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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1920s Expressionist Art
Pencil
1960s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
Early 1900s Expressionist Art
Paper
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
The first light of dawn bathes distant mountains in fiery oranges, contrasting with the cool blues and purples of the rugged cliffs below. Loose, sweeping brush...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Mixed Media
1960s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
2010s Expressionist Art
Acrylic
Artist Comments
A small path winds through a quiet woodland, reimagined with bold color and subtle texture. The few bare trees create visual tension. The rest of the forest tak...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Acrylic
1960s Expressionist Art
Oil, Board
Early 2000s Expressionist Art
Acrylic, Archival Paper
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Handmade Paper, Gouache
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Gouache, Handmade Paper
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Art
Lithograph
2010s Expressionist Art
Watercolor
1990s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
1950s Expressionist Art
Conté
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Artist Comments
The composition depicts an expressionist rendition of a winter forest. It transforms grays, tans, and browns into lavender, rust, and deep blue. Simplified de...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Acrylic
1970s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
1960s Expressionist Art
Oil, Board
1970s Expressionist Art
Oil, Board
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic
1990s Expressionist Art
Paper, Oil Pastel
Early 2000s Expressionist Art
Paper, Watercolor
Early 2000s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic
1970s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Acrylic
1970s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
1960s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
A solitary cloud in a bright blue sky stretches over the sea. The water meets the shore with small waves rolling in. The grass adds texture in the foreground. H...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Oil, Canvas
Late 20th Century Expressionist Art
Lithograph
1960s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
2010s Expressionist Art
Fabric
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
1980s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
1950s Expressionist Art
Oil, Cardboard
1960s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
1970s Expressionist Art
Masonite, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Oil, Board
Mid-19th Century Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Art
Cotton Canvas, Oil
1960s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard, Giclée
1930s Expressionist Art
Oil
Early 2000s Expressionist Art
Board, Color Pencil
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard, Giclée
2010s Expressionist Art
Oil, Board
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard, Giclée
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Paper, Mixed Media
2010s Expressionist Art
Board, Color Pencil
Late 20th Century Expressionist Art
Lithograph