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Modern Portrait 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.

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Style: Modern
Echoes of the Atelier X
Located in London, GB
Echoes of the Atelier X, acrylic on board, Florentine School (circa 1980s-90s). This gallery has acquired a number of paintings through an intermediary of an ageing art professor fro...
Category

1980s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Board

Echoes of the Atelier XVII
Located in London, GB
Echoes of the Atelier XVII, acrylic on canvas mounted on board, Florentine School (circa 1980s-90s). This gallery has acquired a number of paintings through an intermediary of an age...
Category

1980s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Board

Portrait of Woman with Fuchsia, Early 20th Century Still Life
Located in Beachwood, OH
Clarence Holbrook Carter (American, 1904-2000) Woman with FUCHSIA, 1935 Oil on canvas Signed and dated lower right 31.75 x 27 inches 37 x 32.25 inches, framed Untitled Still Life ver...
Category

1930s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of a Boy with Teddy Bear oil on canvas painting
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Author: Bernard Leemker (Groningen, 1899 – 1990) Title: Portrait of a Boy with Teddy Bear Date: 1984 Technique: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 55 × 45 cm — 21.7 × 17.7 in Support / Mounti...
Category

1980s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

A Captivating 1930s Modern Portrait of a Seated Young Woman by Francis Chapin
Located in Chicago, IL
A captivating, Modern 1930s portrait painting of a young woman in a black sweater by famed Chicago artist, Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). A skilled and expressive portrait of a you...
Category

1930s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Echoes of the Atelier IV
Located in London, GB
Echoes of the Atelier IV, acrylic on canvas mounted on board, Florentine School (circa 1980s-90s). This gallery has acquired a number of paintings through an intermediary of an agein...
Category

1980s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Board

A Vibrant, 1950s Modern Portrait of a Young Black Man by Francis Chapin
Located in Chicago, IL
A captivating, 1950s Mid-Century Modern portrait painting of a young black man by famed Chicago artist, Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). A sensitive, skilled portrait of a young Afri...
Category

1930s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Female Nude, The Artist's Wife, 'Femme Nue'
Located in Cotignac, FR
Female nude, mid century oil painting of the artist's wife by Georges Gonthier. Though not signed it is extensively annotated to the back board with subject, artist and dedication. P...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Florentine Expressions: A Portrait Series III
Located in London, GB
"Florentine Expressions: A Portrait Series III", oil on canvas, mounted on board, Florentine School (circa 1980s-90s). This gallery has acquired a number of paintings through an inte...
Category

Late 20th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Board

Echoes of the Atelier XII
Located in London, GB
Echoes of the Atelier XII, acrylic on canvas mounted on board, Florentine School (circa 1980s-90s). This gallery has acquired a number of paintings through an intermediary of an agei...
Category

1980s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Board

'Feminine Forms: Harmony in Curves', German School (circa 1980s)
Located in London, GB
'Feminine Forms: Harmony in Curves', oil on board, German School (circa 1980s). Two nude figures portrayed in the abstract posture differently. Both are curvaceous and Rubenesque. Re...
Category

1980s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Portrait of a Young Woman
Located in London, GB
'Portrait of a Young Woman', oil on board, by Peter Robert Keil (1983). A wide-eyed woman gazes out to the viewer with an inquisitive gaze. The artist's use of exuberant colours beli...
Category

1980s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Echoes of the Atelier III (circa 1980s-90s)
Located in London, GB
Echoes of the Atelier III, acrylic on canvas mounted on board, Florentine School (circa 1980s-90s). This gallery has acquired a number of paintings through an intermediary of an agei...
Category

1980s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Board

Echoes of the Atelier I
Located in London, GB
Echoes of the Atelier I, acrylic on board, Florentine School (circa 1980s-90s). This gallery has acquired a number of paintings through an intermediary of an ageing art professor fro...
Category

1980s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Board

Florentine Expressions: A Portrait Series IX
Located in London, GB
"Florentine Expressions: A Portrait Series IX", oil on canvas, mounted on board, Florentine School (circa 1980s-90s). This gallery has acquired a number of paintings through an inter...
Category

Late 20th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Board

"Portrait of Miss Cacheux" by Armand Cacheux - Oil on Canvas - 65x80 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Artwork sold with frame (92 x 76.5 cm) Armand Cacheux (1868–1965) was a Swiss painter and engraver born in Geneva. He studied at the Geneva School of Fine Arts under Barthélemy Menn...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Florentine Expressions: A Portrait Series XII
Located in London, GB
"Florentine Expressions: A Portrait Series XII", oil on canvas, mounted on board, Florentine School (circa 1980s-90s). This gallery has acquired a number of paintings through an intermediary of an ageing art professor from the Istituto di Arte di Porta Romana, Florence, Italy. The professor released works of artists whom he mentored over the years. We are unsure who painted the series we acquired as several are just signed, 'Giacomo', or, left completely unsigned, yet many are clearly by the same artist. This one is in good overall condition and has been newly framed with a French-style linen slip. The canvas is textural like one of the vintage maps...
Category

1980s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait of Young Woman - Painting by Francesco Settimj - 1932
Located in Roma, IT
Portrait realized by Franco Settimj in 1932. Oil on cardboard. Hand signed and dated lower right. Good condition except for some minor issing parts on edges.
Category

1930s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Vintage American Modernist Surreal Figural Nude Portrait Large Framed Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American modernist nude portrait oil painting. Oil on board. Framed. In excellent original condition. Handsomely framed in a modern molding. Excellent condition, ready to ...
Category

1950s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Huge 20th Century French Signed Oil Classical Music Orchestra Concert Scene
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Orchestra signed by Guy Nicod (French 1923 - 2021) oil on canvas, unframed painting : 32 x 40 inches provenance: artists estate, France condition: very good and sound condition
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait of a Smiling Woman
Located in London, GB
'Portrait of a Smiling Woman', oil on board, by Peter Robert Keil (1983). A cheerful look on the painting's subject puts a smile on the face of the viewer as well. Her beautiful blue eyes express a contentedness suggesting life is good...
Category

1980s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Francis Bacon 'Portrait of Michel Leiris', 2017, Vintage
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This is a reproduction of a Francis Bacon's painting Portrait of Michel Leiris, originally created in 1976. This work is a notable example of Bacon's ability to capture the psycholog...
Category

2010s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Offset

"Joni" - Mid Century Modern Portrait of a Girl in Yellow Dress in Oil on Canvas
Located in Soquel, CA
"Joni" - Portrait of a Girl in a Yellow Dress in Oil on Canvas Skillful portrait of a young girl by Morris Zirlin (American, 1913-1990). A young girl with wide brown eyes poses for ...
Category

1950s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars

Antique American School Signed Modernist Woman Portrait Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Nicely painted American modernist interior portrait oil painting. Framed. Oil on canvas. Signed. Image size, 28H by 22L.
Category

1960s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Prisms of Identity: A Portrait Series V
Located in London, GB
'Prisms of Identity: A Portrait Series V', Florentine School (circa 1980s-90s). This new collection represents some of the most appealing works we have acquired to date from our Flor...
Category

1980s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Board

Antique American Modernist Art Deco Exhibited Signed Portrait Framed Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Wonderful and finely painted American modernist portrait painting. Framed. Oil on canvas. Signed. Image size, 20H by 16L.
Category

1930s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Antique Black American Modern Artist Framed Interior Portrait Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Incredible early American modernist portrait by Stephen H Booker (1933 - 2016). Oil on canvas. Signed verso. Finely framed. Measuring 24 by 28 inches overall and 16 by 20 paintin...
Category

1940s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson Signed British Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Lord Nelson British school, late 20th century signed oil on canvas, framed framed: 16.5 x 13.5 inches canvas: 14 x 11 inches provenance: private collection, London condition: very go...
Category

20th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Portrait of a Lady - Mid 20th Century French Modernist Oil on Board Painting
Located in Sevenoaks, GB
A beautiful mid 20th century French modernist oil on board portraity of a smartly dressed young lady. Typicallly French look to the lady in this lovely little portrait. She is smart...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Portrait of Boy in a Chair
Located in London, GB
'Portrait of Boy in a Chair', gouache on art paper, by Raymond Debiève (circa 1960s). Here the artist paints a young boy, very probably his son, Vincent, sitting in a chair posing fo...
Category

1960s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Paper, Gouache

Portrait of a Woman with Red Hair in the Style of Modigliani (Green Background)
Located in Soquel, CA
Portrait of a Woman with Red Hair in the Style of Modigliani (Green Background) Portrait of a woman in the style of Amedeo Modigliani by an unknown artist (20th century). The woman...
Category

Late 20th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Illustration Board

1950s "Black Floor" Mid Century Bay Area Figurative Movement Gouache Painting
Located in Arp, TX
From the estate of Jerry Opper & Ruth Friedman Opper Black Floor c. 1940-1950's Gouache on Paper 15" x 18" Unframed *Custom framing available for additional charge. Please expect framing time between 3-5 weeks. From the estate of Ruth Friedmann Opper & Jerry Opper. Ruth was the daughter of Bauhaus artist, Gustav Friedmann. San Francisco Abstract Expression A free-spirited wave of creative energy swept through the San Francisco art community after World War II. Challenging accepted modes of painting, Abstract Expressionists produced highly experimental works that jolted the public out of its postwar complacency. Abstract Expressionism resulted from a broad collective impulse rather than the inspiration of a small band of New York artists. Documenting the interchanges between the East and West Coasts, she cites areas of mutual influence and shows the impact of San Francisco on the New York School, including artists such as Mark Rothko and Ad Reinhardt. San Francisco's Beat poets...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Paper, Gouache

Stunning Mid Century French Portrait of Young Lady, signed oil painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: French School, mid 20th century, indistinctly signed lower right corner. Title: Portrait of a Young Girl Medium: oil on canvas, framed Framed: 23.5 x 17 inches Pa...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Antique American School WPA Modernist Black Figure Ashcan Dock View Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Oil on canvas. Framed. Signed.
Category

1920s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Maybe See You Tonight", Woman with Mask in Venice Figurative Acrylic Painting
Located in Clermont-Ferrand, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
A graduate from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Métiers d'Arts in Paris, Françoise Collandre entered the fine art workshops in the city of Paris in painting and engraving and has ...
Category

2010s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Seated Woman in Blue oil on canvas painting
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Artist: Sanz Title: Seated Woman in Blue Date: Late 20th Century Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 91 × 61 cm (35.8 × 24 in) Frame: Unframed Signature: Signed Sanz lower left Conditi...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Young Woman with Pink Ribbon and Hat - Original Oil Painting, Handsigned
Located in Paris, IDF
Jean-Gabriel DOMERGUE (1889-1962) Young Woman with Pink Ribbon and Hat, c. 1950 Oil on hardboard Signed lower left On hardboard, 45 x 38 cm (c. 28 x 15 in) Presented in a giltwood f...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Polish Jewish Art, The Rabbi, Judaica Oil Painting
Located in Surfside, FL
Konstanty Swewczenko (1910-1991), signed oil Judaica Oil Painting, Polish. Konstantin Shevchenko studied at the Institute of Fine Arts in Warsaw in the years 1927 - 1928. Then, in 19...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

An Elegant Modernist Portrait of a Young Woman in Red Dress by Francis Chapin
Located in Chicago, IL
An Elegant 1940s Modernist Portrait of a Young Woman a Red Dress by Noted Chicago Artist, Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). A beautifully executed studio portrait, the painting is oil...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Oil

Expressions in Bloom: Portraits from the 20th Century III - Florentine School
Located in London, GB
'Expressions in Bloom: Portraits from the 20th Century III', oil on canvas mounted on board, Florentine School (circa 1980s-90s). This gallery has acquired a number of paintings thro...
Category

1980s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Board

Vintage American Post Impressionist Woman and Bird Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American modernist abstract figural oil painting of a woman and bird. Oil on canvas. Signed verso. Framed. Provenance from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Measuring: 25 by ...
Category

1980s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Modern Cubist Inspired Male Portrait Painting of a Bearded Man with a Red Tie
Located in Houston, TX
Modern Cubist inspired portrait painting by the iconic Houston based artist David Adickes. The work features a male figure wearing a white jacket, blue shirt, and red tie. Signed in ...
Category

1990s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

“The Big City, 1948” Grand Central Station NYC Manhattan Female WPA Modernist
Located in Yardley, PA
“The Big City, 1948” by Anna Elkan Meltzer (American, 1896-1974) One of Meltzer’s finest works, this painting encapsulates the organized chaos of Grand Central Terminal in NYC in th...
Category

1940s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Crying Clown Portrait in Oil on Canvas
Located in Soquel, CA
Crying Clown Portrait in Oil on Canvas Portrait of a sad clown by San Francisco artist John Peers (American, 1922-2009). This portrait is closely fra...
Category

1970s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait of Young Woman - Painting by Francesco Settimj - 1930s
Located in Roma, IT
Oil on canvas mounted on board, realized by Francesco Settimj in 1930s. Good condition.
Category

1930s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Large Belgian Modernist Signed Oil Portrait of Sorrowful Lady in Blue Scarf
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Pierre LaFille, Belgian late 20th century signed oil on canvas, framed framed: 42.5 x 35 inches canvas: 39 x 32 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: very good and...
Category

20th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Face I, Painting, Chinese Ink, Portrait of Man by PadmaBhushan Artist "In Stock"
By Akbar Padamsee
Located in Kolkata, West Bengal
In this case an ordinary working Man, This alluring work in a 15 x 11 inches ( Unframed ) and 23 x 19 inches (framed) in Ink on paper is a signature work by the master artist Akbar P...
Category

Early 2000s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Paper, Ink

Vincente Romero, Mademoiselle, original oil painting on canvas
Located in Chatsworth, CA
Vincente Romero Mademoiselle, 2022 Oil painting on canvas Image Size: 39 x 25 inches Frame Dimensions: 50 x 36 inches Custom framed to museum standards
Category

2010s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Eunice Katz Modernist Portrait, Original Acrylic Painting, Mid-Century Art
Located in Denver, CO
Discover an original modernist portrait by acclaimed American artist Eunice Katz (1927–2008). This acrylic painting on board presents a compelling female figure rendered in a bold mo...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Old Woman - Painting by Francesco Settimj - mid-20th Century
Located in Roma, IT
Oil on wooden table realized by Francesco Settimj in the 1930s. Painted on both sides, recto and verso. Good condition.
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

20th CENTURY FRENCH MODERNIST PAINTING - Yoga Style Figure Green Trousers
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Green Trousers by Jean Marc (French 1949-2019) gouache paint painting: 15.75 x 11.75 inches provenance: private collection, South of France Superb original painting by the widely e...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Gouache

"The Champ, 1942" Joe Louis "Brown Bomber" Boxer Portrait Ex-Museum Oil Signed
Located in Yardley, PA
“The Champ, 1942” by Theodore Fried (1902-1980) This important portrait by Hungarian-American artist Theodore Fried depicts the legendary boxer Joe Louis aka “The Brown Bomber” and ...
Category

1940s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Board

Male Portrait with Still Life (Mid-Century, Modern, Portrait, Vibrant, ~47% OFF)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Daniel Brennan Male Portrait with Still Life (Mid-Century, Modern, Portrait, Colorful, Vibrant) Oil on Canvas Year: 1960s Size unframed: 32 x 36 inches (81.28 x 91.44 cm) Size framed...
Category

1960s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

COLORFUL 20th CENTURY FRENCH MODERNIST PAINTING - MALE PORTRAIT BOW TIE CARDIGAN
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
"Bow Tie" by Jean Marc (French 1949-2019) gouache paint painting: 16 x 11.75 inches provenance: private collection, South of France Superb original painting by the widely exhibited...
Category

20th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Gouache

Sailor playing the accordion oil on board painting
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Albert Roca (1945) - Sailor playing the accordion oil on board painting Medidas óleo 62x46 cm. Medidas marco 73x57 cm. Painter of landscapes and figures, ...
Category

1990s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Portrait of a Young Woman
Located in London, GB
'Portrait of a Young Woman', oil on board, by Anna Costa (circa 1960s). This is a beautiful, expressive portrait of a young woman painted by the artist using her trademark vibrant c...
Category

1960s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Mid 20th Century French Portrait Young Lady with Alsatian Dog oil on canvas
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Favourite Pet, portrait of young lady with Alsatian dog. French Schoo, signed indistinctly, dated 1940 oil on canvas, framed framed: 23 x 29 inches c...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Early 20th century Art Deco Male nude oil painting of Narcissus
By George Frederick Hinchcliff
Located in Harkstead, GB
An incredibly striking study of the male form with the figure set against a colourful background with stylised organic forms. Attractively framed, the painting is ready to be hung an...
Category

1930s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Antique American Modernist Framed Young Woman Portrait Social Realist Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Nicely painted American school modernist portrait. Oil on canvas. Framed. Ready to hang excellent condition.
Category

1930s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait of a Lady - Mid 20th Century Modern Belgian Oil on Board Painting
Located in Sevenoaks, GB
A beautiful signed 1960's Belgian oil on board portrait of a lady wearing a blueb jumper against a striking orange background, by Noëlle Verheggen. Possibly a self portrait of the ar...
Category

1960s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Modern portrait paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Modern portrait 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 portrait 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 and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Kevin Foote, Alkis Matheos, Robert Chapman, and Albert Decaris. 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 portrait paintings, so small editions measuring 2 inches across are also available. Prices for portrait 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 $1 and tops out at $800,000, while the average work sells for $2,250.

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