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Art For Sale
Period: 1950s
Period: 1940s
Joined Figures, Brutalist Bronze Figural Abstract Sculpture, Mid 20th Century
Located in Beachwood, OH
Barbara Neijna (American, b. 1937) Joined Figures, 1958 Bronze Initialed on base 14 x 5.5 x 3.5 inches Neijna, who earned her BFA from Syracuse University and studied at the Academia Belle Brera in Milan, Italy, is known for her large-scale, outdoor geometrical sculptures...
Category

1950s Art

Materials

Bronze

Antique American Modernist New York Cityscape Silver Leaf Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American modernist cityscape oil painting. Oil on canvas. Framed. Measuring 27 by 33 inches overall and 23 by 29 painting alone. In excellent original condition. Handsomely f...
Category

1940s Modern Art

Materials

Oil, Board

"Ceramiques Paques" lithograph poster
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: lithograph (after the original lithograph poster). During the late 1940's and throughout the 1950's, Picasso created a series of posters at the atelier of Mourlot Freres. The...
Category

1950s Art

Materials

Lithograph

Large American Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting "Blue Landscape" Oregon 1955
Located in Portland, OR
A large American Abstract Expressionist oil on canvas painting by Pacific Northwest artist Frederick Heidel ( 1915-2000), "Blue Landscape", Oregon, circa 1955. This is a large & earl...
Category

1950s Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

The Three Skunks of WWII, Carved Wooden Figures of Hitler, Mussolini & Tojo
Located in Beachwood, OH
Three Skunks of WWII c. 1940s Carved and painted wood Unsigned 8 x 10 in. h. each These skunks are depicted as Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Hideki Tojo. Condition: There ...
Category

1940s Art

Materials

Wood, Paint

Corrida - Original Ceramic MADOURA - Rare, only a few proofs (Ramié #182)
Located in Paris, IDF
Pablo PICASSO (1881-1973) Corrida, 1953 Round dish in white earthenware Decoration with engobe and enamel under partial cover, brown, green decoration with oxidized paraffin. Signed...
Category

1950s Modern Art

Materials

Ceramic

Antique American Nocturnal Street Scene Nicely Framed Modernist Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Very finely painted American modernist street scene painting. Oil on canvas board. In excellent original condition. Handsomely framed in a giltwood molding. Excellent condition, ...
Category

1940s Modern Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Board

Matisse, Mademoiselle M.A. I, Portraits par Henri Matisse (after)
Located in Fairfield, CT
Medium: Collotype, héliogravure, recto and verso, on grand vélin Renage filigrané paper, as issued Year: 1954 Paper Size: 12 x 9.25 inches; image size: 9.05 x 6.3 inches Inscription:...
Category

1950s Modern Art

Materials

Lithograph

Vauxhall Bridge London 1951 - British Post Impressionist landscape oil painting
Located in London, GB
This superb Post Impressionist London landscape oil painting is by noted Slade School trained artist Bertram Nicholls. Painted in 1951 and with excellent provenance, the location is ...
Category

1950s Post-Impressionist Art

Materials

Oil

wood engraving for Mille Nuits
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: wood engraving (after the watercolor). Printed in Paris in 1955 at the atelier Coulouma for "Mille nuits et une nuit" (1001 Nights) which was the last major portfolio by Kees...
Category

1950s Art

Materials

Engraving, Woodcut

Signed Antique American Modernist Ethereal Woman Portrait Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Very finely painted 1940 American modernist portrait painting. Oil on canvas. In excellent original condition. Signed. Handsomely framed in a period giltwood molding. Excellent...
Category

1950s Modern Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Exposition Vallauris" lithograph poster
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: lithograph (after the original lithograph poster for the Exposition Vallauris). During the late 1940's and throughout the 1950's, Picasso created a series of posters at the a...
Category

1950s Art

Materials

Lithograph

Norman Parkinson 'Paris Drama, Jean Patchett in Paris, Vogue 1950'
Located in New York, NY
American model Jean Patchett photographed in Paris wearing a Jean Dessès evening gown. American Vogue magazine April 1, 1950. Paris Drama, 1950 C print Estate stamped and numbered e...
Category

1950s Modern Art

Materials

C Print

Closed Doors
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Closed Doors, 1957, polymer tempera on Masonite, signed lower right, 20 x 40 inches, inscribed verso “Zerbe Closed Doors June 1957,” label verso reads: “Artist Karl Zerbe / No. T / T...
Category

1950s Abstract Art

Materials

Masonite, Polymer

Composition (Duthuit N° 17), Pierre à feu, Les Miroirs profonds, Henri Matisse
Located in Auburn Hills, MI
Lithograph in five colors on vélin supérieur paper. Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Good condition. Published by Maeght, éditeur, Paris; printed by Mourlot Frères, Paris, January...
Category

1940s Modern Art

Materials

Lithograph

Cubist Still Life with a Glass - Original engraving (Baer #725)
Located in Paris, IDF
Pablo PICASSO Cubist Still Life with a Glass, 1944 Original engraving (printed on letterpress) Printed signature in the plate On heavy paper 32 x 24 cm (c. 12 x 10 in) REFERENCES...
Category

1940s Cubist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Antique American School Mid Century Modern Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American school abstract expressionist painting. Oil on board. Signed. In excellent original condition. Nicely framed in a period wood molding. Excellent condition, read...
Category

1940s Abstract Expressionist Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Surrealist composition
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: collotype (after the Miro lithograph). Printed in 1947 in an edition of 1500 by Meriden Gravure and published by Curt Valentin for "The Prints of Joan Miro" portfolio. Size: ...
Category

1940s Surrealist Art

Materials

Photogravure

'Young Man in a Yellow Brocade Waistcoat', Paris, Munich, Danish Royal Academy
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Monogrammed lower right, 'DM' for David Monies (Danish, 1812-1894) and dated 1849. Provenance: By descent in the family of the sitter, Peter Andreas Löser (1834–1857). Framed in a su...
Category

1940s Realist Art

Materials

Masonite, Canvas, Oil

Vintage Oil Painting " Children Sliding Down a Giraffe" 1956
Located in Douglas Manor, NY
3982 Children riding a giraffe oil on board set in a painted oak frame Image size 15.5x19.5"
Category

1950s Art

Materials

Oil, Fiberboard

"Confetti" lithograph poster
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: lithograph (after the poster). Printed in Paris in 1950 by Mourlot Freres, this multi-stone color lithograph faithfully reproduces the original Toulouse-Lautrec poster in a s...
Category

1950s Art

Materials

Lithograph

Surrealist composition
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: collotype (after the Miro lithograph). Printed in 1947 in an edition of 1500 by Meriden Gravure and published by Curt Valentin for "The Prints of Joan Miro" portfolio. Size: ...
Category

1940s Surrealist Art

Materials

Photogravure

Composition in Black and Blue - Lithograph and stencil, 1956
Located in Paris, IDF
Pierre SOULAGES Composition in Black and Blue, 1956 Lithograph and stencil (Jacomet workshop) Unsigned On wove paper 31 x 24 cm (c. 12.2 x 9.4 inches) Edited by San Lazaro in 1956 ...
Category

1950s Abstract Art

Materials

Lithograph, Stencil

R. QUEYRIE, Walking the Streets, Oil on Hardboard, 1950s
Located in Saint Amans des cots, FR
Oil on hardboard signed R. QUEYRIE, France, 1950s. "Walking the streets". With frame: 55x47 cm - 21.65x18.5 inches - without frame: 46x38cm - 18.1x15 inches. 8F format. Signed "R. Qu...
Category

1950s Modern Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Ecuyere de haute ecole" lithograph
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: lithograph (after the pencil drawing). Printed in Paris in 1952 by Mourlot Freres in an edition of 1500. The total sheet (including margins) measures 12 3/8 x 9 5/8 inches (3...
Category

1950s Art

Materials

Lithograph

The Ballet Dancer - Pablo Picasso - lithograph, Framed
Located in London, GB
Pablo Picasso The Ballet Dancer, 1954 Lithograph on paper 32 x 24 cm - sheet 49.5 x 37 cm - Framed unknown edition size Printed signature Reference: Bloch 767 Frontispiece for the b...
Category

1950s Modern Art

Materials

Lithograph

(after) Marino Marini - "Composition" pochoir
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: pochoir (after the lithograph). Printed by the atelier of Daniel Jacomet, and published in Paris in 1955 by Heinz Berggruen. The image measures 5 x 3 1/2 inches (130 x 90 mm)...
Category

1950s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph, Stencil

Mille et une Nuits
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Henri Matisse created One Thousand and One Nights in 1950 during his renowned cut-out period, crafting vibrant compositions using gouache-painted paper cut-outs. The original, made i...
Category

1950s Impressionist Art

Materials

Screen

Kandinsky, Composition, Derrière le miroir (after)
Located in Auburn Hills, MI
Lithograph on vélin paper. Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Good condition, with centerfold, as issued. Notes: From Derrière le miroir, N° 60-61, 1953. Published by A...
Category

1950s Modern Art

Materials

Lithograph

Nu Provencal, Iconic French Black and White Nude Photography
Located in New york, NY
Nu Provencal, Gordes, 1949 by French photographer Willy Ronis is an Iconic contemporary black and white nude photograph. A gelatin silver print, measuring 12" x 9" (image and sheet ...
Category

1940s Contemporary Art

Materials

Photographic Film, Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

"Exposition Vallauris" lithograph poster
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: lithograph (after the original lithograph poster). During the late 1940's and throughout the 1950's, Picasso created a series of posters at the atelier of Mourlot Freres. The...
Category

1950s Art

Materials

Lithograph

Matisse, Figure Study, Derrière le miroir (after)
Located in Auburn Hills, MI
Lithograph on vélin paper. Inscription: Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. Good condition. Notes: From Derrière le miroir, N° 46-47, 1952. Published by Aimé Maeght, Éditeur, Paris; ...
Category

1950s Modern Art

Materials

Lithograph

The Swan Dance
Located in Stockholm, SE
The Swan Dance by Einar Forseth, (1892-1988), oil on canvas. A very colorful and decorative painting by one of Swedens most influential artists of his time. Forseth had many talents ...
Category

1950s Modern Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

A Striking 1940s Classical Landscape Watercolor with Arches and Rooftops, Mexico
Located in Chicago, IL
A Striking 1940s Landscape Watercolor with Classical Architectural by Noted Chicago Modern Artist, Rudolph T. Pen. Most likely completed during the artist's trip to Mexico in 1944 a...
Category

1940s American Modern Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Gouache

"Le malade" lithograph
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: lithograph (after the drawing). Printed in Paris in 1951 at the atelier Dreux-Barry in an edition of 1000. Sheet size: 12 1/4 x 9 1/4 inches (310 x 235 mm). Signed in the pla...
Category

1950s Art

Materials

Lithograph

'Taos Placita' — American Southwest Regionalist Masterwork
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Gustave Baumann, 'Taos Placita', color woodcut, 1947, edition 125. Baumann 132. Signed, titled, and numbered '20-125' in pencil; with the artist’s Hand-in-Heart chop. A superb, richly-inked impression, with fresh colors, on fibrous oatmeal wove paper; the full sheet with margins (2 to 3 1/8 inches); slight rippling at the left sheet edge, in excellent condition. Matted to museum standards, unframed. Image size 9 5/8 x 11 1/4 inches (244 x 286 mm); sheet size 13 1/4 x 17 inches (337 x 432 mm). Collections: New Mexico Museum of Art, Phoenix Art Museum, Wichita Art Museum. ABOUT THE ARTIST Gustave Baumann (1881-1971) was a renowned printmaker and a leading figure of the American color woodcut revival whose exquisite craftsmanship and vibrant imagery captured the essence of the Southwest. "A brilliant printmaker, Baumann brought to the medium a full mastery of the craft of woodworking that he acquired from his father, a German cabinetmaker. This craftsmanship was coupled with a strong artistic training that resulted in the handsome objects we see in the exhibition today. After discovering New Mexico in 1918, Baumann began to explore in his woodblock prints of this period the light. color, and architectural forms of that landscape. His prints of this period are among the most beautiful and poetic images of the American West." —Lewis I. Sharp, Director, Denver Art Museum Baumann, the son of a craftsman, immigrated to the United States from Germany with his family when he was ten, settling in Chicago. From 1897 to 1904, he studied in the evenings at the Art Institute of Chicago, working in a commercial printmaking shop during the day. In 1905, he returned to Germany to attend the Kunstwerbe Schule in Munich, where he decided on a career in printmaking. He returned to Chicago in 1906 and worked for a few years as a graphic designer of labels. Baumann made his first prints in 1909 and exhibited them at the Art Institute of Chicago the following year. In 1910, he moved to the artists’ colony in Nashville, Indiana, where he explored the creative and commercial possibilities of a career as a printmaker. In 1915, he exhibited his color woodcuts at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, winning the gold medal. Among Baumann’s ongoing commercial activities was his work for the Packard Motor Car Company from 1914 to 1920 where he produced designs, illustrations, and color woodcuts until 1923. In 1919, Baumann’s printmaking work dominated the important exhibition of American color woodcuts at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Twenty-six of his prints were included, far more than the works of any other artist. A set of his blocks, a preparatory drawing, and seven progressive proofs complemented the exhibition. That same year, Baumann worked in New York and, over the summer, in Provincetown, Massachusetts. His airy images of Cape Cod employed soft, pastel colors and occasionally showed the influence of the white-line woodcut technique. Many of his Chicago artist friends had traveled to the southwest, and Baumann became intrigued by their paintings, souvenirs, and stories of an exotic place named Taos, New Mexico. In the summer of 1918, he spent the summer in Taos sketching and painting before visiting Santa Fe. Paul Walter, the director of the Museum of New Mexico, offered him a studio in the museum's basement. Inspired by the rugged beauty of the Southwest—the vibrant colors and dramatic landscapes of the region became a central theme in his work, influencing his artistic style and subject matter for the remainder of his career. Later in the decade, he traveled to the West Coast and made prints of California landscape. Baumann's prints became synonymous with the Southwest, capturing the spirit of its place in America's identity with a unique sense of authenticity and reverence. His iconic images of desert vistas, pueblo villages, and indigenous cultures served as visual tributes to the region's rich cultural heritage, earning him a dedicated following among collectors and curators alike. A true craftsman and artist, Baumann completed every step of the printmaking process himself, cutting each block, mixing the inks, and printing every impression on the handmade paper he selected. His dedication to true craftsmanship and his commitment to preserving the integrity of his artistic vision earned him widespread acclaim and recognition within the art world. About the vibrant colors he produced, Baumann stated, “A knowledge of color needs to be acquired since they don’t all behave the same way when ground or mixed...careful chemistry goes into the making of colors, with meticulous testing for permanence. While complicated formulae evolve new colors, those derived from Earth and metal bases are still the most reliable.” In the 1930s, Baumann became interested in puppet theater. He designed and carved his own marionettes and established a little traveling company. From 1943 to 1945, the artist carved an altarpiece for the Episcopal Church of the Holy Faith in Santa Fe. In 1952, a retrospective exhibition of his prints was mounted at the New Mexico Museum of Fine Arts. Throughout his prolific career, Baumann executed nearly four hundred color woodcuts. Baumann’s woodcuts...
Category

1940s American Modern Art

Materials

Woodcut

"Flowers in a Stoneware Jug" lithograph
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: lithograph. This lithograph (after the Vlaminck painting) was printed in Paris in 1958 by the Mourlot atelier, and published by Andre Sauret in an edition of 2000. The image ...
Category

1950s Art

Materials

Lithograph

Original Modernist Hawaiian Sunrise Oil Painting
Located in Soquel, CA
Original modernist oil painting Hawaiian symbolist sunset by Marguerite Louis Blasingame. Robert Azensky Fine art is pleased to offer this 1940s modern symbolist oil painting of sun...
Category

1940s American Modern Art

Materials

Linen, Oil

Antique English Portrait Oil Painting of an English Writer
Located in Douglas Manor, NY
3423 English writer portrait, oil on board displayed in a gilt -wood frame, signed by Welsh.Image size 10 H x 8 W
Category

1940s Art

Materials

Oil

Antique American Modernist Framed Large Abstract Original Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American abstract oil painting by Martin Rosenthal (1899 - 1974). Oil on board. Measuring 28 by 42 inches overall and 26 by 40 painting alone. Oil on board. Signed. In exc...
Category

1940s Abstract Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil

Vintage French Oil Painting Couple Strolling Thru the Forest Path
Located in Douglas Manor, NY
5085 Oil on canvas of a young couple walking hand in hand thru the forest path
Category

1940s Art

Materials

Oil

“The Black Crater”
Located in Southampton, NY
Original oil on masonite painting of the Black Crater in the state of Oregon by the American artist Marcel K. Sessler. Signed and dated lower right, 1955. Condition is excellent....
Category

1950s American Modern Art

Materials

Masonite, Oil

Pablo Picasso (After), 'La Ronde de la Jeunesse', Lithograph, 1961
Located in Pembroke Pines, FL
Artist: PABLO PICASSO (AFTER ) Title: 'La Ronde de la Jeunesse (The Youth Circle)' Year: 1961 Published by: Combat Pour La Paix, Paris Medium: Lithograph on wove paper Printed by Mourlot Edition: 200 plus EA Size: 26 x 20 inches Signed and numbered in pencil by the master CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY INCLUDED ARTWORK IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION Through the use of crisp vibrant colors and the fluid use of line, Picasso creates a sense of optimistic energy that is focused around the dove of peace in Pablo Picasso La Ronde de la Jeunesse...
Category

1950s Contemporary Art

Materials

Lithograph

"Exposition Poteries, Fleurs, Parfums" lithograph poster
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: lithograph (after the original lithograph poster). During the late 1940's and throughout the 1950's, Picasso created a series of posters at the atelier of Mourlot Freres. The...
Category

1950s Art

Materials

Lithograph

'Cubist Still Life', Italian School (circa 1940s)
Located in London, GB
'Cubist Still Life', gouache on paper, from the Italian School of artists (circa 1940s). Surely this very attractive piece was inspired by Juan Gris (1887-1927) and Georges Braque's ...
Category

1940s Modern Art

Materials

Paper, Gouache

Blackfeet Indians, Great Northern Railway 14 prints
Located in Spokane, WA
A group of 14 Blackfeet Indians prints created by the artist Winold Reiss. The Great Northern Railway printed and released these prints in c. 1940. This is for the entire group...
Category

1940s American Realist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Pablo Picasso (After), 'Vive le Paix (Long Live Peace) Lithograph, 1954
Located in Pembroke Pines, FL
Artist: PABLO PICASSO (AFTER ) Title: Vive le Paix (Long Live Peace) Year: 1954 Published by: Combat Pour La Paix, Paris Medium: Lithograph on Lana paper (Blind stamp JPG attached) P...
Category

1950s Contemporary Art

Materials

Lithograph

Large Watercolor & Pastel Dock Scene of Martha's Vineyard by Francis Chapin
Located in Chicago, IL
A large & colorful ca. 1955 watercolor & pastel dock scene of Martha's Vineyard by notable artist Francis Chapin. Artwork size: 19" x 25". Archivally matted to: 24" x 30". Prove...
Category

1950s Modern Art

Materials

Paper, Pastel, Watercolor

Sunbathing In Venice, Italy, Estate Edition, Portrait Photograph
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This mid-1950s portrait photograph, captured by society photographer Slim Aarons, features a woman sunbatheing, wearing a novelty straw sun hat with built-in sunglasses, Venice. Th...
Category

1950s Realist Art

Materials

Lambda

lithograph
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: lithograph (after the watercolor sketch). Printed in 1955 at the Mourlot Freres atelier, this composition is from George Braque's Intimate Sketchbooks (Carnets Intimes). Braq...
Category

1950s Art

Materials

Lithograph

Pablo Picasso ( 1881 – 1973 ) La Grande Maternité – hand-signed lithograph 1963
Located in Pembroke Pines, FL
After Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973) La Grande Maternité 1963 pencil signed and annotated 'E.A.' (aside from the edition of 200), with margins Editions Combat de la Paix, Paris P...
Category

1950s Contemporary Art

Materials

Lithograph

Surrealist composition
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: collotype (after the Miro lithograph). Printed in 1947 in an edition of 1500 by Meriden Gravure and published by Curt Valentin for "The Prints of Joan Miro" portfolio. Size: ...
Category

1940s Surrealist Art

Materials

Photogravure

Ceramic Owl Vase (A.R. 135) from the Madoura Pottery by Pablo Picasso
Located in London, GB
Mid-Century earthenware vase with painted owl decoration, by Pablo Picasso, Vallauris, France (1952). This is a vintage, limited edition earthenware creation, in a run of 500 (Edition Picasso) at the Madoura pottery...
Category

1950s Modern Art

Materials

Ceramic

Original Marilyn Monroe Photograph
Located in Soquel, CA
Original Marilyn Monroe Photograph Original photograph of Marilyn Monroe posing in her dressing room on the film of "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" by photographer Milton Gold (American,...
Category

1950s Photorealist Art

Materials

Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

Magritte, Composition, View, Surrealism in Belgium (after)
Located in Auburn Hills, MI
Lithograph on vélin paper. Paper Size: 12 x 9 inches. Inscription: Signed in the plate and unnumbered, as issued. Notes: From the album, View, Surrealism in Belgium, vol. VII, n°2, D...
Category

1940s Surrealist Art

Materials

Lithograph

Jean Martin, Man with scarf, circa 1950, Graphite on paper
Located in PARIS, FR
Jean MARTIN (1911-1996) Man with scarf, circa 1950 Graphite on paper Monogrammed “JM” lower right 16,5 × 14 cm A self-taught painter born in Lyon in 1911, Jean Martin developed a st...
Category

1950s Art

Materials

Pencil, Graphite

North African Town - Mid 20th Century French Orientalist Figures Oil Painting
Located in Sevenoaks, GB
A beautiful 1940's French oil on board by Rosette Chicotot depicting figures in a North African town, possibly Marrakech. The work is signed lower left and presented in a silvered f...
Category

1940s Art

Materials

Oil

"The Toreador" Pierre Ambrogiani (France, 1905-1985) Circa 1950s
Located in SANTA FE, NM
"The Toreador" Pierre Ambrogiani (France, 1905-1985) Oil on canvas Circa 1950's  28 1/4 x 20 3/4 (31 1/4 x 23 3/4 frame) inches If the artists Diego Velázquez (Spain, 1599-1660) and...
Category

1950s Expressionist Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

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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.

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