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Expressionist Art

EXPRESSIONIST STYLE

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.

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Style: Expressionist
Joelle de dos au coussin vert 1995 original lithograph by Jean Jansem handsigned
Joelle de dos au coussin vert 1995 original lithograph by Jean Jansem handsigned

Joelle de dos au coussin vert 1995 original lithograph by Jean Jansem handsigned

By Jean Jansem

Located in Les Acacias GE, GE

Jean Jansem (1920-2013) Joelle de dos au coussin vert, 1995 Lithographie sur papier Arches Signée et justifiée 56 x 76 cm Album: La danse, 1999 Imprimeur: Arts-Litho, Paris Editeur ...

Category

Late 20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Mirando al Cielo 7 - Murmuration Japan Asiatic Landscape Photograph

Mirando al Cielo 7 - Murmuration Japan Asiatic Landscape Photograph

By Rosa Basurto

Located in Brighton, GB

Mirando al Cielo 7 is a beautiful 30cm x 30cm Digital Print on 50cm x 50cm Cotton Paper. This is a Limited Edition of 9 + 2 Artist Proofs in this size. In this image by Spanish ph...

Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Photographic Paper, Digital, Color

11 Breath of Silence  Venice Biennale 2026 Project
11 Breath of Silence  Venice Biennale 2026 Project

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 ...

Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Australian Bullfinch on a branch
Australian Bullfinch on a branch

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...

Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Cardboard

Untitled (Personages Drinking)
Untitled (Personages Drinking)

Untitled (Personages Drinking)

By Michael Todd White

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork "Untitled (Personages Drinking)" c.2005, is an original serio lithograph (serigraph and lithograph) on paper by renown American figurative expressionist artist Michael Todd White, b.1969. It is signed and numbered 24/350. The artwork (Image) Size is 9.25 x 21 inches, framed size is 19 x 30 inches. Custom framed in a wood veneer and black frame, with fabric matting. It is in excellent condition. About the artist: Michael Todd White (born October 10, 1969, in San Antonio, Texas) is a figurative expressionist painter.[1] He has also been described as an avant-garde expressionist. White was named the official artist for the Grammy Awards by the Recording Academy in 2007. His painting appeared on the ceremony's invitation and program book and served as the official image for the event. His work was featured in the Inspirations of Oz Fine Art Collection, an exhibition commemorating the 70th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz. The collection toured designated cities all over the world including Miami, Los Angeles, Dubai, Japan, London, Toronto and Vienna. In 2010, White was chosen to provide sketches for Coca-Cola Light in Mexico. White's six sketches are depicted on different faces of Coca-Cola Light bottles and cans, each featuring his distinctive box signature. This was the first time that Coke had collaborated with a fine artist to depict artwork for its label. The bottles were released in August 2010.[5] As a result of some of these career achievements White has earned international recognition and a lengthy list of celebrity collectors. White's work hangs in a number of galleries in North America and he is currently one of the best selling artists in the United Kingdom. Some of White's most prominent exhibitions include a show at the Bank of Scotland in Manchester, England and at the unveiling of The World's Largest Todd White Collection, hosted by CNN's Larry King at Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California. Todd White's work was featured in the opening of Clarendon Fine Art Gallery in Hampstead, London alongside that of leading British contemporary artists Sherree Valentine-Daines and Christian Hook.

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Marc Chagall, The Offering, from Chagall Lithographer I, 1960
Marc Chagall, The Offering, from Chagall Lithographer I, 1960

Marc Chagall, The Offering, from Chagall Lithographer I, 1960

By Marc Chagall

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite lithograph by Marc Chagall (1887–1985), titled L'Offrande (The Offering), from Chagall Lithographe I (Chagall Lithographer I), originates from the October 1960 issue p...

Category

1960s Expressionist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Don't Rush Life 1 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Africa Men
Don't Rush Life 1 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Africa Men

Don't Rush Life 1 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Africa Men

By Elijah Olanase

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...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Tamar Zinn “Untitled Landscape” Oil Pastel, 1997
Tamar Zinn “Untitled Landscape” Oil Pastel, 1997

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...

Category

1990s Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil Pastel

original lithograph

original lithograph

Located in Henderson, NV

Medium: original lithograph. Printed in 1920 on a light brown tinted wove paper for the German Expressionist art revue Das Kunstblatt, published in Berlin by Verlag Gustav Kiepenheue...

Category

1920s Expressionist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Bird on a branch (Cyornis rubeculoides)
Bird on a branch (Cyornis rubeculoides)

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...

Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Cardboard

Tennis Match, Expressionist Lithograph by Jim Jonson

Tennis Match, Expressionist Lithograph by Jim Jonson

By Jim Jonson

Located in Long Island City, NY

Jim Jonson, American (1928 - 1999) - Tennis Match, Year: circa 1980, Medium: Lithograph, signed and numbered in pencil, Edition: 300, AP, Size: 28 in. x 21 in. (71.12 cm x 53.34 ...

Category

1980s Expressionist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Max Eisler Eine Nachlese folio "Girlfriends II" collotype print
Max Eisler Eine Nachlese folio "Girlfriends II" collotype print

Max Eisler Eine Nachlese folio "Girlfriends II" collotype print

By (after) Gustav Klimt

Located in Palm Beach, FL

After Gustav Klimt, Max Eisler #1, Die Freundinnen II; multi-color collotype after 1916/17 painting in oil on canvas which was destroyed by fire in May 1945 at Immendorf Castle Lower Austria. Eisler’s choice to begin his 1931 portfolio of works by Klimt with Girlfriends II was both bold and prescient. Just 14 years later, the painting was tragically destroyed in a fire. With such a loss, this rare and exquisite image is all the more valuable by virtue of having been made in color. In works from his late period, Klimt continued his fascination with exploring female dynamics and their various forms of love. Girlfriends II is a fine example of how space, color and ornament play a noticeable role in the evolution of his symbolic language. Wide swaths of space in the background as well as the two female forms create the structure. Klimt’s strong brushstrokes show a painterly quality and a new move toward abstraction which feels very far away from his earlier work. Nor should Klimt’s economy of line be overlooked. His draughtsmanship is what infuses the female bodies with movement, emotion and a profundity of life. Both women confront the viewer’s gaze unselfconsciously, as if they are modern-day Viennese women stepping out of a Klimtesque ukiyo-e print. Characteristic of this late period, Klimt uses ornament...

Category

1930s Expressionist Art

Materials

Paper

Iron Cross
Iron Cross

Iron Cross

By Rufino Tamayo

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist: Rufino Tamayo Title: Iron Cross Year: 1988 Medium: Color lithograph Edition: Numbered CCXLV/CCC in pencil Paper: Wove Image size: 22.5 x 30...

Category

1980s Expressionist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Le coffre et la lanterne, 1986, original lithograph by Jean Jansem, handsigned
Le coffre et la lanterne, 1986, original lithograph by Jean Jansem, handsigned

Le coffre et la lanterne, 1986, original lithograph by Jean Jansem, handsigned

By Jean Jansem

Located in Les Acacias GE, GE

Jean Jansem (1920-2013) Le coffre et la lanterne, 1986 Lithographie sur papier Arches Signée en bas à droite et justifiée en bas à gauche 67 x 51 cm / 76 x 54 cm D'une édition à 30...

Category

Late 20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Emotional Metamorphosis 2, Original Painting
Emotional Metamorphosis 2, Original Painting

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...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Marc Chagall, The Opera, from Derriere le miroir, 1954
Marc Chagall, The Opera, from Derriere le miroir, 1954

Marc Chagall, The Opera, from Derriere le miroir, 1954

By Marc Chagall

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite lithograph by Marc Chagall (1887–1985), titled L'Opera (The Opera), from the folio Derriere le miroir, No. 67–68, originates from the 1954 edition published by Maeght ...

Category

1950s Expressionist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Low tide by Richard Blades. Oil painting. Sunset over the sea. Turner influence
Low tide by Richard Blades. Oil painting. Sunset over the sea. Turner influence

Low tide by Richard Blades. Oil painting. Sunset over the sea. Turner influence

By Richard K Blades

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...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil, Board

La commode, 1986, original lithograph by Jean Jansem, handsigned
La commode, 1986, original lithograph by Jean Jansem, handsigned

La commode, 1986, original lithograph by Jean Jansem, handsigned

By Jean Jansem

Located in Les Acacias GE, GE

Jean Jansem (1920-2013) La commode, 1986 Lithographie sur papier Arches Signée en bas à droite et justifiée en bas à gauche 51 x 70 cm / 54 x 76 cm D'une édition à 30 exemplaires d...

Category

Late 20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Perfect Duet -21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Floral Mixed Media
Perfect Duet -21st Century Contemporary, Figurative Portrait, Floral Mixed Media

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...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Fantasy with Flowers 53
Fantasy with Flowers 53

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 ...

Category

2010s Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Archival Paper

Composition, Poems of Léopold Sédar Senghor, Lois Mailou Jones
Composition, Poems of Léopold Sédar Senghor, Lois Mailou Jones

Composition, Poems of Léopold Sédar Senghor, Lois Mailou Jones

By Lois Mailou Jones

Located in Southampton, NY

Silkscreen on vélin paper. Paper Size: 22 x 17 inches. Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Notes: From the album, Poems of Léopold Sédar Senghor, 1996. Published by The Limited Editions Club, New York; printed by Studio Heinrici, Ltd., New York, under the direction of Alexander Heinrici, New York, 1996. Excerpted from the album, CCC examples of this album have been printed by Daniel Keleher at Wild Carrot Letterpress. This edition was designed and set in Bodoni types by Dan Cart and Julia Ferrari at Golgonooza Letter Foundry. The silkscreen prints were made by Alexander Heinrici at Studio Heinrici. LOIS MAILOU JONES (1905-1998) was an African American artist and educator, often associated with the Harlem Renaissance. Jones was raised in Boston by working-class parents who emphasized the importance of education and hard work. After graduating from Boston’s School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Jones began designing textiles for several New York firms. She left in 1928 to take a teaching position at Palmer Memorial Institute in North Carolina. At Palmer, Jones founded the art department, coached basketball, taught folk dancing, and played the piano for Sunday services. Two years later, she was recruited by Howard University in Washington, D.C., to join its art department. From 1930–77, Jones trained several generations of African American artists, including David Driskell, Elizabeth Catlett, and Sylvia Snowden...

Category

1990s Expressionist Art

Materials

Screen

Farmhouse in Buchberg by Gustav Klimt, Das Werk lifetime collotype, 1908-1912
Farmhouse in Buchberg by Gustav Klimt, Das Werk lifetime collotype, 1908-1912

Farmhouse in Buchberg by Gustav Klimt, Das Werk lifetime collotype, 1908-1912

By Gustav Klimt

Located in Chicago, IL

Original collotype created from Gustav Klimt’s Farmhouse in Buchberg (Upper Austrian Farmhouse), painted in 1911. Published and edited by Verlag H.O. Miethke and printed by k.k. Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, Vienna, in an edition of 300. Between 1908 and 1914, H.O. Miethke published Das Werk Gustav Klimts...

Category

Early 1900s Expressionist Art

Materials

Paper

Cul de Sac
Cul de Sac

Cul de Sac

By Alexandre Minguet

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork titled "Cul de Sac" is an original color lithograph by French artist Alexandre Minguet, 1937-1996. The image size is 7 x 11 inches, framed size is 17.35 x 21.5 inches. I...

Category

Late 20th Century Expressionist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Woman in a Red Dress

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...

Category

1940s Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Into The Light 2  -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Surrealism, Women
Into The Light 2  -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Surrealism, Women

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...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Linen, Oil

Farm Garden Sunflowers by Gustav Klimt, Das Werk lifetime collotype, 1908-1912
Farm Garden Sunflowers by Gustav Klimt, Das Werk lifetime collotype, 1908-1912

Farm Garden Sunflowers by Gustav Klimt, Das Werk lifetime collotype, 1908-1912

By Gustav Klimt

Located in Chicago, IL

Original collotype created from Gustav Klimt’s Farm Garden With Sunflowers, painted in 1913. Published and edited by Verlag H.O. Miethke and printed by k.k. Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, Vienna, in an edition of 300. Between 1908 and 1914, H.O. Miethke published Das Werk Gustav Klimts...

Category

Early 1900s Expressionist Art

Materials

Paper

Goddess Feels - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Plants, Women
Goddess Feels - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Plants, Women

Goddess Feels - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Plants, Women

By Josue M Pierre

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 ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Two Woodsmen, Original Painting
Two Woodsmen, Original Painting

Two Woodsmen, Original Painting

By Robert Hofherr

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...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Acrylic

Unbroken Poise -21st Century Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Modern, Women

Unbroken Poise -21st Century Contemporary, Figurative, Portrait, Modern, Women

By Olaniyi Timothy

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...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Old and Young Woman - Lithograph Poster - Los Angeles County Museum #Mourlot
Old and Young Woman - Lithograph Poster - Los Angeles County Museum #Mourlot

Old and Young Woman - Lithograph Poster - Los Angeles County Museum #Mourlot

By Edvard Munch

Located in Paris, IDF

Edvard Munch (1863 - 1944) (after) Young and Old Woman Poster printed in offset lithograph (from Munch's original woodcut "Women on the Shore" of 1898) Printed in Mourlot workshop, Paris 76 x 53 cm (30 x 21") INFORMATION : Realised for the exhibition in the Los Angeles County Museum...

Category

1960s Expressionist Art

Materials

Offset

In The Stillness of Thoughts -21st Century, Expressionist Modern, Child, Balloon
In The Stillness of Thoughts -21st Century, Expressionist Modern, Child, Balloon

In The Stillness of Thoughts -21st Century, Expressionist Modern, Child, Balloon

By Rotimi Godwin

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...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Expressionist art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Expressionist art available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add art created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of orange, blue, purple, green and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Iryna Kastsova, George Grosz, Stephen Basso, and Marc Chagall. Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Oil Paint and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Expressionist art, so small editions measuring 1 inches across are also available.