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Modern Paintings

MODERN STYLE

The first decades of the 20th century were a period of artistic upheaval, with modern art movements including Cubism, Surrealism, Futurism and Dadaism questioning centuries of traditional views of what art should be. Using abstraction, experimental forms and interdisciplinary techniques, painters, sculptors, photographers, printmakers and performance artists all pushed the boundaries of creative expression.

Major exhibitions, like the 1913 Armory Show in New York City — also known as the “International Exhibition of Modern Art,” in which works like the radically angular Nude Descending a Staircase by Marcel Duchamp caused a sensation — challenged the perspective of viewers and critics and heralded the arrival of modern art in the United States. But the movement’s revolutionary spirit took shape in the 19th century.

The Industrial Revolution, which ushered in new technology and cultural conditions across the world, transformed art from something mostly commissioned by the wealthy or the church to work that responded to personal experiences. The Impressionist style emerged in 1860s France with artists like Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne and Edgar Degas quickly painting works that captured moments of light and urban life. Around the same time in England, the Pre-Raphaelites, like Edward Burne-Jones and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, borrowed from late medieval and early Renaissance art to imbue their art with symbolism and modern ideas of beauty.

Emerging from this disruption of the artistic status quo, modern art went further in rejecting conventions and embracing innovation. The bold legacy of leading modern artists Georges Braque, Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo, Salvador Dalí, Henri Matisse, Joan Miró, Marc Chagall, Piet Mondrian and many others continues to inform visual culture today.

Find a collection of modern paintings, sculptures, prints and other fine art on 1stDibs.

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Style: Modern
9:23 am

9:23 am

By Saul Chase

Located in Los Angeles, CA

9:23am, 1969, acrylic on canvas, signed and dated verso, 44 ½ x 50 inches, exhibited: 39th Midyear Show, The Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio, 1972 (label verso), p...

Category

1960s Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Downtown New York

Downtown New York

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Downtown New York, c. 1930s, oil on canvas, signed lower right, 10 x 12 inches; label verso reads: "Harry Dix / Title Downtown New York / Medium Oil" Harry Dix was a 20th-century p...

Category

1930s Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

St Tropez Harbor France Large 1970's French Modernist Oil Painting on Canvas
St Tropez Harbor France Large 1970's French Modernist Oil Painting on Canvas

St Tropez Harbor France Large 1970's French Modernist Oil Painting on Canvas

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

St Tropez French Modernist artist, indistinctly signed circa 1970 oil on canvas, framed framed: 13 x 37 inches canvas: 12 x 36 inches provenance: private collection, France conditio...

Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Untitled
Untitled

Untitled

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist: Charles Burk– American (1947-) Title: Doorway, old Building Year: unknown Medium: Watercolor on watercolor paper Size: 10 x 15 inches. Framed size: 19 x 23.5 inches Signatu...

Category

Late 20th Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

"Manhattan Looking East, " Herman Rose, WPA New York City View from Midtown
"Manhattan Looking East, " Herman Rose, WPA New York City View from Midtown

"Manhattan Looking East, " Herman Rose, WPA New York City View from Midtown

By Herman Rose

Located in New York, NY

Herman Rose (1909 - 2007) Manhattan Looking East (View from Midtown), 1952-54 Oil on canvas 26 x 28 inches Signed lower right Fairfield Porter wrote an essay in ArtNews on this exact painting in 1955. Please inquire for a copy of the article. Literature: Fairfield Porter, "Herman Rose Paints a Picture," ArtNews, April 1955 Volume 54, Number 2, illustrated. Herman Rose was best known for his depictions of cityscapes of New York City. Herman Rappaport was born in Brooklyn, New York. in 1909. Herman Rose was the professional pseudonym of Herman Rappaport. Originally trained as a draftsman and studied at the National Academy of Design from 1927 to 1929, he was later employed by the Works Progress Administration's Murals Division under Arshile Gorky from 1934 until 1939. In 1939, after experimenting with a variety of contemporary expressionistic styles, Rose decided to paint from life. Working mostly in East New York and East Canarsie in Brooklyn, and in Manhattan, Rose began to paint roof tops and street scenes. Rappaport began using the name Herman Rose when he held his first solo art exhibition in 1946 at the Charles Egan Gallery in New York City. Although he initially began as an Expressionistic painter, he became known for small, light-filled Impressionist paintings of still life, cityscapes and skies by the early 1950s. His paintings and images were often composed of very small dabs of paint and tiny, blurry "squares," which combined to create the image on canvas, his favorite medium. Often described as a "lyrical painter" Rose's work "interpreted traditional subjects: landscape, still life and the figure like the Post-Impressionists from whom he developed his own style, Rose built up forms from distinct touches of color that don't entirely blend in the viewer's eye. This gives his surfaces an active quality that flattens forms, one of the great lessons of modernism." Herman Rose's work received official recognition when Ms. Dorothy Miller of Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) included his work in an exhibition called, "15 Americans," alongside work by Clyfford Still, Mark Rothko and Jackson Pollock. New York Times art critic Hilton Kramer wrote of Rose's work in 1981, "{he} must surely be counted among the most beautiful works anyone has produced in this challenging medium for many years." The Art in America art critic Lawrence Campbell...

Category

1950s Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Violets Are Blue
Violets Are Blue

Violets Are Blue

By Brooke Major

Located in Atlanta, GA

A passion for horses, equestrian pursuits, and painting define Brooke Major's life and career. A native of Atlanta, GA, Brooke Major has been living and working as a professional art...

Category

2010s Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Plaza Del Rey, Barcelona
Plaza Del Rey, Barcelona

Plaza Del Rey, Barcelona

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Large scale modernist painting by Spanish painter Jose Lapayese Del Rio, 1968. Titled "Plaza Del Rey, Barrio Gotico (Barcelona)" . Oil on canvas. Signed lower right and again verso a...

Category

1960s Modern Paintings

Materials

Oil

Walk in a park - Watercolor on paper 18x20 cm
Walk in a park - Watercolor on paper 18x20 cm

Walk in a park - Watercolor on paper 18x20 cm

Located in Geneva, CH

Work on paper Unsigned work

Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

Antique American Modernist 19th Century Framed Sunset Landscape Oil Painting
Antique American Modernist 19th Century Framed Sunset Landscape Oil Painting

Antique American Modernist 19th Century Framed Sunset Landscape Oil Painting

Located in Buffalo, NY

Antique American school modernist landscape sunset painting. In excellent original condition. Handsomely framed in a giltwood molding. Excellent condition, ready to hang and enjoy....

Category

1890s Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Sunburst over the Mesas
Sunburst over the Mesas

Sunburst over the Mesas

Located in San Francisco, CA

In late spring, the high desert floor is still covered with grass and flowering yuccas. Against this colorful backdrop, the artist has captured a burst of sunlight breaking through t...

Category

1970s Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

New York Sunset with Blue Gray Cloud.
New York Sunset with Blue Gray Cloud.

New York Sunset with Blue Gray Cloud.

By Emilio Sanchez

Located in New York, NY

"New York Sunset with Blue Gray Cloud" is a mixed media painting on paper (oil and waterbased paint) by artist Emilio Sanchez. It is painted to the paper edge. Emilio Sanchez return...

Category

1980s Modern Paintings

Materials

Oil, Watercolor

The Witch of Endor - Oil Paint - End of 18th Century
The Witch of Endor - Oil Paint - End of 18th Century

The Witch of Endor - Oil Paint - End of 18th Century

Located in Roma, IT

The Witch of Endor conjures up the specter of Samuel in front of King Saul is an old master artwork realized by a follower of Georg Andreas Wolfgang I between 18th and 19th century. Mixed colored oil painting on canvas. On the back probable signature of the author traced by brush "P. So [mita] rt [...] Fac. ". The subject of this painting, the witch of Endor, a necromancer mentioned in the Bible whose power was to evoke the spirit of the dead, is a very rare theme in painting and there are few artists who represented it. In Italy it was especially Salvator Rosa (1615-1673) who had a deep interest in necromantic subjects and, in particular, he produced many paintings of this kind when he stayed in Florence in the 1840s. Rosa's inventions were exported throughout Europe and, in particular, in the German cities of Stuttgart, Nuremberg and Augusta through the works of Johann Heinnrich Schonfeld (Stuttgart, 1627 - Habsburg, 1684), an artist who worked in Naples and who remained sensitive to figure of Salvator Rosa. In this context, in addition to Schonfeld, the Swiss Joseph Werner II (Berne, 1637-1710) was also responsible for the diffusion of this pictorial genre, introducing Rosa's works on witchcraft among his knowledge of Augsburg. He was also the inventor of the scene represented here from whose drawing (Bern, Kunstmuseum, inv. A1196), executed in 1677, the engraving made immediately after by Georg Andreas Wolfgang the Elder (1631–1716) and by which derives precisely the work examined here. The engraving, which was part of a series of biblical images, was dedicated by Wolfgang to Leonhard Weiss, probably a municipal employee of Augsburg or tis mayor. Reference bibliography: - Susan Broomhall, Gender and emotions in medieval and early modern Europe...

Category

Late 18th Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Oil

Moment of Reflections 2: Modern Oil and Mixed Media on Canvas
Moment of Reflections 2: Modern Oil and Mixed Media on Canvas

Moment of Reflections 2: Modern Oil and Mixed Media on Canvas

Located in Ibadan, Oyo

In "Moment of Reflections," Olatunbosun transports the audience into a world of contemplation and self-discovery. The centerpiece of the artwork is a young man seated in a casual, relaxed manner. His pose conveys a sense of tranquility as if he has found solace in the moments of quiet contemplation. The attention to detail in the artwork is striking, with intricate brushwork bringing out the textures of the subject's clothing and the surrounding environment. The setting of the artwork is deliberately minimalistic, allowing the viewer to focus entirely on the young man's expression and demeanor. The background is a subtle blend of soft colors, suggesting an ethereal space where thoughts roam freely. This simplicity further accentuates the theme of reflection, as the absence of distractions allows viewers to immerse themselves in their own thoughts while contemplating the emotions conveyed by the subject. Olatunbosun's "Moment of Reflections" is a remarkable piece that resonates deeply with viewers from all walks of life. The young man's expression exudes a sense of inner peace, prompting viewers to ponder their own life experiences and contemplate the paths they have taken. This introspective quality of the artwork creates an intimate connection between the audience and the subject, allowing for a deeply personal and emotional experience. The painting's title, "Moment of Reflections," is deliberately chosen to reinforce the idea of taking a moment for self-exploration and soul-searching. In the hustle and bustle of modern life, we often overlook the importance of pausing and reflecting on our journey. Olatunbosun's artwork serves as a gentle reminder to find time for introspection and to appreciate the beauty in moments of quietude. What makes "Moment of Reflections" even more extraordinary is its ability to transcend cultural boundaries. The emotions depicted in the artwork are universal, touching the core of human experiences. Whether the viewer is from the artist's homeland or halfway across the world, the profound message remains relevant – we all share moments of contemplation and self-discovery in our lives. In conclusion, Samson Olatunbosun's "Moment of Reflections" is a timeless masterpiece that captures the human spirit with its simplicity and emotional depth. Through his brilliant artistic skill, Olatunbosun creates an atmosphere of introspection, inviting viewers to engage in their own moments of contemplation and self-discovery. This extraordinary artwork serves as a poignant reminder of the power of art to connect us all through our shared humanity and emotions. As we gaze upon the young man seated in a relaxed manner, we are reminded to embrace the beauty of silence, to reflect on our past, and to seek meaning in the present – a truly profound and impactful journey offered by the artistic genius of Samson Olatunbosun. 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 Gallery) About Artist Samson Olatubosun...

Category

19th Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic, Photographic Paper

Inner Pearl
Inner Pearl

Inner Pearl

By Svitlana Van Rossum

Located in Zofingen, AG

Flower II Inner Pearl (part of the “State of Bloom” series) “Inner Pearl” is part of the “Bloom of State” series, which explores the inner nature of feminine presence. Here, the cl...

Category

2010s Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

The Window 335 - Abstract Contemporary Shiny Green Tone Resin Minimalist  Art
The Window 335 - Abstract Contemporary Shiny Green Tone Resin Minimalist  Art

The Window 335 - Abstract Contemporary Shiny Green Tone Resin Minimalist Art

By Ricky Hunt

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Ricky Hunt’s mixed media minimalist wall art is influenced by his tumultuous past that led to a paradigm shift in creativity and life. He covers the wood panel with layers of acrylic...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Paintings

Materials

Resin, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Wood Panel

Arabian White Horse prancing in Landscape, huge original oil painting
Arabian White Horse prancing in Landscape, huge original oil painting

Arabian White Horse prancing in Landscape, huge original oil painting

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Arabian Horse in Landscape British School, late 20th century oil on canvas, framed canvas: 25.5 x 37 inches framed: 31 x 41 inches the painting is in overall very good and sound cond...

Category

20th Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Oil

Israeli Modernist Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting
Israeli Modernist Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting

Israeli Modernist Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting

By Motke Blum

Located in Surfside, FL

This is a mixed media, it appears to be oil, graphite and ink on board Hand signed lower right size is with frame. Motke Blum was born in Racacun, Romania in 1925. Early in his child...

Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media, Ink, Oil, Board, Graphite

Abstracted Landscape in Acrylic on Wrapped Canvas
Abstracted Landscape in Acrylic on Wrapped Canvas

Abstracted Landscape in Acrylic on Wrapped Canvas

By Ilana Ingber

Located in Soquel, CA

Abstracted Landscape in Acrylic on Wrapped Canvas Vibrant landscape by Ilana Ingber (American, b. 1984). A golden field stretches out towards the horizon, where silhouettes of trees...

Category

2010s Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars

1960s Italian Signed Still Life With Flowers
1960s Italian Signed Still Life With Flowers

1960s Italian Signed Still Life With Flowers

Located in Roma, IT

1960s Italian Signed Still Life With Flowers A beautiful and rare painting by one of Italy's most important avant-garde artists. It depicts a stunning vase of flowers with intense, ...

Category

1950s Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Grapes Wine Bottles Long Serving Platter and Jug Golden Drapery Modernist Piece
Grapes Wine Bottles Long Serving Platter and Jug Golden Drapery Modernist Piece

Grapes Wine Bottles Long Serving Platter and Jug Golden Drapery Modernist Piece

By Guy Nicod

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Title: Grapes Wine Bottles Long Serving Platter and Jug Golden Drapery Modernist Piece Guy Nicod (French 1923 - 2021) Gouache on artist paper, unframed Size: 19.75 x 25.75 inches (h...

Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Gouache

Girl in Green

Girl in Green

By Donald S. Vogel

Located in Dallas, TX

Donald Vogel’s paintings reflect his interest in seeking beauty in life and in sharing pleasure with his viewers. Vogel entreats us to "rejoice and celebrate each new day, knowing it...

Category

1940s Modern Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil

Set of 2 Bright Landscape Studies of 1960's British Modernist Drawings
Set of 2 Bright Landscape Studies of 1960's British Modernist Drawings

Set of 2 Bright Landscape Studies of 1960's British Modernist Drawings

By Irina Hale

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Set of Two Paired Studies 1960's British Modernist Drawing by Irina Hale (British 1932-2022) oil crayon drawings on light brown artist paper stuck on A4 artist paper, unframed overal...

Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Oil Crayon

Girl–Spring
Girl–Spring

Girl–Spring

By Svitlana Van Rossum

Located in Zofingen, AG

Girl–Spring This work is part of the Becoming series. This work is about a moment of inner unfolding. The woman is depicted calm and focused, as if she already knows herself and all...

Category

2010s Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Landscape
Landscape

Landscape

By Marcel Emile Cailliet

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Landscape, 1940, oil on canvas, 24 x 20 inches, signed, dated and titled verso: “Marcel Cailliet ’40 – S.C.” and “Marcel Cailliet Landscape”; likely exhibited at the annual juried st...

Category

1940s Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Hercules and Omphale - Oil Painting on Canvas - 18th Century
Hercules and Omphale - Oil Painting on Canvas - 18th Century

Hercules and Omphale - Oil Painting on Canvas - 18th Century

Located in Roma, IT

Hercules and Omphale is an original painting realized in France between the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th Century. Original oil painting on canvas. Dimensions: 73 x...

Category

Late 18th Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Modern paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Modern paintings 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 paintings created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, orange, purple, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Bernard Labbe, Christel Haag, Sunil Das, and Antonio Feltrinelli. 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 Modern paintings, so small editions measuring 1 inches across are also available.