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.
$354Sale Price|60% Off
La commode, 1986, original lithograph by Jean Jansem, handsigned
By Jean Jansem
Located in Les Acacias GE, GE
Jean Jansem (1920-2013) La commode, 1986 Lithographie sur papier Arches Signée en bas à droite et justifiée en bas à gauche 51 x 70 cm / 54 x 76 cm D'une édition à 30 exemplaires d...
Lithograph
Mid-Century Still-Life Gouache of Flowers. 'The Blue Vase'. Signed.
Located in Cotignac, FR
A mid-century still-life gouache of flowers in a blue vase by French artist J Reboa. Signed and presented in a frame under glass. A vibrant energy flows through this floral composi...
Gouache, Cardboard
Prometheus Pyrphoros, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Title: "Prometheus Pyrphoros" Artist: Derek Overfield "Pyrphoros" or "Fire-Bringer" - this painting depicts the titan Prometheus in a moment of rebellious action - looking downwa...
Acrylic
$1,890Sale Price|20% Off
Elegant Female Portrait with Red Ceramic Jar and Blue Mediterranean Shawl Oil
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Elegant Female Portrait with Red Ceramic Jar and Blue Mediterranean Shawl Artist: Federico Molina Albero Title: Female Portrait with Red Ceramic Jar Technique: Oil on canvas Support...
Oil
$6,000Sale Price|20% Off
Tenor Sermon (Gelburd/Rosenberg 70-77), Jazz Series, Romare Bearden
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Romare Bearden (1911-1988) Title: Tenor Sermon (Gelburd/Rosenberg 70-77) Year: 1979 Medium: Lithograph on vélin d’Arches paper Edition: 138/175, plus proofs Size: Paper Size:...
Lithograph
CATS
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this vibrant composition, I've joyfully blended impressionism with pop art, using acrylic and oil to bring to life these charming feline figures. The piece captures the warmth of ...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$520Sale Price|27% Off
Purple Tulips, Abstract Expressionist Blooming Flowers, Vigorous Gestures, Flora
Located in Barcelona, ES
"Purple Tulips" is an abstract expressionist painting by Romina Milano where a dance of black gestures unfolds across colorful brushstrokes infused with ...
Ink, Acrylic, Watercolor, Handmade Paper
Staircase in Taormina Sicily Expressionist Oil Painting, Signed, 1967
Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL
Staircase in Taormina Sicily 1967 Artist signed lower right corner, canvas size (36x 40). Original vintage frame. Nicola Simbari was born in Italy and grow up in Rome. He studied a...
Oil, Cotton Canvas
Amroth seascape at night
By Rupert Aker
Located in Deddington, GB
Amroth seascape at night by Rupert Aker [2021] original Oil on board Image size: H:30 cm x W:40 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:40 cm x W:40 cm x D:3cm Frame Size: H:33 cm x W:...
Oil, Board
$1,440Sale Price|20% Off
Fractured Innocence - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Abstraction, Africa
By Olajide Kuti
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 Ola...
Canvas, Acrylic
Saint Tropez
By Maurice EMPI
Located in London, GB
'Saint Tropez', oil on canvas, by Maurice Empi (circa 1970s). The best way to arrive in Saint-Tropez is probably by yacht—preferably your own. But for the vast majority of us, a walk...
Canvas, Oil
$2,240Sale Price|20% Off
Deserving More: Mixed Media Expressionist Painting, Unframed
By Bakare Abubakri-sideeq Babatunde
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
In "Deserving More," the central figure, a man, sits solemnly on a chair, his gaze piercing through the canvas to meet the audience's eyes. A subtle sadness etches his features, refl...
Fabric, Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$1,134Sale Price|20% Off
La balance romaine, 1986, original lithograph by Jean Jansem, handsigned
By Jean Jansem
Located in Les Acacias GE, GE
Jean Jansem (1920-2013) La balance romaine, 1986 Lithographie sur papier Japon Signée en bas à droite et justifiée Hors Commerce 50 x 65 cm / 54 x 76 cm Très rare exemplaire D'un...
Lithograph
Low tide by Richard Blades. Oil painting. Sunset over the sea. Turner influence
Located in Coltishall, GB
Richard K Blades mesmerizing oil painting captures the ethereal beauty of a sunset over a tranquil sea. The sky, painted in vivid hues of orange and crimson, seamlessly blends with s...
Oil, Board
Sailing Ships, Modern Art Oil Painting on Board
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Unknown Title: Sailing Ships Medium: Oil on Canvas, signed "Thoms", lower left Size: 24 x 20 inches
Oil, Board
Snowman with a flashlight 30X25
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
In my painting, I've poured my soul into capturing the whimsical joy and innocent warmth of winter's magic. Brushstrokes of oil dance across the canvas, framing a cheerful snowman as...
Oil
$708
Poppies Red 2, Expressionist Acrylic and Oil Pastel on Paper, 2010+
Located in Zofingen, AG
NOT STRETCHED. You'll receive it rolled, in a tube. Ready for stretching. I recommend stretching your painting in a local custom framing shop or gallery. It will be the most affordab...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Archival Paper
$177
Archaic Dark Patinated Bronze Pocket Head Sculpture with Golden Highlights
Located in FISTERRA, ES
Archaic-looking pocket head sculpture in dark patinated bronze with selectively polished golden highlights, individually cast and hand-finished by Spanish artist Óscar Aldonza Torres...
Bronze
Mountain Range, Oil Painting on Canvas by Jalal Gharbi
By Jalal Gharbi
Located in Long Island City, NY
A large oil painting of a dramatic Mountain Range by Tunisian-born artist, Jalal Gharbi (1920 - 2005). The painting measures 30 x 40 inches and the frame 37.5 x 47.5 inches.
Canvas, Oil
Empathy. Kind, sympathy, hugs, semi abstract, warm colors, psychology, emotional
Located in Oslo, NO
Three beings merge in a silent embrace -a white animal, a blue woman with flowers in her hair, and another blue figure resting against her. Their bodies glow with orange and yellow w...
Canvas, Oil
Voices that aren't mine. Intuition, inner world, birds, red, whimsy, psychology
Located in Oslo, NO
“Voices That Aren’t Mine” is an oil painting from Alter Ego series, inspired by Carl Jung’s analytical psychology. The series explores the inner landscape of the self — the quiet ten...
Canvas, Oil
Duality, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The expressionist landscape painting depicts houses overlooking a pond in the northeastern United States. Inspired by the works of English painters Keith Vaugha...
Acrylic
$1,800Sale Price|20% Off
Finding Solace - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Abstraction, Floral
By Olajide Kuti
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 Ola...
Canvas, Acrylic
Lady with a Parasol at the Beach, Mid-20th Century Oil on Canvas
Located in St. Albans, GB
Hubert Glansdorff Belgian 1877 – 1963 Signed bottom right Picture Size: 19 x 28" (47 x 70cm) Outside Frame Size: 27 x 36" (67 x 90cm) A rare chance ...
Oil
Dancers, 1936 Woodcut by Georges Rouault
Located in Long Island City, NY
Dancers Georges Rouault, French (1871–1958) Date: 1936 Woodcut, initialed in the stone Size: 3 x 2 in. (7.62 x 5.08 cm) Frame Size: 9.5 x 8.25 inches
Woodcut
"Valley View" (2009) by Jann T. Bass, Original Oil Painting of Landscape
Located in Denver, CO
"Valley View" (2009) by Jann T. Bass is an original handmade oil painting that depicts a lush green valley with a small lake in the middle. This painting measures 9 x 12 inches and i...
Oil, Board
German Expressionist Oil Painting Bruno Krauskopf Cubist Cafe Scene
Located in Surfside, FL
Bruno Krauskopf (Germany, 1892-1960) Outdoor Restaurant Bar Cafe Scene Oil on canvas Dimensions: Frame: H 34 in W 44 in. Canvas: H 30-1/2 in. W 40 in. ...
Canvas, Oil
"Breathe in the Warm Salty Air" (2025) Original Acrylic Painting, Whimsical
Located in Denver, CO
Leigh Ann Van Fossan's "Breathe in the Warm Salty Air" is an original acrylic and charcoal painting depicting a blue vase with flowers next to a picturesque scene featuring a blue oc...
Canvas, Charcoal, Acrylic
$1,408Sale Price|20% Off
1970’s Huge French Expressionist Green Landscape Avenue of Trees, signed oil
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Avenue of Trees French Expressionist School, signed front and back Dated 1974 oil on canvas, framed framed: 37 x 44 inches canvas: 32 x 39 inches private collection, France the p...
Canvas, Oil
Afternoon Colors, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A path leads to Mt. Diablo in this Fauvist landscape. Artist James Hartman used thick layers of oil paint to create an expressive and textured outdoor scene. In...
Oil
$950Sale Price|36% Off
Boy in Red Shirt original lithograph by Margaret Keane c 1980
Located in Paonia, CO
Boy in Red Shirt is an original lithograph by Margaret Keane c. 1980. A young boy in a red shirt is seen in front of a three story building in a city on a blue sky day. An ori...
Lithograph
$1,600
Die Prostitution by Josef Fenneker, Weimar silent film poster, Anita Berber 1919
Located in Chicago, IL
Original lithograph of Josef Fenneker’s German Expressionist poster design for the 1919 silent film Die Prostitution starring Anita Berber ...
Lithograph
Interminable, colorful abstracted male nude figure modern cubist
By Tom Bennett
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This is an oil painting on canvas with aggressive, active, colorful strokes representing a male nude figure from the waist up. Emotionally charged and...
Oil
$1,309Sale Price|30% Off
Lake view by A. Muller - Oil on canvas 60x73 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on canvas with a frame; total size 80x93 cm
Oil
H.O. Miethke Das Werk folio "The Kiss" collotype print
By Gustav Klimt & K.K. Hof-und Staatsdruckerei
Located in Palm Beach, FL
The Kiss, no. 1 from the fifth installment of Das Werk Gustav Klimts Undoubtedly Klimt’s best known and most reproduced images, this printed version of The Kiss is the only one with which Klimt was directly involved. Unveiled at Vienna’s Kunstschau 1908, and saved for the fifth and final delivery of Das Werk, The Kiss marks a triumph in Klimt’s career and represents a culmination of many themes in his oeuvre up to that point. After all of the controversy surrounding the State’s prior rejection of the University murals commissioned from Klimt, the Ministry of Education reversed their policy toward the artist with a show of wholehearted support by purchasing for the Osterreichische Galerie BelvedereThe Kiss while it still hung in the Kunstschau exhibit. Considered in relation to the eight multicolored collotypes which preceded its print debut in the Das Werk portfolio, The Kiss literally embraces all which came before it. The golden seaweed dangling in tresses from the lovers’ feet harkens back to Water Snakes I and II. The bed of flowers evokes the settings Klimt created in both The Golden Knight and The Sunflower. In fact, this image sprung out of a particularly happy summer spent in the company of Klimt’s lover, Emilie Floge...
Handmade Paper
$1,200Sale Price|20% Off
Adesewa - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, African Modern Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
This artwork was born from my reflection on the quiet resilience of the African woman, how she carries her identity with grace even when life feels heavy. I painted Adésẹwà standing ...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Your Life's Matter 2 - 21st Century Contemporary Figurative, Portrait, 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 Eli...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Francisco Zuniga, "El Rebozo Blanco, " original lithograph, hand signed
Located in Chatsworth, CA
This piece is an original lithograph done by Francisco Zúñiga in 1986. Francisco Zúñiga was a Costa Rican-born Mexican artist best known for his stylized figurative paintings and scu...
Lithograph
Joseph Solman, "Girl Reading" Expressionist Interior Figure Painting
Located in Rockport, MA
Painting size without frame: 8"x12" Painting size with frame: 12"x16" Painting is signed lower left corner. An expressive interior portrait by renowned American modernist Joseph So...
Oil, Board
Chama Canyon hand pulled serigraph by William Hook
By William Hook
Located in Paonia, CO
Chama Canyon is a limited edition hand-pulled serigraph no. 225 /260 in excellent condition. It is signed in pencil and published by Aspen Mountain Graphics. sheet size 14 x 18 image 12 x 16 For American artist William Hook ( b. 1948- ) art was a central focus in his family home and he began his career in art at an early age.. He studied at several prestigious art schools in the US and abroad. His work has been featured in magazines such as Southwest Art, Art of the West, U. S. Art, American Artist and Focus Santa Fe. The book… Leading the West… by Donald Hagerty features William Hook as one of the most notable influences on the western art scene. Publishers Harper-Collins and North Light have included his work in numerous books written about the contemporary art process in Europe and America. Hook’s paintings can be found in the permanent collections of the Denver Art Museum, the Tucson Art Museum, the University of New Mexico, the FORBES Museum, NYC, and the Genesee Museum, NY as well as in many corporate and private collections. His work has also been featured in prints for the New Mexico Symphony, Music from Angel Fire...
Screen
$1,200Sale Price|20% Off
Focus Mixed Media Painting on Canvas, Expressionist, 21st Century
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure FREE Shipping Worldwide 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 Authent...
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$28,000
Art Nouveau Poster "Marmorhouse (Der Teufel und Die Circe) by Josef Fenneker
Located in Palm Beach, FL
The painter, graphic artist, production and set designer, Josef Fenneker, is one of the most important representatives of artistic film posters of the 1910s and 1920s. He was commissioned primarily by Berlin’s Marmorhaus cinema, which was located on Kurfürstendamm and known for its first releases, as well as by Berlin film production...
Lithograph
$371Sale Price|25% Off
Marc Chagall Gold Framed Lithograph 'Le filigrane violet' Vibrant and Dreamy
By Marc Chagall
Located in Chesterfield, MI
This piece is very unique and bound to have attention drawn to it. This Chagall lithograph is straight out of a dream state, with vibrant colors and emotion seeping out from its seem...
Lithograph
$2,680Sale Price|20% Off
Don't Be Perfect, Be Real -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait Women
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 Eli...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$1,480Sale Price|20% Off
Displaced Beauty - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Woman
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Displaced Beauty challenges the shifting standards of beauty shaped by social media and societal expectations. The figure stands as a quiet resistance, embracing natural African feat...
Canvas, Mixed Media
French Fauvist Post Impressionist Oil Painting Frederick Serger Ecole de Paris
Located in Surfside, FL
Frederick Serger Genre: Post Impressionist Subject: Flowers, Poppies Medium: Oil Surface: Panel Hand signed lower left Frederick Serger (given name Frederick Bedrick Sinaberger) w...
Oil, Panel
$1,200
Interspecies Communication, colorful mythological swirling pattern orange tones
By Janet Morgan
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Watercolor, mixed media, using resists and metalic paints and old pastels. For Octopus and cephalopod fans. Janet Morgan’s explosive art captures the exu...
Mixed Media, Watercolor, Archival Paper
Little dog. pet, friendship, kind, landscape, bright, framed, woman
Located in Oslo, NO
Some journeys are not about where we are going, but who walks beside us. A woman and her little dog cross a landscape of bright mountains and colorful houses, sharing a quiet moment ...
Canvas, Oil
Three Rabbis at The Torah, Expressionist Judaica Painting
By Andre Elbaz
Located in Surfside, FL
In this painting the artist uses gestural brushstrokes, which causes distortion and exaggeration for emotional effect. Andre Elbaz uses as his subject three male figures with tefilin...
Paper, Gouache
Sangre de Christos hand-pulled serigraph by Robert Daughters
Located in Paonia, CO
Sangre de Christos is a hand-pulled, limited edition serigraph, no. 39 / 260 and is signed in pencil by the artist. Published by Aspen Mountain Graphic...
Screen
$1,260
Natalie Bird, Summer Bloom, Original Still Life Floral Painting, Affordable Art
By Natalie Bird
Located in Deddington, GB
Summer Bloom [2021] Original Flowers Mixed media on board Image size: H:45 cm x W:3 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:45 cm x W:30 cm x D:30cm Framed Size: H:45 cm x W:45 cm x D:3cm Sold Framed Please note that insitu images are purely an indication of how a piece may look Summer Bloom is an original painting by Natalie Bird...
Mixed Media, Board
$5,576Sale Price|45% Off
¨Topiaria¨. Expressionist colorful garden. Big format Oil on canvas
Located in Segovia, ES
Topiaria. Big format Oil on canvas Beautiful garden by Chico Montilla. Measurements: (H) 130 x (W) 195 x 3 cm. Framed 142 x 207 x 5 cm. Colorful expressionist view of a garden with plants that have been given artistic form through the topiary art...
Canvas, Oil
JOY. Cats original painting
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this vibrant artwork, I channel the whimsy of expressionism with touches of impressionism and pop art to create a playful scene that bursts with joy and curiosity. Using acrylics ...
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Cardboard
$878Sale Price|20% Off
20th Century French Expressionist Provencal Landscape Green Hills & Town
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
'Green Hills in Provence' French School, late 20th century oil on thin board, unframed board: 13.5 x 18 inches the painting is in overall very good and sou...
Oil
$1,200Sale Price|20% Off
"Bread" lithograph by Käthe Kollwitz
Located in Soquel, CA
Bold lithograph titled "Bread" by Kathe Kollwitz (German, 1867-1945). This piece is one of the Lithographic reproductions of the original lithographs, plate 2 from a series of 10, pr...
Paper, Ink, Lithograph
$3,544
Women. Landscape, landscape, modern, contemporary, semiabstract, warm colors
Located in Oslo, NO
This painting feels like stepping into a dream. Women in flowing black dresses stand quietly in warm, golden light. There's a softness in their mystery like they carry secrets, but t...
Canvas, Oil
Gustav Klimt "Woman in Boa" collotype from Funfundzwanzig Handzeichnungen
By Gustav Klimt
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Title page numbered: 263/450. Includes handmade, gold-leaf frame.
Paper
$2,741Sale Price|46% Off
Series "The Imaginary traveler nº29" Expressionist corner with flowers and cat.
Located in Segovia, ES
Series "The Imaginary traveler nº29" Expressionist corner with flowers and cat. Oil on linen by Chico Montilla. Measurements: (H) 100 x (W) 81 x (D) 2 cm. Framed (H) 112 x (W) 93 ...
Linen, Oil
$1,550
Still Life With Oil Lamp in a Room Interior, Expressionistic Oil on Canvas
Located in Stockholm, Stockholm
Expressionistic still life with oil lamp in a room interior, signed by Arne Roland Anderson (1915-1982) and probably painted in 1938. Oil on canvas. Signed a.r.a. lower left. Accordi...
Canvas, Oil
Chama Winter limited edition hand-pulled serigraph by Robert Daughters
Located in Paonia, CO
Chama Winter is a hand-pulled, limited edition serigraph, no. 133 /260 and is signed in pencil by the artist. Published by Aspen Mountain Graphic...
Screen