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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
Color:  Black
Elsa
Located in ATLANTA, GA
Argentine painter. He was born in Buenos Aires on February 21, 1915. He studied at the National School of Fine Arts and then, for two years, at the Argentine Institute of Graphic Art...
Category

20th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Charcoal

Radha, Dry Pastel on Imported Paper, Red, Pink, Black by Modern Artist"In Stock"
Located in Kolkata, West Bengal
Suhas Roy - Radha - 20 x 16 inches ( unframed size) Dry Pastel on Imported Paper , 2006 World Wide shipping in Roll form. Suhas Roy 's mystic woman which he calls 'Radha', either...
Category

Early 2000s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Paper, Pastel

Couple, Oil & Acrylic on Canvas by Modern Indian Artist “In Stock”
Located in Kolkata, West Bengal
Rabin Mondal - Couple ; Oil & Acrylic on Canvas 42 x 36 inches ; 2015 (unframed) ( Typically frames to be 48 x 42 inches with a 3 inch frame ) (Shipment will be in roll form) Style : Mondal`s works are mainly figurative. He paints in bold strokes and creates tableaux, whose themes are universal. The faces of his figures stare at you out of the canvas, strange and pensive, but also strong and defiant. Not yet beaten, surviving by sheer force of spirit. He mostly uses dense pigments in blacks and reds, with only occasional moss green and turquoise colors seeping through. About the Artist & his works : Born : Rabin Mondal (1929 – 2019) was born in Howrah, Kolkata. Education : 1959 : Completed his Art Appreciation Course, Ashutosh Museum, Kolkata University, Kolkata. 1956-58 : Attended Evening Classes, Indian College of Art and Draughtmanship, Kolkata. 1952 : Bachelor of Commerce, Vidyasagar College, Kolkata University, Kolkata. Art Career : The industrial belt of Howrah, with its inherent tendency towards violence, anguish and suffering influenced him deeply, and found its way into his works. So did ugly street battles fought by political parties. Mondal discovered that his artistic temperament was out of keeping with the hostile environment and situation. Besides a debilitating knee injury in his childhood created a sense of isolation in the artist, which also finds expression in his canvas. He says what saved him from sheer madness was his talent in art. In 1949, he joined the Vidyasagar College of Art in Kolkata. At that time, a festival of French artists was being held in the city. It exposed him to the works of French modernist artists. Prior to this, he had no exposure to the international art world. He was only familiar with different schools of Indian art, particularly the Bengal school. As a young painter, Mondal was attracted by Jamini Roy`s folk style and Rabindranath Tagore`s disquieting paintings and drawings. But the show by French artists was virtually a turning point in his artistic career. "This was like opening a window to an astounding, astonishing, unsuspected world," he says. This encounter with avant-garde Western art helped him to later incorporate elements from it in his own work. Art Works : Mondal worked out of his Howrah studio, churning out a series of "kings" and "queens" painted with oil on canvas. These are perhaps Mondal’s best known works, depicting tragic looking figures, seemingly suffering from paranoia and fear, yet ironically termed kings and queens. Some of the highlights of this series were the works Man Acting as King, King Being Appeased, King Making Confession, and King and his Assassin. Mondal also produced a series of "deities", which sometimes seem to merge thematically with his "queens". The artist’s deities are generally depicted with radiate crowns, whereas his kings and queens are not. Other favorite subjects of the artist were the brothel and the harem, which he depicted in canvases such as Event in Red Light Area and Orgy. For someone who hates all forms of pretentiousness, he has done a series of painting on queens and empresses. "Though they belong to the past, queens live in virtual isolation, and I feel sorry for them," he says. "It is this isolation that makes the queen, for me, a fascinating subject." One of the criticisms leveled against him is that his works are not pleasing to the eye. To which he replies, "Painting is for communication and not for decoration." Solo Exhibitions : Rabin has had several solo exhibitions:
 From 1961 - 1973, 1976, 1987, 1993 and 1999 he exhibited solo at various places in Kolkata. In 1974, 1977, 1982, 1983, 1987 and 1991 he showcased solo in several place in New Delhi. From 1978 - 1980 and in 1984 he had solo exhibitions at Birla Academy of Art and Culture in Kolkata. In 1980 he had a solo show at Max Mueller Bhavan, Mumbai. In 1989 and 1990 he exhibited solo in Mumbai. In 1993 he had a solo show at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai. In 2014 - 2015 and 2016 he exhibited 'Kingdom of Exile: A Retrospective' at Delhi Art Gallery, Mumbai and at DAG Modern, New York. Group Exhibitions : He has participated in several group exhibitions:
 In 1955, 1969, 1970 - 1972, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1995, 1998 - 2002 and 2010 he participated in various group exhibitions in Kolkata. From 1963 - 1965, 1971, 1973, 1980 - 1982 and 1985 he exhibited in group shows at Lalit Kala Akademi in New Delhi. In 1964, 1969, 1994 and 1996 he took part in group exhibitions at All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS) and LTG Gallery in New Delhi. In 1968 and 1972 he participated in group exhibitions at Kala Bhavan, Santiniketan. In 1972, 1974, 1976, 1978 - 1980 and 1983 he took part in several group shows at Jehangir Art Gallery, Mumbai. From 1975, 1979, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2009 and 2010 he participated in multiple group shows in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangladesh and Bangalore. In 1975 he took part in the 3rd Triennale in New Delhi. In 1984 he participated in the Tokyo Biennale, Japan. From 2003 - 2005, 2010 and 2011 he took aprt in Manifestations I - VI’ at...
Category

Early 2000s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas, Acrylic

Bearded man by William Goliasch - Oil on canvas
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on canvas Gilded wood frame 41 x 30,2 x 2,5 cm
Category

Late 20th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Indian Scape Oil on Canvas by Modern Artist "In Stock"
Located in Kolkata, West Bengal
Amitabh Sengupta - Untitled - 36 x 48 inches (unframed size) Oil on Canvas ** This work will be shipped in roll form to save on shipping cost. Mythscape Series : This series emerged...
Category

2010s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Mixed Media, Acrylic

"The Prestidigitator", Man with Doves and Cards 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

Portrait of a Seated Woman
Located in Miami, FL
Charming portait with Modernest colors. Provenance: Christie's Mercedes Matter, daughter of the artist, Salander-O'Reilly Galleries, New York. Private Collection. Sale: Skinner, Inc...
Category

1910s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Modern Art, Portrait Painting, Black and White Painting-Smokin' Cowboys
Located in Delaware , OH
Modern Art, Portrait Painting, Black and White Painting-Smokin' Cowboys A B O U T T H I S P I E C E : "Smokin' Cowboys" is a mixed media, contemporary art painting by Addison Jones....
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Paper, Ink, Acrylic

Lady, Acrylic on Board, Brown, Red, Blue by Indian Modern Artist "In Stock"
Located in Kolkata, West Bengal
Rabin Mondal - Untitled - 13.50 x 10 inches (unframed size) Acrylic on Board , 2016 Style : Mondal`s works are mainly figurative. He paints in bold strokes and creates tableaux, who...
Category

2010s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Board

Self Portrait, Oil on Board, Signed and Dated, 1925, American Modernist
Located in Doylestown, PA
"Self Portrait" by Philadelphia born modernist painter Leon Kelly, is a moody and atmospheric self portrait of the artist in younger years at age 24. The 18" x 16" oil on board, fram...
Category

1920s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

"Jewel"
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Jim’s of Lambertville is proud to offer this artwork by: Gershon Benjamin (1899 - 1985) An American Modernist of portraits, landscapes, still lives, and the urban scene, Gershon ...
Category

1940s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Huge French Modernist Oil Nude Lovers in Landscape
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Lovers by Michele Salmon (French b.1946) signed lower front and verso oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas size: 39 x 32 inches provenance: private collection, France Beautiful ...
Category

Late 20th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait of Eugene Higgins, Age 80.
By Alphaeus Philemon Cole
Located in Storrs, CT
Portrait of Eugene Higgins, Age 80. 1954. Oil on canvas. 30 x 25 (framed 35 x 30). Signed and dated lower right. Cole and Higgins (1874-1958), both lived in Lyme, Connecticut. Higg...
Category

1950s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Man in Suit (WPA Style Figurative Painting by Mark Beard as Edith Cromwell)
Located in Hudson, NY
WPA style figurative painting of a man with suit and tie "Man in Suit," painted by Mark Beard aka 'Edith Thayer Cromwell' Oil on canvas, 39.5 x ...
Category

2010s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Love at War, Lovers in a troubled moment . Handsome men and beautiful women.
Located in Miami, FL
Jon Whitcomb was know for is dipictions of Handsome men and glamous women. Most likely for a major newsstand magazine like. Cosmopolitan, McCall's and Pl...
Category

1950s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media, Gouache

Portrait of Young Giuseppe Garibaldi - Oil on Copper - 19th Century
Located in Roma, IT
Portrait of young Garibaldi is mixed colored painting realized by Anonymous artist of the XIX century. Oil on copper. Rare portrait of a young Garibaldi. Includes frame 39 x 3 x 29.
Category

19th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Copper

Mother and Child
Located in San Francisco, CA
This modern mid-century composition of mother and child is by Fernando Oramas (1925-2016.) It is an interesting composition, with the mother in side profile and her child staring ahead at the viewer. The painting is composed of oil on canvas and measures 18” x 14” (24” x 20” framed). It is signed in the lower right. On the reverse is Oramas’ name and address in Mexico. Oramas lived in Mexico in the 1950s and 1960s and this painting appears to date from that time, based on the style and the frame. The painting is in very good condition. The distressed wood frame goes very well with the painting. It is in fair to good condition, with some light scuffs on the edges that allow the wood color to show through the grey stain of the frame as well as a very small bit of separation between the pieces of the frame. Please look at the signature photo for a good image of a section of the frame. Oramas had a major exhibition of his work in St. Petersburg, Russia in 2016. Oramas studied at the School of Fine Arts of the National University, located in the old convent of Santa Clara, in the Center of Bogotá, where he met teachers, trained in renowned academies in Europe. Ignacio Gómez...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Modern Art, Portrait Art, Black & White Painting-Big Hats And Backgrounds Black
Located in Delaware , OH
Modern Art, Portrait Art, Black & White Painting-Big Hats And Backgrounds Black A B O U T T H I S P I E C E : “Big Hats and Backgrounds Black (Hannah-A2)” is ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Paint, Paper, Adhesive, Coating, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Arch...

Modern Art, Color Changing Art, Street Art-Staring into the Blue
Located in Delaware , OH
Modern Art, Color Changing Art, Street Art-Staring into the Blue A B O U T T H I S P I E C E : "Staring Into the Blue (Bethyie- A9)" is custom Mixed Media, Modern Pop Art, color-cha...
Category

2010s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Paint, Screen, Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic

"Milton Avery #4"
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Jim’s of Lambertville is proud to offer this artwork by: Gershon Benjamin (1899-1985) An American Modernist of portraits, landscapes, still lives, and the urban scene, Gershon Benj...
Category

1960s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Saturday Evening Post Illustration. “ The Devil’s Stronghold” Original Magazine
Located in Miami, FL
The work is mostly black and white to indicate that this is a night scene. On closer inspection, you will see areas of magenta and ivory throughout The publisher's label on verso ide...
Category

1960s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

India Ink, Gouache, Pencil

"Die Sängerin, " Dorothea Stefula, illustration, acrylic, figurative, ca 1950-60
By Dorothea Stefula
Located in Wiscasset, ME
Dorothea Stefula was born in Hamburg, Germany in 1914 and studied at the art academy in Hamburg. Stefula illustrated numerous children's books, designed postage stamps, painted fresc...
Category

1950s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

"Tommy"
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Jim’s of Lambertville is proud to offer this artwork: Gershon Benjamin (1899 - 1985) An American Modernist of portraits, landscapes, still lives, and the urban scene, Gershon Ben...
Category

1930s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Homage to Picasso
Located in Sheffield, MA
Morris Solotaroff Russian, 1891-1970 Homage to Picasso Oil on canvas 34 ¾ by 28 ½ in. W/frame 41¾ by 35 ½ in. Born in Russia on Oct. 1, 1891.  Sol...
Category

1930s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Kennedy, John Color Portrait, Smiling Left
Located in New York, NY
Color portrait of JFK nb_118v – A rare color portrait of JFK. Image size is 22" x 22" (for 24" x 36" paper size). All Mark Shaw prints are made to orde...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Giclée

Portrait - Original Oil on Canvas by M.A. Boss - Early 20th Century
By Marcus Arthur Boss
Located in Roma, IT
Portrait is an original modern artwork realized the English modern artist Marcus Arthur Boss in the first half of the XX Century. Hand-signed by the artist on teh lower right corner...
Category

Early 20th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"A Young Women in the Landscape - Fall River, Mass.", 1964 by Sergio Fergola
By Sergio Fergola
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Sergio Fergola, Italian (1936 - 1994) Title: A Young Women in the Landscape - Fall River, Mass. Year: 1964 Medium: Oil on Canvas, signed l.r. Size: 36 x 26 in. (91.44 x 66.04...
Category

1960s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of Bert Lahr - Circus Performer - Modernism
Located in Miami, FL
A recent Kuhn Circus Performer sold for $312,000 at Bonhams, NY Bert Lahr shined in the role of The Cowardly Lion in the Wizard of OZ. Here he is depict...
Category

1940s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Frida - Figurative Painting Colors Yellow Brown Blue Pink White Red Grey Black
Located in Sofia, BG
"Frida" is a figurative, romantic painting by Maestro Yovana Dimitrova, She is an emerging artist. About the artwork: TECHNIQUE: Tempera painting STYLE: Contemporary Edition : Unique, signed Weight: Approximately 3 kg. “The impressions of Yovana's paintings on the viewer is perfection. Her paintings bring emotion happiness, positive energy and make you think about the nowadays problems. This painting represent the vast creative power of her talent.” Dear art lovers, if you like the art of maestro Dimitrova, please click the link to follow this artist and art gallery Snow Pearl to discover all our artists and beautiful artworks. Thank you so much! we appreciate your interest to our work. Numerous artworks of the artist have been sold to galleries and individuals around the world A certificate of authenticity of the artwork is delivered by Snow Pearl art gallery.
Category

2010s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Self-Portrait, Oil Painting by Ben Benn
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Ben Benn, Polish/American (1884 - 1983) Title: Self-Portrait Year: circa 1920 Medium: Oil on Canvas, signed l.r. Size: 44 x 30 in. (111.76 x 76.2 cm) ...
Category

1920s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Portrait of a Woman in Profile, " Oil Painting on Board signed Walter Moskow
By Walter Moskow
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Portrait of a Woman in Profile" is an original oil painting on board by Walter Moskow. The artist signed the piece lower right. This artwork features a female with a blue headscarf in a unique profile pose. Priced under $3000,for the Design Lovers Sale...
Category

20th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Board, Paint, Oil

Clown Boy from Paris, Oil Painting by Felix Felmart 1964
By Felix Felmart
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Felix Felmart, Spanish XXth Title: Clown Boy from Paris Year: 1964 Medium: Oil on Canvas, signed l.l. Size: 28 x 20 in. (71.12 x 50.8 cm) Frame Size: 36 x 28 inches
Category

1960s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Have A Beer - Figurative Painting Yellow Brown Green Blue Pink White
Located in Sofia, BG
"Have A The Beer" is a figurative, romantic painting by Maestro Yovana Dimitrova, She is an emerging artist. About the artwork: TECHNIQUE: Tempera painting STYLE: Contemporary Edition : Unique, signed Weight: Approximately 3 kg. “The impressions of Yovana's paintings on the viewer is perfection. Her paintings bring emotion happiness, positive energy and make you think about the nowadays problems. This painting represent the vast creative power of her talent.” Dear art lovers, if you like the art of maestro Dimitrova, please click the link to follow this artist and art gallery Snow Pearl to discover all our artists and beautiful artworks. Thank you so much! we appreciate your interest to our work. Numerous artworks of the artist have been sold to galleries and individuals around the world A certificate of authenticity of the artwork is delivered by Snow Pearl art gallery.
Category

2010s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Tempera, Panel

untitled ( Civil Rights )
Located in Miami, FL
Evergood is decades ahead of his time in shouting out against racial injustice. Painted in the late 1950's KKK is an important work. For Philip Evergood (born Philip Blashki), pain...
Category

1950s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Antique Southern School Piano Player Black Male Portrait Surreal Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
A compelling Early 20th Century American modernist portrait painting. Depicting a black man lost in the music of his piano draped in an almost surrealist blue cloudy sky. A very inti...
Category

1940s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Armando Barrios, India, 1955, Pastel on paper, 41 x 26 cm, 16.1 x 10.2 in.
Located in Miami, FL
Armando Barrios India, 1955 Pastel on paper 41 x 26 cm 16.1 x 10.2 in. The work is illustrated page 70 No. 0256, in the General Catalog (1930 - 1999) La Pintura Como Razón de Ser, edited by Armando Barrios Foundation, Caracas, Venezuela, 2005. " Armando Barrios was born in Caracas on August 21, 1920. Son of Serapio Barrios and Carmen Rodríguez de Barrios, both of Spanish origin. Since his adolescence he developed a great love for the arts, so from the age of 12 he was already studying at the School of Fine Arts and Applied Arts in Caracas. His searches in the artistic field were initially directed towards the study of the Impressionist and Cubist schools...
Category

1950s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Paper, Pastel

Portrait with Cigarette
Located in Kansas City, MO
Title: Portrait with Cigarette Materials : Oil on Canvas Date : 1960's Dimensions : 46 1/2 x 32 in. COA provided In the late 1960's, Daniel Brennan had a day job loading boxcars for Railway Express. During nights, he would go to a coffee house (Lawrence Gallery and Coffee House, at 43rd and Main St., KCMO), to sit and draw before heading home to paint. The gallery owners, Anne and Sidney Lawrence...
Category

1960s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Paint, Oil

Black and Blue Portrait
Located in Houston, TX
Black and blue portrait of a man done in a similar style to Andy Warhol's celebrity screen print paintings done by Houston artist Mark Flood. Artist Biography: Mark Flood was born in Houston, Texas in 1957, where he continues to reside. He is known for his prankster antics, creating art that mocks American culture and the contemporary art world. For one of Flood’s frequent modes of production, he crudely stencils graphic, confrontational statements on found signs, as in UPDATE YOUR RESUME / BURGER...
Category

Early 2000s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Auto Portrait
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Jirayr Zorthian(1911-2004), went through two Turkish massacres before age eight. He left Turkey at age nine with his family and spent a year in Padua, Italy, waiting for his visa to ...
Category

1940s 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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