Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Used to refer to a time rather than an aesthetic, Contemporary art generally describes pieces created after 1970 or being made by living artists anywhere in the world. This immediacy means it encompasses art responding to the present moment through diverse subjects, media and themes. Contemporary painting, sculpture, photography, performance, digital art, video and more frequently includes work that is attempting to reshape current ideas about what art can be, from Felix Gonzalez-Torres’s use of candy to memorialize a lover he lost to AIDS-related complications to Jenny Holzer’s ongoing “Truisms,” a Conceptual series that sees provocative messages printed on billboards, T-shirts, benches and other public places that exist outside of formal exhibitions and the conventional “white cube” of galleries.
Contemporary art has been pushing the boundaries of creative expression for years. Its disruption of the traditional concepts of art are often aiming to engage viewers in complex questions about identity, society and culture. In the latter part of the 20th century, contemporary movements included Land art, in which artists like Robert Smithson and Michael Heizer create large-scale, site-specific sculptures, installations and other works in soil and bodies of water; Sound art, with artists such as Christian Marclay and Susan Philipsz centering art on sonic experiences; and New Media art, in which mass media and digital culture inform the work of artists such as Nam June Paik and Rafaël Rozendaal.
The first decades of the 21st century have seen the growth of Contemporary African art, the revival of figurative painting, the emergence of street art and the rise of NFTs, unique digital artworks that are powered by blockchain technology.
Major Contemporary artists practicing now include Ai Weiwei, Cecily Brown, David Hockney, Yayoi Kusama, Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami and Kara Walker.
Find a collection of Contemporary prints, photography, paintings, sculptures and other art on 1stDibs.
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Pencil, Paper
1980s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Paper
1990s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Archival Paper, Crayon
1980s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Pastel
1970s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Mixed Media
1970s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Mixed Media
1990s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Canvas, Wood, Color Pencil
1990s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Canvas, Wood, Color Pencil
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Pen
1950s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Mixed Media
1990s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Canvas, Wood, Color Pencil
1990s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Canvas, Wood, Color Pencil
1990s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Pastel, Pencil, Watercolor, Crayon, Archival Paper
1990s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Archival Paper, Pencil, Pastel
1990s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Archival Paper, Pastel, Pencil
1970s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Acrylic, Paper
1990s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Pencil, Archival Paper
1970s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Graphite, Paper
Late 20th Century Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Pastel, Ink, Mixed Media, Watercolor, Board
Late 20th Century Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Acrylic, Board
1990s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Watercolor
1940s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Watercolor, Pencil
1930s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Ink, Watercolor
1930s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Ink
1930s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Ink, Watercolor
1930s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Ink, Watercolor
1930s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Ink
1930s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Ink
Late 20th Century Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Pastel, Watercolor, Gouache
Late 20th Century Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Pen
Late 20th Century Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Pen
Late 20th Century Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Pen
20th Century Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Ink
1960s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Watercolor, Permanent Marker, Carbon Pencil
20th Century Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Watercolor, Pen
1970s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Ballpoint Pen
1980s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Graphite
20th Century Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Ink
20th Century Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Pencil, Watercolor
1970s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Ink
20th Century Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Ballpoint Pen
20th Century Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Watercolor
1940s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Charcoal, Pastel, Linocut
1970s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Charcoal, Pastel
1960s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Pencil
1970s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Watercolor, Ink
1990s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Gouache
1980s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Charcoal, Watercolor
1980s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Pastel
1960s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Pastel
1980s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Oil Pastel
20th Century Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Watercolor, Paper
1970s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Pastel
Late 20th Century Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Watercolor, Paper
1970s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Permanent Marker, Paper
Late 20th Century Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Watercolor, Paper
Mid-20th Century Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Ink, Paper
1930s Contemporary Portrait Drawings and Watercolors
Ink