Skip to main content

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.

to
1,089
1,990
1,096
1,107
858
975
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
1
47
2,830
3,155
99
132
357
109
83
176
484
282
265
189
1
117,010
64,262
56,377
28,396
14,645
9,604
6,695
4,193
3,159
2,488
2,384
2,147
603
3,259
2,024
646
2,538
1,572
1,562
989
734
428
404
396
366
319
298
276
266
228
197
160
136
109
107
100
3,781
2,233
1,894
1,832
1,399
304
91
87
72
52
1,202
434
3,015
2,176
Style: Expressionist
Mid Century Expressionist Matador
Mid Century Expressionist Matador

Mid Century Expressionist Matador

Located in San Francisco, CA

Beautiful mid century mystery painting. Expressionist bull fighting oil on canvas with fabulous fauvist colors. It is signed upper right corner, but I cannot make it out. Painting me...

Category

Mid-20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil

Marc Chagall, The Accordionist, from Chagall, 1957
Marc Chagall, The Accordionist, from Chagall, 1957

Marc Chagall, The Accordionist, from Chagall, 1957

By Marc Chagall

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite lithograph by Marc Chagall (1887–1985), titled L’Accordeoniste (The Accordionist), from the album Chagall, originates from the 1957 edition published by Maeght Editeur...

Category

1950s Expressionist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Landscape 139 by Jean Krille - Oil on Canvas board 50x60 cm
Landscape 139 by Jean Krille - Oil on Canvas board 50x60 cm

Landscape 139 by Jean Krille - Oil on Canvas board 50x60 cm

By Jean Krille

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

Even in Pain - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Modern, Love
Even in Pain - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Modern, Love

Even in Pain - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Modern, Love

By Awofadeju Solomon

Located in Ibadan, Oyo

Set in a small, resilient village on September 1, 2022, ADEROGBA, a young artist, loses his eyesight due to a sudden illness. With a chain on his hands symbolizing pain. Devastated b...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Oil

Large French Expressionist Floral Still Life Oil Painting
Large French Expressionist Floral Still Life Oil Painting

Large French Expressionist Floral Still Life Oil Painting

Located in AIGNAN, FR

Expressionist floral on a grand scale! This large and colourful modern oil painting on canvas is by French artist Colette Chasseigneaux (1925-2017). A gorgeous array of colour, but ...

Category

Late 20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil

Bullfighting Scene Oil on Canvas, Expressionist, Circa 1960, Unframed
Bullfighting Scene Oil on Canvas, Expressionist, Circa 1960, Unframed

Bullfighting Scene Oil on Canvas, Expressionist, Circa 1960, Unframed

By Jose Maria Tuser Vazquez

Located in Sitges, Barcelona

Title: Bullfighting Scene Artist: José María Tuser Vázquez (1919-1986) Technique: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 16.1 x 13 inches (unframed) Date: c. 1950-1960 Condition: Good Provenance:...

Category

1960s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Fractured Innocence - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Abstraction, Africa

Fractured Innocence - 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...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Zwei Frauen (Two Women) /// German Expressionism Karl Schmidt-Rottluff Woodcut
Zwei Frauen (Two Women) /// German Expressionism Karl Schmidt-Rottluff Woodcut

Zwei Frauen (Two Women) /// German Expressionism Karl Schmidt-Rottluff Woodcut

By Karl Schmidt-Rottluff

Located in Saint Augustine, FL

Artist: Karl Schmidt-Rottluff (German, 1884-1976) Title: "Zwei Frauen (Two Women)" Portfolio: Das Spiel Christa vom Schmerz der Schönheit des Weibes (The Play Christa from the Pain of the Beauty of the Woman) *Issued unsigned Year: 1918 Medium: Original Woodcut on cream wove paper Limited edition: Unknown Printer: Fritz Voigt, Berlin, Germany Publisher: Verlag Die Aktion, Berlin, Germany Overall size with attached page: 8.5" x 10.63" Sheet size: 8.5" x 5.38" Image size: 6.5" x 3.63" Reference: Schapire No. 222, page 45; Jentsch No. 35. Rifkind No. 2563; Lang No. 300; Reed No. 118 Condition: Toning to sheet (as normal). A few tiny pinholes in right margin. In very good condition Very rare Notes: Provenance: private collection - Oxnard, CA. Comes from a complete originally bound 48 page folio with 9 original woodcuts by Schmidt-Rottluff. Text by Alfred Brust. Presently attached to its accompanying page. The cover and title pages in pictures are not included, only for reference/provenance. There is an example of this work in the permanent collection of the Brücke Museum, Berlin, Germany. Biography: Karl Schmidt-Rottluff (born December 1, 1884, Rottluff, near Chemnitz, Germany—died August 9, 1976, West Berlin [now Berlin]), German painter and printmaker who was noted for his Expressionist landscapes and nudes. In 1905 Schmidt-Rottluff began to study architecture in Dresden, Germany, where he and his friend Erich Heckel met Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Fritz Bleyl...

Category

1910s Expressionist Art

Materials

Woodcut

Marc Chagall, The Sunday, from Derriere le miroir, 1954
Marc Chagall, The Sunday, from Derriere le miroir, 1954

Marc Chagall, The Sunday, from Derriere le miroir, 1954

By Marc Chagall

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite lithograph by Marc Chagall (1887–1985), titled Le Dimanche (The Sunday), from the folio Derriere le miroir, No. 67–68, originates from the 1954 edition published by Ma...

Category

1950s Expressionist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Azalea and Dogwood, Original Painting
Azalea and Dogwood, Original Painting

Azalea and Dogwood, Original Painting

By Robert Hofherr

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
In a vibrant yard, pink flowering trees and yellow bushes flourish, partially concealing a two-story house with their lush foliage. The bright morning sunlight ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Peintre dans son atelier, 1969, original lithograph by Jean Jansem, handsigned
Peintre dans son atelier, 1969, original lithograph by Jean Jansem, handsigned

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...

Category

Late 20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Original mid 20th Century French drawing by Expressionist Morot-Sir 'Graphica'
Original mid 20th Century French drawing by Expressionist Morot-Sir 'Graphica'

Original mid 20th Century French drawing by Expressionist Morot-Sir 'Graphica'

By Gerard Morot-Sir

Located in Petworth, West Sussex

Gerard Morot-Sir (French, 1931 – 2003) Graphica Ink on paper Signed and dated ‘ Morot-Sir, 59’ (lower left) 12.1/2 x 9.5/8in. (31.7 x 24.5cm.) Newly framed in a limed wood frame in a...

Category

Mid-20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Paper, Ink

Dancing Sailors - Original Lithograph, SIGNED
Dancing Sailors - Original Lithograph, SIGNED

Dancing Sailors - Original Lithograph, SIGNED

By Pierre Ambrogiani

Located in Paris, IDF

Pierre AMBROGIANI (1907-1985) Dancing Sailors, 1974 Original Lithograph (Gourdon Workshop) Signed with the artist's stamp On vellum Arches 38 x 28 cm (c. 14.9 x 11 in) Excellent co...

Category

Mid-20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Melanin - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Fashion

Melanin - 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...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic, Mixed Media

Sailing Ships, Modern Art Oil Painting on Board
Sailing Ships, Modern Art Oil Painting on Board

Sailing Ships, Modern Art Oil Painting on Board

Located in Long Island City, NY

Artist: Unknown Title: Sailing Ships Medium: Oil on Canvas, signed "Thoms", lower left Size: 24 x 20 inches

Category

Mid-20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Biblical Prophet Etching American Modernist WPA Artist
Biblical Prophet Etching American Modernist WPA Artist

Biblical Prophet Etching American Modernist WPA Artist

By Ben-Zion Weinman

Located in Surfside, FL

Born in 1897, Ben-Zion Weinman celebrated his European Jewish heritage in his visual works as a sculptor, painter, and printmaker. Influenced by Spinoza, Knut Hamsun, and Wladyslaw Reymont, as well as Hebrew literature, Ben-Zion wrote poetry and essays that, like his visual work, attempt to reveal the deep “connection between man and the divine, and between man and earth.” An emigrant from the Ukraine, he came to the US in 1920. He wrote fairy tales and poems in Hebrew under the name Benzion Weinman, but when he began painting he dropped his last name and hyphenated his first, saying an artist needed only one name. Ben-Zion was a founding member of “The Ten: An Independent Group” The Ten” a 1930’s avant-garde group, Painted on anything handy. Ben-Zion often used cabinet...

Category

Mid-20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Etching

Away From The Lens 1 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Portrait, Oil, Women, Fashion

Away From The Lens 1 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Portrait, Oil, Women, Fashion

By Afolayan Emmanuel

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...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Venice Grand Canal Landscape Bouvard Aldine 19/20th Century Paint Oil on canvas
Venice Grand Canal Landscape Bouvard Aldine 19/20th Century Paint Oil on canvas

Venice Grand Canal Landscape Bouvard Aldine 19/20th Century Paint Oil on canvas

Located in Riva del Garda, IT

Antoine Bouvard, called Marc Aldine (L'Isere 1875 - Paris 1957) Signed 'Bouvard' lower right View of Venice with the Grand Canal (link) oil on canvas 60 x 86 cm Framed 70 x 96 cm. Very good condition We present an evocative view of Venice with a glimpse of the fascinating Grand Canal, signed by the famous French Vedutist Antoine Bouvard, also known by his pseudonym, Marc Aldine. Considered one of the most talented illustrators of the lagoon city who worked there in the first part of the 20th century, he became one of the most acclaimed vedutists of that period, with a success that led him to exhibit throughout France and Italy as well as in numerous European galleries...

Category

19th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil

Marc Chagall, The Offering, from Chagall Lithographer I, 1960
Marc Chagall, The Offering, from Chagall Lithographer I, 1960

Marc Chagall, The Offering, from Chagall Lithographer I, 1960

By Marc Chagall

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite lithograph by Marc Chagall (1887–1985), titled L'Offrande (The Offering), from Chagall Lithographe I (Chagall Lithographer I), originates from the October 1960 issue p...

Category

1960s Expressionist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Untitled (Personages Drinking)
Untitled (Personages Drinking)

Untitled (Personages Drinking)

By Michael Todd White

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork "Untitled (Personages Drinking)" c.2005, is an original serio lithograph (serigraph and lithograph) on paper by renown American figurative expressionist artist Michael Todd White, b.1969. It is signed and numbered 24/350. The artwork (Image) Size is 9.25 x 21 inches, framed size is 19 x 30 inches. Custom framed in a wood veneer and black frame, with fabric matting. It is in excellent condition. About the artist: Michael Todd White (born October 10, 1969, in San Antonio, Texas) is a figurative expressionist painter.[1] He has also been described as an avant-garde expressionist. White was named the official artist for the Grammy Awards by the Recording Academy in 2007. His painting appeared on the ceremony's invitation and program book and served as the official image for the event. His work was featured in the Inspirations of Oz Fine Art Collection, an exhibition commemorating the 70th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz. The collection toured designated cities all over the world including Miami, Los Angeles, Dubai, Japan, London, Toronto and Vienna. In 2010, White was chosen to provide sketches for Coca-Cola Light in Mexico. White's six sketches are depicted on different faces of Coca-Cola Light bottles and cans, each featuring his distinctive box signature. This was the first time that Coke had collaborated with a fine artist to depict artwork for its label. The bottles were released in August 2010.[5] As a result of some of these career achievements White has earned international recognition and a lengthy list of celebrity collectors. White's work hangs in a number of galleries in North America and he is currently one of the best selling artists in the United Kingdom. Some of White's most prominent exhibitions include a show at the Bank of Scotland in Manchester, England and at the unveiling of The World's Largest Todd White Collection, hosted by CNN's Larry King at Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California. Todd White's work was featured in the opening of Clarendon Fine Art Gallery in Hampstead, London alongside that of leading British contemporary artists Sherree Valentine-Daines and Christian Hook.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Lithograph

French Expressionist Sludgy Green & Brown Landscape Very Thick Oil Impasto
French Expressionist Sludgy Green & Brown Landscape Very Thick Oil Impasto

French Expressionist Sludgy Green & Brown Landscape Very Thick Oil Impasto

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Green Landscape French artist, indistinctly signed, dated verso 1985 oil painting on canvas, in wooden frame canvas: 10 x 17 inches wooden frame: 9.5 x 16 inches provenance: private ...

Category

Late 20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

¨Topiaria¨. Expressionist colorful garden. Big format Oil on canvas
¨Topiaria¨. Expressionist colorful garden. Big format Oil on canvas

¨Topiaria¨. Expressionist colorful garden. Big format Oil on canvas

By Chico Montilla

Located in Segovia, ES

Topiaria. Big format Oil on canvas Beautiful garden by Chico Montilla. Measurements: (H) 130 x (W) 195 x 3 cm. Framed 142 x 207 x 5 cm. Colorful expressionist view of a garden with plants that have been given artistic form through the topiary art...

Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Exploring Every Path 4 Magdalena Morey, Original Contemporary Impressionist Art
Exploring Every Path 4 Magdalena Morey, Original Contemporary Impressionist Art

Exploring Every Path 4 Magdalena Morey, Original Contemporary Impressionist Art

By Magdalena Morey

Located in Deddington, GB

Magdalena Morey Exploring Every Path 4 Original Cubist Inspired Landscape Painting Mixed Media on Canvas Canvas Size: H 30cm x W 30cm x D 3.5cm Sold Unframed (Please note that in sit...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Pastel, Paper, Ink, Acrylic, Watercolor

Expressionist Colorful Landscape Oil Paint : San Antonio
Expressionist Colorful Landscape Oil Paint : San Antonio

Expressionist Colorful Landscape Oil Paint : San Antonio

By Chico Montilla

Located in Segovia, ES

San Antonio . Oil on canvas by Spanish artist Chico Montilla. Measurements: (H) 65 x (W) 81 x 2 (D) cm. Framed 85 x 101 x 5 cm. San Antonio, another expressionist view of the countr...

Category

Early 1900s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

One More Shot 4 - 21st Century Contemporary Figurative, Sport, Football, Green

One More Shot 4 - 21st Century Contemporary Figurative, Sport, Football, Green

By Elijah Olanase

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 Eli...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

"Schwartzer Fleck" original woodcut

"Schwartzer Fleck" original woodcut

By Wassily Kandinsky

Located in Henderson, NV

Medium: original woodcut. Catalogue reference Roethel 145. Printed in Paris in 1938 for the art revue XXe Siecle (issue number 3). Image size: 7 x 8 1/2 inches (170 x 218 mm). Sheet ...

Category

1930s Expressionist Art

Materials

Woodcut

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.