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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
Butterfly.
Located in Zofingen, AG
Butterfly. Expressive modern abstract painting created with drops and splashes of paint on a white background! Colors are superimposed on each other and also correspond to different ...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Riddle 3.
Located in Zofingen, AG
Riddle 3. A modern abstract painting created with drops and splashes of paint that sparkle and shimmer! Colors overlap each other and also match with different spots. Many colored dr...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Water lilies 6.
Located in Zofingen, AG
Water lilies 6. Bright, expressive composition: white, pink flowers on an abstract background, created with a brush and spatula. The picture is filled with positive, solar energy. Pa...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Palm. The sun.
Located in Zofingen, AG
Palm. The sun. Expressive palm tree on an abstract, bright background. Modern. Light tones of yellow, pink, lilac, and blue are vigorously mixed on the palette, scattered over the ca...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Landscape 146 by Jean Krille - Oil on Masonite 80x100 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Jean Krillé’s paintings are known for their expressive use of color and dynamic, abstract forms, blending realism with abstraction in his depictions of nature. His landscapes often f...
Category

Late 20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Masonite, Oil

Pink extravaganza. Contemporary Abstract Acrylic Painting
Located in Zofingen, AG
Pink extravaganza. The holiday of pink flowers on a summer day creates an atmosphere of relaxation, harmony and bliss. Abstract expressionism. The picture was painted using the techn...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Landscape 147 by Jean Krille - Oil on Masonite 80x100 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Jean Krillé’s paintings are known for their expressive use of color and dynamic, abstract forms, blending realism with abstraction in his depictions of nature. His landscapes often f...
Category

Late 20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Masonite, Oil

signed original etching - Artist's Proof
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...
Category

1960s Expressionist Art

Materials

Etching

Venice, Gondolier
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this painting, I captured the timeless spirit of Venice through expressive brush strokes and a muted palette. This piece, created with oil and acrylic, embodies the blend of seren...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil, Acrylic, Cardboard

Venice, Gondolier 2
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this painting, I captured a lone gondolier upon the serene waters of Venice, blending acrylic and oil to reflect both the rough textures of life and the smooth flows of its joys. ...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil, Acrylic, Cardboard

Venice, Gondolier 1
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this piece, I've merged the free-spirited strokes of impressionism with the emotional depth of expressionism, capturing the essence of a serenely gliding gondolier in Venice. Usin...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil, Acrylic, Cardboard

Untitled Figures, by Maurice Golubov, Oil on Board Painting
By Maurice Golubov
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
This work by Maurice Golubov, is an oil painting on board, and consists of a red, green, white, grey and brown color palette. This style of art is expressionist and figurative, with ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Flowers 11
Located in Zofingen, AG
In crafting this floral scene, I merged the raw expressiveness of acrylic with the nuanced subtlety of oil to breathe life into each stroke. My approach mixes expressionism's passion...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil, Acrylic, Cardboard

Sunny day in Venice
Located in Zofingen, AG
Town. The beauty of cities is different: there are cities with museums, such as Rome, Paris. Where to look at beautiful architecture! There are also small provincial towns where lif...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil, Acrylic, Cardboard

Reclining Expressionist Nude Female Figure with Yellow, Blue, and Magenta
Located in Soquel, CA
Brightly colored expressionist nude figurative painting of a reclining nude female with bold yellow, blue, and magenta accents by Linda Goodman (American...
Category

1970s Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Graphite

Expressionist Hand Signed Lithograph - Benjamin Kopman
Located in Surfside, FL
Actual Lithograph without matte is 16" X 12". BENJAMIN KOPMAN (1887 - 1965) Painter, Illustrator and printmaker Benjamin Kopman was born in Vitebsk, Russia and emigrated to the Unit...
Category

Mid-20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Nemorum Domi, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A woodland home takes on a playful vibrancy through bold colors and simplified shapes. Layers of violet, crimson, and deep green underpainting heighten contrast...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Landscape 134 by Jean Krille - Oil on Canvas board 50x60 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Jean Krillé’s paintings are known for their expressive use of color and dynamic, abstract forms, blending realism with abstraction in his depictions of nature. His landscapes often f...
Category

Late 20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Cardboard

Venice 2
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this painting, I've merged the vibrancy of acrylics with the depth of oils to capture the tranquil essence of Venice. The interplay of light and shadow, realism and impressionism,...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil, Acrylic, Cardboard

Winter, Apples, Dunes
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this painting, I've woven together expressionism, impressionism, and realism using acrylics and oils to capture a serene, snow-blanketed landscape. The vibrant sky at dawn or dusk...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil, Acrylic, Canvas

Beautiful seascape
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this piece, I captured the ceaseless vigor of the sea. Utilizing oils, I blended expressionism with elements of impressionism and realism, allowing the tempestuous waves and tranq...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Cardboard

Light My Way, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Rocky hills glow under the warm light of late afternoon, their cool, saturated shadows adding depth and rich color to the scene. This intimate view unfolds ag...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Mixed Media

Sleepwalking 18, monochromatic dream like figures
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Monotype Dramatic imagery from Tom Bennett’s series of monotypes, blending surrealistic mindscapes with stark realism About Tom Bennett: With quick brushstrokes, Tom Bennett creates representational images of human figures and animals, emphasizing movement in a manner reminiscent of Lucien Freud, Edgar Degas and the photographer Eadweard Muybridge. Elongated and blurry, the horse racing up a hill (Canter Fritz, 2002) and the sinister cat landing a leap (Chien Blanc, 1998) elicit a sense of foreboding enhanced by Bennett’s somber palette; his female figures too reflect a grim sense of humor with their distorted nude bodies. The face of Untitled Figure (1997), for example, is obscured by layers of dark paint. Classically trained as a painter, he initially worked in oil on canvas but discovered that monotype printing enabled him to “literally push the image around,” creating an essential element of motion. To overcome the limited scale of monotypes, however, he switched to painting on slick-surfaced plastic. Tom Bennett’s practice is rooted in the classical tradition where painting and drawing from life is highly regarded. Bennett’s work is heavily influenced by Francis Bacon, Frank Auberbauch and foremost his father, Harry Bennett, who was also an artist. Tom’s time living abroad in Spain and traveling through Eastern Europe and Africa provided the artistic freedom to explore many of the techniques and subject matter that continue to define his practice. Bennett was born and raised in Connecticut. His mediums include monotypes, oil on paper, canvas or styrene board. In a technique that Tom started over 4 years ago, several of his monotypes have been painted over with oil paint using a palette knife, brush, or his fingers to re-purpose the underlying image. These works are a testament to Bennett’s ability to quickly and concisely compose an image with expressive brush strokes, foreshortened figures and expertly rendered light. Tom’s work has been featured in group and solo exhibitions worldwide. Bennett lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. He is currently represented by Tabla Rasa...
Category

Early 2000s Expressionist Art

Materials

Monotype, Archival Paper

To The One Who Knows 1 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
This piece is the first of the "To the One Who Knows" duo and is part of the "Ode to Guardians and the Impuissant" series. It is an oil on canvas painting with a central female mode...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil, Linen

Marilyn Monroe, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Marilyn Monroe is an American film actress, singer and model. The iconic image of American cinema and the entire world culture. Painted in a modern style using brushes and a palette ...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Simple Times - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Plants, Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube. This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Josue M Pierre ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Head and Leaf
Located in OPOLE, PL
Fernand Léger (1881-1955) - Head and Leaf Lithograph from 1939. Dimensions of work: 35 x 26 cm Publisher: Tériade, Paris. The work is in Excellent condition. Fast and secure shi...
Category

1930s Expressionist Art

Materials

Lithograph

"Venice Twilight", 19th Century Oil on Canvas by Charles-Clément Calderon
Located in Madrid, ES
CHARLES - CLÉMENT CALDERON French, 1870 - 1906 VENICE TWILIGHT signed "C. Calderon" (lower right) oil on canvas 15-1/4 x 21-3/4 inches (38.5 x 55 cm.) ...
Category

Early 1900s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Chagall, Tribe of Reuben, Vitraux pour Jérusalem (after)
Located in Auburn Hills, MI
Lithograph on vélin paper. Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Good condition, . Notes: From the album, Chagall, Vitraux pour Jérusalem. Published by Musée des Arts Déco...
Category

1960s Expressionist Art

Materials

Lithograph

C'est le Passe que Nous Attendons
Located in Long Island City, NY
An oil painting by Theo Tobiasse from 1967. An expressionist-style textural painting of intensely dark and vivid color palette. Inspired from the artist's personal experiences of the...
Category

1960s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

La robe verte, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Artwork inspired by Egon Schiele. Painting of a woman's bottom whose green dress is lifted and reveals her pubis and her bare legs and feet. Worked on a abstract background. Profe...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Boubou - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Plants, Women, Africa
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube. This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Josue M Pierre ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Head with Plant
Located in New York, NY
Lester Johnson "Head with Plant" 1959 oil on paper. Early figurative expressionist painting on paper. Nicely framed.
Category

1950s Expressionist Art

Materials

Paper, Oil

"Business News" (2009) by Jann T. Bass, Original Oil Painting of Landscape
Located in Denver, CO
"Business News" (2009) by Jann T. Bass is an original handmade oil painting that depicts two men sitting on a park bench. This painting measures 9 x 12 inches and is ready to hang.
Category

Early 2000s Expressionist Art

Materials

Board, Oil

Fermata Bus - Bus Stop, Urban Art, Narrative Painting, Red Bus, Collage
Located in New York, NY
Giuseppe Ragazzini’s Fermata Bus captures the fleeting and often surreal nature of urban life through a masterful blend of hand-drawn elements and collage. The central figure, semi-t...
Category

Early 2000s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media

Lovers oil on canvas painting Paris Picasso school
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Title: *An Intimate Moment* Artist: Pedro Creixams (1893-1965) Technique: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 18.1 x 15 inches Condition: Unframed Style: Expressionist portrait with ...
Category

1950s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Goddess Feels - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Plants, Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube. This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Josue M Pierre ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Giner Bueno Reparando redes original painting
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...
Category

1990s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Snow-Covered Underwood by Ernest Voegeli - Oil on Canvas 46x55 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Ernest Voegeli is an artist who has found his path through a combination of solid technique and a clear, insightful approach to color, form, and composition. While his work is primar...
Category

Mid-20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Aus dem Composanto" original woodcut
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original woodcut. The inscription on the banner translates to "Come Sweet Death". Printed in Germany in 1922 for the rare Ganymed portfolio of "Das vierte Jahrbuch der Marees...
Category

1920s Expressionist Art

Materials

Woodcut

GOLDEN REFLECTION
Located in Aventura, FL
Original mixed media painting on canvas. Hand signed on front; signed, dated and titled on verso by the artist. Canvas is stretched. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate o...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media

Evening Venice
Located in Zofingen, AG
In crafting this piece, I was enchanted by the interplay of light and water, aiming to evoke the tranquility of a serene sail at dusk. Using a mix of acrylic and oil, I blended reali...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil, Acrylic, Cardboard

Bridge in Venice 2
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this acrylic canvas, I've poured my soul into capturing the dance of light on Venice's waters. The brushstrokes marry realism with a dreamy impressionism, expressing the city's he...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil, Acrylic, Cardboard

Entrance of sailboats to Venice
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this painting, I've channeled the serene yet vibrant spirit of maritime life, blending realism with expressive strokes reminiscent of impressionism. The sailboats and gondola, set...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil, Acrylic, Cardboard

Fela The Black President -21st Century, Contemporary, Africa, Activism Democracy
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure FREE Shipping Worldwide Ships in a well-protected tube. This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. Fela’s Demonstration Of Craze: Nothing has changed since Nigerian Afrobeat music pioneer, Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti, known professionally as Fela Anikulapo Kuti, or simply Fela, gave his own epic and hilarious breakdown of Democracy [1980]. As Nigerians all over the world remember and celebrate Democracy Day on June 12, yearly. Fela described Democracy as simply Demonstration of Craze. Looking at it critically, it makes all the sense that there is to be derived from the word. Nigerians have not only been crying from time immemorial, it is not a different scenario today as the same hands are still running the cabal. Nothing has changed, despite the ‘change’ mantrum. Here’s what he said, “Now I mentioned Democracy. In English, an English man...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic

Wonderland small scale seated woman with large bouquet soft green colors
Located in Brooklyn, NY
ABOUT Stephen Basso Stephen Basso's highly original pastels and oil paintings are romantic, yet thought provoking fantasies. His whimsical works are alive with boundless imaginat...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Red Roses In Red Glass Beaker 12.29.08
Located in New York, NY
Colored Pencil on Museum Board Signed and Dated; Impressed with artist's stamp lower right Archivally framed with black float mount and bleached maple surround.
Category

Early 2000s Expressionist Art

Materials

Board, Color Pencil

Large Mid Century French Expressionist Signed Oil Horse Racing Scene
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Horse Race French expressionist artist, mid 20th century signed oil on artist paper, unframed artist paper: 20 x 25.5 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: ov...
Category

Mid-20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil

Big Wave 50X70
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this piece, I wanted to capture the raw, overwhelming energy of the ocean. The swirling blues and frothy whites embody the ocean's untameable spirit. As you look, you can almost h...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Mid-Century Modern Expressionist Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Modern Expressionist oil painting on canvas with several texturing techniques and a fiery hot use of color. Signed in the lower right F. Howard and titled on the back Royal Hunt of t...
Category

20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil

Cristal de Roche from Le Reincarnations du Pere Ubu, by Georges Rouault
Located in Long Island City, NY
Cristal de Roche from Le Reincarnations du Pere Ubu Georges Rouault, French (1871–1958) Date: 1928 Aquatint on Arches, signed in the plate Image Size: 12.5 x 8 inches Size: 17.5 x 13...
Category

1920s Expressionist Art

Materials

Aquatint

Blue Tulips
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this vibrant piece, I passionately layer acrylics, oil pastels, and colored pencils to capture the dynamic essence of nature's rebirth through tulips. My brush strokes breathe lif...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Acrylic, Satin Paper, Oil Pastel

West End, colorful gestural abstract painting
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Abstract cityscape indebted to Matisse's "View of Notre Dame."
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Charcoal, Oil, Permanent Marker

"Evening in purple." Original Oil Painting by Liliya Volskaya
Located in Zofingen, AG
The paintings are drawn with oil on the hardboard (back side made of the double cardboard). Evening in purple. This dream scene uses hues of purple, pink, blue, and blue. A gorgeous...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Lacquer, Oil

Roses in a blue vase 50X70 oil painting.
Located in Zofingen, AG
As the creator of this piece, I immersed myself in the beauty of nature's transience, capturing the ephemeral grace of roses in a dance with light and shadow. Through my oil paints, I embraced impressionistic touches that convey the delicate interplay of petals with the serene blue of the vase, evoking a moment of...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

To Fly High and Often, from the Wild Woman Series, a colorful powerful woman
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Colorful image of a powerful woman encouraging us to go beyond our limits. This painting is in a series called the Wild Woman which is also printed in a pocket sized book. Watercol...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Watercolor, Archival Paper, Mixed Media

"Village Alley II" By Sandra Pratt (2023), Original Cityscape Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"Village Alley II" is a beautiful original oil painting, created on linen panel by American artist Sandra Pratt, which depicts a small Spanish village walkway. Born 1978, Sandra Pra...
Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Seated Woman (1958) by Chana Orloff (1888–1968)
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Chana Orloff (1888–1968) Seated Woman, 1958 Bronze, Height: 55 cm Signed, dated, and numbered 3/8 Stamped with foundry mark Susse Fondeur, Paris A masterful example of Chana Orloff’...
Category

Mid-20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Bronze

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.

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