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Art For Sale
Artist: Sam Francis
Artist: Dale Chihuly
Untitled (SFE-081) - 1992 - American Abstract Expressionism
Located in London, GB
SAM FRANCIS 1923-1994 San Mateo, California 1923 – 1994 Santa Monica (American) Title: Untitled (SFE-081), 1992 Technique: Original Hand Signed and Numbered Aquatint in Colours on ...
Category

1990s Abstract Expressionist Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

Untitled (SF-311), 1979
Located in London, GB
SAM FRANCIS 1923-1994 San Mateo, California 1923 – 1994 Santa Monica (American) Title: Untitled (SF-311), 1979 Technique: Original Hand Signed and Numbered Lithograph in Colours on...
Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Lithograph

Untitled (SFE-081)
Located in London, GB
Aquatint in colours, 1991, on wove paper, signed in pencil, numbered from the edition of 27, 61.6 x 44.5 cm.
Category

1990s Art

Materials

Aquatint

King Corpse, 1986
Located in Palo Alto, CA
Created in 1986, Sam Francis King Corpse, 1986 is a unique color trial proof screenprint on Arches cover paper hand signed by Sam Francis (San Mateo, 1923- Santa Monica, 1994) in the...
Category

1980s Abstract Expressionist Art

Materials

Screen

Untitled SFE-003 (Blue, Red and Yellow) - American Abstract Expressionism
Located in London, GB
SAM FRANCIS 1923-1994 San Mateo, California 1923 – 1994 Santa Monica (American) Title: Untitled SFE-003 (Blue, Red and Yellow), 1982 Technique: Original Hand Signed and Inscribed E...
Category

1980s Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

Untitled
Located in London, GB
Sam Francis Untitled 1995 Etching in colours, Edition of 35 53.3 x 45.7 cms (21 x 18 ins) SF17887
Category

1990s Abstract Expressionist Art

Materials

Etching

SF64-045, Sam Francis, Acrylic, American Abstraction, Postwar, Work on paper
Located in Geneva, CH
SF64-045, Sam Francis, Acrylic, American Abstraction, Postwar, Work on paper 1964 Acrylic on paper 73 x 56.5 cm 94 x 75 cm / 37 x 29.5 in. (w...
Category

1960s Abstract Art

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

Untitled
Located in London, GB
Plate size: 36.8 x 27. 3 cms (14 1/2 x 10 3/4 ins) Image size: 15.2 x 9.5 cms (6 x 3 3/4 ins) Edition of 20
Category

1980s Abstract Art

Materials

Aquatint

Mercury
Located in London, GB
Sam Francis Mercury 1963 Lithograph on BFK Rives paper, Edition of 20 60 .3 x 47.6 cms (23 3/4 x 18 3/4 ins) SF16664 Literature: The Prints of Sam Francis: A Catalogue Raisonne 196...
Category

1960s Abstract Art

Materials

Lithograph

Damp
Located in London, GB
66 x 94 cms (26 x 37 ins) Edition of 20 Rives BFK paper Proofs: I BAT, 4 AP, 7 CTP, 9 XP Signed lower left; numbered lower left; publisher's chop lower left. Published by Tama...
Category

1960s Abstract Expressionist Art

Materials

Color, Lithograph

Yea II
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Sam Francis (1923-1994) is one of the most distinctive and collected 20th century abstract artists. After serving in the air force in WW II, Francis returned to his native Californ...
Category

1980s Abstract Expressionist Art

Materials

Paint

Color Explosion - Original lithograph (Maeght 1983)
Located in Paris, FR
Sam FRANCIS Color Explosion (c. 1983) Original lithograph Unsigned as issued On heavy paper 89.5 x 54 cm (c. 36 x 21 inch) Original lithographic exhibition poster for the artist Ret...
Category

1980s Abstract Art

Materials

Lithograph

Untitled from the portfolio “Poems dans le ciel”
Located in Ljubljana, SI
Poems dans le ciel (eng. Poems in the sky). Original lithograph, 1986. Edition of 100 signed and numbered impressions on Arches paper. Samuel Lewis Francis was an American artist, we...
Category

1980s Abstract Expressionist Art

Materials

Lithograph

BASKET DRAWING Signed Lithograph Free-form Abstract Drawing Graphite Pearl Blue
Located in Union City, NJ
BASKET DRAWING, by Dale Chihuly(American b.1941) renowned glass sculpture artist depicts one of his signature abstract basket forms. This limite...
Category

1990s Abstract Art

Materials

Lithograph

Untitled Abstract Expressionist lithograph, from Carnegie Museum (155 Lembark)
Located in New York, NY
Sam Francis Untitled (from Fresh Air School), 1972 Lithograph on wove paper, for the Carnegie Museum of Art 15 × 22 inches Limited Edition of 6,000 (unsigned edition; there is a sepa...
Category

1970s Abstract Expressionist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Sam Francis -- Mehrfarbige Spirale
Located in BRUCE, ACT
Sam Francis Mehrfarbige Spirale, 1970 Signed in pencil Edition A.P. (the edition was 40) Image size: 60.4 x 45.3 cm Sheet size: 85 x 68 cm Published by The Litho Shop, Inc., Californ...
Category

1980s Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

Deluxe Hand Signed & Numbered 25/30 Cat: Lembark 155 Carnegie Museum lithograph
Located in New York, NY
Sam Francis Untitled Abstract Expressionist lithograph (Hand Signed from the Carnegie Museum Deluxe Edition), 1972 Catalogue Raisonné: 155, Lembark 15 × 22 inches Hand signed and nu...
Category

1970s Abstract Expressionist Art

Materials

Pencil, Lithograph

Float Series, Dale Chihuly
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Dale Chihuly (1941) Title: Float Series Year: 2017 Medium: Mixed Media—Five Color Serigraph & Acrylic on Waterford paper Edition: 18/110, plus proofs Size: 37 x 25 inches Con...
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Art

Materials

Acrylic, Intaglio, Screen

Sklye by Sam Francis - Abstract Modern Work on Paper
Located in London, GB
*UK BUYERS WILL PAY AN ADDITIONAL 5% IMPORT DUTY ON TOP OF THE ABOVE PRICE Sklye by Sam Francis (1923-1994) Acrylic on paper 14.6 x 10.2 cm (5 ³/₄ x 4 inches) Signed, Sam Francis an...
Category

1980s Abstract Art

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

Untitled. SF-353 from “Papierski Portfolio”
Located in Malmo, SE
Untitled. SF-353 from “Papierski Portfolio” 1992. Signed by the artist. Artwork size : 56 x 76 cm Frame size : 75x97x4 cm Museum glass anti-reflective. Signed AP (artist proof) Sam Francis Archive Number: SF-353 Publisher: The Litho Shop, Santa Monica. Free shipment worldwide. Sam Francis’s paintings are a journey into a dream, a voyage into the landscapes of the soul where colours are lights on fire. Alongside names such as Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning and Franz Kline, Sam Francis is an artist who has succeeded in demonstrating a total mastery of abstract expressionism’s impassioned and spontaneous genre. The explosions of colour – red, blue, green and yellow – the streaks, strokes and bold lines of his pictures are the physical synthesis of the deepest crevices of the soul. His colours create rhythmical motifs that, characteristically enough, can be called the “musicality” of his paintings. The work of Sam Francis provides a visible meeting place for the conscious and the unconscious. His pictures are the cross-fertilisation of what has already been experienced with what exists still only as desire, a struggle between melancholy and merrymaking. Influenced by C.G. Jung, the father of psychoanalysis, Sam Francis spent a large portion of his life exploring the premise that dreams, instincts and intuition provide, the keys which unlock the mysteries and meaning of our inner lives. He was also fascinated by the four ancient elements – earth, water, air and fire – which developed into a leitmotif in his work. Sam Francis was born in San Mateo in California, USA in 1923. After starting to paint at the age of around twenty, he soon found himself increasingly consumed by the power of art. He spent much of the 1950s in Paris, from where he not only made frequent excursions to a number of European cities, but also embarked on many journeys to South America and Asia. He continued to move from place to place, primarily in the USA and Japan, right up until his death in 1994. Sam Francis’s first...
Category

1990s Abstract Expressionist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Untitled, c.1974-1976 (SF129s)
Located in Greenwich, CT
Untitled (SF129s) dating to c.1974-1976 is a mixed media, silkscreen monotype on handmade paper, 30 x 22.5 inches sheet size and estate-stamped verso (copy of Francis estate certific...
Category

20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Monotype, Screen

Untitled SF-221 (variation), Abstract Lithograph by Sam Francis
Located in Long Island City, NY
This bright lithograph by Sam Francis is an unsigned test print in an alternate color. It was printed by the Litho Shop in Santa Monica, California. Untitled SF-221 (variation) Sam ...
Category

1970s Art

Materials

Lithograph

King Corpse, Abstract Expressionist Screenprint by Sam Francis
Located in Long Island City, NY
Original hand-signed and numbered silkscreen on Arches paper by American Abstract Expressionist Sam Francis. King Corpse Sam Francis, American (1923–1994) Date: 1986 Screenprint on...
Category

1980s Abstract Expressionist Art

Materials

Screen

Untitled, 1994 (SFP94-36)
Located in Greenwich, CT
Untitled, 1994 (SFP94-36) is an acrylic painting on canvas, from Francis' 'Last Works' collection. The canvas is 18 x 22 inches and stamped verso with the Sam Francis estate stamp. F...
Category

20th Century Abstract Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Untitled SF-221, Abstract Lithograph by Sam Francis
Located in Long Island City, NY
A signed and numbered abstract print by Sam Francis. This bold composition is made up entirely of black on white and lithographed o...
Category

1970s Art

Materials

Lithograph

Dark Plated, Abstract Lithograph by Sam Francis
Located in Long Island City, NY
A signed and numbered abstract print by Sam Francis. This bold composition is made up entirely of two tones, black and brown, on wh...
Category

1970s Art

Materials

Lithograph

Untitled from the portfolio “Poems dans le ciel”
Located in Ljubljana, SI
Poems dans le ciel (eng. Poems in the sky). Original lithograph, 1986. Edition of 100 signed and numbered impressions on Arches paper. Samuel Lewis Francis was an American artist, we...
Category

1980s Abstract Art

Materials

Lithograph

Untitled, 1994 (SFP94-6)
Located in Greenwich, CT
Untitled, 1994 (SFP94-6) is an acrylic painting on canvas, laid on board, from Francis' 'Last Works' collection. The canvas is 12.5 x 16 inches and stamped verso with the Sam Francis...
Category

20th Century Abstract Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Reeds, Dale Chihuly
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Dale Chihuly (1941) Title: Reeds Year: 2016 Medium: Mixed Media (Silkscreen & Acrylic) on Waterford paper Edition: 86/100, plus proofs Size: 37 x 25 inches Condition: Excelle...
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Art

Materials

Acrylic, Intaglio, Screen

Basket Series, Dale Chihuly
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Dale Chihuly (1941) Title: Basket Series Year: 2015 Medium: Mixed Media—Intaglio Lithography & Acrylic on Waterford paper Edition: 43/175, plus proofs Size: 37 x 25 inches Co...
Category

2010s Abstract Expressionist Art

Materials

Acrylic, Intaglio, Screen

Trietto 3 (SFE-076 RC)
Located in London, GB
Aquatint in colours, 1991, on Fabriano paper, signed in pencil, numbered from the edition of 66, printed by Valter & Eleonora Rossi at Vigna Antoniniana Stamperia d'Arte, Rome, publi...
Category

1990s Art

Materials

Aquatint

Untitled
Located in New York, NY
Untitled, 1975 Lithograph 29 1/4 x 22 1/4” Edition of 125
Category

1970s Art

Materials

Lithograph

Untitled, 1982 (SF82-254)
Located in Greenwich, CT
Untitled (SF82-254) from 1982 is an acrylic painting on paper, with an image size of 19.5 x 13.25 inches, signed and dated 'Sam Francis 1982' verso, a...
Category

20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

Untitled, from the Deluxe (Signed) 1984 Olympic Committee portfolio
Located in New York, NY
Sam Francis Untitled Abstract Expressionist print for the 1984 Olympics, 1982 Offset Lithograph on Parsons Diploma Parchment paper, hand signed with COA from publisher for Olympic Co...
Category

1980s Abstract Expressionist Art

Materials

Lithograph, Offset

Limited Signed Deluxe Monograph with Slipcase (signed & numbered by Sam Francis)
Located in New York, NY
SAM FRANCIS: Limited Signed Deluxe Edition (Hand signed and numbered by Sam Francis), 1982 Deluxe limited edition hardback monograph with cloth boards, held in special slipcase of ts...
Category

1980s Abstract Expressionist Art

Materials

Silk, Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Lithograph, Offset, Board

Untitled (SF-297)
Located in New York, NY
A very good impression of this color lithograph on Rives. Signed and numbered 4/50 in pencil by Francis. Printed and published by The Litho Shop, Inc., Santa Monica, with the blind s...
Category

1980s Abstract Expressionist Art

Materials

Color, Lithograph

Untitled, 1980 (SF80-107)
Located in Greenwich, CT
Untitled, 1980 (SF80-107) is an acrylic painting on paper, signed and dated 'Sam Francis 1980' verso and framed in a contemporary, closed-corner, gold leaf frame. Painted to the edge...
Category

20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

Sam Francis McGovern '72 Poster (Hand signed by Sam Francis) Abstract lithograph
Located in New York, NY
Sam Francis McGovern '72 Poster (Hand signed by Sam Francis), 1972 Photo offset poster (hand signed by Sam Francis) Signed in blue ink on the front by Sam Francis with Sam Francis co...
Category

1970s Abstract Expressionist Art

Materials

Offset, Lithograph

Bright Web, 1973 (SF73-5)
Located in Greenwich, CT
Bright Web is an acrylic on paper painting with an image size of 22 x 30 inches, signed and dated verso 'Sam Francis 1973 Tokyo' and framed in a custom, closed-corner, gold-leaf fram...
Category

20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

Untitled (SF-346)
Located in New York, NY
A very good impression of this color lithograph on Waterleaf white wove paper. One of 25 Roman numeral impressions, aside from the Arabic numeral edition of 100. Signed and numbered ...
Category

1990s Abstract Art

Materials

Color, Lithograph

Untitled
Located in London, GB
Sam Francis Untitled 1989 Aquatint, Edition of 20 44.5 x 32.4 cms (17 1/2 x 12 3/4 ins) 22.9 x 15.2 cms (9 x 6 ins) SF15235
Category

1980s Abstract Art

Materials

Aquatint

The Upper Red, 1963 (SF-48)
Located in Greenwich, CT
The Upper Red (SF-48) from 1963 is a lithograph on paper, image size 19.75 x 25.75 inches, signed 'Sam Francis' and annotated lower right, framed in a contemporary, light wood frame....
Category

20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Paper, Lithograph

Untitled, 1970 (SF68-44)
Located in Greenwich, CT
Untitled (SF68-44) from 1970 is an acrylic painting on paper with an image size of 41 x 27.5 inches, signed and dated 'Sam Francis 1970' verso, and framed in a custom, closed-corner,...
Category

20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

Untitled, 1963 (SF63-039)
Located in Greenwich, CT
Untitled (SF63-039) is an acrylic painting on paper, with an image size of 41 x 27.5 inches, signed 'Sam Francis' verso, and framed in a contemporary light wood frame. Untitled, 196...
Category

20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

Untitled, 1990 (SF-343, L.284)
Located in Greenwich, CT
Untitled (SF-343) from 1990 is a lithograph on paper, image size 46.5 x 30 inches, signed 'Sam Francis' lower left and annotated lower right. From the edition of 60, numbered 17/50 (...
Category

20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Paper, Lithograph

Untitled, from Deluxe Lt Edition of the 1 Cent Life Portfolio HAND SIGNED TWICE
Located in New York, NY
Sam Francis Untitled Abstract Expressionist from the Deluxe [signed] edition of the 1 Cent Life Portfolio (hand signed twice, #85/100, from the Estate of Robert Indiana), 1964 Lithograph on wove paper (Hand signed twice by Sam Francis) Pencil signed twice by Sam Francis on the front; numbered 85/100 on the portfolio colophon (copy of the colophon page affixed to the verso of frame) Acquired from original, complete 1 Cent Life Portfolio, # 85/100 (Artists & Collaborators) from the Estate and Collection of Robert Indiana Frame included About 1 Cent Life "1 Cent Life" began as a simple idea by artist Walasse Ting in 1962, developed during talks he had with his friend the artist Sam Francis. Ting wanted to combine international artists and different styles into a single book, linking them together in one collective spirit alongside his own art and poetry. It was a landmark publication from 1964, and now a somewhat rare collectible portfolio based on the impressive artwork it contains. It was a revolutionary tract for a collective aesthetic; an assembled vision of Pop and European abstraction, featuring flat hard-edged and splatter painting; biomorphic art, splashing florescent colors and monochromes all meeting up in a single loud and dynamic package. "1 Cent Life" is among the most beautifully conceived and artistic book-works of the 1960s, unlike anything published before or after. "1 Cent Life" is a large elephant-folio unbound book containing 62 lithographs made by 28 European and American artists with 62 letterpress poems by Ting and set in multi-colored inks. The lithography was realized and printed in Paris by Maurice Beaudet and the typography carried out in handset letterpress by George Girard. The book was published by E. W. Kornfeld, Bern, Switzerland in 1964, and edited by artist Sam Francis. In addition to the original printing of 1900 unsigned copies, there was a numbered portfolio edition of 100 signed copies. These two Sam Francis signed...
Category

1960s Abstract Expressionist Art

Materials

Lithograph, Pencil

Smoke Sulphur SFE-183
Located in New York, NY
Lithograph in colors, on Rives BFK paper, 1973 Signed in pencil, numbered 16/30 Published by The Litho Shop, Inc. California with their blindstamp Very good condition Sam Francis w...
Category

1970s Contemporary Art

Materials

Lithograph

Abstract expressionist lithograph s/n (Lembark, 16) from the Estate of Wolf Kahn
Located in New York, NY
SAM FRANCIS Affiche Moderna Museet Stockholm (Catalogue Raisonne L-16, p.66), 1960 Color lithograph on Rives BFK Paper with deckled edges Pencil signed lower right of center; numbered 39/75 lower left of center Published by Kornfeld and Klipstein, Bern; printed by Emil Matthieu at Emil Matthieu Atelier, Zurich (Catalogue Raisonne L-16, p.66) 37 1/4 × 27 inches Provenance: Estate of Wolf Kahn and Emily Mason Unframed Editions of this iconic Sam Francis work have been exhibited in museums throughout the world over the past half center; many remain in the permanent collection of major museum and institutions . In addition to this pencil signed and numbered lithograph, there was, separately a poster edition of 500 (unsigned) published by Moderna Museet featuring the same image on different paper. About Sam Francis B. 1923, SAN MATEO, CALIFORNIA; D. 1994, SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA Samuel Lewis Francis was born on June 25, 1923, in San Mateo, California. He began painting in 1944 after being diagnosed with spinal tuberculosis, resulting from a U.S. Army Air Corps accident. In 1947 he studied privately with painter David Park, and soon gave up his intended medical studies, earning a BA in 1949 and an MA in 1950 at the University of California, Berkeley. He experimented with the dominant and emerging styles of the late 1940s, particularly Abstract Expressionism and Surrealism, eventually developing a personal style of abstraction focused on dripping, cell-like forms, an allover instability, and sensitivity to color and light, as in Opposites (1950). In 1950 Francis moved to Paris and attended the Atelier Fernand Léger, where he was exposed to the work of Pierre Bonnard and Henri Matisse, which reinvigorated his interest in light and vibrant color, visible in his 1953 painting Big Red. Producing such work led to his association with Art Informel, although Francis never fully associated with any movement. A visit to Japan in 1957 coincided with an opening up of expanses of white space in much of his work, and his subsequent move to a larger studio in Paris resulted in the production of large-scale paintings and mural commissions, including a 1959 painting...
Category

1960s Abstract Expressionist Art

Materials

Lithograph, Pencil

Untitled, Artist Proof
Located in New York, NY
Sam Francis was an American artist known for his exuberant large-scale abstract paintings. His practice incorporated elements from Abstract Expressionism, Color Field painting, Impre...
Category

1980s Contemporary Art

Materials

Aquatint

Sam Francis Abstract Expression 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Poster
Located in Plainview, NY
An original abstract expression 1984 Olympic poster by Sam Francis (American, 1923-1994). Featuring a red background with geometrical abstract des...
Category

20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Paper

Untitled (Lembark, L-240 (SF-259))
Located in New York, NY
Sam Francis Untitled (Lembark, L-240 (SF-259)), 1980 Colored lithograph on BFK Rives paper with deckled edges Pencil signed and numbered 21/32 by Sam Francis on the front 27 1/2 × 40...
Category

1980s Abstract Expressionist Art

Materials

Lithograph, Pencil

Composition by Sam Francis - Abstract, mixed media
Located in London, GB
*PLEASE NOTE UK BUYERS WILL ONLY PAY 5% VAT ON THIS PURCHASE. Composition by Sam Francis (1923-1994) Acrylic and paper collage on paper 57.2 x 81.3 cm (22 ¹/₂ x 32 inches) Stamped o...
Category

1990s Abstract Art

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

Untitled, 1981, Sam Francis Monotype
Located in Newport Beach, CA
Untitled, 1981, unique embossed monotype print on handmade paper. Created at the Institute of Experimental Printmaking by lauded American artist, Sam Francis (1923-1994). The Sam Fra...
Category

1980s Art

Materials

Ink, Oil, Watercolor, Handmade Paper, Pigment, Monotype

Pink Venus Kiki
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Sam Francis Title: Pink Venus Kiki Portfolio: 1 Cent Life Medium: Lithograph Year: 1964 Edition Size: 2000 Frame Size: 20 5/8" x 28 3/4" Sheet Size:...
Category

1960s Art

Materials

Lithograph

The Coldest Stone (Lembark, 15), S/N, from the estate of Wolf Kahn & Emily Mason
Located in New York, NY
Sam Francis The Coldest Stone (Lembark, 15), 1960 Lithograph on BFK Rives wove paper with deckled edges 25 × 36 inches Signed and numbered 8/65 by Sam Francis on the front in graphite pencil on the front Unframed Marvelous 1960 Sam Francis lithograph...
Category

1960s Abstract Expressionist Art

Materials

Lithograph, Pencil

Untitled 90-13
Located in Lyons, CO
Color monotype.
Category

1990s Contemporary Art

Materials

Monotype

A Sail
Located in Palo Alto, CA
Sam Francis A Sail, 1969 is an exciting expression of color and movement formatted in a landscape orientation. Emblematic of two of the artist’s most recognized approaches, A Sail, 1...
Category

1960s Modern Art

Materials

Lithograph

Ikebana Series, Dale Chihuly
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Dale Chihuly (1941) Title: Ikebana Series Year: Circa 2001 Medium: Acrylic on Aquarelle paper Size: 42 x 30 inches Condition: Excellent Inscription: Signed by the artist, rec...
Category

Early 2000s Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic

Photography, Drawings, Prints, Sculptures and Paintings for Sale

Whether growing your current fine art collection or taking the first steps on that journey, you will find an extensive range of original photography, drawings, prints, sculptures, paintings and more on 1stDibs.

Visual art is among the oldest forms of expression, and it has been evolving for centuries. Beautiful objects can provide a window to the past or insight into our current time. Art collecting enhances daily life through the presence of meaningful work. It displays an appreciation for culture, whether a print by Elizabeth Catlett channeling social change or a narrative quilt by Faith Ringgold.

Contemporary art has lured more initiates to collecting than almost any other category, with notable artists including Yayoi Kusama, Marc Chagall, Kehinde Wiley and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Navigating the waiting lists for the next Marlene Dumas, Jeff Koons or Jasper Johns has become competitive.

When you’re living with art, particularly as people more often work from home and enjoy their spaces, it’s important to choose art that resonates with you. While the richness of art with its many movements, styles and histories can be overwhelming, the key is to identify what is appealing and inspiring. Artwork can play with the surrounding color of a room, creating a layered approach. The dynamic shapes and sizes of sculptures can set different moods, such as a bronze by Miguel Guía on a mantel or an Alexander Calder mobile suspended over a table. A wall of art can evoke emotions in an interior while showing off your tastes and interests. A salon-style wall mixing eclectic pieces like landscape paintings with charcoal drawings is a unique way to transform a space and show off a collection.

For art meditating on the subconscious, investigate Surrealists like Joan Miró and Salvador Dalí. Explore Pop art and its leading artists such as Andy Warhol, Rosalyn Drexler and Keith Haring for bright and bold colors. Not only did these artists question art itself, but also how we perceive society. Similarly, 20th-century photography and abstract painting reconsidered the intent of art.

Abstract Expressionists like Helen Frankenthaler and Lee Krasner and Color Field artists including Sam Gilliam broke from conventional ideas of painting, while Op artists such as Yaacov Agam embraced visual trickery and kinetic movement. Novel visuals are also integral to contemporary work influenced by street art, such as sculptures and prints by KAWS.

Realist portraiture is a global tradition reflecting on what makes us human. This is reflected in the work of Slim Aarons, an American photographer whose images are at once candid and polished and appeared in Holiday magazine and elsewhere. Innovative artists Mickalene Thomas and Kerry James Marshall are now offering new perspectives on the form.

Collecting art is a rewarding, lifelong pursuit that can help connect you with the creative ways historic, modern and contemporary artists have engaged with the world. For more tips on piecing together an art collection, see our guide to buying and displaying art.

A variety of authentic art is available on 1stDibs. Explore art at auction and the 1stDibs NFT art marketplace, too. 

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