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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1960s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
1990s Expressionist Art
Oil, Cardboard
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Art
Lithograph
Early 20th Century Expressionist Art
Oil, Canvas
Early 1900s Expressionist Art
Paper, Ink
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic
1910s Expressionist Art
Etching, Aquatint
1920s Expressionist Art
Lithograph, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Paper, Screen
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Peg Belcastro depicts the stream near her home that overflows its banks during spring snowmelt. Tall, slender trees surround the area. The mix of expre...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic
1960s Expressionist Art
Oil, Masonite
1960s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Sharon Sieben presents an expressionist cityscape with spirited brushwork and vibrant hues. She pictures skyscrapers over the Big Apple in a dazzling a...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Oil
20th Century Expressionist Art
Board, Oil
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Art
Oil, Wood Panel
Late 20th Century Expressionist Art
Gouache, Oil Pastel
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Oil
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Art
Lithograph
1950s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Oil
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
A gray sky looms over the distant ocean, while wisps of grass emerge from the foreground. The rugged sand contrasts with the gentle waves. Earthy browns and g...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Paper, Charcoal
Late 20th Century Expressionist Art
Gouache, Oil Pastel
1920s Expressionist Art
Etching
2010s Expressionist Art
Paper, Acrylic
1920s Expressionist Art
Paper
1890s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Stone
Late 20th Century Expressionist Art
Paper, Oil Pastel
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Art
Oil
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
1980s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
1980s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
Early 2000s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Color Pencil
1930s Expressionist Art
Paper, Gouache
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic
1920s Expressionist Art
Intaglio
1960s Expressionist Art
Oil
1970s Expressionist Art
Watercolor
1920s Expressionist Art
Other Medium
1950s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Linen, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic
1930s Expressionist Art
Oil
1930s Expressionist Art
Oil, Watercolor, Gouache
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Acrylic
1960s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
1960s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Linen, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Paper, Acrylic