Skip to main content

Modern Abstract Paintings

MODERN STYLE

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.

2
to
31
139
25
109
10
84
72
9
17
26
50
36
36
Overall Height
to
Overall Width
to
757
18
18
17
13
11
10
7
5
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1,002
546
3
2
18
34
85
98
100
79
50
35
18
2
2
2
156
120
85
84
19
Style: Modern
Period: 1960s
Antique American Modernist Summer Beach Scene Framed Hamptons Ocean Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Very impressive mid 20th century beach scene. Great colors. Nice vintage frame. Oil on board. No signature found. Image size, 12H x16L.
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Sunset In Mecox Bay Signed Hamptons Long Island Beach Scene Large Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Impressive large American modernist beach scene by Barbara J. Sussman. Oil on canvas. Framed. Signed.
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Antique American Modernist Framed Cityscape Original Surreal Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Nicely painted mid century modern architectural painting. Oil on canvas. Framed. No signature found.
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Antique American Woman Artist Modernist Landscape Framed Signed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Nicely painted early American modernist landscape by Rita Rogers (b.1936). Oil on canvas. Framed. Signed. Artist Bio: Rita Rogers was born in North Mi...
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Signed French Modernist Moulin Rouge Paris School Framed Charming Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Nicely painted mid century French street scene. Oil on canvas. Framed. Signed.
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Antique American Modernist Trompe L"Oeil Window Modernist City View Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Nicely painted mid century modernist view thru a window by Alan Peters. Great color and composition. Framed. Oil on canvas.
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Untitled"
By Sidney E. Zimmerman
Located in Southampton, NY
Sidney E.Zimmerman USA (1926-2007) studied at the Brooklyn a Museum of Art after returning from Europe during WWII. In 1950, he studied with Morris Kantor and Vaclav Vytlacil at the ...
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Portrait of a Young Woman
Located in London, GB
'Portrait of Young Woman', oil on board, German School (circa 1960s). A sensuous mid-century portrait of a young woman painted in the style of expressionists / cubists of the era. Un...
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Mid Century Modern American Abstract Figurative Surreal Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Nicely painted mid century abstracted figurative painting. Oil on canvas. Framed. No signature found. Great color and composition. Nicely framed in a period modernist molding.
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Vintage Mid-Century Semi-Abstract Figurative Framed Oil Painting - Seated Trio
Located in Bristol, GB
SEATED TRIO Size: 45 x 48 cm (including frame) Oil on Canvas A brilliantly executed semi-abstract figurative oil composition, painted in 1964 by the established Swedish artist Ivar ...
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

“Abstract #1”
Located in Southampton, NY
Original oil paint on heavy archival paper abstract by the American artist, Martin Rosenthal. Bold, vibrant colors. Signed lower right by the artist and dated 1967. Condition is ver...
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil, Archival Paper

“Abstract #2”
Located in Southampton, NY
Original oil paint on heavy archival paper abstract by the American artist, Martin Rosenthal. Bold, vibrant colors. Signed lower left by the artist and dated 1965. Condition is ver...
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil, Archival Paper

1963 Vintage Mid-Century Abstract Seascape Oil Painting - Coastal Thunderstorm
Located in Bristol, GB
COASTAL THUNDERSTORM Size: 52.5 x 70 cm (including frame) Oil on Canvas An emotive and wonderfully executed mid-century abstract artwork, painted in oil onto canvas and dated 1963. ...
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Antique American Impressionist Hamptons Wetlands Framed Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Nicely painted mid century abstract landscape oil painting by June Kirkpatrick Ciancio (B.1926). Great color and composition. Framed.
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Finely Painted Antique American Modernist Landscape Framed Summer Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Nicely painted mid century modern abstract landscape. Oil on canvas. Framed.
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Antique Croatian Modernist Abstract Beach Scene Split Framed Large Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Nicely painted mid century abstract cubist beach scene oil painting. Great color and composition. Framed.
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Modern Pink and Purple Abstract Painting
Located in Houston, TX
Whimsical modern abstract painting by renowned artist Lamar Briggs. Circa 1960s. Painting features soft floral pink and purple hues. Dimensions without frame: H 31 in. x W 22.5 ...
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

Antique American School Modernist Abstract Flower Still Life Signed Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Nicely painted mid century abstract cubist still life oil painting. Great color and composition. Framed nicely. Oil on canvas. Signed.
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Dreamcatcher, Native American Cultural Still Life and Spiritual Commentary
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Dreamcatcher" is a 28 x 42 inches, oil on canvas painting by American modernist and surrealist, female artist Peter Miller. The work is painted in a vibrant color palette. The work ...
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Untitled Abstract in Yellow and Blue by Female, American Modernist
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Untitled - Yellow and Blue" is a 46 x 34.25 inches, oil on canvas painting by American modernist and surrealist, female artist Peter Miller. This abstract work is painted in a vibra...
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Antique American School Modernist Industrial Cityscape Large Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Nicely painted mid century modernist industrial oil painting. Very unique and well painted. Framed. Signed verso.
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Tools, Symbolism and Abstract by American Female Modernist Peter Miller
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Tools" is a 25 x 30 inches, oil on canvas painting by American modernist and surrealist, female artist Peter Miller. The work is painted in a earth-tone color palette. The work is e...
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Bulldog Drummond and the Great Coca-Cola Mystery by Richard Merkin
Located in Hudson, NY
An iconic mixed media example of Richard Merkin's art. Bulldog Drummond and the Great Coca-Cola Mystery (1965) Mixed media on paper 51" x 33" 53" x 35" x 2" framed Signed "Merkin" ...
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Paper, Mixed Media

" Le Chien à la Lune. "
Located in CANNES, FR
André Verdet ( 1913 - 2004 ) . Artiste français né à Nice (alpes maritimes ) mort à Saint Paul de Vence . poète , peintre , sculpteur , céramiste , mus...
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Casein

Antique American School Modernist Landscape California Farm Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Oil on canvas. Framed. No signature found.
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Incredible American Modernist New York City Central Park Plaza View Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Really impressive mid 1900s American school painting of Central Park. An amazing piece with hints of abstraction. Framed. No signature found.
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Antique American School Modernist Fauvist Interior Still Life Abstract Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Very finely painted tropical still life painting. Oil on canvas. Framed. Signed illegibly.
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Antique Italian Modernist Abstract Flower Still Life Pop Art Signed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique Italian modernist flower still life oil painting by Giorgio Celiberti (1929 - 1960). Oil on canvas, circa 1960. Signed on verso. Displayed ...
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Vintage American Mid Century Modernist Abstract Flower Still Life Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Oil on canvas. Signed
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

“The Night” Blue, Black, & Brown Modern Abstract Surrealist Night Landscape
Located in Houston, TX
Modern abstract landscape painting by Louisiana artist Robert Gordy. The work features his iconic tubular figure set against a surrealist night landscape scene. Signed and dated in t...
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Untitled Large Seascape Abstract Mixed Media
Located in Delray Beach, FL
Untitled Large Seascape Abstract Mixed Media Ink and gouache wash on paper board about 1970s, Artist signed lower right corner. Lim Ha Shan, was born in Seoul, Korea in 1945. The ...
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Ink, Gouache, Board

Vintage Mid-Century Modern Abstract Figurative Oil Painting - All Together
Located in Bristol, GB
ALL TOGETHER Size: 55 x 64.5 cm (including frame) Oil on canvas A richly textured mid-century abstract figurative painting, executed in oil onto canvas. Simple yet effective in it...
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Vintage Tropical European Poolside Modernist Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage signed European oil painting. Oil on canvas. Framed. Signed.
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Antique American Modernist Abstract Expressionist Original Florida Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American modernist abstract oil painting. Oil on canvas, circa 1960. No signature found. Displayed in a period frame. Image, 30"...
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Antique American Framed Original Vintage Signed Modernist Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American school modernist landscape painting. Oil on canvas. Framed. Signed.
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Vintage American Beach Scene Monogrammed Nature Study Modernist Frame
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American modernist beach scene oil painting. Oil on board. Framed. Image size, 16L x 20H.
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Vintage Mid Century Modernist Sunset Garden Figurative Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American modernist landscape painting. Oil on board. Framed. Signed.
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Antique American Framed Original Vintage Abstract Cubist Still Life Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American abstract flower still life painting. OIl on canvas. Framed. Signed.
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Mid Century Modern Abstracted Landscape in Oil on Masonite
Located in Soquel, CA
Mid Century Modern Abstracted Landscape in Oil on Masonite Bold abstracted landscape by Ray Oakvick (American, 1917-1993). Streaks of reddish brown and white create an abstracted la...
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil, Masonite

"Cathedral, " 1960s Modern Abstract Painting
Located in Westport, CT
This Modern abstract painting by Stanley Bate has a light beige, creme, and warm sepia palette. The textured painting has darker shapes that run the length of the bottom of the compo...
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Vintage American New York School Minimalist Abstract Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Step into the vibrant world of mid-20th-century American art with this remarkable Vintage New York School Minimalist Abstract framed oil painting, dating back to the pivotal year of ...
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

R. Hoag “Large Cat Peering Out Window”
Located in San Francisco, CA
Oil on canvas 1979 Large cat peering out window Framed 45.25x55.5 Unframed 36x47
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Paphos, " 1960s Modern Abstract Painting
Located in Westport, CT
This textured, Modern Abstract Expressionist painting Stanley Bate features a neutral palette with both warm and cool undertones. Muted blues and reds seem to be incorporated into a ...
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Vintage Signed American Modernist Framed Landscape Architectural Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American modernist signed landscape oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Framed.
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Mandala No. 15, Abstract Ovoid Geometrical Mid-Century Painting Cleveland School
Located in Beachwood, OH
Clarence Holbrook Carter (American, 1904-2000) Mandala No. 15, 1969 Acrylic on paper Signed and dated verso 27.5 x 22 inches Clarence Holbrook Carter achieved a level of national ar...
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

1965 Mid-Century Modern Swedish Framed Abstract Oil Painting - Connection
Located in Bristol, GB
CONNECTION Size: 26 x 47 cm (including frame) Oil on board A brilliantly executed and beautifully textured abstract figurative oil composition, painted in 1965 by the established Sw...
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Double Ovoids, Mid-Century Blue & Black Figurative Abstract Ovoids
Located in Beachwood, OH
Clarence Holbrook Carter (American, 1904-2000) Double Ovoids with Blue and Black, 1960s Acrylic on scintilla 15.25 x 12.25 inches A surrealist mid-century figural abstract painting....
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Antique American School Modern Abstract Expressionist Framed Early Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American modernist abstract oil painting. Oil on canvas. Framed. Image size, 22L x 28H.
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Antique American School 1960s Street Art Abstract Framed Modern Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American modernist abstract oil painting. Oil on canvas. Framed. Image size, 22L x 28H.
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Blue Cloud" Modern Abstract Geometric Pastel Contoured / Shaped Canvas Painting
Located in Houston, TX
Modern pastel blue abstract painting by Texas born artist Clark Fox. The work features an intricate geometric pattern in various tones of light blue against ...
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Untitled
Located in Bournemouth, Dorset
Anthony Benjamin was born in England on 29 March 1931. He began his study at Southall Technical College in 1947 as an engineering draughtsman and was accepted into Regent Street Poly...
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media

Untitled
Located in Bournemouth, Dorset
Anthony Benjamin was born in England on 29 March 1931. He began his study at Southall Technical College in 1947 as an engineering draughtsman and was accepted into Regent Street Poly...
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media

Vintage American Modernist New Orleans Street Scene Original Large Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American modernist cityscape painting by Kamil Kubik. Oil on canvas. Unsigned. Unframed. Image size, 30L x 24H.
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Way Out Blue acrylic 1960s abstract painting by Trevor Bell
Located in London, GB
To see our other Modern British Art, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller" - or send us a message if you cannot find the artist you ...
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

"Flight, " 1960s Modern Abstract Painting
Located in Westport, CT
This Modern Abstract Expressionist painting by Stanley Bate is made with gouache on paper. It features a muted palette and large, textured brush strokes. The painting itself is 13" x 22" and it measures 21.25" x 29.25" x 1" framed. It is signed by the artist in the lower right-hand corner of the painting, and is framed in a black frame with an acid-free mat. Wired and ready to hang. Stanley Bate was born on March 26, 1903 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Bates were an established Tennessee family, in fact, Henry’s brother William Bate was the governor of Tennessee from 1883-1887 and a United States Senator from 1887-1905. Stanley studied art at the Watkins Institute in Nashville. In the 1920’s Bate moved to New York City to study at the Art Students League under Frederick Bridgman. He soon landed a job with Encyclopedia Britannica, and from 1927-1929 served as art editor. From 1929 until his death in 1972, Stanley was a self-employed artist. He taught art classes at both the Art Students League and the Albany Institute of History and Art and brought in extra income by making illustrations for magazines such as “Outdoor Life” and “Popular Science”. On January 27, 1934 Stanley married Emilie Rossel. Emilie had emigrated from Switzerland to New York in 1923. She found work as a governess to Alfred Vanderbilt and later as an executive secretary for Wall Street investment brokers Kahn, Loeb and Co. Emilie met Stanley in New York in the early 1930’s when she attended one of his art exhibitions with a friend. The couple, who had no children, lived on 34th Street in Manhattan. During this period, Bate was producing and exhibiting his art and joined several artists groups. Stanley and Emilie became part of the New York art scene, dining weekly at the Society of Illustrators Clubhouse. Stanley Bate’s time in New York was pivotal in the formation of his painting style. He lived in New York during the inception of one of the most important Modern Art movements, one that helped New York replace Paris as the center of avant-garde art. This movement, which was called the New York School of artists, was later known as Abstract Expressionism. It was comprised of a loosely associated group of vanguard artists working in New York City during the 1940s and 1950s. The New York School was not defined by a specific style, but instead reflected a fusion of European Modernism and American social relevancy that was depicted in many individual styles. Influences of Surrealism, Cubism, and Modernism can be found in their work, along with an interest in experimenting with non-traditional materials and methods. American art was in the forefront of international avant-garde for the first time. Stanley Bate was undoubtedly exposed to the varied styles and techniques that were emerging during the formative years of the New York School. Mark Rothko and Robert Motherwell were formulating their versions of color field paintings. Joseph Cornell was experimenting with assemblages, collage and the use of different types of textured paints. Jackson Pollock was adhering objects such as buttons and coins into his early works, while Louise Nevelson was using found objects. Helen Frankenthaler added sand to her early paintings. The New York School artists were undermining traditional fine art by using mixed media and non-traditional methods. Stanley Bate absorbed these varied influences and soon his early realistic landscapes and still-lifes were replaced with something entirely new. The influence of Cubism, notably the flat shallow space of the picture plane, is obvious in many of Bate’s paintings. Surrealism is evident in Bate’s use of subjects from myth, primitive art and antiquity, along with the Automatism-like line work in his more linear images. The unfettered experimentation of the New York School is everywhere in Stanley Bate’s work. We see nods to color field, collage, the mixing of textures into paint, mixed media, the inclusion of found objects and thick, luscious impasto. Bate was prolific and experimented in various media including oil, watercolor, lithography, silk screen, wood cut, drawing, collage, ceramics and sculpture. Bate is considered a true Modernist. His work is largely abstract, but sometimes figures and buildings are discernable. He frequently mixed paint, sand and glue together to achieve a textured surface, and then scraped and scratched through this layer to expose some of the underpainting below. His sculpture, which is often whimsical, also reflects the non-traditional methods of the New York School. Bate pioneered the use of enamel and copper in his work. The sculptures are not carved or modeled as was done in the past, but instead are built using mixed media and new materials. In addition to the New York School influence, many of Bate’s works exhibit a strong connection to the Spanish school, especially the work of Antonio Tapies and Modesto Cuixart. These artists were both part of an avant-garde group known as Art Informel, the Spanish equivalent of Abstract Expressionism. These artists likewise worked in mixed media and introduced objects and texture into their work. Many of Bate’s subjects and titles relate to Spanish locations and words. It is likely that Stanley spent time in Spain and found inspiration there. By the early 1940s, Stanley and Emilie had started spending weekends in a barn they purchased in Craryville, New York, a few hours north of Manhattan. The barn had no electricity or plumbing, but when the Bates eventually decided to leave New York and live full time in Craryville, they remodeled the barn, putting a gallery downstairs and a studio and living quarters upstairs. Although the Bates moved out of New York City, Stanley remained part of the New York art scene, exhibiting in New York and elsewhere throughout the 50s and 60s. During his lifetime he was represented by the New York galleries Knoedler and Company, Kennedy Galleries, Rose Fried Gallery and Key Gallery, along with Tyringham Gallery located in Tyringham, Massachusetts. Craryville was Stanley’s home until his death on August 21, 1972. Emilie died 1984...
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Paper, Gouache

"Marine I - Sunset, " 1960s Modern Abstract Painting
Located in Westport, CT
This modern abstract expressionist painting by Stanley Bate features a muted, earthy palette with warm accents. The painting itself is made with gouache on paper and measures 13" x 22". It measures 21.25" x 29.25" x 1" framed and is framed in a black frame with an acid-free mat. It is signed by the artist in the lower right-hand corner of the painting, and is ready to hang. Stanley Bate was born on March 26, 1903 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Bates were an established Tennessee family, in fact, Henry’s brother William Bate was the governor of Tennessee from 1883-1887 and a United States Senator from 1887-1905. Stanley studied art at the Watkins Institute in Nashville. In the 1920’s Bate moved to New York City to study at the Art Students League under Frederick Bridgman. He soon landed a job with Encyclopedia Britannica, and from 1927-1929 served as art editor. From 1929 until his death in 1972, Stanley was a self-employed artist. He taught art classes at both the Art Students League and the Albany Institute of History and Art and brought in extra income by making illustrations for magazines such as “Outdoor Life” and “Popular Science”. On January 27, 1934 Stanley married Emilie Rossel. Emilie had emigrated from Switzerland to New York in 1923. She found work as a governess to Alfred Vanderbilt and later as an executive secretary for Wall Street investment brokers Kahn, Loeb and Co. Emilie met Stanley in New York in the early 1930’s when she attended one of his art exhibitions with a friend. The couple, who had no children, lived on 34th Street in Manhattan. During this period, Bate was producing and exhibiting his art and joined several artists groups. Stanley and Emilie became part of the New York art scene, dining weekly at the Society of Illustrators Clubhouse. Stanley Bate’s time in New York was pivotal in the formation of his painting style. He lived in New York during the inception of one of the most important Modern Art movements, one that helped New York replace Paris as the center of avant-garde art. This movement, which was called the New York School of artists, was later known as Abstract Expressionism. It was comprised of a loosely associated group of vanguard artists working in New York City during the 1940s and 1950s. The New York School was not defined by a specific style, but instead reflected a fusion of European Modernism and American social relevancy that was depicted in many individual styles. Influences of Surrealism, Cubism, and Modernism can be found in their work, along with an interest in experimenting with non-traditional materials and methods. American art was in the forefront of international avant-garde for the first time. Stanley Bate was undoubtedly exposed to the varied styles and techniques that were emerging during the formative years of the New York School. Mark Rothko and Robert Motherwell were formulating their versions of color field paintings. Joseph Cornell was experimenting with assemblages, collage and the use of different types of textured paints. Jackson Pollock was adhering objects such as buttons and coins into his early works, while Louise Nevelson was using found objects. Helen Frankenthaler added sand to her early paintings. The New York School artists were undermining traditional fine art by using mixed media and non-traditional methods. Stanley Bate absorbed these varied influences and soon his early realistic landscapes and still-lifes were replaced with something entirely new. The influence of Cubism, notably the flat shallow space of the picture plane, is obvious in many of Bate’s paintings. Surrealism is evident in Bate’s use of subjects from myth, primitive art and antiquity, along with the Automatism-like line work in his more linear images. The unfettered experimentation of the New York School is everywhere in Stanley Bate’s work. We see nods to color field, collage, the mixing of textures into paint, mixed media, the inclusion of found objects and thick, luscious impasto. Bate was prolific and experimented in various media including oil, watercolor, lithography, silk screen, wood cut, drawing, collage, ceramics and sculpture. Bate is considered a true Modernist. His work is largely abstract, but sometimes figures and buildings are discernable. He frequently mixed paint, sand and glue together to achieve a textured surface, and then scraped and scratched through this layer to expose some of the underpainting below. His sculpture, which is often whimsical, also reflects the non-traditional methods of the New York School. Bate pioneered the use of enamel and copper in his work. The sculptures are not carved or modeled as was done in the past, but instead are built using mixed media and new materials. In addition to the New York School influence, many of Bate’s works exhibit a strong connection to the Spanish school, especially the work of Antonio Tapies and Modesto Cuixart. These artists were both part of an avant-garde group known as Art Informel, the Spanish equivalent of Abstract Expressionism. These artists likewise worked in mixed media and introduced objects and texture into their work. Many of Bate’s subjects and titles relate to Spanish locations and words. It is likely that Stanley spent time in Spain and found inspiration there. By the early 1940s, Stanley and Emilie had started spending weekends in a barn they purchased in Craryville, New York, a few hours north of Manhattan. The barn had no electricity or plumbing, but when the Bates eventually decided to leave New York and live full time in Craryville, they remodeled the barn, putting a gallery downstairs and a studio and living quarters upstairs. Although the Bates moved out of New York City, Stanley remained part of the New York art scene, exhibiting in New York and elsewhere throughout the 50s and 60s. During his lifetime he was represented by the New York galleries Knoedler and Company, Kennedy Galleries, Rose Fried Gallery and Key Gallery, along with Tyringham Gallery located in Tyringham, Massachusetts. Craryville was Stanley’s home until his death on August 21, 1972. Emilie died 1984...
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Paper, Gouache

Dark Harbor, Maine
Located in Lawrence, NY
Art critic Hilton Kramer called the Greek-American artist Aristodimos Kaldi's paintings "beautifully executed landscapes in a lyric mode. . . all delicacy and nuance and romance. . . " Kaldis was a New York School painter...
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Abandoned Village, " 1960s Modern Abstract Painting
Located in Westport, CT
This Modern Abstract Expressionist painting by Stanley Bate is made with oil paint and and lacquer on board. It features light textured and a light blue-grey and yellow palette contrasted by the almost black focal point of the composition. The painting is 14.5" x 19" and measures 16.25" x 20.5" x 2" framed. Signed by the artist in the lower left-hand corner of the painting, it is framed in a floater frame with warm silver face and black sides and is ready to hang. Stanley Bate was born on March 26, 1903 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Bates were an established Tennessee family, in fact, Henry’s brother William Bate was the governor of Tennessee from 1883-1887 and a United States Senator from 1887-1905. Stanley studied art at the Watkins Institute in Nashville. In the 1920’s Bate moved to New York City to study at the Art Students League under Frederick Bridgman. He soon landed a job with Encyclopedia Britannica, and from 1927-1929 served as art editor. From 1929 until his death in 1972, Stanley was a self-employed artist. He taught art classes at both the Art Students League and the Albany Institute of History and Art and brought in extra income by making illustrations for magazines such as “Outdoor Life” and “Popular Science”. On January 27, 1934 Stanley married Emilie Rossel. Emilie had emigrated from Switzerland to New York in 1923. She found work as a governess to Alfred Vanderbilt and later as an executive secretary for Wall Street investment brokers Kahn, Loeb and Co. Emilie met Stanley in New York in the early 1930’s when she attended one of his art exhibitions with a friend. The couple, who had no children, lived on 34th Street in Manhattan. During this period, Bate was producing and exhibiting his art and joined several artists groups. Stanley and Emilie became part of the New York art scene, dining weekly at the Society of Illustrators Clubhouse. Stanley Bate’s time in New York was pivotal in the formation of his painting style. He lived in New York during the inception of one of the most important Modern Art movements, one that helped New York replace Paris as the center of avant-garde art. This movement, which was called the New York School of artists, was later known as Abstract Expressionism. It was comprised of a loosely associated group of vanguard artists working in New York City during the 1940s and 1950s. The New York School was not defined by a specific style, but instead reflected a fusion of European Modernism and American social relevancy that was depicted in many individual styles. Influences of Surrealism, Cubism, and Modernism can be found in their work, along with an interest in experimenting with non-traditional materials and methods. American art was in the forefront of international avant-garde for the first time. Stanley Bate was undoubtedly exposed to the varied styles and techniques that were emerging during the formative years of the New York School. Mark Rothko and Robert Motherwell were formulating their versions of color field paintings. Joseph Cornell was experimenting with assemblages, collage and the use of different types of textured paints. Jackson Pollock was adhering objects such as buttons and coins into his early works, while Louise Nevelson was using found objects. Helen Frankenthaler added sand to her early paintings. The New York School artists were undermining traditional fine art by using mixed media and non-traditional methods. Stanley Bate absorbed these varied influences and soon his early realistic landscapes and still-lifes were replaced with something entirely new. The influence of Cubism, notably the flat shallow space of the picture plane, is obvious in many of Bate’s paintings. Surrealism is evident in Bate’s use of subjects from myth, primitive art and antiquity, along with the Automatism-like line work in his more linear images. The unfettered experimentation of the New York School is everywhere in Stanley Bate’s work. We see nods to color field, collage, the mixing of textures into paint, mixed media, the inclusion of found objects and thick, luscious impasto. Bate was prolific and experimented in various media including oil, watercolor, lithography, silk screen, wood cut, drawing, collage, ceramics and sculpture. Bate is considered a true Modernist. His work is largely abstract, but sometimes figures and buildings are discernable. He frequently mixed paint, sand and glue together to achieve a textured surface, and then scraped and scratched through this layer to expose some of the underpainting below. His sculpture, which is often whimsical, also reflects the non-traditional methods of the New York School. Bate pioneered the use of enamel and copper in his work. The sculptures are not carved or modeled as was done in the past, but instead are built using mixed media and new materials. In addition to the New York School influence, many of Bate’s works exhibit a strong connection to the Spanish school, especially the work of Antonio Tapies and Modesto Cuixart. These artists were both part of an avant-garde group known as Art Informel, the Spanish equivalent of Abstract Expressionism. These artists likewise worked in mixed media and introduced objects and texture into their work. Many of Bate’s subjects and titles relate to Spanish locations and words. It is likely that Stanley spent time in Spain and found inspiration there. By the early 1940s, Stanley and Emilie had started spending weekends in a barn they purchased in Craryville, New York, a few hours north of Manhattan. The barn had no electricity or plumbing, but when the Bates eventually decided to leave New York and live full time in Craryville, they remodeled the barn, putting a gallery downstairs and a studio and living quarters upstairs. Although the Bates moved out of New York City, Stanley remained part of the New York art scene, exhibiting in New York and elsewhere throughout the 50s and 60s. During his lifetime he was represented by the New York galleries Knoedler and Company, Kennedy Galleries, Rose Fried Gallery and Key Gallery, along with Tyringham Gallery located in Tyringham, Massachusetts. Craryville was Stanley’s home until his death on August 21, 1972. Emilie died 1984...
Category

1960s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Lacquer, Oil, Board

Modern abstract paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Modern abstract paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add abstract paintings created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, orange, red, pink and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Stanley Bate, Christel Haag, Clarence Holbrook Carter, and Carmen Gutierrez. Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Oil Paint and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Modern abstract paintings, so small editions measuring 18 inches across are also available. Prices for abstract paintings made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $380 and tops out at $175,000, while the average work sells for $2,970.

Recently Viewed

View All