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.
2010s Expressionist Art
Oil, Canvas
Mid-20th Century Expressionist Art
Oil
1980s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
1960s Expressionist Art
Board, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic
1970s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
1980s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
1980s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
Late 20th Century Expressionist Art
Lithograph
1910s Expressionist Art
Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Archival Ink, Rag Paper, Giclée
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Oil, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Oil, Canvas
1980s Expressionist Art
Etching
Artist Comments
The painting captures a lively scene where a group of people dances joyfully, lost in the music with closed eyes. Their vibrant clothing and fluid movements inf...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Art
Ink, Photographic Paper, Giclée
1920s Expressionist Art
Paper
1990s Expressionist Art
Lithograph
Early 2000s Expressionist Art
Oil
2010s Expressionist Art
Acrylic, Epoxy Resin, Canvas
1980s Expressionist Art
Archival Paper, Lithograph
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
A cluster of trees stands in the middle of a vast field, their canopies merging to create a unified presence. Against the coolness of the blue sky, the orange l...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Oil
2010s Expressionist Art
Lacquer, Canvas, Oil
1970s Expressionist Art
Paper, Gouache
2010s Expressionist Art
Lacquer, Oil, Canvas
1920s Expressionist Art
Woodcut
Artist Comments
The artwork offers a glimpse of a peaceful summer day at the beach. The tranquil sea stretches into the distance, while the sandy, pink shore gradually transi...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Oil
1980s Expressionist Art
Etching
1980s Expressionist Art
Etching
Artist Comments
The artwork presents an expressionist view of a Massachusetts woodland, featuring simplified details and muted colors. It exemplifies reduction, offering only t...
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Art
Wood, Maple, Screen
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
Early 1900s Expressionist Art
Paper
Early 1900s Expressionist Art
Paper
Early 1900s Expressionist Art
Paper
Late 20th Century Expressionist Art
Watercolor
2010s Expressionist Art
Wood, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Wood, Acrylic
1990s Expressionist Art
Watercolor
2010s Expressionist Art
Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Art
Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Art
Sandstone, Bronze
1940s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art
Canvas, Acrylic
1970s Expressionist Art
Paper, Acrylic, Watercolor
2010s Expressionist Art
Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Art
Oil
2010s Expressionist Art
Oil, Canvas
2010s Expressionist Art
Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Art
Acrylic
2010s Expressionist Art
Acrylic
1940s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Expressionist Art
Oil
2010s Expressionist Art
Canvas, Lacquer, Oil