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.
"Albero" by E. Wenk, 2020-22 - Pencil on Paper, Abstract Tree, Still-life
By Enzio Wenk
Located in Bresso, IT
Translated title: "Tree" Pencil on high-quality cotton paper, which is handmade in Italy. This is part of an album. It's been drawn in one go, with no erasure and with a continuou...
Paper, Pencil
"Calla Lily, " Original Watercolor Botanical Drawing signed by Sylvia Spicuzza
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Calla Lily" is an original watercolor on paper by Sylvia Spicuzza. The artist signed the piece "Miss Spicuzza" in the lower right. This piece depicts a calla lily blooming in variou...
Watercolor
Tower of Glamour fanciful still life hats mirror and colorful sunglasses
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This pastel is part of an ongoing series referred to restless still life in which the artist embodies inanimate objects with a life of their own. It is signed and dated on the bottom...
Pastel, Archival Paper
Price Upon Request
Water Lilies South Kourtwright
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Fairfield, CT
Oil on canvas
Canvas, Oil
$2,800
H 18 in W 16 in
Boston Expressionist Conte Pencil Drawing "Still Life with Flies" Hyman Bloom
By Hyman Bloom
Located in Surfside, FL
Hyman Bloom "Still Life with Flies" Frame: 18" X 16" Image: 9.25" X 8.25" Hand signed with his monogram initials Provenance: bears exhibition label from Fuller Museum of Art Hyman B...
Color Pencil
$2,033
H 8.66 in W 11.81 in
19th Century Vintage Still Life Painting by Vincent Clare. Victorian art.
Located in PARIS, FR
Conditions: Very good overall condition. Edge right, visible under UV Light, minor retouching (5mm). The frame is period frame original baring stickers from Galleries in London. Di...
Oil
$36,000
H 8.25 in W 6 in D 2 in
Barbara Regina Dietzsch Watercolor Painting of White Primrose, ca. 1730
Located in New York, NY
Barbara Regina Dietzsch, 1706-1783 White Primrose, Japanese Quince, a Beetle, and a Butterfly, ca. 1730 Opaque watercolor painting inscribed on...
Watercolor
$265
H 13.25 in W 16 in D 0.13 in
A Striking 1940s Cubist Still Life Drawing by Modern Artist Stanley Bielecky
By Stanley Bielecky
Located in Chicago, IL
A striking 1940s Modern cubist still life drawing by Notable Chicago and Michigan artist Stanley Bielecky. Image size: 4 x 5 inches. Archivally matted to 13 1/4 x 16 inches. Estate stamped and numbered 58, lower left. Stanley Bielecky was an Indiana artist who painted the American Scene, from the industrial factories and workers around East Chicago to the pastoral settings of Mackinac Island...
Graphite, Paper
Untitled Floral Still Life
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Beautiful floral still life by American artist Jane Piper (1916-1991) . Pastel, oil crayon and pencil on tracing paper. Image measuring 13 x 15.5 inches in ...
Parchment Paper, Crayon, Pastel, Pencil
$2,400
H 29 in W 22.5 in D 2 in
Morandi Bottle (Abstract, Cubist Still Life Graphite Drawing with Antique Frame)
Located in Hudson, NY
Abstract modernist style still life graphite and acrylic painting inspired by Giorgio Morandi's bottle still life paintings "Morandi II” by Hudson Valley artist, David Dew Bruner, m...
Paper, Graphite
Panier de Peches
By Alfred Arthur Brunel De Neuville
Located in Austin, TX
Alfred Arthur Brunel de Neuville, French (1879 - 1907) "Panier de Peches" Oil on canvas. Signed lower right side.
Canvas, Oil
Vase of Tulips
Located in Houston, TX
Mid-century French watercolor painting of red tulips in vase against blue/purple background by artist Madeleine Scali, circa 1960. Original ...
Watercolor
$643
H 15 in W 17 in D 1.25 in
'Pear Solo' by Marie Kash Weltzheimer, Pastel on Paper
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
This 15" x 17" pastel on paper framed drawing was created by contemporary artist, Marie Kash Weltzheimer. This still-life presents a vibrant depiction of a single pear resting atop a...
Paper, Pastel
$949
H 15.75 in W 11.82 in D 0.04 in
Purple Orchids Pastel Exotic Drawing Modern Pink Floral Art Botanical Interior
Located in Oslo, NO
This striking soft pastel drawing presents a poetic and intimate study of cascading purple orchids. Set against a cool, textured neutral background, the artwork balances botanical pr...
Paper, Pastel
Still Life
By Earl Horter
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
Best known as an impassioned supporter and avid collector of modern art, Earl Horter was also an artist himself. Largely self-taught, Horter was a highly skilled draftsman and engrav...
Paper, Pastel
Tabletop Still Life
Located in Houston, TX
Charming still-life watercolor of a table setting by French artist JF Thomas, circa 1950. Signed lower right. Original artwork on paper displayed on a white mat with a gold border...
Watercolor
$2,800Sale Price|49% Off
H 32.5 in W 24 in D 1 in
"Fennell" Original Mixed Media on Board Floralscape by Tom Perkinson, Framed
Located in Encino, CA
"Fennell," an original mixed media on board by Tom Perkinson, is a piece for the true collector. His use of saturated violets, vivid yellows, and resplendent oranges pushes color to ...
Pastel, Ink, Mixed Media, Watercolor, Color Pencil
Colorful Tabletop, 1980s
Located in Houston, TX
French watercolor of a vibrantly hued tabletop, featuring bottles and fruit, by artist Madeleine Scali (1911-2000), 1980. Dated lower left. Original artwork on paper displayed on...
Watercolor
$265
H 14 in W 16.5 in D 0.13 in
1930s Surrealist Still Life with Figure Profile & Clothes Hanger by Jan Matulka
By Jan Matulka
Located in Chicago, IL
A striking 1930 graphite on pencil drawing of Surrealist still life of a figure profile and clothes hanger by New York Modern artist, Jan Matulka. Graphite on paper, measuring 8 1/...
Paper, Graphite
Water Lilies South Kourtwright
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Fairfield, CT
Oil on canvas
Oil, Canvas
Purple Cataleya Monday
By Hunt Slonem
Located in Fairfield, CT
Framed dimensions 14.5 x 12.5 in.
Wood, Oil