Expressionist Animal Paintings
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.
1970s Expressionist Animal Paintings
Cardboard, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Animal Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Animal Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Animal Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Animal Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Animal Paintings
Oil, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Animal Paintings
Oil, Canvas
Late 20th Century Expressionist Animal Paintings
Acrylic, Cotton Canvas
2010s Expressionist Animal Paintings
Panel, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Animal Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Animal Paintings
Oil, Canvas
2010s Expressionist Animal Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Animal Paintings
Oil, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Animal Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Animal Paintings
Oil
1970s Expressionist Animal Paintings
Oil, Cardboard
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Animal Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Animal Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Animal Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Animal Paintings
Oil, Canvas
2010s Expressionist Animal Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Animal Paintings
Oil, Canvas
2010s Expressionist Animal Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas
2010s Expressionist Animal Paintings
Oil, Canvas
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Animal Paintings
Oil
2010s Expressionist Animal Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Animal Paintings
Acrylic
1960s Expressionist Animal Paintings
Oil, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Animal Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Kip Decker presents a vibrant portrait of five Native Americans on horseback. They collectively look out and watch for the unforeseen, surrounded by colo...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Animal Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Diana Elena Chelaru presents a woman engrossed in a book while sitting on a chair. A wise owl perches on the lady's long, blonde hair, symbolizing wisdom...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Animal Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Diana Elena Chelaru presents a charismatic composition of a woman accompanied by a pink wading bird. "Flamingos are symbols of beauty, balance, and roman...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Animal Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Kip Decker presents a profound scene of Native Americans on horseback. They convene to discuss important matters and plans of action. "It is an ancient a...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Animal Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Animal Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Kip Decker portrays a poignant scene of Native Americans on horseback. The group explores a shallow water source after a recent rain. The iridescent hues...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Animal Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Animal Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas
Artist Comments
Artist Kip Decker captures a dreamlike scene of Native Americans on horseback, pausing to survey their onward journey. Their graceful silhouettes stand out prom...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Animal Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Kip Decker depicts a group of Native Americans on horseback, traveling north for the summer. The multicolored and energetic background fuses the sky, the...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Animal Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Animal Paintings
Oil, Canvas
Early 2000s Expressionist Animal Paintings
Metal
2010s Expressionist Animal Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Animal Paintings
Bromoil
1950s Expressionist Animal Paintings
Board, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Animal Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Animal Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
2010s Expressionist Animal Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Animal Paintings
Oil
Early 2000s Expressionist Animal Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Diana Elena Chelaru exhibits an expressionist portrait of a lady with her dog. She caresses the pup as it sleeps by her side. Geometric shapes adorn her ...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Animal Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Animal Paintings
Acrylic, Permanent Marker
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Animal Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas
1950s Expressionist Animal Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Diana Elena Chelaru presents an expressionist portrait of a lady with her two cats. She communicates her love for them through gentle caresses as they sleep. Flowers and organic shapes decorate her beautiful rich plum dress...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Animal Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Animal Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Animal Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Animal Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Animal Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Animal Paintings
Acrylic