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Modern Figurative 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
Smash or Pass
Located in New York, NY
2023, Oil on canvas
Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Football in the Park - Modern British Figurative Oil on Canvas Painting
Located in Sevenoaks, GB
A beautiful oil on canvas which has been laid on board by the English artist David William Burley depicting a group of friends playing football in a park. Signed lower right and pres...
Category

1960s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Wash Day - Modern British Figurative Hanging Washing in Garden Oil Painting
Located in Sevenoaks, GB
A beautiful Modern British oil on board by Ruth Farrelly which depicts a lady putting her washing out on a line in her garden. Superb quality and striking painting, presented in the ...
Category

20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

1950's French Modernist Oil Men Manual Labour Working in Field with Wheelbarrows
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Labourers French School, mid 20th century oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 24 x 29 inches provenance: private collection, Marseille condition: very good and sound condition
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Ballerina dancer on vivid yellow and orange background
Located in Oostende, BE
Antoon Catrie (Ronsele, Belgium, 1924-1977), ‘Ballerina dancer’, oil on panel – tempera technique like in icons. The work is signed.
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Wood, Tempera

Very Thickly Painted French Mid Century Oil Painting Busy European City Figures
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Busy City Square French School, mid 20th century indistinctly signed oil on board, framed framed: 15 x 19 inches board: 8 x 12 inches provenance: private collection condition: very g...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Still Life with Pineapple 20th century oil painting by Angela Stones
Located in London, GB
To see our other Modern British Art, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller" - or send us a message if you cannot find the artist you want. Angela Stones (1914 - 1995) Still Life with Pineapple Oil on board 41 x 51 cm Signed lower left. A dark, characterful mid-century still life in oils, characterised by Stones' textured brushwork and rich use of colour. Stones was educated at the Chelsea School of Art, and was a member of an artistic dynasty. Her mother Dorothy Bradshaw (1893 - 1983) studied under Jack Merriott – the artist famous for his British Rail posters, and her son, Christopher Assheton-Stones (1947 - 1999), was arguably the foremost pastel artist...
Category

20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

1947 Expressionist Oil Painting Flute Player Musician Boris Deutsch WPA Artist
Located in Surfside, FL
Boris Deutsch (American Lithuanian Russian, 1892-1978) "The Flute Player," 1947 Oil paint on canvas, Hand signed and dated upper left, Provenance: gallery label (Pasadena Art Museu...
Category

1920s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Sparks of joy. 2023, canvas, oil, 70x60 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Sparks of joy. 2023, canvas, oil, 70x60 cm
Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Family
Located in Zofingen, AG
Original oil and acrylic painting on canvas, made under natural light. This artwork is painted using high-quality fine linen canvas and sold unframed. Signed on the front and back of...
Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Abstract Figurative Painting NY Gallery Label Mystery Painting Colorful 1940
Located in Buffalo, NY
Abstract figurative painting on board. Carl Bredemier label on the reverse. Framed. Oil on board
Category

1940s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media, Archival Paper

Untitled, Figurative, Charcoal on Paper by Modern Artist Suhas Roy "In Stock"
Located in Kolkata, West Bengal
Suhas Roy - Untitled Charcoal on Paper, 11 x 13 inches, 2007 Suhas Roy 's mystic woman which he calls 'Radha', either Oil on canvas or soft colored pastel on Paper or board are a se...
Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Charcoal, Paper

Mid 20th Century French Modernist Signed Oil Painting Lady Reclining on Sofa
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Reclining Model French School, mid 20th century signed Labat oil on canvas, unframed board: 18 x 24 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: very good and sound c...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Still Life with Mushrooms 20th century oil painting by Angela Stones
Located in London, GB
To see our other Modern British Art, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller" - or send us a message if you cannot find the artist you want. Angela Stones (1914 - 1995) Still Life with Mushrooms Oil on board 41 x 51 cm Signed lower right. A dark, characterful mid-century still life in oils, characterised by Stones' textured brushwork and rich use of colour. Stones was educated at the Chelsea School of Art, and was a member of an artistic dynasty. Her mother Dorothy Bradshaw (1893 - 1983) studied under Jack Merriott – the artist famous for his British Rail posters, and her son, Christopher Assheton-Stones (1947 - 1999), was arguably the foremost pastel artist...
Category

20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Merge
Located in New York, NY
2020, Oil & mixed media on canvas
Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Mixed Media

Mom Francisca
Located in New York, NY
2022, Oil, acrylic, India ink & paper on canvas
Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Paper, India Ink, Oil, Acrylic

The Incident, 20th Century British Artist, Mixed Media Signed Scratched Artwork
Located in London, GB
Mixed media, signed bottom left Image size: 9 x 9 1/2 inches (23 x 24.25 cm) Mounted and framed
Category

20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media

Still Life with Coffee Pot and Fruit 20th century oil painting by Angela Stones
Located in London, GB
To see our other Modern British Art, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller" - or send us a message if you cannot find the artist you want. Angela Stones (1914 - 1995) Still Life with Coffee Pot and Fruit Oil on board 41 x 51 cm Signed lower right. A mid-century still life in oils, characterised by Stones' textured brushwork, inventive composition, and rich use of colour. Stones was educated at the Chelsea School of Art, and was a member of an artistic dynasty. Her mother Dorothy Bradshaw (1893 - 1983) studied under Jack Merriott – the artist famous for his British Rail posters, and her son, Christopher Assheton-Stones (1947 - 1999), was arguably the foremost pastel artist...
Category

20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Portrait of Elegant Lady in Pink Dress with Parasol by Beach Original French Oil
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
"A Day by the Sea" French School, 20th century oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 29 x 21 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: very good and sound condition
Category

20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Fine 1950's English Oil Grand Interior Room Scene Ancestral Portraits signed
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Guildhall, Worcester English School, mid 20th century indistinctly signed verso oil on canvas canvas: 20 x 24 inches provenance: private collection, UK condition: very good and sound condition The Worcester Guildhall was originally built as a meeting place for Worcester merchants around 1227. As with many other guildhalls, it became the centre for civic administration, a role it maintained after the merchant guild had disappeared. The present Worcester Guildhall is a superb Queen Anne building, begun in 1722 by Thomas White, a pupil of Sir Christopher Wren. White was badly paid for his efforts, and he died in poverty in 1738, bestowing the money he was owed on the Worcester Royal Infirmary. The city finally paid its debt in 1753. The exterior of the Guildhall is brick, dressed with stone. White himself is said to have carved the figure of Queen Anne over the entry, as well as those of Charles I and II, a reminder of the city's long history of royal support. The interior is superb, boasting exceptional period decoration. The Tourist Information Centre is now located in the Guildhall. HISTORY In 1227 Henry III granted the citizens of Worcester a royal charter granting them the right to establish a guild of merchants. The guild was responsible for controlling trade in the city, but their meeting place gradually became the main centre of administration for city government and acted as a courthouse. So, in effect, the Guildhall was the town hall, and though the city guilds have long since vanished, the Guildhall name lives on. The medieval guild merchants would not recognise the building that faces onto High Street now. Their guildhall was a large timber-framed building, occupying the same site, with a piazza for shops fronting the street, courts of justice at each end, and a prison to the north of the building. Part of the prison was a cell called 'the peephole', which gained a notorious reputation. There was a gaoler's house, and attached to it an alehouse from which the gaoler sold ale at extremely high prices to any prisoner who could afford the cost. In 1717 the city administration decided on a new Guildhall, and they knew just who to call; upon to build it. Thomas White was not an architect in the way we think of it today, but a stonemason. In 1705 he had carved a statue of Queen Anne to stand in front of the medieval Guildhall and was made a Freeman of the City. The total cost of the fashionable new red-brick building was £3727. The Corporation only put forward £800, and the rest had to be raised by public subscription. The centre section of the new Guildhall was finished by 1724 and has remained almost unchanged since then. The central facade is a wonderful example of early Georgian style, with three bays flanked by Corinthian pillars. Over the entrance is a huge carving incorporating the Hanoverian royal arms. White's earlier statue of Queen Anne was placed in a niche over the door, and on either side were statues of Charles I, depicted holding a church, and Charles II, with an orb and royal sceptre. On the rooftop are figures of Labour, Peace, Justice, Plenty, and Chastisement. North and south wings were added within a few years of the central block. The south wing was used as a judge's lodging when the assizes were taking place, but throughout the rest of the year it housed a coffee shop. The most striking external feature of the Guildhall is a set of iron gates...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Vampire
Located in New York, NY
2018, Acrylic on canvas
Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Untitled, Figurative, Charcoal on Paper by Modern Artist Suhas Roy "In Stock"
Located in Kolkata, West Bengal
Suhas Roy - Untitled Charcoal on Paper, 12 x 15 inches, 2009 Suhas Roy 's mystic woman which he calls 'Radha', either Oil on canvas or soft colored pastel on Paper or board are a se...
Category

Early 2000s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Charcoal, Paper

"Figures Laying with Shadows" 1986 American Modernist Jack Hooper Painting
Located in Arp, TX
Jack Hooper "Figures Laying with Shadows" December 1986 Paint on paper 9.5"x8" unframed Signed and dated in pencil lower left In this modernist masterpiece by Jack Hooper, two abstr...
Category

1980s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Paint, Paper

1950s "Group Meeting" Mid Century Figurative Gouache University of Paris
Located in Arp, TX
Donald Stacy "Group Meeting" c.1950s Gouache paint on paper 24" x 18'" unframed Unsigned Came from artist's estate Donald Stacy (1925-2011) New Jersey Studied: Newark School of Fin...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Paper, Gouache

Last Level
Located in New York, NY
Oil on canvas
Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Intergalactic Bounty Hunter
Located in New York, NY
2023, Oil on canvas
Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Oil Painting by Well Known Cartoonist and Illustrator Upper East Side, Manhattan
By Sandy Huffaker
Located in Surfside, FL
An Upper East Side of Manhattan New York city scene of bald guy reading newspaper on bench with East River and tugboat in background. The 1970s were the “glory days,” Huffaker says, for himself and a stable of talented illustrators whose work routinely found itself on the covers of the nation’s premier newsmagazines and in the pages of The New York Times. For the better part of that decade, Huffaker was among an elite breed of commercial artists—his hero and fellow Southerner Jack Davis, the legendary Mad Magazine illustrator, among them—working during a remarkable period when art directors routinely turned to illustration to give comic relief to the country’s deeply serious and dark problems. From civil rights and the women’s movement to Vietnam and Watergate, the gas crisis and inflation to the rise of Jimmy Carter, Huffaker mined a deep well of material ripe for his brand of visual wit and caustic satire. He sent his portfolio to children's book illustrator Maurice Sendak, the legendary “Where The Wild Things Are” illustrator to gauge his prospects, and when Sendak replied, “C’mon up, you’ll do all right,” SELECT HONORS: 2 Page-One Awards (from the New York Newspaper Guild), for work in Fortune Magazine and Sports Illustrated. Nominated 3 times for Cartoonist-of-the-Year by the National Cartoonists Society (illustration category). Desi Award of Excellence (Graphic Design Magazine). 20 Award of Merit citations from the Society of Illustrators. One-man show, Society of Illustrators. Illustrators 22 - annual national exhibition for the Society of Illustrators. SELECT MAGAZINE COVERS Time Magazine (6), Sports Illustrated (2), Business Week (12), Forbes, Saturday Review, New York Times Sunday Magazine, The New Republic, Family Weekly, Madison Avenue, New York Daily News Sunday Magazine (2), Junior Scholastic, ACLU, The Nation , and more EDUCATION BA, University of Alabama. Attended Pratt Graphic Center and The Art Students League, New York City. BOOKS WRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED The Dispensible Man (M. Evans and Co.) and The Bald Book (M. Evans and Co.) BOOKS ILLUSTRATED White Is (Grove Press), The Begatting of a President (Ballantine Books), The Biggest Sneeze (Harper-Collins), H. Phillip Birdsong's ESP (Young Scott Books), Kids Letters to President Reagan (M. Evans), The Worlds Greatest Left-Handers (M. Evans), Does My Room Come Alive at Night (HarperCollins), The Man With Big Ears (HarperCollins), Jake Snake's Race (HarperCollins), and more POLITICAL CARTOONING Political cartoonist at The News and Obsever in Raleigh, NC and syndicated during the early 70's. Today, syndicated in 750 publications 3-times a week with Cagle Cartoons. FINE ART SHOWS Allied Artists of America, Salmagundi Club, Phillips Mill Annual (honorable mention), New Hope Shad Festival (grand Prize), Hunter Museum in Chattanooga ( one -man career retrospective), Santa Fe public library (one--man), Rosenfeld Gallery (Philadelphia), Potter...
Category

20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Malvinas Pírate
Located in New York, NY
2018, Oil on canvas
Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Stupid Love
Located in New York, NY
Oil on canvas
Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Untitled, Figurative, Charcoal on Paper by Modern Artist Suhas Roy "In Stock"
Located in Kolkata, West Bengal
Suhas Roy - Untitled Charcoal on Paper, 12 x 16 inches, 2014 Suhas Roy 's mystic woman which he calls 'Radha', either Oil on canvas or soft colored pastel on Paper or board are a se...
Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Charcoal, Paper

Untitled, Figurative, Charcoal on Paper by Modern Artist Suhas Roy "In Stock"
Located in Kolkata, West Bengal
Suhas Roy - Untitled Charcoal on Paper, 11 x 16 inches, 2014 Suhas Roy 's mystic woman which he calls 'Radha', either Oil on canvas or soft colored pastel on Paper or board are a se...
Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Charcoal, Paper

Untitled, Figurative, Charcoal on Paper by Modern Artist Suhas Roy "In Stock"
Located in Kolkata, West Bengal
Suhas Roy - Untitled Charcoal on Paper, 11 x 13 inches, 2007 Suhas Roy 's mystic woman which he calls 'Radha', either Oil on canvas or soft colored pastel on Paper or board are a se...
Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Charcoal, Paper

Untitled, Figurative, Charcoal on Paper by Modern Artist Suhas Roy "In Stock"
Located in Kolkata, West Bengal
Suhas Roy - Untitled Charcoal on Paper, 10 x 13 inches, 2007 Suhas Roy 's mystic woman which he calls 'Radha', either Oil on canvas or soft colored pastel on Paper or board are a se...
Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Charcoal, Paper

Radha, Oil on Canvas, Red, Yellow. Green by Modern Artist Suhas Roy "In Stock"
Located in Kolkata, West Bengal
Suhas Roy - Radha Oil on Canvas, 18 x 14 inches, 2014 Suhas Roy 's mystic woman which he calls 'Radha', either Oil on canvas or soft colored pastel on Paper or board are a series of...
Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil

Untitled, Figurative, Charcoal on Paper by Modern Artist Suhas Roy "In Stock"
Located in Kolkata, West Bengal
Suhas Roy - Untitled Charcoal on Paper, 11 x 16 inches, 2014 Suhas Roy 's mystic woman which he calls 'Radha', either Oil on canvas or soft colored pastel on Paper or board are a se...
Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Charcoal, Paper

Untitled, Figurative, Charcoal on Paper by Modern Artist Suhas Roy "In Stock"
Located in Kolkata, West Bengal
Suhas Roy - Untitled Charcoal on Paper, 10 x 13 inches, 2007 Suhas Roy 's mystic woman which he calls 'Radha', either Oil on canvas or soft colored pastel on Paper or board are a se...
Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Charcoal, Paper

Untitled, Figurative, Charcoal on Paper by Modern Artist Suhas Roy "In Stock"
Located in Kolkata, West Bengal
Suhas Roy - Untitled Charcoal on Paper, 10 x 12 inches, 2014 Suhas Roy 's mystic woman which he calls 'Radha', either Oil on canvas or soft colored pastel on Paper or board are a se...
Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Paper, Charcoal

1970 "Muse on Red" Mixed Media Portrait of Woman American Modernist Jack Hooper
Located in Arp, TX
Jack Hooper "Woman on Red" 1/2/1970 Gouache, ink and pencil on glossy, red paper 11"x8.5" unframed Signed and dated in ink lower right In the year 1970, Jack Hooper's artistic prowe...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Paper, Gouache

"Nude" Sterling Strauser 1962 Small Female Nude Oil on Board
Located in Arp, TX
Sterling Strauser "Nude" 1962 Oil on board Framed 13.25 x 7.25 x 1 in Signed and dated in pencil lower right Sterling Strauser was born in Bloomsburg, PA on August 15, 1907. He rece...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Refreshment and Intermission
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This painting is part of our exhibition America Coast to Coast: Artists of the 1930s Refreshment and Intermission, tempera on board, 11 x 19 inches, c. 1930/40s, signed lower middle, exhibited at Groom's one person show at Closson’s Gallery, Cincinnati, OH, March, 1943 (see The Cincinnati Enquirer, March 7, 1943, section 3, p. 4); provenance includes a private Ohio collection; presented in a period gold painted frame About the Painting Refreshment and Intermission is part of a series of paintings of Amish subjects Grooms started in 1938 based on his travels in Pennsylvania. These tempera works reflect the Regionalist impulse to paint local scenes far away from big cities. Focusing on both people and landscape, Grooms' compositions tell the stories of the uniquely American experience of the Amish. “Grooms paints the Amish people with as much understanding of type and appreciation of the plastic quality as any artist who has approached this challenging subject," noted the art critic for The Cincinnati Inquirer when reviewing Grooms' solo exhibition at Closson' Gallery, "In his current show, ‘Refreshment and Intermission,’ is a case in point. Here the absorbed concentration of people eating is described without an ounce of sentimentality. He has made the most of the interest between groups and of the conversations, both humorous and serious. The work has the quaint simplicity of a Lord’s Supper...
Category

1930s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Tempera

Woman in a Red Hat - Figurative Study Oil on Canvas
Located in Soquel, CA
Woman in a Red Hat - Figurative Study Oil on Canvas A reclining figure painting by American painter, Patricia Gren Hayes (b. 1932), shows a person in a black dress and a Russian Fez...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Sleeping Woman - Paint by Antonio Feltrinelli - 1930s
Located in Roma, IT
Sleeping woman  is an artwork realized by Antonio Feltrinelli in 1930s.  Oil on canvas, 110 x 160 cm.  Very good conditions Antonio Feltrinelli (Milan, 1887 - Gargnano, 1942) wa...
Category

1930s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Market Scene
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork "Market Scene" 1968 is an oil painting on canvas by noted Haitian artist Petion Savain, 1906-1973. It is signed and dated at the lower right...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Untitled, Ink on Paper, Black by Modern Indian Artist Rabin Mondal “In Stock”
Located in Kolkata, West Bengal
Rabin Mondal - Untitled ; Ink on Paper 15 x 22 inches (unframed size) 1993 ( Unframed & Delivered ) Mondal was a clear observant of the various migrant workers who lived along his house in the conjected Howrah Area. They came from far to work and earn their livelihood. He would observe them and was deeply moved by the labour and low rung working class who carried all the heavy load oriented work. He would paint the men and the women , some distressed , some gloomy but with a force that would uplift them to be the heros of the society. Surprisingly Mondal was never depressed himself although he painted people in hard labour and poverty . Style : Mondal`s works are mainly figurative. He paints in bold strokes and creates tableaux, whose themes are universal. The faces of his figures stare at you out of the canvas, strange and pensive, but also strong and defiant. Not yet beaten, surviving by sheer force of spirit. He mostly uses dense pigments in blacks and reds, with only occasional moss green and turquoise colors seeping through. About the Artist & his works : Born : Rabin Mondal (1929 – 2019) was born in Howrah, Kolkata. Education : 1959 : Completed his Art Appreciation Course, Ashutosh Museum, Kolkata University, Kolkata. 1956-58 : Attended Evening Classes, Indian College of Art and Draughtmanship, Kolkata. 1952 : Bachelor of Commerce, Vidyasagar College, Kolkata University, Kolkata. Art Career : The industrial belt of Howrah, with its inherent tendency towards violence, anguish and suffering influenced him deeply, and found its way into his works. So did ugly street battles fought by political parties. Mondal discovered that his artistic temperament was out of keeping with the hostile environment and situation. Besides a debilitating knee injury in his childhood created a sense of isolation in the artist, which also finds expression in his canvas. He says what saved him from sheer madness was his talent in art. In 1949, he joined the Vidyasagar College of Art in Kolkata. At that time, a festival of French artists was being held in the city. It exposed him to the works of French modernist artists. Prior to this, he had no exposure to the international art world. He was only familiar with different schools of Indian art, particularly the Bengal school. As a young painter, Mondal was attracted by Jamini Roy`s folk style and Rabindranath Tagore`s disquieting paintings and drawings. But the show by French artists was virtually a turning point in his artistic career. "This was like opening a window to an astounding, astonishing, unsuspected world," he says. This encounter with avant-garde Western art helped him to later incorporate elements from it in his own work. Art Works : Mondal worked out of his Howrah studio, churning out a series of "kings" and "queens" painted with oil on canvas. These are perhaps Mondal’s best known works, depicting tragic looking figures, seemingly suffering from paranoia and fear, yet ironically termed kings and queens. Some of the highlights of this series were the works Man Acting as King, King Being Appeased, King Making Confession, and King and his Assassin. Mondal also produced a series of "deities", which sometimes seem to merge thematically with his "queens". The artist’s deities are generally depicted with radiate crowns, whereas his kings and queens are not. Other favorite subjects of the artist were the brothel and the harem, which he depicted in canvases such as Event in Red Light Area and Orgy. For someone who hates all forms of pretentiousness, he has done a series of painting on queens and empresses. "Though they belong to the past, queens live in virtual isolation, and I feel sorry for them," he says. "It is this isolation that makes the queen, for me, a fascinating subject." One of the criticisms leveled against him is that his works are not pleasing to the eye. To which he replies, "Painting is for communication and not for decoration." Solo Exhibitions : Rabin has had several solo exhibitions:
 From 1961 - 1973, 1976, 1987, 1993 and 1999 he exhibited solo at various places in Kolkata. In 1974, 1977, 1982, 1983, 1987 and 1991 he showcased solo in several place in New Delhi. From 1978 - 1980 and in 1984 he had solo exhibitions at Birla Academy of Art and Culture in Kolkata. In 1980 he had a solo show at Max Mueller Bhavan, Mumbai. In 1989 and 1990 he exhibited solo in Mumbai. In 1993 he had a solo show at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai. In 2014 - 2015 and 2016 he exhibited 'Kingdom of Exile: A Retrospective' at Delhi Art Gallery, Mumbai and at DAG Modern, New York. Group Exhibitions : He has participated in several group exhibitions:
 In 1955, 1969, 1970 - 1972, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1995, 1998 - 2002 and 2010 he participated in various group exhibitions in Kolkata. From 1963 - 1965, 1971, 1973, 1980 - 1982 and 1985 he exhibited in group shows at Lalit Kala Akademi in New Delhi. In 1964, 1969, 1994 and 1996 he took part in group exhibitions at All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS) and LTG Gallery in New Delhi. In 1968 and 1972 he participated in group exhibitions at Kala Bhavan, Santiniketan. In 1972, 1974, 1976, 1978 - 1980 and 1983 he took part in several group shows at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai. From 1975, 1979, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2010 he participated in multiple group shows in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangladesh and Bangalore. In 1975 he took part in the 3rd Triennale in New Delhi. In 1984 he participated in the Tokyo Biennale, Japan. From 2003 - 2005, 2010 and 2011 he took aprt in Manifestations I - VI’ at...
Category

1990s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Ink, Paper

San Pedro Post Office: History of Writing Mural South, Preliminary Mural Study
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This mural study is part of our exhibition America Coast to Coast: Artists of the 1930s San Pedro Post Office: History of Writing Mural South, Preliminary Mural Maquette right panel...
Category

1930s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media

Happy California Prune Farmers - Female Illustrator - Mid Century
Located in Miami, FL
Commercial illustration depicting happy California framers for California Prunes. The work is rendered in a charming and highly stylized manner. Unfr...
Category

1950s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache

Untitled, Acrylic on Paper by Modern Indian Artist Rabin Mondal “In Stock”
Located in Kolkata, West Bengal
Rabin Mondal - Untitled ; Acrylic on Paper 12 x 10 inches (unframed size) 2017 ( Unframed & Delivered ) Mondal was a clear observant of the various migrant workers who lived along his house in the conjected Howrah Area. They came from far to work and earn their livelihood. He would observe them and was deeply moved by the labour and low rung working class who carried all the heavy load oriented work. He would paint the men and the women , some distressed , some gloomy but with a force that would uplift them to be the heros of the society. Surprisingly Mondal was never depressed himself although he painted people in hard labour and poverty . Style : Mondal`s works are mainly figurative. He paints in bold strokes and creates tableaux, whose themes are universal. The faces of his figures stare at you out of the canvas, strange and pensive, but also strong and defiant. Not yet beaten, survi...
Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Paper

The Fisherman, 20th century Cleveland School artist
Located in Beachwood, OH
William Schock (American, 1913–1976) The Fisherman, c. 1955 Oil on canvas Signed lower right 26 x 40 inches 34 x 48 inches, framed William Schock was...
Category

1950s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Modernist Judaica Oil Painting Blessing the New Moon, Jewish Prayer
Located in Surfside, FL
This is a modernist Judaic painting of a Jewish scene of the Kiddush Levanah prayer. The monthly hebrew blessing on the new moon. It is not dated but I am estimating it to the 1940s...
Category

1940s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Burlap, Oil

Nude Man Half Length Portrait Modern British Contemporary Painting Very Large
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Male Nude (half length) by Helen Greenfield (British 20th century) oil painting on artist paper, unframed board: 33 x 23 inches condition: overall very good - some creasing to t...
Category

20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

Abstract Procession Jewish Wedding Chuppah Oil Painting Modernist Judaica
Located in Surfside, FL
Genre: Modern Subject: Abstract Medium: Oil Surface: Canvas Country: United States Sabina Teichman: (1905-1983) Studied at Columbia Univ. (BA, MA), also with Charles J. Martin and A...
Category

1950s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Oga Madam
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
"Oga Madam" by Eyitayo Alagbe is a captivating artwork that portrays a young woman with an air of confidence and determination. The title, "Oga Madam," suggests a sense of authority ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Pastel, Ink, Acrylic

Woman in Bloom - Figurative Nude Study Oil on Canvas
Located in Soquel, CA
Woman in Bloom - Figurative Nude Study Oil on Canvas A nude woman, seemingly pregnant, sits reclined in a chair with her hands at the base of her belly holding a flower. This striki...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Charles Cobelle City Center Painting, Signed
Located in Larchmont, NY
Charles Cobelle (French/American, 1902-1998) Untitled, 20th Century Oil on canvas 24 x 30 in. Signed lower right: Cobelle Born in Alsace-Lorraine, France, and becoming a U.S. citiz...
Category

20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Guatemalan Latin American Oil Painting Modernist Porch Scene
By Rolando Aguilar
Located in Surfside, FL
Rolando Aguilar was born in the year 1957. He studied at the Municipal School of Plastic Arts of Quetzaltenango. He has presented personal exhibitions and participated in more than 50 collective exhibitions in Quito, Ecuador, Taiwan, Norway, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Canada. He was director of the Regional School of Art "Humberto Garavito", of Quetzaltenango. He has won Gold and Bronze glyphs at the Art Paiz Biennial (1980, 1982 and 1984) and two awards at the Arturo Martínez Contest. Efrain Recinos...
Category

1970s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Riverside Bliss
Located in THOMERY, FR
"Riverside Bliss" captures the essence of a serene summer day by the Seine River, where modernity meets impressionism in a vibrant blend of colors and emotions. In this picturesque s...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Acrylic

Karo Mkrtchyan "Countess" Original Oil on Canvas, 1986
Located in Pasadena, CA
Amazing Portrait of an Anonymous Countess by Karo Mkrtchryan, 64cmx75cm Framed, Signed and dated,, 1986 Provenance : Estate and Family of the Artist, Glendale, California. Sold with COA signed by the administrator of the estate and certificate of Export from Armenia. A catalog of the artist with the actual painting will be provided to the buyer. Karo Mkrtchyan...
Category

1980s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Night Garden, mid-century figural surrealist acrylic painting, Cleveland School
Located in Beachwood, OH
Clarence Holbrook Carter (American, 1904-2000) Night Garden, 1972 Acrylic on scintilla Signed and dated lower right 21.5 x 21.5 inches 24.25 x 24.25 inches, framed Clarence Holbroo...
Category

1970s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Modern figurative paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Modern figurative 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 figurative 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, yellow, purple and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Antonio Feltrinelli, Sunil Das, Suhas Roy, and Clarence Holbrook Carter. 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 figurative paintings, so small editions measuring 1 inches across are also available. Prices for figurative paintings made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1 and tops out at $743,750, while the average work sells for $2,376.

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