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.
Don Quixote
Located in New York, NY
Bernard Lorjou (1908-1985 Fr.) Don Quixote is from the Bull Fighter series from the period of 1960 and was in one collection till recently. In 1948, he sh...
Oil
$1,800
Rare Welded Menorah Judaica Jewish Brutalist Candelabra Sculpture Chaim Hendin
By Chaim Hendin
Located in Surfside, FL
In this Menorah Chaim Hendin takes a personal approach, and turns it into a more anatomical, almost pelvic, looking piece of artwork. The sculpture is rich in texture and the candle ...
Marble, Bronze
Unknown
By Jack Levine
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist: Jack Levine, American (1915-2010) Title: Unknown Year: 1970 Medium: Etching Paper: Arches Image size: 10 x 7.75 inches Paper size: 15 x 11.25 inches Signature: Signed and dat...
Paper, Etching
Framed Beachscape Watercolor on Laid Paper by Rene Genis
By René Genis
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Rene Genis, French (1922 - 2004) Title: Beachscape Medium: Watercolor on Laid Paper, signed l.r. Size: 10 x 16 inches Frame Size: 15 x 21 inches
Watercolor
"Guapa"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
My first pet cat was red. When he grew up, he brought home his girlfriend. She was very beautiful, tricolor! ...Now I also have a ginger cat. But we don't live on the first floor. An...
Canvas, Oil
Fantasy with Flowers 10
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Fantasy with Flowers" (series of 200+ pictures) paper 59x42cm On the paper acrylic, oil pastel, felt-tip pen, ink, gold leaf, pencils, silver,mixed media. Flowers are a smile of ...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Archival Paper
$2,120Sale Price|20% Off
Introspection - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Modern, Africa
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 Dan...
Canvas, Oil
$440Sale Price|20% Off
"Weather Eye" - 1989 Lithograph on Paper
Located in Soquel, CA
"Weather Eye" - 1989 Lithograph on Paper 1989 Lithograph on paper titled "Weather Eye" by Deborah Rumer (American, 20th Century). A windowsill is the focal point, as the viewer look...
Paper, Ink, Lithograph
Provence : Relaxing in the Countryside - Original Lithograph, Signed
Located in Paris, IDF
Pierre AMBROGIANI (1907-1985) Relaxing in the Countryside, 1974 Original Lithograph (Gourdon Workshop) Signed with the artist's stamp On vellum 38 x 28 cm (c. 14.9 x 11 in) Excelle...
Lithograph
$2,240Sale Price|20% Off
Lady in a Purple Hair - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Women
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 Dan...
Canvas, Charcoal, Oil
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
Fantasy with Flowers 4
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Fantasy with Flowers" (series of 200+ pictures) paper 59x42cm On the paper acrylic, oil pastel, felt-tip pen, ink, gold leaf, pencils, silver,mixed media. Flowers are a smile of ...
Acrylic, Oil Pastel, Archival Paper
Hunting, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Architecture and human form merge in a fragmented cityscape. Artist Rodion Gilmitdinov captures the raw energy of urban life through expressive, gestural lines ...
Mixed Media
$867Sale Price|20% Off
1950's French Expressionist Oil Green Woodland Forest Landscape Oil on Canvas
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Green Landscape French School, mid 20th century oil painting on canvas, unframed painting: 9.5 x 12.5 inches condition: overall very good
Canvas, Oil
Large Judaica Oil Painting Samuel Grodensky Hasidic Rabbi, Children in Jerusalem
Located in Surfside, FL
Samuel Grodensky (1894-1974) "Hassidim" Hand signed and dated "Grodensky '62" u.l., Titled verso in pencil on stretcher 31" x 27" canvas , 35 1/2" x 31 1/2" framed. Large Fauvist Ex...
Canvas, Oil
The Shape of Freedom, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A gazelle leaps across a vibrant field of expressive marks and bold color. Its graceful movement conveys both agility and determination, suggesting a moment of ...
Mixed Media
Steward of the Land, Red Field, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The expressionist landscape painting depicts a weathered barn that recalls the working days of years past. Striations and pixel-like patterns fill the sky and s...
Mixed Media
$796Sale Price|20% Off
Marc Chagall, The Peace Restored, from Homer, The Odyssey, 1989 (after)
By Marc Chagall
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Marc Chagall (1887–1985) (after) Title: The Peace Restored (Der wiedergefundene Frieden) Year: 1989 Medium: Lithograph on 250 g/m² Butten Papierwerke Miliani AG, Fabriano pap...
Lithograph
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Marc Chagall, Eupeithes, from Homer, The Odyssey, 1989 (after)
By Marc Chagall
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Marc Chagall (1887–1985) (after) Title: Eupeithes (Eupeithes) Year: 1989 Medium: Lithograph on 250 g/m² Butten Papierwerke Miliani AG, Fabriano paper Paper Size: 14.88 x 11.6...
Lithograph
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Marc Chagall, In the Underworld, from Homer, The Odyssey, 1989 (after)
By Marc Chagall
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Marc Chagall (1887–1985) (after) Title: In the Underworld (In der Holle) Year: 1989 Medium: Lithograph on 250 g/m² Butten Papierwerke Miliani AG, Fabriano paper Paper Size: 1...
Lithograph
Kaleidoscope Haystack Rock, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Haystack Rock rises from the Oregon coast, silhouetted against a kaleidoscope of color in the sky. The sandy beach offers a peaceful place to pause and take in ...
Mixed Media
Seasons Tree, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A tree stands solitary in a wide, open landscape. Yellow, orange, brown, and blue leaves cover its branches, reflecting the vibrancy of autumn. The pale blue sk...
Oil
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Marc Chagall, Odysseus and Penelope, from Homer, The Odyssey, 1989 (after)
By Marc Chagall
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Marc Chagall (1887–1985) (after) Title: Odysseus and Penelope (Odysseus und Penelope) Year: 1989 Medium: Lithograph on 250 g/m² Butten Papierwerke Miliani AG, Fabriano paper ...
Lithograph
Warm Summer Lace, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Bright chartreuse grass and white Queen Anne's lace spread across the countryside. The day dawns with the bright summer sun highlighting the swaying field. Copp...
Mixed Media
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Marc Chagall, Penelope and the Bow of Odysseus, Homer, The Odyssey, 1989 (after)
By Marc Chagall
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Marc Chagall (1887–1985) (after) Title: Penelope and the Bow of Odysseus (Penelope und der Bogen des Odysseus) Year: 1989 Medium: Lithograph on 250 g/m² Butten Papierwerke Mi...
Lithograph
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Marc Chagall, Poseidon, from Homer, The Odyssey, 1989 (after)
By Marc Chagall
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Marc Chagall (1887–1985) (after) Title: Poseidon (Poseidon) Year: 1989 Medium: Lithograph on 250 g/m² Butten Papierwerke Miliani AG, Fabriano paper Paper Size: 14.88 x 11.69 ...
Lithograph
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Marc Chagall, Odysseus Reveals Himself, from Homer, The Odyssey, 1989 (after)
By Marc Chagall
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Marc Chagall (1887–1985) (after) Title: Odysseus Reveals Himself (Odysseus macht sich bekannt) Year: 1989 Medium: Lithograph on 250 g/m² Butten Papierwerke Miliani AG, Fabria...
Lithograph
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Marc Chagall, The Omen, The Hawk and the Dove, The Odyssey, 1989 (after)
By Marc Chagall
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Marc Chagall (1887–1985) (after) Title: The Omen, The Hawk and the Dove (Das Vorzeichen, Der Habicht und Taube) Year: 1989 Medium: Lithograph on 250 g/m² Butten Papierwerke M...
Lithograph
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Marc Chagall, Odysseus Disguised as a Beggar, Homer, The Odyssey, 1989 (after)
By Marc Chagall
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Marc Chagall (1887–1985) (after) Title: Odysseus Disguised as a Beggar (Odysseus als Bettler verkleidet) Year: 1989 Medium: Lithograph on 250 g/m² Butten Papierwerke Miliani ...
Lithograph
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Marc Chagall, The Waves Engulf Odysseus, from Homer, The Odyssey, 1989 (after)
By Marc Chagall
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Marc Chagall (1887–1985) (after) Title: The Waves Engulf Odysseus (Die Fluten Verschlingen Odysseus) Year: 1989 Medium: Lithograph on 250 g/m² Butten Papierwerke Miliani AG, ...
Lithograph
$1,800Sale Price|40% Off
Galactic Expressions - Abstract Expressionist Composition in Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Soquel, CA
Galactic Expressions - Abstract Expressionist Composition in Acrylic on Canvas Bold abstract composition by California artist Charles "Dave" Francis (American, 1951-2018). The backg...
Canvas, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
Rare Chaim Goldberg Kaszmirez Polish Modernist Memorial Sculpture Spertus Museum
Located in Surfside, FL
Deaccessioned from the Spertus Museum in Chicago Hand signed by artist in wood carving Chaim Goldberg -- born in the Polish shtetl of Kazimierz Dolny Chaim Goldberg has worked in ne...
Wood
$274Sale Price|20% Off
Litografia sobre papel - Tu próxima travesía - Tiraje: 1/250
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
Firmada a lápiz por el artista en la parte inferior y con tiraje 1/250 En buen estado de conservación Sin enmarcar Medidas: 49 cm x 58 cm.
Lithograph
j. Abella gymnast Original acrylic painting framed.
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Abella. Original acrylic painting Juan Jose Abella Rubio was born in Estercuel, a hamlet anchored in the Teruel mining basin in March 1944. In his painting the ocher and reddish c...
Acrylic, Cardboard
Breathing in Blue, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Rodion Gilmitdinov captures a fleeting moment of balance and vulnerability as a lone surfer rides a breaking wave. Loose, spontaneous strokes of blue and...
Mixed Media
$450
Profile Of Standing Woman, Expressionist Lithograph by Alberto Giacometti
Located in Long Island City, NY
Alberto Giacometti, Swiss (1901 - 1966) - Profile Of Standing Woman Derriere Le Miroir no. 127, Year: 1961, Medium: Lithograph, Edition: ~2500, Size: 15 x 11 in. (38.1 x 27.94 cm...
Lithograph
Raventos Citty original expressionist acrylic painting
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Manhatan original expressionist acrylic painting. RAVENTÓS Mª Assumpció – (San Sadurní d’Anoia, Barcelona 1930). Raventos trained at the elite Sant Jordi School of Fine Arts in Barc...
Acrylic
$1,645Sale Price|20% Off
Untitled. 1990. Cardboard, tempera. 50.5x39.8cm
Located in Riga, LV
Vladimir Glushenkov (1948-2009) (May 21, 1948, Riga - December 26, 2009, Riga) - painter, graphic artist, poet, translator. Vladimir Glushkenkov was born in family with Russian-Poli...
Tempera, Cardboard
Rabbi Portrait, Acryclic on Canvas
By Moshe Katz
Located in Surfside, FL
Highly textured portrait of an elderly rabbinic sage. Moshe Katz was born March 2, 1937 in Bucharest, Romania. With his parents, he fled the Nazis and with much difficulty successf...
Acrylic
$500
Judaica Jewish Shtetl Etching Hasidic Rabbi in Prayer Vintage Chassidic Print
By Paul Jeffay
Located in Surfside, FL
. "La priere." Chassidic Rabbi, Rabbi praying with open book. Judaica, Jewish scenes from a ghetto. Saul Yaffie, a.k.a. Paul Jeffay, (1898–1957) was a Scottish Jewish artist. Known...
Etching
$571Sale Price|41% Off
Mediterranean Woman in Blue Interior Portrait Spanish Post Impressionist Oil
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Mediterranean Woman in Blue Interior Portrait – Spanish Post Impressionist Oil Painting – Expressive Figurative Seated Female Artist: Pilar Margenat (Spanish, born 1939) Title: Woma...
Canvas, Oil
$2,892Sale Price|20% Off
Carpet of Bluebells, Rachael Dalzell, Acrylic on Canvas with Tray Frame
Located in Coltishall, GB
The colours of spring as bluebells carpet the woods at Blickling Rachael’s paintings are large, colourful and expressive. Her free and lively use of paint through various technique...
Canvas, Acrylic
$776Sale Price|20% Off
Le couple au bouquet vert, 1974, original lithograph by Jean Jansem, handsigned
By Jean Jansem
Located in Les Acacias GE, GE
Jean Jansem (1920-2013) Le couple au bouquet vert, 1974 Lithographie sur papier Arches Signée en bas à droite et justifiée en bas à gauche 69 x 51,5 cm ...
Lithograph
Fantasy with Flowers 29
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Fantasy with Flowers" (series of 200+ pictures) paper 59x42cm On the paper acrylic, oil pastel, felt-tip pen, ink, gold leaf, pencils, silver,mixed media. Flowers are a smile of ...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Archival Paper
Abstract Collage Figure #4, Original Painting
By Gail Ragains
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
This mixed media artwork depicts a woman standing with a composed presence, one hand resting on her shoulder. Artist Gail Ragains incorporated pieces of her ear...
Mixed Media
Coral poppies
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this painting, I've depicted vibrant coral poppies blooming vigorously against a serene, softly blended background. The contrast between the vivid red hues of the flowers and the ...
Canvas, Oil
Ballerina
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this oil painting, I've depicted a serene moment, embracing the quiet grace of a ballerina at rest. Blending the styles of realism and impressionism, I aimed to capture both her e...
Canvas, Oil
Coral Poppies 30Х21
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this vivid oil painting, I've captured the wild essence of poppies swaying with a liveliness that echoes the pulse of nature itself. Employing strokes influenced by impressionism ...
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard
DER SCHATTEN II - Rich Drypoint - 1st State
Located in Santa Monica, CA
MAX PECHSTEIN (1881 -1955) DER SCHATTEN II 1918 (Knupp 79, Fecher 143 I/ii) Rich drypoint, signed and annotated, FIRST STATE. Image: 8 1/4 x 6 inches on japan paper; 15 x 11 1/4 i...
Drypoint
$385Sale Price|25% Off
Les deux petites filles, 1977, original lithograph by Jean Jansem, handsigned
By Jean Jansem
Located in Les Acacias GE, GE
Jean Jansem (1920-2013) Les deux petites filles, 1977 Lithographie sur papier Arches, justifiée et numérotée EA Signée en bas à droite 30 x 24 cm / 42 x 33,5 cm Bibliographie: Cat...
Lithograph
Montull Patio Terrace Garden Flowers oil canvas expressionist painting
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Patio. Original oil canvas expressionist painting
Oil
$1,710Sale Price|40% Off
Berkeley School, Male Dancer Figurative Painting, Oil on Canvas, 1980
Located in Soquel, CA
Wonderful figurative of male ballet dancers by Patricia Gren Hayes (American, 20th Century), 1980. Signed, titled and dated on verso. Presented in rustic w...
Oil, Canvas
Carlotta Auba by Simon Tozer, Limited edition print, Sailing, Coastal
Located in Deddington, GB
Carlotta Auba by Simon Tozer [2022] limited_edition and hand signed by the artist Screenprint on Paper Edition number of 18 Image size: H:23.5 cm x W:3...
Paper, Screen
Flowers
Located in Genève, GE
Work on wood Salmon wood frame Dimensions with frame : 56 x 41 x 1.7 cm This work of art, dominated by swirls of vibrant, bold colors, embodies a feeling...
Oil
Sun, Sails, Sea
Located in Zofingen, AG
NOT STRETCHED. You'll receive it rolled, in a TUBE. Ready for stretching. I recommend stretching your painting in a local custom framing shop or gallery. It will be the most affordab...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Water Wonder Land, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Gentle waves roll toward a distant shore, echoing the wispy clouds above. Blades of grass in the dark foreground create contrast against the bright sky and wate...
Oil
$5,200
Ottokar Mascha Folio, plate 9: "Darmstadt Poster"by Joseph Maria Olbricht
By Joseph Maria Olbrich
Located in Palm Beach, FL
After JOSEPH MARIA OLBRICHT (1867-1908) DARMSTADT POSTER, 1901, (In Mascha, no. 9) One of the founding members of the Vienna Secession and a highly esteemed architect, Olbricht was c...
Lithograph
Two Men on a Red Background - Original Handsigned Etching / 99ex
Located in Paris, IDF
Dado (Miodrag Djuric called) (1933-2010) Two Men on a Red Background Original etching and aquatint Handsigned in pencil Numbered / 99 ex On Arches vellum 76 x 56 cm (c. 30 x 22 inch...
Etching, Aquatint
Paris : Tribute to Louvre Museum with Orange Scratch - Original etching
Located in Paris, IDF
Arnulf Rainer (1929) Paris : Tribute to Louvre Museum with Orange Scratch Original etching On vellum 40 x 50 cm (c. 16 x 20 in) Authenticated with the blind stamp of the editor Cha...
Etching
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,...
Oil, Acrylic, Cardboard