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.
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic
1980s Expressionist Art
Mixed Media, Masonite
Early 20th Century Expressionist Art
Screen
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Oil, Board
Late 20th Century Expressionist Art
Lithograph
Late 20th Century Expressionist Art
Wood, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Wood, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
1950s Expressionist Art
Etching
Artist Comments
A serene and mysterious atmosphere envelops a snow-covered landscape. Traces of grass dot the foreground, while a shroud of fog softly blurs the distant tree ...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Oil
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
1990s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Art
Paper, Pencil, Color Pencil
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
1990s Expressionist Art
Etching
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Mixed Media
Late 20th Century Expressionist Art
Lithograph
1920s Expressionist Art
Woodcut
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Art
Oil, Acrylic
Artist Comments
A colorful glimpse into a wooded area reveals a pond and grassy wetland. Light reflects off the water, creating depth in the painting. The bright colors infus...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
1980s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Art
Oil, Acrylic, Cardboard
Late 20th Century Expressionist Art
Lithograph
2010s Expressionist Art
Oil, Acrylic, Cardboard
1970s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
Late 20th Century Expressionist Art
Crayon, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic
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
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Color Pencil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
Early 2000s Expressionist Art
Board, Oil
2010s Expressionist Art
Oil, Acrylic, Cardboard
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
1970s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
Early 2000s Expressionist Art
Paper, Engraving, Screen
Early 1900s Expressionist Art
Etching
1920s Expressionist Art
Photogravure
1960s Expressionist Art
Paper, Charcoal, Gouache
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
2010s Expressionist Art
Oil
1920s Expressionist Art
Paper, Photogravure
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Art
Oil, Cardboard, Canvas
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
1910s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
1920s Expressionist Art
Lithograph, Offset
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic