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.
Find a collection of authentic Expressionist paintings, sculptures, prints and more art on 1stDibs.
2010s Expressionist Art
Linen, Oil, Panel
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Art
Bronze
1910s Expressionist Art
Paint
2010s Expressionist Art
Watercolor
2010s Expressionist Art
Watercolor
2010s Expressionist Art
Watercolor
Artist Comments
A cluster of agricultural buildings transforms into an exploration of color and texture. Stripped of perspective and realistic detail, the composition relies on...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Unimposing buildings and houses transform into a collection of intersecting, colorful shapes. Repetition and abstraction elevate the scene beyond its source ima...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Acrylic
Artist Comments
A small northern UK town bursts to life through Fauvist expression and colors. The flattened perspective stacks buildings atop one another, with roads and ele...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Acrylic
Artist Comments
A cluster of trees stands in the middle of a vast field, their canopies merging to create a unified presence. Against the coolness of the blue sky, the orange...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Oil
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Art
Pencil
Late 20th Century Expressionist Art
Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Art
Oil, Color Pencil, Canvas
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard, Giclée
2010s Expressionist Art
Linen, Oil
Artist Comments
Tall beach grass stretches across the foreground, with a small pool of water reflecting the sky. In the distance, layers of sand and sea stack into soft, hori...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Oil
Artist Comments
An expansive blue sky meets the ocean in a quiet, seamless horizon, with a single cloud drifting gently above. Below, the shoreline is alive with wispy grasse...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Bold and full of movement, this dynamic scene invites the viewer to wander along a riverbank lined with trees. Hints of pink and blue ripple through the scene...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Acrylic
Artist Comments
A vibrant forest opens to reveal a hidden pond, its still surface mirroring the brilliant colors of the trees. Bursts of orange, green, blue, and yellow dance...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Art
Lithograph
2010s Expressionist Art
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Fabric, Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
1960s Expressionist Art
Etching
1980s Expressionist Art
Linen, Mixed Media
1960s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic
1990s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
Late 20th Century Expressionist Art
Oil, Cardboard
2010s Expressionist Art
Oil, Giclée, Cardboard, Canvas
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
Early 2000s Expressionist Art
Etching
Early 2000s Expressionist Art
Etching
1990s Expressionist Art
Screen
1950s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
1990s Expressionist Art
Screen
1990s Expressionist Art
Screen
1980s Expressionist Art
Paper, Ink, Color
2010s Expressionist Art
Board, Color Pencil
20th Century Expressionist Art
Paper, Gouache
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Art
Pencil
1960s Expressionist Art
Offset
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard, Giclée
1910s Expressionist Art
Paper
1920s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Art
Cotton Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Charcoal, Pastel, Acrylic, Cardboard
2010s Expressionist Art
Acrylic
1980s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard, Giclée
1890s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
1930s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Tempera, Watercolor, Gouache
2010s Expressionist Art
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Wood, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic