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.
$457Sale Price|20% Off
Seine and Eiffel Tower Lithograph, Expressionist, Framed, 1960s
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
Firmado a plancha en la parte inferior Se presenta enmarcada (el marco presenta algunas faltas y se enviará sin cristal para evitar posibles roturas) Medidas de la litografía: 46 c...
Lithograph
Kinder halten Essensschüsseln, Expressionist Lithograph by Kathe Kollwitz
Located in Long Island City, NY
Kathe Kollwitz, German (1867 - 1945) - Kinder halten Essensschusseln (Children holding Food Bowls), Year: 1923, Medium: Lithograph, Image Size: 16 x 11 inches, Frame Size: 25.2...
Lithograph
In Line
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork "In Line" 1974 in a oil painting on canvas by Irish artist Rita Lipton, b.1916. It is signed and dated at the lower left corner by the artist. The canvas size is 24 x 12...
Oil
Raventos Blue Boat original expressionist acrylic painting
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Escritura y Barcos original expressionist acrylic painting RAVENTÓS Mª Assumpció – (San Sadurní d’Anoia, Barcelona 1930). Raventos trained at the elite Sant Jordi School of Fine Arts...
Acrylic
"Kopf" original woodcut
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original woodcut. This bold and striking Expressionist woodcut was printed in 1920 for Genius. Image size: 9 1/2 x 7 inches (240 x 180 mm). This original Rouveyre print is fr...
Woodcut
$3,200Sale Price|20% Off
In Bloom - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Realism, Nude, Black and White
By Sayeed Momoh
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
As in the process of the creation of In Bloom, a blatant ensembling of thoughts and becoming lurked around the process, masked and dropped against a suspended figure in an intimate-a...
Paper, Charcoal
Marc Chagall, The Lovers, from Tales of Boccaccio, 1950 (after)
By Marc Chagall
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Marc Chagall (1887–1985) (after) Title: The Lovers (Les Amoureux) Year: April 20, 1950 Medium: Lithograph on velin paper Paper Size: 14 x 10.5 inches (35.56 x 26.67 cm) Condi...
Lithograph
$1,310Sale Price|20% Off
French Mid Century Interior Wood Burner Stove Still Life Oil Painting Framed
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title French Mid Century Interior Wood Burner Stove Still Life Oil Painting Framed Key Details Artist: French School, mid 20th century, signed Title: Inter...
Oil
$4,280Sale Price|20% Off
In This Moment - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Men, Fashion
By Gobe Joseph
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 Gob...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
French watercolor 1960s "Rural Landscape" signed by Rousseau-Grolée.
Located in Valladolid, ES
Gorgeous French watercolor, 1960s, "Rural Landscape," signed by Rousseau-Grolée. The composition depicts a bucolic, figurative rural landscape rich in narrative and descriptive detai...
Paper
$15,600
Portrait
Located in Atlanta, GA
Eugène Lavieille began his career engraving works by Jean-François Millet and Charles Emile Jacque and was, by 1841, studying with the greatest French landscape painter of the centur...
Oil
Morning at Canyonlands, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A morning scene unfolds at the Canyonlands National Park in Utah. The rising sun lights up the landscape, creating purple shadows on the cliffs with beautiful...
Mixed Media
$801
Polish Figurative Mixed Media Drawing on Paper, Etruscan-Inspired, Signed, 1988
Located in NANTES, FR
Created in 1988, this signed mixed-media work on paper by Léon Levkovitch presents a densely populated, imaginary world of stylised human figures, enigmatic faces and hybrid forms. A...
Paper, Mixed Media
Polish Etruscan-Inspired Mid-Century Figurative Mixed Media on Paper, circa 1970
Located in NANTES, FR
This signed mixed media artwork on paper by Léon Levkovitch, created circa 1970, presents a compelling vision of the human figure inspired by ancient Etruscan art. A central, elongat...
Paper, Mixed Media
$961Sale Price|30% Off
Jazz Night Abstract Expressionist Oil on Board, Signed, 39.2x30 cm
By Thierry Miramon
Located in Cotignac, FR
Late 20th century abstract expressionist oil on board representation of a lively jazz night by French artist, Thierry Miramon, signed top left and pres...
Acrylic, Board
$514
Contemporary expressionist dog's portrait animal painting "Cool companion"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
"Cool Companion" is an Expressionist-style dog portrait by French artist Natalya Mougenot, part of her ongoing series dedicated to dogs that celebrates the profound, unconditional bo...
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,742Sale Price|25% Off
Expresionist Ceramic and Bronze Bust Sculpture with Fragmented Surface
Located in FISTERRA, ES
This figurative ceramic and bronze bust sculpture highlights a fragmented surface that evokes repair, continuity and embodied memory. Part of the Xentes series by Spanish sculptor Óscar Aldonza...
Bronze
"Lago Maggiore" original lithograph
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original lithograph. Catalogue reference: Jentsch 91. This impression on wove paper was printed in 1919 for Das Kestnerbuch, an important collection of original prints publis...
Lithograph
ANNA TAMAYO 7.19.2 Barcelona Port Olimpic Acrylic Painting, Expressionist
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Anna Tamayo. 1971.An expressionist painter seeks to capture her mood in each of her works. She does this through themes ranging from the most realistic urban landscapes to the most d...
Wood, Acrylic
Judaica German Expressionist Watercolor Painting Lithograph Israeli Bezalel Art
Located in Surfside, FL
Jacob Steinhardt 1887-1968 Lithograph hand colored with watercolor painting. Plate signed and pencil signed lower right Dated 1921 Judaica Shtetl scene with Rabbis and synagogue. ...
Watercolor, Lithograph
signed original etching - Artist's Proof
By Jack Levine
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original soft ground etching. Signed in pencil and annotated "Artist's Proof". Printed in 1967 for the Dreigroschen Film portfolio and published by Touchstone Publishers. Thi...
Etching
$347Sale Price|20% Off
Deux danseuses, 1995, original lithograph by Jean Jansem, handsigned, numbered
By Jean Jansem
Located in Les Acacias GE, GE
Jean Jansem (1920-2013) Deux danseuses, 1995 Lithographie sur papier Arches, justifiée et numérotée EA Signée en bas à droite 22 x 17 cm / 32 x 26 cm Bibliographie: Catalogue raiso...
Lithograph
$304Sale Price|20% Off
Brutalist Graveside Scene Patriotic Dead Soldier, Gas Mask & Skeletons
By Nicholas Sperakis
Located in Exton, PA
Brutalist colored woodcut circa 1976 by Nicholas Sperakis. The image depicts skeletal figures around the grave of a soldier. Note the American flag features which drape the entombed ...
Woodcut
"Portrait of a Boy (Rupert Doone)" original woodcut
By Edward Wadsworth
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original woodcut. Catalogue reference: Colnaghi 142. Published in London in 1921 by Herbert Furst at the Little Art Rooms for inclusion in the "Modern Woodcutters 4" volume, ...
Woodcut
$801
"Many within" Contemporary figurative portrait of women acrylic painting paper
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
"Many within" is a contemporary figurative mixed-media painting by French artist Natalya, created in her ongoing series dedicated to women, exploring feminine identity, inner transfo...
Paper, Acrylic
$272Sale Price|20% Off
20th Paris School Collage Cutout Artwork Wonderful Interior Design options!
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
"Collage" by Bernard Herzog (French, b.1935) signed lower corner signed and stamped verso with catalogue number photo collage cut outs on paper, unframed overall paper: 25.5 x 20 in...
Photographic Film, Magazine Paper
$2,800
Raventos Trumpet Violin Red Black original expressionist mixed media
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Raventos. trumpet. violin .score. red. black Fiddle music sheet" original expressionist mixed media painting RAVENTÓS Mª Assumpció – (San Sadurní d’Anoia, Barcelona 1930). Raventos ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,680Sale Price|20% Off
Let The Poor Breathe -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
Christus, 1961 (Expressionist, Spiritual Theme)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Richard Haizmann Christus, 1961 Woodcut Year: 1987 (printed) Size: 33.66 x 24.01 inches (85.5 × 61 cm) Stamped verso by the Estate, signed "Dr. Wolfgang Wesiack" COA provided *Will ...
Woodcut
$640Sale Price|20% Off
Peintre dans son atelier, 1969, original lithograph by Jean Jansem, handsigned
By Jean Jansem
Located in Les Acacias GE, GE
Jean Jansem (1920-2013) Peintre dans son atelier, 1969 Lithographie sur papier Rives Signée en bas à droite et justifiée en bas à gauche 39 x 52 cm / 56 x 76 cm D'une édition à 120 exemplaires Bibliographie: Jansem Lithographe, 1954-1983, de Francony Editeur, Nice, 1984, n. 211, reproduit p. 53, référencé p. 231. "Ma première lithographie date de 1954. Elle représente un enfant en haillons portant deux seaux d'eau, d'après un croquis rapporté de Cordoue lors de mon voyage en Espagne en 1952. Je l'exécutai sur pierre, au pinceau et à l'encre lithographique. Je fus déçu du résultat et n'en tirai qu'un essai et une épreuve. Quatre ans plus tard, je réalisai une dizaine de nouvelles lithographies, toujours sur pierre, la plupart en noir. Au lieu d'employer l'encre et le crayon...
Lithograph
$4,006
"Girl with lilac" Oil Painting by Elena Lukina (2017) – Impressionism Canvas
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Girl with lilac" (2017) is an evocative original oil painting from the acclaimed series "The Garden of Resonance: Floral Symphony", exploring the profound harmony of a spring lands...
Canvas, Oil
$524Sale Price|20% Off
Provence Fishing Harbour French Expressionist Original Painting
By Akos Biro
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
AKOS BIRO (HUNGARIAN 1911-2002) watercolour / gouache, size: 9.75 x 6.25 inches Beautifully colourful, original painting by the very popular and highly regarded Hungarian/ French pa...
Oil Pastel, Gouache
Ducks in Central Park, New York, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Ducks gracefully glide on a pond, echoing the harmonious rhythm of Central Park. The vibrant blue water reflects the bridge and surrounding fiery autumn foliage...
Oil
Carved banana wood sculpture, expressionist bust, astonished face
Located in Carballo, ES
Hand-carved sycamore wood sculpture by the artist Álvaro de la Vega (1954, Lugo, Spain) in 2008. It is part of a series of sculptures of facial expressions. The sculpture measures 41...
Wood
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Gaze 2 - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Fashion
By Gobe Joseph
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 Gob...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Bloom 2 - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Fashion
By Gobe Joseph
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 Gob...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Gaze 3 - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Fashion
By Gobe Joseph
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 Gob...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Rebirth 2 - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Fashion
By Gobe Joseph
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 Gob...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Rebirth 1 - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Fashion
By Gobe Joseph
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 Gob...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
Contemporary figurative dog's portrait acrylic painting on canvas "Stylish pup"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
“Stylish Pup” is a contemporary acrylic dog painting by French artist Natalya Mougenot, part of her expressive ongoing series devoted to canine personalities. With her distinctive p...
Canvas, Linen, Acrylic
Egon Schiele: Paintings, Watercolors, Drawings
By Rudolf Leopold
Located in New York, NY
Rudolf Leopold (Austrian, 1925-2010) , "Egon Schiele: Paintings, Watercolours, Drawings", London, 1973 Publisher: Phaidon, Uk, 1973 INCLUDES ORIGINAL EGON SCHIELE ARTWORKS...
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Come A Long Way 2 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Portrait, Oil, Modern, Fashion
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, Oil
Lieder des Pierrot Lunaire - Woodcuts by Conrad Felixmüller - 1910s
Located in Roma, IT
Complete suite of 11 plates in artist’s proof (in search for the final colours) on thin Japan paper, with Author’s hand-written title, date, notes and signature in pencil. 5 of the p...
Paper, Woodcut
$2,600Sale Price|20% Off
Culture 3 Acrylic 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, Acrylic
"Lighthouse of Peggy's Cove" - Impasto Expressionist Coastal Landscape Painting
By Sandra Pratt
Located in Denver, CO
"Lighthouse of Peggy's Cove" is a beautiful original impasto oil painting, created on linen panel by American artist Sandra Pratt, which depicts a lighthouse on a rocky peninsula, st...
Oil, Board
$1,800Sale Price|20% Off
African Beauty -21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Women, Africa
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
The beauty of Africa lies in the faces of its people, a beauty that reveals itself to those who take the time to truly see. Through this artwork, I aim to showcase the rich and diver...
Canvas, Acrylic
Blue, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A woman peacefully floats in a world of sand and sea. Layers of blue and ochre blend her figure with the surroundings, creating a dreamlike effect. Artist Richa...
Acrylic
untitled, Drawing, Pencil/Colored Pencil on Paper
Located in Yardley, PA
Emotions are important. For example, when I look at a picture that caught my attention, I get in a certain mood that I think is very important. A starting point for the works are oft...
Pencil
The Songs of Songs of King Salomons
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist: Teo Tobiasse (French/Israeli, 1927-2012) Title: "The Songs of Songs of King Solomons" Year: 1975 Medium: Color lithograph Edition: Numbered LVII/C in pencil Paper: Jap...
Lithograph
The Lonely Tree, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The landscape captures the quiet power of a solitary tree standing against the horizon. The bright pink color of its leaves and the field in the foreground cont...
Acrylic
"Colors of friendship"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
The painting explores the idea that friendship is not defined by similarity, but enriched by differences. Each child carries a distinct personality and presence, yet their closeness ...
Canvas, Acrylic
"Alone"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Alone is an intimate figurative painting created during the period of war and personal solitude in 2026. The work emerged from a time of isolation, when the presence of another perso...
Plywood, Acrylic
Flamingo on Gold -Blazing Gradie : Very Thick paper, oil pastel, 70x100cm.
Located in Zofingen, AG
A masterpiece exploring avian elegance, vibrant color theory, and the infinite. This large-scale paper composition captures a sublime transition from a shimmering gold canvas into a...
Oil Pastel, Archival Paper
Kubrick Shining Scarf : Fashionable Cashmere/Modal blend Scarf
Located in New York, NY
Claudia Doring-Baez, "Kubrick Shining Scarf", 2021, Cashmere/Modal blend, 26 x 71 in. Beautiful scarves created by artist Claudia Doring-Baez with her paintings printed on high qual...
Fabric, Wool
Mirando al Cielo 13 - Murmuration Countryside Landscape Photograph
By Rosa Basurto
Located in Brighton, GB
Mirando al Cielo 13 is a beautiful 30cm x 30cm Digital Print on 50cm x 50cm Cotton Paper. This is a Limited Edition of 9 + 2 Artist Proofs in this size. Rosa Basurto is a self-taug...
Color, Digital, Photographic Paper, C Print
Raventos Blue Navy Sunrise original abstract mixed media
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
original abstract painting. virtual framed RAVENTÓS Mª Assumpció – (San Sadurní d’Anoia, Barcelona 1930). Raventos trained at the elite Sant Jordi School of Fine Arts in Barcelona. ...
Acrylic, Cardboard
Giner Bueno Reparando Las Redes Painting, Acrylic Canvas, Framed
By Giner Bueno
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Giner Bueno (1935-2000) Reparando Las Redes Painter from Alicante, son of the painter Luis Giner Valls. He studied at the School of Arts and Crafts of Valencia and finished his stu...
Canvas, Acrylic
Tulips, Touch : paper, oil pastel, 70x100cm. Very Thick paper
Located in Zofingen, AG
A masterpiece exploring tactile intimacy, floral movement, and the infinite. This large-scale 70x100cm paper composition captures a sublime transition from vibrant organic textures i...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Archival Paper
'Court' — WPA Social Conscience, Woman Artist
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Claire Mahl Moore, 'Court' also 'The Authorities', woodcut, 1936, edition 5. Signed 'Mahl' and titled in pencil. A fine, richly-inked impression, on ...
Woodcut
Mirando al Cielo 3 - Lone Walker Countryside Murmuration Landscape Photograph
By Rosa Basurto
Located in Brighton, GB
Mirando al Cielo 3 is a beautiful 30cm x 30cm Digital Print on 50cm x 50cm Cotton Paper. This is a Limited Edition of 9 + 2 Artist Proofs in this size. Rosa Basurto is a self-taught...
Photographic Paper, Color, Digital, C Print