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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
Le Duet
Le Duet

Le Duet

By Paul César Helleu

Located in Los Angeles, CA

PAUL CÉSAR HELLEU Le Duet. Color chalks and pencil on tan wove paper, circa 1900. 653x500 mm; 25 3/4x19 3/4 inches. Signed in pencil, lower right recto. Framed size: 36.5 x 31 x 1....

Category

Early 20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Chalk, Pencil

Red Fox Meadow - Fall Colorado Oil Painting
Red Fox Meadow - Fall Colorado Oil Painting

Red Fox Meadow - Fall Colorado Oil Painting

Located in Boston, MA

Red Fox Meadow Oil on cavas 36.0 x 24.0 x 1.25, 5.0 lbs Artist's Commentary: "Colorado is beautiful in the Fall. This is a lovely natural area right in between neighborhoods her...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil

English Girls Are Mean

English Girls Are Mean

By Todd White

Located in Toronto, ON

24" x 19" Unframed Limited Edition Face Mounted Acrylic Giclee on Canvas with Hand Embellishment of 45 Hand Signed by Todd White Todd white captures restaurant, night and Hollywood...

Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Giclée

Peach blossom in Spring (85cm x 105cm), Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Peach blossom in Spring (85cm x 105cm), Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

Peach blossom in Spring (85cm x 105cm), Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

Located in Yardley, PA

Peach blossom is the most beautiful and popular flower in the North of Vietnam, loved by many people and displayed during Tet. Peach tree is considered the quintessence of the Five ...

Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Fisherman
Fisherman

Fisherman

Located in Austin, TX

By Pep Suari 39" x 39" Acrylic on Canvas

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Fast Balls Curve Balls

Fast Balls Curve Balls

By Todd White

Located in Toronto, ON

27" x 34" Unframed Limited Edition Giclee with Hand Embellishment of 75 Hand Signed by Todd White Todd white captures restaurant, night and Hollywood scenes with contrasting colors ...

Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Giclée

original etching

original etching

By Leonard Baskin

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...

Category

1980s Expressionist Art

Materials

Etching

"Grand Studio Celebration Variation, " Mixed Media signed by David Barnett
"Grand Studio Celebration Variation, " Mixed Media signed by David Barnett

"Grand Studio Celebration Variation, " Mixed Media signed by David Barnett

By David Barnett

Located in Milwaukee, WI

"Grand Studio Celebration Variation" is an original mixed media piece by David Barnett. The artist signed the piece in the lower right and used watercolor, ink, and iridescent acryli...

Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Archival Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Watercolor, Rag Paper

Flowers In A White Pitcher Still Life
Flowers In A White Pitcher Still Life

Flowers In A White Pitcher Still Life

By Theresa Bernstein

Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL

Flowers in a white pitcher oil on canvas, signed, circa 1927. canvas 19 3/4 x 15 1/4 framed 25 3/4 x 21 1/4 Second still life painting available as shown on photo. Theresa Ferber Bernstein-Meyerowitz (March 1, 1890 – February 13, 2002) was a Polish-born American artist, painter, and writer. The only child of European immigrants Isidore and Anne (Ferber) Bernstein, Theresa was born in Krakow on March 1, 1890. She graduated from the Philadelphia School of Design for Women...

Category

1920s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Moon Spirit Dancer, " Oil on Canvas
"Moon Spirit Dancer, " Oil on Canvas

"Moon Spirit Dancer, " Oil on Canvas

By Bruno Surdo

Located in Chicago, IL

Chicago-based fine art painter Bruno A. Surdo is classically trained in drawing and oil painting in the tradition of Renaissance masters. With strong command of the human form, Surdo creates dynamic compositions of people and places that communicate a rich commentary on the world around him. Depicting trees from personal encounters, Surdo’s latest body of work entitled “Tree Spirits” takes us on a foray into the forest, where leaves, branches and burls express something deeply personal. Applying his mastery of figurative realism to the natural world, he experiments with form and texture to uncover the intangible spirits of trees. This large-scale painting entitled “Moon Spirit Dancer...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil

Raventos  SEA AND BLUE SKY  original expressionist mixed media canvas
Raventos  SEA AND BLUE SKY  original expressionist mixed media canvas

Raventos SEA AND BLUE SKY original expressionist mixed media canvas

By Maria Asuncion Raventos

Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL

RAVENTÓS Mª Assumpció – (San Sadurní d’Anoia, Barcelona 1930). Raventos trained at the elite Sant Jordi School of Fine Arts in Barcelona. Raventós expanded her studies in etching and...

Category

Late 20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media

Hard Candy

Hard Candy

By Todd White

Located in Toronto, ON

40" x 30" Unframed Limited Edition Giclee with Hand Embellishment of 100 Hand Signed by Todd White Todd white captures restaurant, night and Hollywood scenes with contrasting color...

Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Giclée

Fallobst, Painting, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper
Fallobst, Painting, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper

Fallobst, Painting, Acrylic on Watercolor Paper

By Karin Goeppert

Located in Yardley, PA

Fallobst, which means Windfall or Fallen Fruit in English is a nature inspired painting. I love the warm colors of autumn and the scent of apples in the air. I worked on strong wate...

Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Man with Pipe (John Rothschild), Alice Neel
Man with Pipe (John Rothschild), Alice Neel

Man with Pipe (John Rothschild), Alice Neel

By Alice Neel

Located in Fairfield, CT

Artist: Alice Neel (1900-1984) Title: Man with Pipe (John Rothschild) Year: 1979 Medium: Lithograph on Arches paper Edition: XXXVIII/L; 150 Arabic Numerals, 50 Roman Numerals, plus p...

Category

1970s Expressionist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Blue Testament 10 -21st Century, Contemporary Figurative Portrait, Modern Africa

Blue Testament 10 -21st Century, Contemporary Figurative Portrait, Modern 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. About Artist Dan...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Flower Field, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Flower Field, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

Flower Field, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

By Karin Goeppert

Located in Yardley, PA

Flower Field ist a large acrylic painting in glowing colors. The grey in the paintings really highlights the brillant reds. The work is ready to hang and signed on the front, the ...

Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Acrylic

'O'Tannenbaum' original color silkscreen signed on verso, Christmas tree, winter
'O'Tannenbaum' original color silkscreen signed on verso, Christmas tree, winter

'O'Tannenbaum' original color silkscreen signed on verso, Christmas tree, winter

By Ruth Grotenrath

Located in Milwaukee, WI

'O'Tannenbaum' (Artist's #30129) is an original color silkscreen print by Ruth Grotenrath, signed by the artist on verso. Influenced by the works of Expressionists like Henri Matisse and the woodblock prints of early modern Japanese artists like Katsushika Hokusai, Ruth Grotenrath's 'O'Tannenbaum' combines the expressive use of color of the former with the precision of the latter to create a Christmas card that is as vibrant as it is subtle. Depicting a pine tree decked with ornaments and stockings, Grotenrath has rendered the tree-topping star as a ball of flames to analogize the warmth and spirit of the holiday season. Original color silkscreen 6.625 x 4 inches, silkscreen 14.375 x 11.375 inches, frame Signed in screen on verso inside-letter Framed to conservation standards using archival materials including 100 percent rag matting and mounting materials, Museum Glass to inhibit UV damage and reduce glare, and housed in a gold finish wood frame. "The paintings of Ruth...

Category

1940s Expressionist Art

Materials

Screen

Cat Face
Cat Face

Cat Face

Located in Austin, TX

By Pep Suari 39" x 39" Acrylic on Canvas

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Market in Grodek

Market in Grodek

By Emil Orlik

Located in New York, NY

Emil Orlik (1870-1932), Market in Grodek, etching and aquatint, 1898, signed in pencil lower right, in very good condition, trimmed just outside of the platemark and so with a small ...

Category

1890s Expressionist Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

Abschied (Parting)

Abschied (Parting)

By Emil Nolde

Located in New York, NY

Emil Nolde (1876-1956), Abschied (Parting), etching and aquatint (tonal effects), 1906, signed in pencil lower right. Reference: Schiefler/Mosel 20, third state (of 3). One of only...

Category

Early 1900s Expressionist Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

Looking Through the Window
Looking Through the Window

Looking Through the Window

By Pierre Roussel

Located in Sheffield, MA

Pierre Roussel French, 1927-1995 Looking Through the Window Oil on Canvas 21 ½ by 28 ¾ in, w/ frame 29 ¼ by 36 ½ in Signed lower right

Category

Late 20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil

'Elisabeth'  — German Expressionism
'Elisabeth'  — German Expressionism

'Elisabeth' — German Expressionism

By Karl Michel

Located in Myrtle Beach, SC

Karl Michel, 'Elisabeth', woodcut, edition 20, 1923. Signed, dated, and numbered 'op.142b' and '12/20' in pencil. Signed in the block, lower left. Annotated 'Vorgesdruck' [artist’s proof] in pencil. A fine impression, on heavy fibrous Japan paper, with full margins (1 3/16 to 3 1/2 inches), in good condition. Printed by the artist, With the artist’s blindstamp in the bottom center margin. Scarce. Matted to museum standards, unframed. Image size 4 15/16 x 6 inches (131 x 152 mm); sheet size 10 x 6 inches (254 x 152 mm). ABOUT THE ARTIST Karl Michel (1889-1984) was a noted graphic designer and expressionist printmaker during Germany's pre-Nazi Weimar Republic (1919-1933). Michel’s work was the subject of a feature article in the influential German graphic design magazine Das Plakat (The Poster) in 1920. An anti-war advocate, Michel created a suite of 12 wood engravings depicting his impressions of the humanitarian toll of WWII entitled ‘Humanitas’ (Humanity). The German publishing house Greifenverlag published the series in a reduced folio of unsigned prints. Michel’s graphic work is held in the permanent collections of the Auckland War Memorial Museum (New Zealand), Frederikshavn Kunstmuseum & Exlibrissamling (Denmark), Museum of Applied Arts (Budapest), The Robert Gore Rifkind Center for German Expressionist Studies at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the German Expressionism...

Category

1920s Expressionist Art

Materials

Woodcut

Village of Iseh, Bali (1948)
Village of Iseh, Bali (1948)

Village of Iseh, Bali (1948)

By Theo Meier

Located in Amsterdam, NL

Theo Meier (1908-1982) View of the Village of Iseh, painted from the house of Theo Signed and dated 48 Theo Meier lower left Oil on canvas, 68.5 x 50 cm In original frame carved by the artist. Note: Theo Meier arrived in Bali in 1936 with the intention of going on to Tahiti where he had been before. However Bali turned out to be the paradise he had been searching for in his dreams and he had no desire any more to move elsewhere. Bali at that time was still a very traditional place where society lived according to an acient religious system and in a luscious tropical setting the modern world was ignored. Here he met Walter Spies...

Category

Mid-20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Rosewood, Oil

Versailles (France) original lithograph vintage SNCF travel poster
Versailles (France) original lithograph vintage SNCF travel poster

Versailles (France) original lithograph vintage SNCF travel poster

By Maurice Milliere

Located in Spokane, WA

Original Versailles, France vintage lithograph French travel poster. Printed by the French National Railroad, SNCF in the 1938's. Printer: Goossens. A poster fit for a king since he once resided here at Versailles. Transform your living space with the elegance and grandeur of the Versailles Original Poster. This exquisite piece captures the breathtaking beauty of the iconic Palace of Versailles, showcasing its majestic fountains and lush gardens. The vibrant colors and intricate details bring to life the opulence and historical significance of one of the world's most renowned landmarks. The grand fountains had a chariot and horses...

Category

1930s Expressionist Art

Materials

Lithograph

"The storm", Painting, Oil on Canvas
"The storm", Painting, Oil on Canvas

"The storm", Painting, Oil on Canvas

Located in Yardley, PA

One of a kind original Oil painting by Ukrainian artist Alisa Onipchenko-Cherniakovska - Canvas painting stretched and ready to hang (NOT FRAMED. The sides are painted with acrylic. ...

Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil

Marc Chagall, The Opera, from Derriere le miroir, 1954
Marc Chagall, The Opera, from Derriere le miroir, 1954

Marc Chagall, The Opera, from Derriere le miroir, 1954

By Marc Chagall

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite lithograph by Marc Chagall (1887–1985), titled L'Opera (The Opera), from the folio Derriere le miroir, No. 67–68, originates from the 1954 edition published by Maeght ...

Category

1950s Expressionist Art

Materials

Lithograph

"Woman Desired by Man" original woodcut
"Woman Desired by Man" original woodcut

"Woman Desired by Man" original woodcut

By Max Pechstein

Located in Henderson, NV

Medium: original woodcut. Printed in 1920 for the Deutsche Graphiker der Gegenwart portfolio, and published in Leipzig by Klinkhardt & Biermann in an edition of 500. Catalogue re...

Category

1920s Expressionist Art

Materials

Woodcut

Winterstimmung 2, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Winterstimmung 2, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

Winterstimmung 2, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

By Karin Goeppert

Located in Yardley, PA

3 small paintings which convey the joys and beauty of winter. It mustn't be a dark season. The works are painted with acrylic colours on canvas. They are ready to hang. They are prot...

Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Acrylic

IT HAPPENED IN THE PARK
IT HAPPENED IN THE PARK

IT HAPPENED IN THE PARK

By Herbert Siebner

Located in Vancouver, CA

Herbert Siebner (1925-2004) was a German-born Canadian painter whose work is characterized by its expressive use of color and texture, and its exploration of themes of war, exile, an...

Category

1960s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Board

Oil on panel Green Landscape by Damián Segarra Codina Catalan School
Oil on panel Green Landscape by Damián Segarra Codina Catalan School

Oil on panel Green Landscape by Damián Segarra Codina Catalan School

Located in Valladolid, ES

Beautiful and chromatically intense coastal landscape by Damián Segarra Codina, a Catalan artist born in 1936. Nationally renowned, he has exhibited in various cities across Spain. T...

Category

1970s Expressionist Art

Materials

Wood

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.