Cartier Dinner Bell
1970s Modern Black and White Photography
Archival Pigment, Black and White
1980s Modern Color Photography
Color, Archival Pigment
People Also Browsed
21st Century and Contemporary Swedish Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Textile
Early 20th Century Chinese Mid-Century Modern Metalwork
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Books
Paper
Early 20th Century Japanese Mid-Century Modern Metalwork
Silver Plate, Brass
Early 20th Century French Ceramics
Ceramic
2010s British Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
20th Century Czech Victorian Barware
Crystal
1990s American Modern Abstract Sculptures
Copper
Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Tableware
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Glass
Glass
1990s Realist Portrait Paintings
Masonite, Oil
Early 20th Century European Chandeliers and Pendants
Alabaster, Brass, Bronze
Antique 19th Century Arts and Crafts Musical Instruments
Brass
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Musical Instruments
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Landscape Paintings
Panel, Oil
Antique 18th Century English George III Candlesticks
Silver
Recent Sales
1990s Modern Landscape Photography
Archival Pigment, Color
A Close Look at modern Art
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.
Finding the Right figurative-photography for You
Life becomes art in figurative photography. Shared moments are captured and history is recorded in images of people and their lives.
Figurative photography is often used to describe a kind of photography in which people are the subject. Early black and white photography of people can be a glimpse into a past century — witness the celebrated work of photographers such as Ansel Adams or lesser-known artists like Berenice Abbott, for example. The cultural and social standards of the time are captured in these figurative photographs.
Mid-century photos might show the life and fashions of the day, sometimes with the shared thread of humanity, joy and love. Indeed, figurative photographs can be a source of inspiration and wonder, speaking of common life experiences and beauty. Vintage photos of celebrities and iconic actors can be valuable keepsakes as snapshots of a bygone era.
Just as if you were bringing paintings, prints or drawings into your space as part of the decor, there are many ways to arrange your figurative photography. Large photos can be statement pieces in a room. Smaller photographs can be placed on bookcases or on compact wall spaces to add an artistic element to a living room or a bedroom.
Find a collection of figurative photography on 1stDibs today.