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.
$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
$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
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
$3,488
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
$977Sale 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
$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
$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
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
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
$1,245
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
$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
$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
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
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
"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
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
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
$979Sale Price|30% Off
Woman in Blue Abstract Expressionist Figurative
Located in Soquel, CA
Gorgeous figurative oil painting of a woman in blue by San Francisco artist Michael William Eggleston(American, 20th c.). From a collection of his works. Unsigned and unframed. Mic...
Canvas, Oil
Australian Bullfinch on a branch
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this oil painting, I sought to capture the delicate vibrancy of nature through the lens of expressionism and realism, portraying a small bird with a notably vivid plumage. The sof...
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard
11 Breath of Silence 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
10 Through the Mist of Time 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
$3,906
Manyfaced. Man, masculine, inner world, faces, fish, bright, strong, strange
Located in Oslo, NO
“Many faced” is an oil painting from Alter Ego series, inspired by Carl Jung’s analytical psychology. The series explores the inner landscape of the self — the tension between opposi...
Canvas, Oil
$2,680Sale Price|20% Off
Don't Rush Life 1 - 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
$1,100
Working without a Net Oil On Canvas Female Character Starry Moonlight REDUCED
Located in Houston, TX
Reduced from $1450. Working without a Net 20" x 20" oil Dogs sometimes accompany the pale bald “Everywoman” protagonist on her journeys that often take place beneath a starry moonl...
Canvas, Oil
Woman at a Loom Oil Painting, Signed Campigli, 1943
By Massimo Campigli, 1895-1971
Located in San Francisco, CA
Woman at a Loom Oil on canvas Signed Campigli, 1943 24" x 36" 31" x 43"
Oil
Tamar Zinn “Untitled Landscape” Oil Pastel, 1997
By Tamar Zinn
Located in San Francisco, CA
This autumnal landscape in oil pastel on paper is by New York City artist Tamar Zinn. Before turning to abstraction, Zinn’s artwork focused on Expressionist invented landscapes, of w...
Oil Pastel
Meneses Mallorca Coast original watercolor paper expressionist painting
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
coast original watercolor paper expressionist painting. This Catalan painter, settled for years in Mallorca, offers a series of landscapes in which the natural is treated in the imp...
Watercolor
Bird on a branch (Cyornis rubeculoides)
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this oil painting, infused with expressionism and realism, I captured the vivid essence and delicate poise of a small bird perched on a branch. The soft, blended background in gre...
Canvas, Oil, Cardboard
4 Frozen Echo Oil Painting on Canvas, Expressionist, 2010s, Unframed
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, Linen, Oil
"Roadster" (2005) Expressionist Still-Life, Oil Painting on Panel
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
Triptych "Ocean of possibilities"oil abstraction of Volskya Lilya.
Located in Zofingen, AG
Triptych "Ocean of possibilities"oil abstraction of Volskya Lilya. Do all artists have equal opportunities? Is talent an illusion or a gift from God? Whose paintings will remain in t...
Canvas, Oil
Café de la Gare - Mid 20th Century French Expressionist Figurative Oil Painting
Located in Sevenoaks, GB
A superb mid 20th century French expressionist oil on canvas depicting a café de la gare (station café) as inscribed on the reverse. Numerous well dressed figures stand at the café ...
Canvas, Oil
$7,300
Kinetic Azure: Deep Turquoise Abstract Expressionism – Large Palette Knife Oil
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this monumental 80x120 cm work from her 2024 pivotal collection, Elena Lukina redefines the boundaries of contemporary marine abstraction. 'Kynetic Azure' is not merely a depictio...
Canvas, Oil
Emotional Metamorphosis 2, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
This vibrant medium-sized artwork explores the ever-changing emotional landscape. Its vivid colors and bold strokes suggest a blossoming, floral motif. The piec...
Acrylic
$1,674
Where are we? Who are we? Psychology, lost, emotional, young woman, questions
Located in Oslo, NO
The philosophical painting “Where are we, who are we?” shows a young woman with two mysterious, bird-like figures in soft pastel tones. The scene carries quiet uncertainty, inviting ...
Canvas, Oil
Fantasy with Flowers 53
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 ...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Archival Paper
Low tide by Richard Blades. Oil painting. Sunset over the sea. Turner influence
Located in Coltishall, GB
Richard K Blades mesmerizing oil painting captures the ethereal beauty of a sunset over a tranquil sea. The sky, painted in vivid hues of orange and crimson, seamlessly blends with s...
Oil, Board
$5,960Sale Price|20% Off
Perfect Duet -21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Floral Mixed Media
By Gobe Joseph
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 Gob...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$1,495
19th Century Impressionist Manner Oil Seascape Winter Sunset Harbor Scene Signed
Located in Stockholm, SE
This marine oil on canvas resonates with French Impressionism of the late 19th century (reminiscent of the circle or followers of Eugène Boudin) and captures the fleeting poetry of w...
Canvas, Wood, Oil
$6,592
The power. Strong, man, bird, masculine, yellow, large artwork, inner power
Located in Oslo, NO
This large and strong oil painting, called The Power, is part of Alter Ego series and is inspired by Carl Jung’s psychology. Warm yellows and oranges against deep black and blue. A s...
Canvas, Oil
$1,800
"Mexican Outdoor Scene with Figures" Expressionistic Style Oil Painting on Board
Located in New York, NY
A strong modernist oil painting depicted in the Mid Century by Russian painter Michael Baxte. Mostly known for his abstracted figures on canvas or street scenes, this piece is a wond...
Oil, Masonite
Woman in a Red Dress
By Béla Czóbel
Located in Chicago, IL
In an article published in Le Figaro (Paris, March 19, 1964), Raymond Cogniat comments on Czóbel’s unique artistic style. He writes: “...Czóbel, who arrived Paris in the first years...
Canvas, Oil
$4,000Sale Price|20% Off
Into The Light 2 -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Surrealism, Women
By Elisha Nyong
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
A garden of broken vows— where lilies bloom with ash in their throats and mirrors drip with the sweat of secrets. Two shadows entwine, Yet one dissolves into smoke, The other crumble...
Linen, Oil
$4,936Sale Price|20% Off
Interior with fruit . Colorful Expressionist Still-life Oil painting
Located in Segovia, ES
Interior with fruit (Interior con frutas). Expressionist Colorful Oil on wood panel Still life with view in the background, Author: Aracely Alarcón. Me...
Oil, Wood Panel
$1,480Sale Price|20% Off
Goddess Feels - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Plants, 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 Pierre ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Two Woodsmen, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Two woodsmen stand in a sunlit spring forest in this Fauvist painting. The figures balance the large tree trunks and dense foliage around them. Bright colors an...
Acrylic
$1,440Sale Price|20% Off
Unbroken Poise -21st Century Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Modern, Women
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
There’s a poise that comes not from perfection but from resilience and the quiet strength we all carry from within. This artwork speaks to the moments when life tests us, yet we choo...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$4,000Sale Price|20% Off
In The Stillness of Thoughts -21st Century, Expressionist Modern, Child, Balloon
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
"Shadow Lace" (2017) Expressionist Winter Still-Life, Watercolor 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
Mushrooms in the Forest" is an oil painting by Volskaya Liliуa.
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Mushrooms in the Forest" is an oil painting by Volskaya Liliуa. Have you been to a forest where there are so many trees that it becomes dark under their canopy? How does it feel? I ...
Canvas, Oil
Golden Sunset
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this vivid painting, I unleashed a symphony of color through expressive brushstrokes, merging acrylic and oil to capture the ephemeral beauty of a dramatic sunset. It dances betwe...
Oil, Acrylic, Cardboard
$520
"Rain To The North" (2024) by Leigh Ann Van Fossan, Original Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Leigh Ann Van Fossan's "Rain To The North" (2024) is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a valley with a few houses in the distance and a storm brewing above. Van Fossan...
Oil, Panel
$2,040Sale Price|20% Off
Abike 1 -21st Century Contemporary Figurative Portrait of Modern Woman, Umbrella
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 Ogu...
Canvas, Acrylic
Expressionist Fauvist View From a Window, The Balcony, Follower of Raoul Dufy
Located in Cotignac, FR
Expressionist Fauvist French oil on canvas view from a window to a balcony by Jean-Jacques Philippon. The painting is signed and dated bottom right and there is an exhibition label f...
Canvas, Oil
Luminous Coastline: 30x40cm Oil on Caravaggio Italy Canvas (2024)
By Elena Lukina
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Luminous Coastline" is an exquisite 2024 original oil painting from the prestigious series Gravity of Light: Marine Chronicles. Created on world-renowned Italian Caravaggio canvas, ...
Canvas, Oil
$2,000Sale Price|20% Off
RED SHORE 2 - original painting by Paula Craioveanu Landscape
Located in Forest Hills, NY
"Red Shore 2 ", acrylic on canvas, 40x100cm, Shipped strected. Comes with a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist.
Canvas, Acrylic