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.
Luis Giner Bueno Spanish Forest Landscape Oil Painting on Canvas, 1973
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
Luis Giner Bueno landscape oil painting on canvas depicting a dense forest interior, dated 1973. Oil on canvas. Signed by the artist and dated 1973. Artwork: 65 × 100 cm (25.6 × 39....
Canvas, Oil
A Large, Cheerful 1950s American Scene Mid-Century Modern Painting, "The Picnic"
Located in Chicago, IL
A large, cheerful 1950s American Scene, Mid-Century Modern oil painting, "The Picnic" by notable Chicago artist, Walter Burt Adams (Am. 1903-1990). A vibrant, painterly depiction of...
Canvas, Oil
$820
Ramón Llovet “Atravesant Espais” Symbolic Figurative Oil Painting, 1978
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
**Ramón Llovet “Atravesant Espais” Symbolic Figurative Oil Painting, 1978** Oil on canvas. Signed, dated and titled. Original oil on canvas by Catalan artist Ramón Llovet Miserol, ...
Canvas, Oil
Greg Carter Signed Vintage American Modernist Framed Porch Scene Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American modernist cafe scene oil painting. Oil on board. Signed. Gallery label verso. Thick impasto and wonderful color palette. Measuring: 25.75 by 21.75 inches overall,...
Oil
A Machine Age Modern Painting, Bronx Span, Triborough Bridge, New York City
Located in Chicago, IL
A striking Machine Age Modern oil painting of the historic Bronx Span, Triborough Bridge, New York City by notable American artist, Lessing Whitford Williams (1894-1989). Artwork ...
Canvas, Oil, Board
$1,400
A Post-War, Modern Southwestern Realist Landscape, Adobe House in New Mexico
Located in Chicago, IL
An Introspective, Post-War Modern Southwestern Landscape Painting of an Adobe House in New Mexico by Notable Chicago Artist, Walter Burt Adams (Am. 1903-1990). A subtle tonal, archi...
Canvas, Oil
French Modernist Oil Painting Figures in Parisian Park Pony & Cart
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Parisian Park by Laure Noetzin-Azam (French 1929-2024) pupil of André LHOTE oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 18 x 24 inches Provenance: all the paintings we have by this artist ha...
Oil
$108Sale Price|20% Off
Nun Waking Through Tight Street Landscape British Modernist Pastel Sketch
By Irina Hale
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Pastel Landscape by Irina Hale (British 1932-2022) pastel on brown artist tracing paper , unframed painting: 4.5 x 3.75 inches provenance: private collection, Cotswolds condition: ve...
Pastel
$108Sale Price|20% Off
White Houses In Bright Blue Sky Landscape British Modernist Pastel Sketch
By Irina Hale
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Pastel Landscape by Irina Hale (British 1932-2022) pastel sketch on brown artist tracing paper , unframed painting: 4.5 x 3.75 inches provenance: private collection, Cotswolds condit...
Pastel, Pencil
$120Sale Price|20% Off
Bell Tower and Buildings In Blue Sky Landscape British Modernist Pastel Sketch
By Irina Hale
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Pastel Landscape by Irina Hale (British 1932-2022) pastel sketch on brown artist tracing paper , unframed painting: 4.5 x 3.75 inches provenance: private collection, Cotswolds condit...
Pastel, Pencil
$120Sale Price|20% Off
Horse In The River Valley Landscape British Modernist Pastel Sketch
By Irina Hale
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Pastel Landscape by Irina Hale (British 1932-2022) pastel sketch on brown artist tracing paper , unframed painting: 3.75 x 4.5 inches provenance: private collection, Cotswolds condit...
Pastel
$300Sale Price|20% Off
Midnight Street Scene with Terraced Houses British Modernist Oil Painting
By Irina Hale
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Midnight Street signed initials by Irina Hale (British 1932-2022) oil painting on artist card, unframed size: 6.5 x 5 inches provenance: private collection, Cotswolds condition: ver...
Oil
$463Sale Price|20% Off
Young Girl Sitting with Her Doll Interior Scene Modernist Oil Painting
By Irina Hale
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Young Girl Interior Scene by Irina Hale (British 1932-2022) oil painting on board, unframed size: 10.5 x 8.25 inches provenance: private collection, Cotswolds condition: very good I...
Oil
Modern Industrial American Mid 20th-Century WPA Architectural NYC Cityscape
By Emil Ganso
Located in New York, NY
Modern Industrial American Mid 20th-Century WPA Architectural NYC Cityscape Emil Ganso (1895-1941) "New York Water Towers" Oil on Canvas, c. 1930s 30 x 25 inches Signed lower right ...
Canvas, Oil
$381Sale Price|20% Off
Mother Guiding Her Child Into The Gardening British Modernist Oil Painting
By Irina Hale
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Mother & Child by Irina Hale (British 1932-2022) oil painting on board unframed size: 7 x 5 inches provenance: private collection, Cotswolds condition: very good Irina Hale (1932-20...
Oil
$3,500
A Large, 1950s Modern Social Realism painting of New York City, "East Harlem"
By Max Ginsburg
Located in Chicago, IL
A Large, Colorful 1950s American Modern, Social Realism oil painting of New York City, "East Harlem", by Notable Artist, Max Ginsburg (Am. Born 1931). Artwork size: 28 x 30 inches ...
Canvas, Oil
$425Sale Price|20% Off
French Modernist Oil Painting Green Tonal Landscape with Pink House
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Pink House French School, late 20th century oil on un-stretched canvas, unframed un-stretched canvas : 15.5 x 20 inches Provenance: private collection, France Condition: very goo...
Oil
A Charming, Modern Maine Harbor Scene Painting, Lobster Traps & Fishing Boats
Located in Chicago, IL
A Colorful, Modern Maine Coastal Scene Painting, "White Boat in Harbor" by Famed Chicago Artist and Printmaker, Charles Turzak (Am. 1899 - 1986). The painting depicts a vibrant, sunlit autumn landscape painting most likely painted near the quiet rural harbor town of Penobscot, Maine. The painting is acrylic on canvas, dates from the 1950s and has a great visual appeal- a perfect complement to any New England coastal home or summer cottage in Maine. Artwork size: 20 x 36 inches, accompanied with the artist's original, hand-painted frame (Framed size: 21 3/4 x 36 1/2 inches). Signed "Turzak", lower left; titled on artist's label on reverse. Provenance: Estate of the artist. Charles Turzak was one of Chicago’s greatest printmakers of the Art Deco-era. Son of a coal miner, Turzak was born in Streeter, IL in 1899. In 1920, Turzak won the first prize a cartoon contest sponsored by the Purina company and he used his prize money to enroll in the Art Institute of Chicago. Best known as a print maker, in the 1920s & 30s, he created woodcuts of many of Chicago’s most notable buildings, including the Merchandise Mart, Palmolive Building and the Old Water Tower, among others. In 1933, he was commissioned to create woodcuts of many of Chicago’s most iconic buildings to illustrate a guidebook called “All About Chicago” by John and Ruth Ashenhurst” that featured the upcoming Century of Progress Exhibition in Chicago. During the 1933 World’s Fair...
Canvas, Acrylic
Monochrome Memory 12
Located in Atlanta, GA
Carl Linstrum's "Other Side" series of paintings speak to disappearing ecosystems in a time of increasing climate crises, while celebrating the sheer beauty of nature through richly ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$108Sale Price|20% Off
Figures Stood In Hay bail Corn Field British Modernist Pastel and Pencil Sketch
By Irina Hale
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Pastel Landscape by Irina Hale (British 1932-2022) pastel and pencil sketch on brown artist tracing paper , unframed painting: 4.5 x 3.75 inches provenance: private collection, Cotsw...
Pastel, Pencil
$3,150Sale Price|30% Off
"Dawn" by Claude Sauthier - Oil on Wood - 73x54 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Claude Sauthier was born in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1929 and passed away in the same city in 2016. He studied at the Geneva School of Decorative Arts and initially worked as a graphi...
Wood, Oil
$541Sale Price|20% Off
Two British Oil Paintings of Figures Walking Through Paths Mounted In Frame
By Irina Hale
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Figures Walking Through Paths singed initials by Irina Hale (British 1932-2022) oil paintings on artist paper mounted in a frame Glass covering Inscribed verso overall framed: 12.5 x...
Oil
$136Sale Price|20% Off
Figure Carrying Water On Her Head Up The Steps British Modernist Pastel Sketch
By Irina Hale
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Pastel Landscape by Irina Hale (British 1932-2022) pastel sketch on brown artist tracing paper , unframed painting: 4.5 x 3.75 inches provenance: private collection, Cotswolds condit...
Pastel, Pencil
$538
Soft Green Valley French Landscape Blue Sky Impressionist Modernist Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Soft Green French Landscape by Jacqueline Boisselot (French, late 20th century) oil on canvas, unframed Canvas: 6 x 7 inches Provenance: private collection, Paris Condition: very goo...
Oil
A Scenic 1940s Modern Summer Harbor Scene of Saugatuck, Michigan- Francis Chapin
Located in Chicago, IL
A scenic, colorful Modern 1930s summer harbor scene of Saugatuck, Michigan by notable Chicago Modern artist, Francis Chapin. Depicting a lively summer harbor view of the historic S...
Oil, Board
A Charming Mid-Century Modern WC of Pirate's Alley, New Orleans, Vieux Carre
Located in Chicago, IL
A Charming 1940s Mid-Century Modern Watercolor of Pirate's Alley, New Orleans by Arlene S. Ezickson (Am. 1927-2003). Titled "Vieux Carre, New Orleans" the artwork is watercolor and ...
Paper, Ink, Watercolor, Board
$1,511Sale Price|20% Off
Sailing Boats in South of France Harbor Vintage French Oil Painting 20th Century
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Sailing Boats French School, 20th century oil on board, framed inscribed verso framed: 20 x 24.5 inches board: 17 x 21 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: very g...
Acrylic
$495
Signed Antique American Cherry Blossom Modernist Landscape Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
American modernist blossom landscape oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Framed. Measuring: 36 by 25 inches overall, and 30 by 20 painting alone. Excellent condition, ready to han...
Oil, Canvas
$130Sale Price|20% Off
Tall Trees In Blue Mountain Valley Landscape British Modernist Pastel Sketch
By Irina Hale
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Pastel Landscape by Irina Hale (British 1932-2022) pastel on brown artist tracing paper , unframed painting: 3.75 x 4.5 inches provenance: private collection, Cotswolds condition: ve...
Pastel
20th Century German Modernist Oil Painting - Abstract Landscape
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist: Elisabeth Hahn (German 1924-2021), Elisabeth Hahn was born in Dortmund, Germany, where she began her artistic studies. In 1953, she moved to P...
Oil
"Mountain Chalet" by Jean Lassueur - Oil on Canvas 61x74 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Artwork sold with frame (63.5 x 77 cm) Jean Lassueur was born in Geneva in 1899 and died in 1980. He was a Swiss painter, draftsman, and engraver known...
Oil
Large Antique American Impressionist Cityscape Framed Industrial Signed Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American cityscape oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed illegibly. Framed. Measuring: 26 by 32 inches overall, and 20 by 26 painting alone. Excellent condition, ready to han...
Canvas, Oil
$845Sale Price|20% Off
Provencal Hilltop Village in Landscape Mid 20th Century French Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Provencal Landscape French School, mid 20th century oil on board, unframed board: 15 x 18 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: very good and sound condition
Oil
$1,500Sale Price|40% Off
Post War Bay Area Figurative - Original Watercolor Painting "Beach Day" Signed
Located in Soquel, CA
Post War Bay Area Figurative - Original Watercolor Painting "Beach Day" Vibrant watercolor of three figures on the beach by Turkish-American artist Ömer Şahingil (Turkish/American,...
Watercolor, Illustration Board
A Bustling, 1950s Mid-Century Modern Summer Harbor Scene of Martha's Vineyard
Located in Chicago, IL
A Bustling 1950s Mid-Century Modern Harbor Scene of Martha's Vineyard by Famed Chicago Artist, Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). A busy harbor scene of sandy shoreline, docks and boat...
Canvas, Oil
Mid-Century Modern Swedish Abstract Landscape Oil Painting -Along the Blue Coast
Located in Bristol, GB
ALONG THE BLUE COAST Size: 45 x 72 cm (including frame) Oil on canvas A charming mid-century modernist landscape that distils a coastal scene into a series of simplified shapes and ...
Oil, Canvas
$170
Windy Village Path in Quirky Landscape British Modernist Pastel Sketch
By Irina Hale
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Pastel Landscape by Irina Hale (British 1932-2022) pastel and pencil sketch on brown artist tracing paper , unframed painting: 4.5 x 3.75 inches provenance: private collection, Cotsw...
Pastel, Pencil
$1,233Sale Price|20% Off
Huge 20th Century British Naive Welsh Oil Painting Village Life in Winter Snow
By Ben Powell
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Winter in the Village by Ben George Powell, British contemporary artist signed oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 32 x 40 inches provenance: private collection of this artists work, UK ...
Canvas, Oil
$1,527Sale Price|20% Off
North African Orientalist Scene Man on Horseback with Dogs outside City Building
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Orientalist Scene European artist, late 20th century possibly a copy of an earlier work judging from the style oil on canvas, unframed canvas : 24 x 20 inches provenance: private col...
Oil
A Charming 1950s Painting of Lisbon, Portugal by Famed Artist Francis Chapin
Located in Chicago, IL
A Charming, 1950s Painting of Lisbon, Portugal by Famed Chicago Modern Artist Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). Depicting a bustling, colorful view of Lisbon's historic Black Horse Sq...
Oil, Canvas, Board
$1,036Sale Price|20% Off
Golden Fields in Provence French Post-Impressionist Signed Oil
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: Huguette Ginet-Lasnier (French 1927-2020), signed lower front Ginet-Lasnier, the wife of the painter Jean Lasnier, was born in the Seine-Maritime region of France an...
Oil
Early Mexican City Scene by Chicago Artist Francis Chapin, San Miguel de Allende
Located in Chicago, IL
A charming, vibrant, early Mexican city street scene by famed Chicago Modern artist Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). Depicting a quiet, picturesque view of the rooftops and cathedral...
Oil, Masonite
$3,450
Michael Green 1966 Large Signed Vintage American Impressionist Tropic Landscape
Located in Buffalo, NY
Large Vintage American impressionist tropical landscape oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Measuring: 47 by 55 inches overall, and 42.25 by 50.25 painting alone.
Oil, Canvas
A Machine Age Modern Industrial Scene Painting of a New York City Shipping Crane
Located in Chicago, IL
A striking Machine Age Modern industrial scene oil painting of a New York shipyard crane by notable American artist, Lessing Whitford Williams (1894-1989). A colorful, dynamic examp...
Canvas, Oil, Board
$1,309Sale Price|20% Off
English School Oil Painting Napoleonic Wars Naval Engagement Battle at Sea
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Contemporay English School signed oil painting on copper panel in impressive gilt frame framed: 13 x 14.5 inches panel: 8 x 10 inches provenance: private collection, England conditi...
Oil
Untitled (Perhaps New Jersey Factories)
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Untitled (perhaps New Jersey Factories), c. 1940s, oil on board, signed lower left, 24 x 28 inches, perhaps exhibited Fifty-First Annual Exhibition, National Association of Women Art...
Oil, Board
$2,000Sale Price|20% Off
Countryside landscape by Herbert Theurillat - Oil on canvas 81x100 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Herbert THEURILLAT is an artist born in 1896 and died in 1987. His works have been sold at public auction 29 times, mainly in the Painting category....
Oil
Abstract Golden Green Fields French Modernist Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Golden Fields French Impressionist Landscape Oil Painting on Canvas Jacqueline Boisselot, French, late 20th century oil on canvas, unframed Canvas: 5.5 x 7 inches Provenance: from a ...
Oil
$158Sale Price|20% Off
White Stone Cottages In Blue Sky Village British Modernist Oil Painting
By Irina Hale
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
White Cottages signed initials by Irina Hale (British 1932-2022) oil painting on thin card , unframed painting: 4 x 5 inches provenance: private collection, Cotswolds condition: very...
Oil
$381Sale Price|20% Off
1950's Modernist/ Cubist Painting - Mermaid Figure On The Rocks
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
French Landscape by Bernard Labbe (French mid 20th century) original watercolour with biro on artist paper, unframed stamped verso size: 10 x 8.5 inches condition: very good and read...
Watercolor
$1,523Sale Price|27% Off
Mediterranean Catalan Village and River Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Mediterranean Catalan Village and River Landscape Oil Painting Artist: Francesc / Francisco Galofré Surís Title: Catalan Village and Ri...
Oil
$16,800
Roebling's Dream, The Great East River Bridge (NYC Cityscape by William Clutz)
Located in Hudson, NY
Colorful urban street scene of Brooklyn Bridge, NYC City Landscape Painting by William Clutz "Roebling's Dream, The Great East River Bridge", 1990 oil on canvas 40 x 70 inches, 41 3/...
Canvas, Oil
A Fine, Vintage 1930s Landscape, Island Lake, Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada
Located in Chicago, IL
A striking, finely painted vintage 1930s Modern Northwoods landscape scene, Island Lake, painted in Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada by notable Chicago artist, Harold Haydon. Many of...
Oil, Canvas
Early Mexican City Scene by Chicago Artist Francis Chapin, San Miguel de Allende
Located in Chicago, IL
A charming, vibrant, early Mexican city street scene by famed Chicago Modern artist Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). Depicting a quiet, picturesque view of the rooftops and cathedral...
Masonite, Oil
Atilt
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Atilt, 1982, acrylic on canvas, 32 x 48 inches, signed and dated lower right, “Alfred P. Maurice 2725 A South Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL, 60616” inscribed verso, “ATILT” inscribed verso, “Maurice.018” inscribed on frame, exhibited: 1) Alfred P. Maurice Artist in the City Paintings 1979 - 1997, Archer Gallery of Clark College, Vancouver, WA, April 8 – April 30, 1997, #11, and 2) An Artful Life: Celebrating the Life of Creator, Teacher, and Collector Alfred Maurice...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,260Sale Price|30% Off
Post War Berkeley Hills Original Watercolor Painting of Victorian House, Signed
Located in Soquel, CA
Post War Berkeley Hills Victorian House Original Watercolor Painting, Signed Original 1947 watercolor painting of Berkeley home in the featuring an iconic Queen Anne Victorian house...
Paper, Watercolor
A Charming 1930s Modern City Rooftop Painting, Hyde Park, Chicago
Located in Chicago, IL
A Charming 1930s City Rooftop Scene by Notable Chicago Modern Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). Depicting a colorful, early springtime view likely painted from the artist's stu...
Oil
American Modernist Western Taos School New Mexico Mountain Landscape Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American modernist painting. Pastel on paper. Measuring: 29 by 35 inches overall, and 18.25 by 24.25 painting alone. Signed. Framed.
Watercolor, Pastel
$24,500
Theresa Bernstein, American Modernist, "Coney Island", Foster Bros period frame
Located in Rockport, MA
Painting size without frame: 15"x20 1/2" Painting size with frame: 21"x26 1/2" Period Foster Brothers Frame Painting is signed lower right. A lively boardwalk scene by Theresa Ber...
Oil, Board
Cattle grazing in an extensive landscape
Located in Stoke, Hampshire
Tom Coates (1941-2023) Cattle grazing in an extensive landscape Oil on canvas Signed with initials lower left Canvas Size - 20 x 24 in Framed Size - 29 x 33 in Tom Coates (1941–2023...
Oil