Neo-Expressionist Art
A resurgence of interest in Expressionism, Pop art, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism and other movements gained steam among artists of the 1970s and ’80s, in part as a reaction to the austerity of the prevailing minimalism and Conceptual art of the era. A decadent, bold and brash art style called Neo-Expressionism saw painters returning to figural representation, creating highly textured works that were imbued with intensely personal narratives.
Neo-Expressionist paintings are sensuous in nature and highly subjective in meaning. Expressive brushwork, highly pigmented colors and layered forms and materials lent sculptural attributes to the work and were used to depict symbolic narratives from history, mythology and the artist’s personal experience.
Prominent figures such as Jean-Michel Basquiat led the Neo-Expressionist movement in the United States with paintings and prints that were raw, emotional and often violent in nature. In Germany, Die Neuen Wilden (the “New Fauves”) was the name given to a group of postwar artists that included the likes of sculptor Georg Baselitz and Gerhard Richter, a painter and photographer who explored the possibilities of both abstraction and realism, sometimes in a single piece. The work of the New Fauves — labeled as such for its return to Fauvism’s textured brushwork and use of vibrant colors — shares commonalities with Neo-Expressionism, and Baselitz was a pioneer of the movement in Europe. In addition, Willem de Kooning’s pulsating action paintings and Julian Schnabel’s experimentation with the materiality of paintings also took shape during this period.
“I was trying to make paintings different from the paintings that I saw a lot of at the time, which were mostly minimal, and they were highbrow and alienating, and I wanted to make very direct paintings that most people would feel the emotion behind when they saw them,” said Basquiat.
Neo-Expressionism generated some polarizing opinions, with some celebrating the revival of personal subjectivity in art while others criticizing the movement for being too commercially driven and nostalgic. But most experts agree that Neo-Expressionism was a huge commercial success and culturally impactful, paving the way for the postmodern work of artists like Richter and Sigmar Polke.
Find original Neo-Expressionist paintings, prints, mixed-media works and other art on 1stDibs.
1970s Neo-Expressionist Art
Charcoal
1990s Neo-Expressionist Art
Oil Pastel, Cardboard
1990s Neo-Expressionist Art
Oil Pastel, Cardboard
21st Century and Contemporary Neo-Expressionist Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Neo-Expressionist Art
Oil
2010s Neo-Expressionist Art
Ceramic
2010s Neo-Expressionist Art
Oil
2010s Neo-Expressionist Art
Oil
2010s Neo-Expressionist Art
Mixed Media
2010s Neo-Expressionist Art
Canvas, Charcoal, Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Neo-Expressionist Art
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Neo-Expressionist Art
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Neo-Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Neo-Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic
1950s Neo-Expressionist Art
Pastel
2010s Neo-Expressionist Art
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Neo-Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Neo-Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Neo-Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Neo-Expressionist Art
Acrylic, Paper, Mixed Media
2010s Neo-Expressionist Art
Oil Crayon, Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Neo-Expressionist Art
Oil Crayon, Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Neo-Expressionist Art
Oil Crayon, Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Neo-Expressionist Art
Oil Crayon, Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Neo-Expressionist Art
Oil Crayon, Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Neo-Expressionist Art
Oil Crayon, Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Neo-Expressionist Art
Oil Crayon, Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Neo-Expressionist Art
Oil Crayon, Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Neo-Expressionist Art
Oil Crayon, Acrylic, Canvas
2010s Neo-Expressionist Art
Acrylic, Canvas, Oil Crayon
2010s Neo-Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil Crayon, Acrylic
2010s Neo-Expressionist Art
Oil Crayon, Acrylic
1980s Neo-Expressionist Art
Paper, Ink
2010s Neo-Expressionist Art
Wood, Acrylic
2010s Neo-Expressionist Art
Charcoal, Archival Paper, Magazine Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Neo-Expressionist Art
Paper, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Neo-Expressionist Art
Paper, Acrylic
1990s Neo-Expressionist Art
Parchment Paper, Acrylic
1990s Neo-Expressionist Art
Pastel, Paper
2010s Neo-Expressionist Art
Acrylic, Panel
2010s Neo-Expressionist Art
Paper, Charcoal
2010s Neo-Expressionist Art
Paper, Charcoal, Magazine Paper
2010s Neo-Expressionist Art
Acrylic, Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Neo-Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Neo-Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Neo-Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Neo-Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Neo-Expressionist Art
Acrylic
1990s Neo-Expressionist Art
Oil Pastel
2010s Neo-Expressionist Art
Paint, Paper, Glaze
1970s Neo-Expressionist Art
Charcoal
1990s Neo-Expressionist Art
Oil Pastel, Found Objects
1990s Neo-Expressionist Art
Oil Pastel, Found Objects
1990s Neo-Expressionist Art
Oil Pastel, Found Objects
1990s Neo-Expressionist Art
Oil Pastel, Rag Paper
1990s Neo-Expressionist Art
Oil Pastel
Early 2000s Neo-Expressionist Art
Parchment Paper, Acrylic
1990s Neo-Expressionist Art
Oil Pastel