Skip to main content
Questions & Answers
Our trusted network of 1stDibs sellers answer common questions

Why is it called Pop art?

1 Answer
Why is it called Pop art?
The reason why it is called Pop art is that artists who participated in the movement drew inspiration from popular, or "pop," culture. One of the most influential contemporary art movements, Pop art emerged in the 1950s. Its practitioners sought to challenge the status quo, breaking with the perceived elitism of the previously dominant Abstract Expressionism and making statements about current events. They drew on imagery from popular culture — comic books, advertising, product packaging and other commercial media — to create original Pop art paintings, prints and sculptures that celebrated ordinary life in the most literal way. Pop art works are distinguished by their bold imagery, bright colors and seemingly commonplace subject matter. On 1stDibs, shop a wide variety of Pop art.
1stDibs ExpertNovember 26, 2024
Shop for Pop Art on 1stDibs
Gretchen #2
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Striking and instantly recognizable, Gretchen is an original poster designed and created by Robert Longo as part of his iconic Men in the Cities series. Published in 1991 in collabor...
Category

1980s Pop Art Portrait Prints

Materials

Offset

Sunny Night, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A surreal scene offers two possibilities. First, it is a realistic rendering of a man in a Big Bird costume, slouched at a dimly lit bar among solitary drinkers...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Dionysian. Three Male Figures Dancing Around a Golden Sun. By Marco Silombria
Located in Firenze, IT
Dionysian. Three Male Figures Dancing Around a Golden Sun Marco Silombria (Savona, 1936 - Albissola, 2017) Acrylic and gold leaf on black paper Signed and dated '96 at lower edge Siz...
Category

Late 20th Century Pop Art Nude Paintings

Materials

Paper, Acrylic, Illustration Board

Handwritten letter on American Indian Theme II card signed to CBS News cameraman
Located in New York, NY
Roy Lichtenstein Handwritten note on card ink on paper hand signed by Roy Lichtenstein The card reads "Thank you so much for the wonderful prints Very kind of you to send them to me ...
Category

1980s Pop Art Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink, Postcard, Lithograph, Offset

Fun Loving Criminals II by BATIK- Supersize Signed Limited Edition
Located in London, GB
Fun Loving Criminals II By BATIK- Signed Limited Edition Archival pigment pop art print of infamous criminal arrest mugshots of Fifty Cent, Elvis Presley, David Bowie, Snoop Dog, ...
Category

2010s Pop Art Color Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

SKULL TIGER
Located in CÓRDOBA, ES
Original painting by Daria Kusto. Acrylic markers on paper. The magic flow reality... The painting will be shipped directly from Thailand – safely and promptly."
Category

2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings

Materials

Permanent Marker

Shop All