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.
$4,030Sale Price|35% Off
Stone Head Oil Painting on Board, Expressionist, Circa 1950s, Framed
Located in Vancouver, CA
Herbert Siebner (1925-2004) was a German-born Canadian painter whose work is characterized by its expressive use of color and texture, and its exploration of themes of war, exile, an...
Oil, Board
Rachel, Large Framed Expressionist Lithograph by Theo Tobiasse
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Theo Tobiasse, French (1927 - 2012) Title: Rachel Year: 1984 Medium: Lithograph, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 86/125 Image: 38 x 26 inches Size: 42 x 28.5 in....
Lithograph
$1,203Sale Price|20% Off
Family on a Bench at the Port, Expressionist Oil on Board, 1970s
Located in London, GB
'Family Seated on a Bench at the Port', oil on board, by François Diana (circa 1970s). A painting with a very wholesome, homespun theme harks back to a more innocent time. A family i...
Oil, Board
$663Sale Price|40% Off
Jean Jansem (1920-2013), Les trois masques, 1980, Lithograph on paper
By Jean Jansem
Located in Les Acacias GE, GE
Jean Jansem (1920-2013), Les trois masques, 1980, Lithographie sur papier Arches justifiée Signée en bas à droite 76 x 55 cm CR Jansem, 1984, n°451 "Dans mes dernières lithograp...
Paper, Lithograph
$956Sale Price|20% Off
Sans titre (Cramer 61; Mourlot 434), Le plafond de l'Opéra
By Marc Chagall
Located in Southampton, NY
Lithograph on vélin paper. Paper Size: 13 x 9.5 inches. Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Catalogue raisonné references: Cain, Julien, and Fernand Mourlot. Chagall Lit...
Lithograph
Reclining nude, Gustav Klimt Handzeichnungen (Sketch) collotype lithograph, 1922
Located in Chicago, IL
Original 1922 collotype lithograph of a reclining nude figure, created from Gustav Kilmt’s handzeichnungen (sketch). Published by Thyrsos Verlag, Leipzig and Vienna, in an edition of 375. Klimt’s mastery of depth is most evident in the gentleness of his linework. Without the aid of shadow or the subtlety of values, the gestures of line allow the viewer a sense of a three-dimensional person or object. The meticulous lithographic process used to create Klimt’s Handzeichnungen portfolio ensures exceptionally crisp markings bearing a strong resemblance to the original sketches. This series showcases the quintessence behind Klimt’s signature visual style. This artwork arrives accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. Century Guild has curated collections of Gustav Klimt’s printed...
Paper, Lithograph
$4,237Sale Price|50% Off
"Expressionist Oil Painting 'Landscape', Canvas, Belgian, Circa 1928"
Located in London, GB
'Landscape', oil on canvas, by Charles Kvapil (1928). The artist, Kvapil, has scores of tremendous artworks which depict scenes in nature such as this one. Here, a bit of Mediterrane...
Canvas, Oil
$3,200Sale Price|20% Off
Don't Rush Life 3 - 21st Century Contemporary Figurative, Portrait, Africa, Men
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Where am from Bandana was once a common style, we called it Big Boy Style, then it's seem to me like a style or fashion only, because our elder brothers only allowed to used it but n...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$2,240Sale Price|20% Off
My Brother - 21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Men, Colour Pattern
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...
Canvas, Acrylic
Sea of Blues N10, Abstract Blue and White Fish Patterns, Mediterranean Style
Located in Barcelona, ES
This series by Enric Servera explores the relationship of humans to salt and seawater. The intention of these works is to submerge us into the sea, a salty treasure that surrounds us and reminds us of its natural beauty and the importance of its preservation. Details: Title: Sea of Blue N10 Medium: Mixed Media on Paper Size: 63 x 90 cm (28.4 x 35.4 inches). Year: 2021 * Frame is for illustrative purposes only. Artwork shipped carefully rolled and packaged in a tube. * Certificate of Authenticity provided. Enric Servera (Ciutadella de Menorca, 1970) lives and works between Barcelona and Menorca, Spain. His works explores the colors and forms of the ocean, inspired by the fauna and flora of the Mediterranean Sea. His work has shown in galleries across Spain, and is part of several public and private collections. Words that may describe this series of artworks are: Mediterranean-inspired art, abstract sea...
Paper, Acrylic, Watercolor
$663Sale Price|40% Off
Le Clairon, 1993, original lithograph by Jean Jansem, handsigned and numbered
By Jean Jansem
Located in Les Acacias GE, GE
Jean Jansem (1920-2013) Le Clairon, 1993 Lithographie sur papier Arches, justifiée EA12/30 Signée en bas à droite 65 x 50 cm / 76 x 56 cm Bibliographie: CR Jansem, 2000, n°85 "Ma...
Lithograph
Tulips Red 3
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Tulips Red 3" bursts with life, a vivid floral painting where passion blooms in every detail. Red tulips take center stage, their vibrant hues energized by touches of blue, yellow, ...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Archival Paper
$4,796Sale Price|20% Off
Faith Ringgold, Slavery, from Letter from Birmingham City Jail, 2007
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite silkscreen by Faith Ringgold (1930–2024), titled Slavery, from the folio Letter from Birmingham City Jail, originates from the 2007 edition published by The Limited Ed...
Screen
$815Sale Price|27% Off
The Secret in Her Eyes, Romantic Realism Oil on Canvas Painting, 1980s
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Technical Sheet - Title: *The Secret in Her Eyes* - Artist: Rosendo González Carbonell - Technique: Oil on canvas - Dimensions: 24 x 20 inches - Framing: Unframed - Style: Romantic realism...
Canvas, Oil
$956Sale Price|20% Off
Marc Chagall, David and Bathsheba, from Drawings for the Bible, 1960
By Marc Chagall
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Marc Chagall (1887–1985), titled David et Bethsabee (David and Bathsheba), from Marc Chagall, Dessins Pour La Bible (Drawings for the Bible), Verve: Revu...
Lithograph
$2,680Sale Price|20% Off
GenZ Lovers -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Abstraction, Africa, Couple
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
Purple evening and jasmine" floral still life in oil of Volskya Lily.
Located in Zofingen, AG
Purple evening and jasmine" floral still life in oil of Volsky Lily.When the energy starts flowing through me, I don't control the process - the brush moves by itself. The picture se...
Canvas, Oil
$1,230
Sarita's Twist, Nude Painting, Life Painting, Figurative Art, Mute Colourful Art
Located in Deddington, GB
Sarita’s Twist by Judith Brenner [2022] original mixed media on paper Image size: H:84.1 cm x W:59.4 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:84.1 cm x W:59.4 cm x D:0.2cm Sold Unfra...
Paper, Mixed Media
$10,500Sale Price|30% Off
'Riflessi A Tiburon', by Marco Sassone, Oil on Linen, Waterfront Landscape, 1983
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
This framed oil on linen painting, 'Riflessi A Tiburon,' by Marco Sassone, an American-Italian painter, is measured at 30 x 24 inches in a horizontal format. Sassone paints an Expres...
Linen, Oil
signed original etching - Artist's Proof
By Jack Levine
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original soft ground etching. Signed in pencil and annotated "Artist's Proof". Printed in 1967 for the Dreigroschen Film portfolio and published by Touchstone Publishers. Thi...
Etching
$956Sale Price|20% Off
Marc Chagall, Moses Receives the Tablets of the Law, from Verve, Revue, 1956
By Marc Chagall
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Marc Chagall (1887–1985), titled Moise recoit les Tables de la Loi (Moses Receives the Tablets of the Law), from Marc Chagall, Dessins Pour La Bible (Dra...
Lithograph
The Voodoo That You Do
By Todd White
Located in Toronto, ON
20" x 15" Unframed Limited Edition Giclée with Hand Embellishment of 135 Hand Signed by Todd White “Those individuals who just have that power to seduce you. Some definitely have it more than others and it gets dangerous when they know how to use...
Giclée
$2,360Sale Price|20% Off
Sisterhood -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Women, Modern, Love
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, Acrylic
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Blue Testament 10 -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, Acrylic
$2,400Sale Price|20% Off
MUSIC ROOM with HARP - INTERIOR oil large painting 100x70cm /40x27.5in FRAMED
Located in Forest Hills, NY
"Music Room with Harp" Oil on canvas. Part of Interior series. Large original, one-of-a-kind, painting 100x70cm / 40x27.5in Shipped stretched and framed. 1st dibs covers up to $200 o...
Canvas, Oil
5 Waiting for the Tide Venice Biennale 2026 Project
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
THE PROJECT: INDEPENDENT PAVILION VENICE 2026 This work is a cornerstone of the "In Minor Keys: The Turquoise Silence" series — a large-scale artistic manifesto created specifically ...
Canvas, Oil, Linen
Oil painting on board "Rough sea with steamer on the horizon" by S.A.Vinogradoff
Located in Gavere, BE
Sergey VINOGRADOV ( 1869 - 1938 ) Rough sea with steamer on the horizon Sergei Arsenievich Vinogradov ( Russian: 1869–1938 ) was a Russian-Soviet Impressionist painter; known for l...
Gold Leaf
Sea. Sailboat.
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this piece, I sought to capture the serene dance between sky and sea, interspersed with the graceful ballet of a sailboat. Infused with the essence of expressionism and the delica...
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard, Giclée
$3,493
Monster's club. Symbolic childhood painting, brothers, boys room decor, twins
Located in Oslo, NO
"Monster's club" is an oil painting where two children stand among imagined monsters, reflecting the fears of childhood — created by the mind yet deeply felt. The painting speaks abo...
Canvas, Oil
$28,000
Art Nouveau Poster "Marmorhouse (Der Teufel und Die Circe) by Josef Fenneker
Located in Palm Beach, FL
The painter, graphic artist, production and set designer, Josef Fenneker, is one of the most important representatives of artistic film posters of the 1910s and 1920s. He was commissioned primarily by Berlin’s Marmorhaus cinema, which was located on Kurfürstendamm and known for its first releases, as well as by Berlin film production...
Lithograph
$1,024
Colorful Figurative Portrait Drawing, Expressionist Ink on Paper, signed 1991
Located in NANTES, FR
Created in 1991, this expressive ink on paper by Menachem Gueffen depicts a seated female figure rendered through a bold and highly personal graphic language. Strong black lines defi...
Paper, India Ink, Ink
$978Sale Price|20% Off
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 ...
Oil, Canvas
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Self Portrait -21st Century, Contemporary, Portrait, Africa, People
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 Emma...
Canvas, Coffee, Mixed Media
$1,868Sale Price|35% Off
MId Century Animal Portrait: "Rooster" Pierre Bosco (1909-1993)
By Pierre Bosco
Located in SANTA FE, NM
"Rooster" Pierre Bosco, (1909-1993) Gouache on paper 10 x 9 (18 x 14 frame) inches Pierre Bosco showed an interest in art at an early age. His commitment and dedication to painting...
Paper, Gouache
$1,071Sale Price|20% Off
Expresionist Nephiline-Manganese Glazed Ceramic Head. High-Temperature Clay Bust
Located in FISTERRA, ES
Nephiline and manganese glazed Buño clay head sculpture channels organic textures and existential introspection in Aldonza’s evocative “Testas” series. Nephiline-Manganese Glazed Cer...
Clay, Glaze
$650Sale Price|45% Off
The Yellow Donkey (Der Gelbe Esel) (Esther Gentle Reproduction)
By Paul Klee
Located in Kansas City, MO
Paul Klee (after) The Yellow Donkey (Der Gelbe Esel) Year: 1939 Lithograph Size: 14.125x19.6 on 20.6x26 inches Esther Gentle, Reproduction, 1952 Edition: 300 Inscribed in pencil stam...
Lithograph
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
Jardin des Tuileries
By Gabriel Spat
Located in Sheffield, MA
Gabriel Spat American, 1890-1967 Jardin des Tuileries Oil on board 8 ⅛ by 11 ⅛ in, w/ frame 13 ¾ by 17 in Signed lower left Gabriel Spat spent most of his career in France painting...
Oil
"Gespenstersonate" original woodcut
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original woodcut. Executed in 1920 for Das Kunstblatt, published in Berlin by Verlag Gustav Kiepenheuer. The total sheet measures 10 3/4 x 8 3/4 inches (275 x 210mm); the ima...
Woodcut
"La Promenade" original etching
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original etching and drypoint. A rich, dark impression on laid paper, printed in 1900 and published in Paris for the Revue de l'art ancien et moderne. Plate size: 4 1/2 x 8 5...
Etching
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Blue Testament 7 -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, Acrylic
$360Sale Price|20% Off
Blue Testament 2 -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, 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
$1,000Sale Price|20% Off
This is One not Two - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube. This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Josue M...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,248
Natalie Bird, Summer Bloom, Original Still Life Floral Painting, Affordable Art
By Natalie Bird
Located in Deddington, GB
Summer Bloom [2021] Original Flowers Mixed media on board Image size: H:45 cm x W:3 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:45 cm x W:30 cm x D:30cm Framed Size: H:45 cm x W:45 cm x D:3cm Sold Framed Please note that insitu images are purely an indication of how a piece may look Summer Bloom is an original painting by Natalie Bird...
Mixed Media, Board
Dancers, 1936 Woodcut by Georges Rouault
Located in Long Island City, NY
Dancers Georges Rouault, French (1871–1958) Date: 1936 Woodcut, initialed in the stone Size: 3 x 2 in. (7.62 x 5.08 cm) Frame Size: 9.5 x 8.25 inches
Woodcut
$956Sale Price|20% Off
Marc Chagall, Isaiah, from Drawings for the Bible, 1960
By Marc Chagall
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Marc Chagall (1887–1985), titled Isaie (Isaiah), from Marc Chagall, Dessins Pour La Bible (Drawings for the Bible), Verve: Revue Artistique et Litteraire...
Lithograph
Pink Lady
By Jackie Felix
Located in Buffalo, NY
An original oil on canvas painting by American modern female artist Jackie Felix.
Canvas, Oil
$600
"Abstract Overhead Parking Lot" (2005) Expressionist Cityscape, Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"Subject matter to me is a vehicle for me to explore how I observe life. My urban influences are an assembly of varied fabrics stitched together to form a tapestry. It is not to re...
Oil, Panel
"Der Hirte" original woodcut
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original color woodcut. Catalogue reference JH 771. Published in 1919 for Genius. Image size: 9 1/2 x 7 inches (240 x 178mm), on wove paper with full margins. This print is f...
Woodcut
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
9 Frequency 432 Oil Painting on Canvas, Expressionist, Unframed, 2010+
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
THE PROJECT: INDEPENDENT PAVILION VENICE 2026 This work is a cornerstone of the "In Minor Keys: The Turquoise Silence" series — a large-scale artistic manifesto created specifically...
Canvas, Oil
$4,500
Frau und Mädchen (Woman and Girl) /// Max Pechstein German Expressionist Litho
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Hermann Max Pechstein (German, 1881-1955) Title: "Frau und Mädchen (Woman and Girl)" Portfolio: Paraphrasen zur Samländischen Ode (Paraphrases of the Samland Ode) *Signed and...
Lithograph
The red apple. Mother and daughter, family, rural landscape, village, ancestors
Located in Oslo, NO
“The Red Apple” shows an old and a young woman as one figure. They share the same body, the same presence — youth and age together. The apple recalls the story of Eve. It stands for ...
Canvas, Oil
"Little Shop on The Corner " (2023) by Leigh Ann Van Fossan, Original Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Leigh Ann Van Fossan's "Little Shop on the Corner" (2023) is an original, handmade oil and acrylic abstract painting with bright colors. Van Fossan was born in Vail, Colorado, and...
Canvas, Acrylic
$10,396Sale Price|20% Off
Marc Chagall, Wharf of the Little Tower, from Views of Paris, 1963
By Marc Chagall
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Marc Chagall (1887–1985), titled Quai de la Tournelle (Wharf of the Little Tower), from Regards Sur Paris (Views of Paris), originates from the January 2...
Lithograph
Gravity of Light: Marine Chronicles
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
A cornerstone of the 'Gravity of Light: Marine Chronicles' collection, this 2012 masterpiece marks the origins of Elena Lukina’s signature philosophy: "The Turquoise Silence." Painte...
Canvas, Oil
$520Sale Price|20% Off
Blue Sky - 21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract Expressionism, Modern, Interior
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...
Canvas, Acrylic
$950Sale Price|36% Off
Boy in Red Shirt original lithograph by Margaret Keane c 1980
Located in Paonia, CO
Boy in Red Shirt is an original lithograph by Margaret Keane c. 1980. A young boy in a red shirt is seen in front of a three story building in a city on a blue sky day. An ori...
Lithograph
Max Eisler Eine Nachlese folio “Hygieia” collotype print
Located in Palm Beach, FL
After Gustav Klimt, Max Eisler #10, Ausschnitt aus dem Bilde “Medizin”; multi-color collotype detail from Medicine, one of the faculty paintings for the Uni...
Paper