Leonard Baskin Title: Chief American Horse - Oglalla Sioux Year: 1973 Medium: Lithograph, Signed and Numbered in pencil Edition: 100 Size: 41 x 30 inches
Lithograph
$14,000
"Untitled" by Shana Wilson - Large Figurative Seated Nude Woman Oil Painting
By Shana Wilson
Located in Carmel, CA
Shana Wilson (Canadian, born 1966) "Untitled" 2014 Oil Paint, Canvas, Stretcher Bars The artist signed the back of the painting. About the Artist: Shana Wilson, born in Edmonton in ...
Oil, Canvas, Stretcher Bars
By the Nets - German Expressionism Woodcut Schmidt-Rottluff
Located in London, GB
KARL SCHMIDT-ROTTLUFF 1884-1976 Rottluff, Germany 1884 - 1976 Berlin (German) Title: By the Nets Bei den Netzen, 1914 Technique: Original Hand Signed Woodcut on Laid Paper Paper size: 51.2 x 62.4 cm. / 20.2 x 24.6 in. Additional Information: This original woodcut is hand signed in pencil by the artist "S. Rottluff" at the lower right margin. This is the fifth woodcut of the portfolio "Zehn Holzschnitte von Schmidt-Rottluff" [Ten Woodcuts by Schmidt-Rottluff] that was published in 1919. It was published by Graphisches Kabinett J. B. Neumann, Berlin in a limited unnumbered edition of 75 plus some proofs. The printer was Fritz Voigt...
Woodcut
$450
Abstract Expressive woman's portrait acrylic on paper "What she holds within"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This contemporary abstract expressionist woman's portrait "What she holds within "was created by the French artist Natalya Mougenot. With her hand gently resting against her chin and...
Paper, Acrylic
After the Summer Rain
Located in Zofingen, AG
"After the Summer Rain" is a vibrant abstract cityscape painted with layers of acrylic and oil on linen. The artist masterfully captures a moment of raw beauty and resilience. The p...
Acrylic, Canvas, Oil
$2,099Sale Price|30% Off
Row of Plane Trees In Winter - Maussane-les-Alpilles
By Yves Brayer
Located in London, GB
'Row of Plane Trees In Winter - Maussane-les-Alpilles', Provence, watercolour and pencil on art paper, by Yves Brayer (1946). A line of Plane trees greets visitors to almost every vi...
Paper, Watercolor, Pencil
$956Sale Price|20% Off
Marc Chagall, The Meeting of Ruth and Boaz, from Drawings for the Bible, 1956
By Marc Chagall
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Marc Chagall (1887–1985), titled Rencontre de Ruth et de Booz (The Meeting of Ruth and Boaz), from Marc Chagall, Dessins Pour La Bible (Drawings for the ...
Lithograph
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Marc Chagall, Tribe of Judah, from The Jerusalem Windows, 1962 (after)
By Marc Chagall
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph after Marc Chagall (1887–1985), titled Tribe of Judah, from the album Marc Chagall, The Jerusalem Windows, originates from the 1962 edition published by And...
Lithograph
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Marc Chagall, Odysseus Reveals Himself, The Odyssey, 1989 (after)
By Marc Chagall
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph after Marc Chagall (1887–1985), titled Odysseus macht sich bekannt (Odysseus Reveals Himself), from Homer, Die Odyssee (The Odyssey), originates from the 19...
Lithograph
$2,250
Dénudée (Unclad) - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Realism, Nude, Drawing
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Dénudée, the French word for unclad is evidently a contemplative piece-- one of passion, intimacy, and elegance, describes the feminine appearance and nature in one single case, the ...
Paper, Charcoal
$681
Portrait of a Woman - Mid 20th Century German Expressionist Lithograph Print
Located in Sevenoaks, GB
A beautiful signed and numbered limited edition lithograph depicting the portrait of a woman, by German expressionist artist Gernot Kissel. Artist: Gernot Kissel (German, 1939-2008)...
Lithograph
Sunny Lilac Branches - original lilacs painting
Located in Zofingen, AG
Impressionistic sunny painting with lilacs branches is very cozy, perfect gift, looks great in the interior will delight You and Your loved ones and be sure to give positive. May is ...
Canvas, Oil
Fantasy with Flowers 47
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Fantasy with Flowers" (series of 200+ pictures) paper 59x42cm On the paper acrylic, oil pastel, felt-tip pen, ink, gold leaf, pencils, silver,mixed media. Flowers are a smile of ...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Archival Paper
$2,000
Resilience - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Women, Africa
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by the Gal...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,850
Goddess Feels - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Plants, Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube. This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Josue M Pierre ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Fortitude
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube. This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. A difficult time can be more...
Canvas, Acrylic
Fantasy with Flowers 44
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Fantasy with Flowers" (series of 200+ pictures) paper 59x42cm On the paper acrylic, oil pastel, felt-tip pen, ink, gold leaf, pencils, silver,mixed media. Flowers are a smile of ...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Archival Paper
'Still Life of Fruit', Grande Chaumiere, Hans Hofmann, NY ASL, Monhegan, PAFA
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Signed lower right, 'A. Minewski' for Alexander Minewski (American, 1917-1979) and painted circa 1950. Born in Detroit, Alexander Minewski left home at the age of 14 to work in the circus. He subsequently worked as a sign painter and a logger. Minewski first studied at the Society of Arts and Crafts in Detroit (1936-1939) and received scholarships that allowed him to attend the Art Students League in New York City (1939-1942). There, he studied under artists including Jean Charlot, Ernest Fiene, George Grosz and Vaclav Vytlacil. During World War II, Minewski joined the army and fought as a combat engineer. Wounded in Burma while fighting with Merrill's Marauders, he spent two years there recovering from his wounds. Following his time in Burma, Minewski studied for two years on the G.I. Bill in Paris at the Académie de la Grande Chaumiere (1950-1952) and, independently, with Hans Hofmann in New York City (1952-1953). Hofmann was influential on his style and his work shifted away from a moody realism towards a fuller expressionism. In 1954, Minewski began spending his summers at the artist’s colony in Monhegan Island, Maine. While there, he was able to work and collaborate with other artists and friends such as Ted Davis...
Canvas, Oil
Ewie - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Floral, Modern, Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Born in 1993 in...
Canvas, Acrylic
In the wildflowers Original impasto Miniature oil painting for living room
Located in Zofingen, AG
"In the Wildflowers" is an oil painting where the artist's passion meets serene natural beauty. This piece blends impressionism with realism, capturing a tender moment with soft colo...
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard
"Le Bal Masque" Giuseppe Verdi Opera (Variant)
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Le Bal Masque" Giuseppe Verdi Opera, (Variant) 1967 is an original color lithograph on Japan paper by renown Austrian expressionist artist Oskar Kokoschka, 1886-...
Lithograph
Ceramic Expressionist Head in White Stoneware with Bismuth Rakú Glaze. Testa 9
Located in FISTERRA, ES
Testa 9 is an expressionist ceramic head sculpture created in white stoneware with a bismuth Rakú glaze. This ceramic head belongs to the artist’s Testas series, a body of work compo...
Clay, Glaze
"Aus dem Composanto" original woodcut
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original woodcut. The inscription on the banner translates to "Come Sweet Death". Printed in Germany in 1922 for the rare Ganymed portfolio of "Das vierte Jahrbuch der Marees...
Woodcut
Under the sun 50X70
Located in Zofingen, AG
This piece is a vibrant celebration of nature's beauty and light's transformative power. Layered with oil, each brushstroke contributes to the vivid visual symphony. The sun, breakin...
Canvas, Oil
Family, Modern Bronze Sculpture by Nili Carasso
By Nili Carasso
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Nili Carasso Title: Family Year: circa 2001 Medium: Pair of Bronze Sculptures on Base, signature and numbering inscribed Edition: 2/25 Size: Man: 11 x 7 x 4 inches ; Woman: 1...
Bronze
Irving Amen" Venice Recalled " Hand-Signed & Numbered Color Woodcut Print
By Irving Amen
Located in Plainview, NY
Irving Amen (American, 1918–2011) Venice Recalled Hand-Signed & Numbered Color Woodcut print Edition: 26/75 Radiant and architecturally expressive, Venice Recalled showcases Ir...
Woodcut
Surrealist Portrait - Original Etching (Plate signature), 1946
By Jean Cocteau
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...
Etching
Feline surrealism 70X50 oil
Located in Zofingen, AG
In my painting, I've embraced the whimsical charm of naive art while infusing it with surreal and symbolic elements. Using oil paints, I've brought two feline figures to life against...
Canvas, Oil
$796Sale Price|20% Off
Marc Chagall, The Red Horse, from XXe Siecle, 1970
By Marc Chagall
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Marc Chagall (1887–1985), titled Le Cheval Rouge (The Red Horse), from the album XXe Siecle, XXXIIe Annee, Nouvelle serie, No. 34, Juin 1970, originates ...
Lithograph
"On the Vine" (2023) By John McCaw, Expressionist Mixed Media Painting
By John McCaw
Located in Denver, CO
John McCaw's (US based) "On the Vine" is a beautiful original expressionist mixed media on canvas painting that depicts a ripe pepper plant with flowers in tow. John McCaw (b. 1967...
Mixed Media, Board
$136Sale Price|20% Off
Swiss Mountain by Karl Speglitz - Watercolor 13x17 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on paper Dimension with pass 31.7 x 24 cm
Watercolor
original etching
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original etching. Printed in 1984 on Cartiere Magnani paper at the atelier of Bruce Chandler in an edition of 1500. This work was executed by Leonard Baskin to illustrate the...
Etching
$2,084Sale Price|20% Off
Blooming tree
Located in Zofingen, AG
"In this oil painting, I endeavored to capture the ephemeral beauty of nature's awakening. With each stroke, I sought to embody the delicate dance of blossoms on a gentle breeze, inf...
Canvas, Oil
The Model, 1957 Oil on Canvas, Expressionist Nude, Signed, Framed
Located in Genève, GE
Adrien Holy (1898–1978) The Model, 1957 55,5 x 38 cm Oil on canvas, signed lower right and dated (19)57 Dimension with frame 72 x 56 x 6 cm This striking p...
Oil, Canvas
$1,380
Marina Diptych, Abstract Seascape Gestures in Blue, Acrylic Painting on Paper
Located in Barcelona, ES
This series by Enric Servera explores the relationship of humans to salt and seawater. The intention of these works is to submerge us into the sea, a salty treasure that surrounds us...
Paper, Acrylic
Lake landscape
Located in Genève, GE
Work on paper This painting depicts a dynamic harbor under a stormy sky. The artist uses energetic brushstrokes and a palette dominated by deep blues and ochres, giving the scene a d...
Gouache
Mid Century French Expressionist Oil on Canvas, Vers La Durance
Located in Cotignac, FR
French Expressionist oil on canvas of a river and mountain landscape by Gisele Grant-Gapail. The painting is initialled bottom right, signed and dated to the back of the canvas and t...
Canvas, Oil
$757Sale Price|20% Off
Provence Countryside Landscape Red Roofs French Expressionist Original Painting
By Akos Biro
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
AKOS BIRO (HUNGARIAN 1911-2002) gouache/ painting board size: 9.5 x 10.75 inches Beautifully colourful, original painting by the very popular and highly regarded Hungarian/ French p...
Acrylic
"Yonder" (2024) by Leigh Ann Van Fossan, Original Acrylic Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Leigh Ann Van Fossan's "Yonder" is an original acrylic depicting an impressionistic landscape with a stormy blue sky. Van Fossan was born in Vail, Colorado, and began oil painting ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,850
Solitude -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Women, Modern, Love
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Dan...
Canvas, Acrylic, Oil
$225Sale Price|50% Off
"Untitled": Lithograph from One Cent Life
Located in Austin, TX
Artist: Pierre Alechinsky Title: "Untitled": Lithograph from One Cent Life Year: 1964 Medium: 2 page lithograph, as printed from One Cent Life As printed with Walasse Ting poem, fro...
Lithograph
E. Strache, Handzeichnungen folio, "Reclining Girl, Half-Figure" Collotype plate
Located in Palm Beach, FL
after Egon Schiele (1890 – 1918), AUSTRIA “ART CANNOT BE MODERN, ART IS PRIMORDIALLY ETERNAL.” -SCHIELE Defiantly iconoclastic in life and art, Egon Schiele is esteemed for his mas...
Paper