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.
French Expressionist Provence Luberon Poppy Field Oil Painting Ambrogiani Style
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title French Expressionist Provence Luberon Poppy Field Oil Painting Ambrogiani Style Key Details Artist: French School, mid 20th century Subject: Provençal landscape, believed to de...
Oil
Shadows of Winter, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Long shadows from winter trees stretch across the pale snow in the morning Massachusetts sun. Angular brown strokes suggest the trees, contrasting with the swir...
Acrylic
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
Versailles (France) original lithograph vintage SNCF travel poster
Located in Spokane, WA
Original Versailles, France vintage lithograph French travel poster. Printed by the French National Railroad, SNCF in the 1938's. Printer: Goossens. A poster fit for a king sin...
Lithograph
French Modernist Oil Painting Expressionist Village Farm Landscape Ecole Paris
By Henri d'Anty
Located in Surfside, FL
Framed 21 X 18 canvas 13 X 10 Henri Maurice D'Anty, listed French artist,Henry d'Anty 1910-1998 Born 1910 in Belleville France. Died in December 4 1998. Educated at the Académie de...
Canvas, Oil
American Expressionist color crayon drawing, Nude reclining, signed
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Reclining Model in the Studio Interior Crayon on laid paper, c. 2000 signed lower right (see photo) A vigorous expressionist rendering of a model reclining in the studio. Condition: ...
Crayon
L’étoile, from the series Fantômes
By Diana Markosian
Located in Los Angeles, CA
L’étoile, from the series Fantômes, 2025. © Diana Markosian / Aperture Framed and Signed Magnum/Aperture square print sale Diana Markosian takes an intimate approach to her photogr...
Archival Pigment
$2,680Sale Price|20% Off
One Mind With Many Thoughts - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Sometimes, our thoughts can be the enemy. We need to be careful about our thoughts because we can lose ourselves. Life can be tough, filled with challenges and difficulties, but it's...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Metaphysical Expressionism in Watercolor
Located in San Francisco, CA
Alexander Aizenshtat (born 1951) is a French-Austrian artist of Russian origin known as the founder of "metaphysical expressionism." This watercolor painting on paper can be describe...
Watercolor
$2,444
Shadow marshes. Richard K Blades. Painting of sea at sunset. Turner influence.
Located in Coltishall, GB
A warm sunset over Norfolk's Cromer beach. Between Thoughts is a sublime oil painting that captures the mesmerizing tranquility of a sunset over thw North Sea. The horizon is ablaze...
Oil, Board
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
$920Sale Price|20% Off
Aro Meta - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Expressionism, Art Deco
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Ààrò mẹ́ta kò lè da ọbẹ nú In Yoruba, it literally means the tripod or the proverbial three-legged stool. It carries an even deeper meaning in the customs and mysteries of rituals i...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Early 20th Century German Expressionist
Located in San Francisco, CA
Bit of a mystery oil on masonite. Painting is marked "Germany" on reverse stretcher. It is a powerful expressionistic landscape scene. It measures 7 inches high by 7 wide. The frame ...
Oil
Majestic Lion, Impressionist Animal Painting, Oil on Canvas, 2026
By Oksana 5
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Original oil painting captures the ultimate power, dignity, and raw emotion of the King of the Jungle. Created with high-quality oil paints on canvas using an expressive impasto tech...
Oil
Flowers in the morning dew, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
By LE ANH TUAN
Located in Yardley, PA
Flowers in the morning dew The most beautiful flowers are in the early morning. When the dawn just dawned, the petals began to gradually bloom, with the water lily, the lotus in th...
Acrylic
Chagall At Pace/Columbus - Marc Chagall - Lithography
By Marc Chagall
Located in Winterswijk, NL
"Chagall At Pace/Columbus" by Marc Chagall Exhibition poster Color offset lithography Signed in the print Publisher: Pace Gallery, Columbus
Color, Lithograph
"Laquais" from the suite "Les Fleurs du Mal"
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Laquais" from the suite "Les Fleurs du Mal" created in 1937, is an original color aquatint on Montval paper by renown French artist Georges Rouault, 1871-1958. I...
Aquatint
$2,277
"Eternal Bond" Contemporary figurative expressionist oil painting of two women
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
"Eternal Bond" is a contemporary figurative painting by French artist Natalya Mougenot, measuring 80 x 60 x 1.5 cm / 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.6 in. Created in her expressive and intuitive s...
Canvas, Oil
Elena Lukina: Solar Echoes: Relic Tea Light. Academic Style Oil Painting.
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
In the still life "Solar Echoes: Relic Tea Light" (2017), Elena Lukina builds a sophisticated modern impressionism composition featuring a sunflower and a porcelain teacup curated fo...
Canvas, Oil
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
$1,127
Arms like a swan's wings Original impasto Miniature oil painting for living room
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Arms like a swan's wings" captures the ethereal beauty of the Swan Lake Ballet. I poured my passion into this original oil painting, expressing moti...
Canvas, Oil
$2,400Sale Price|20% Off
Ray of Hope - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Abstraction, Floral, Women
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
$956Sale Price|20% Off
Marc Chagall, The Accordionist, from Chagall, 1957
By Marc Chagall
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Marc Chagall (1887–1985) Title: The Accordionist (L’Accordeoniste) Year: 1957 Medium: Lithograph on velin paper Paper Size: 9.06 x 15.75 inches (23.01 x 40 cm), with centerfo...
Lithograph
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
$455Sale Price|20% Off
Patrick Boudon. Inner Family. Post-war Expressionism. 1970s.
Located in Firenze, IT
Patrick Boudon. Inner Family. Post-war Expressionism. 1970s. Patrick Boudon. Art Informel. Ecole de Paris. Technique: oil on cardboard. This painting by Patrick Boudon from the 197...
Oil, Cardboard
(after) Anders Zorn "Antonin Proust"
By Anders Zorn
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: heliogravure (after the etching). Printed in Stockholm in 1920 on laid paper in an edition of 650 for the Asplund catalogue and now scarce. There is a platemark around the im...
Heliogravure
The Little Road, 1965 - Signed Lithograph
Located in Paris, IDF
André DUNOYER DE SEGONZAC (1884-1974) The Little Road, 1965 Lithograph (Mourlot workshop) Signed in the plate On vellum 50 x 65 cm (c. 19.7 x 25.6 in) Excellent condition
Lithograph
Mid-Century Modern Expressionist Still Life of Vibrant Flowers, Signed McKay
Located in San Francisco, CA
On offer is a mid-century modern, Expressionist floral still life painted in oil on canvas board, signed MacKay and dated '64. The painting belongs to the Expressionist/Modernist sti...
Canvas, Oil, Board
$1,500
Old Friends - Abstract Expressionist Painting, Oil on Canvas, 1990s
Located in Soquel, CA
Five figures gathered of old friends--the best friends-- by San Francisco artist Michael William Eggleston (American, 20th century). From a collection of his works, unsigned. Unframe...
Canvas, Oil
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
St Tropez on the French Riviera, Oil on Board Painting by Ramon Dilley
Located in Atlanta, GA
Ramon Dilley — Coastal View of Saint‑Tropez, Oil on Board Painting, 1985 A vibrant and atmospheric oil on board painting by Ramon Dilley (French, 1932–2020), capturing the luminous charm of Saint‑Tropez with the artist's signature blend of color, rhythm, and Mediterranean warmth. The composition unfolds across a hillside of red‑roofed houses descending toward the harbor, where sailboats rest against a backdrop of rolling hills and expressive skies. Dilley's confident brushwork and saturated palette infuse the scene with movement and sunlit vitality. The painting is presented in its original Montparnasse‑style gilded wood frame, richly carved and perfectly suited to the work's spirited Provençal character. The reverse bears the handwritten inscription "St‑Tropez, rue de la Citadelle, 6/1/85", anchoring the piece to a precise moment and place in the artist's career. A compelling addition for collectors of French modern painting and Mediterranean landscapes, this piece offers both decorative appeal and strong provenance. A highly decorative and collectible artwork for interiors seeking French Riviera charm, vintage coastal art...
Board, Oil
Blooming lotus pond, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
By LE ANH TUAN
Located in Yardley, PA
This is an impressive Acrylic painting of a blooming lotus pond. The painting is painted in an expressionist style with freehand strokes and bright colors, bringing a lively and vibr...
Acrylic
$920Sale Price|20% Off
Two Worlds Apart 2 -21st Century Contemporary Figurative Expressionism, Art Deco
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
These paintings are diptychs, but can also stand alone. Finding yourself in a situation where you're torn between being happy and just letting the thoughts of the day weigh you down....
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Floral Still Life Oil Painting, French School, Fauvist Style
By Charles Badoisel
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
An original French Expressionist floral still life oil painting on linen from 1967 by Charles Badoisel (1925–2009), flowers in a white vase, signed and dated by the artist at the low...
Canvas, Linen, Paint, Oil
Still life with watering can and cacti
Located in Genève, GE
Work on wood Golden frame Dimensions with frame :64 x 79 x 2.5 cm A close look at this work reveals the artist's astonishing mastery in depicting an apparently simple yet profoundly...
Oil, Gouache
Anima and Animus. Carl Jung, psychology, man and a woman, couple, bird
Located in Oslo, NO
"Anima and Animus" is an oil painting from Alter Ego series, inspired by Carl Jung’s analytical psychology. The series explores the inner world of the self — the tension between diff...
Canvas, Oil
Ventana con vistas al mediterráneo - Óleo sobre tela - Firmado y enmarcado
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
Firmado por el autor en la parte inferior "Royo" Se presenta enmarcada la obra (el marco tiene algunos signos de uso) El estado es bueno Medidas de la obra: 60 cm. De altura x 73 ...
Oil
Cottonwoods hand-pulled serigraph by Robert Daughters
Located in Paonia, CO
Cottonwoods is a hand-pulled, limited edition serigraph, no. 32 / 165 and is signed in pencil by the artist. Published by Aspen Mountain Graphic it is ...
Screen
Raventos Piano and Scores original expressionist acrylic canvas painting
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Piano and scores original expressionist acrylic canvas painting RAVENTÓS Mª Assumpció – (San Sadurní d’Anoia, Barcelona 1930). Raventos trained at the elite Sant Jordi School of Fine...
Canvas
Gerlach's Allegorien, plate #66: "Tragedy" Lithograph, Gustav Klimt.
By Gustav Klimt
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Gustav Klimt created this image for inclusion in Gerlach & Schenk’s Allegorien the year before he formed the Vienna Secession. While this design is similar to his other inclusions, L...
Lithograph
Approach to Berthoud Pass, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Seen from a car traveling along Route 40 West in Colorado, the landscape rises toward the Continental Divide, bringing the snow-covered peaks of the high countr...
Acrylic
$2,950
Post Soviet Avant Garde Judaica Rabbi Playing Violin (the Klezmer Fiddler)
Located in Surfside, FL
Genre: Contemporary Subject: People Medium: Oil Surface: Canvas Dimensions: 24" x 18" Yuri Yefimovitch Brusovany was born on November, 15th 1949 in Leningrad (St. Petersburg) Russi...
Canvas, Oil
Tranquil Day, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Vibrant autumn trees paint a distant forest in shades of red, orange, and yellow. Soft layers of beige and blue land stretches across the foreground. A pale sky...
Oil
$683
Sunny corner. Small, framed, gift sized, landscape, happy, bright, sun, houses
Located in Oslo, NO
This painting is from the series "We and Our Mountains". Artwork is painted in the shades of orange, red, and gold evoking a sunlit landscape full of life and calmness. Nestled bet...
Canvas, Oil
$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
Tennis Match on Clay
By Pierre Gaillardot
Located in London, GB
'Tennis Match on Clay', watercolour on paper by Pierre Gaillardot (circa 1970s-80s). A lively and atmospheric watercolour by French artist Pierre Gaillardot, depicting a tennis match...
Paper, Watercolor
Le Jockey - Expressionist Animal & Figurative Oil Painting by Gen Paul
By Gen Paul
Located in Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Signed expressionist oil on board portrait circa 1950 by French painter and engraver Gen Paul. This charming work depicts a jockey wearing a white and black jacket and breeches seate...
Oil, Board
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Gaze 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
Jordi Sarrà – Pierrot with Hat, 1983 – Oil on Canvas – 28.5× 23.5 cm
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
Jordi Sarrà – Pierrot with Hat, 1983 – Oil on Canvas Oil on canvas. Signed and dated 1983 in the lower left. Artwork: 27 × 22 cm (10.6 × 8.7 in.). Framed: 28.5 × 23.5 cm (11.2 × 9.3...
Canvas, Oil
$6,500
"Silent Cycle" Modern Navy, Black, and White Expressionist Abstract Painting
Located in Houston, TX
Modern abstract expressionist painting by American artist Jacob Manguno. The work features a dark, geometric black and navy toned background accented with dynamic white swaths of col...
Canvas, Mixed Media
Max Eisler Eine Nachlese folio “Sunflowers” collotype print
Located in Palm Beach, FL
After Gustav Klimt, Max Eisler #3, Sonnenblumen; multi-color collotype after 1908 painting in oil on canvas. GUSTAV KLIMT EINE NACHLESE (GUSTAV KLIMT AN AF...
Paper
Cabaret - Signed Lithograph
By Edvard Munch
Located in Paris, IDF
Edvard MUNCH (1863 - 1944) Cabaret Lithograph Signed on the plate Proof, HC On Arches vellum, 50 x 65 cm (c. 19.7 x 25.6 in) INFORMATION: Published by Art.Paris based on the origin...
Lithograph
"Mexican Landscape Water Scene with Figures and Boat" Expressionistic Style
Located in New York, NY
A strong modernist oil painting depicted in the Mid Century by Russian painter Michael Baxte. Mostly known for his abstracted figures on canvas or street scenes, this piece is a wond...
Oil, Masonite
$1,400Sale Price|20% Off
Togetherness - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Abstraction, Africa, Love
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
Signed 1930s French Expressionist Mountain Forest Landscape
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage French expressionist landscape. Oil on board. Signed and dated "Marchand" lower right. Overall dimensions: 22 x 18 inches. Artwork alone: 18.5 x 14.5 inches.
Oil
$680Sale Price|20% Off
African Woman 1 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, People, Black
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 Bey...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$810
Olympic Palette on Cream, Vertical Painting, Simple Colorful Gestures on Beige
Located in Barcelona, ES
"Olympic Pattern on Cream" is an abstract painting diptych by Spanish artist Natalia Roman. It is a beautiful series of rhythmic brushstrokes combined with subtle tones and unique sh...
Acrylic, Paper
Paris : Louvre Museum with Blue Scratch - Original etching
Located in Paris, IDF
Arnulf Rainer (1929) Paris : Louvre Museum with Blue Scratch Original etching On vellum 40 x 50 cm (c. 16 x 20 in) Authenticated with the blind stamp of the editor Chalcographie of ...
Etching
$1,480
Barcelona and Its People Oil Painting, Figurative Expressionism, 1979
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Title: Barcelona and Its People Artist: Josep Maria Martínez Lozano (1923–2006) Year: 1979 Technique: Oil on canvas mounted on board Dimensions: 29.13 x 21.65 in Condition: Unfr...
Canvas, Oil, Board
$2,847
Panoramic River Landscape Painting with Figure, Acrylic and Oil Stick on Canvas
By Ina Edera
Located in FISTERRA, ES
This large contemporary river landscape by Ina Edera depicts a solitary figure at the water’s edge, painted in acrylic and oil stick on canvas. Created in 2026, *Transitioning* belon...
Fabric, Canvas, Linen, Oil Pastel, Acrylic