Skip to main content

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.

to
1
1
1
1
Overall Height
to
Overall Width
to
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
14
31
25
13
9
1
1
Style: Modern
Artist: Ben Benn
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

Related Items
Young Swimmer (Modern, Academic Style Portrait Painting in Antique Gold Frame)
Located in Hudson, NY
Figurative oil on canvas painting of a young athletic male 24 x 20 inches, 29.5 x 23.5 inches vintage gold painted wood frame signed B. Sargeant in red in upper right hand corner T...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Fisherman
Located in London, GB
'The Fisherman', oil on canvas, French School (circa 1950s). A delightfully colourful depiction of a young fisherman admiring his considerable catch, a l...
Category

1950s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Fisherman
The Fisherman
H 11.82 in W 9.45 in
Large-Scale Modern Multi-Color Portrait of Noir Author Cornell Woolrich
By Chris Pelletiere
Located in Soquel, CA
A striking, large-scale multi-color modernist portrait of Noir fiction writer Cornell Woolrich by Chris Pelletiere (American, B. 1942). Cornell Woolrich wrote the novel "The Rear Window." He studied at the Arts Students League and NY School of Painting and Drawing. Signed on verso with artist's information, and title "Portrait: Cornell Woolrich". Wood slat, basic frame. Image size; 50"H x 50"W. A painter, illustrator, and cartoonist Pelletiere cites his early influences as the pre-code crime and horror comics. " Life in the metropolitan area plays a significant role in my artwork. For many years he made sketches of people in the transit system. Chris Pelletiere is a painter, collage artist, illustrator, and cartoonist. His work is in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, The New York Public Library and private collections of Stephen King...
Category

1970s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Grand Prix Racer
Located in London, GB
'Grand Prix Racer', French School, oil on board (circa 1960s). The 'good ole' days' of Formula One racing are depicted in this thrilling mid-century...
Category

1960s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Grand Prix Racer
Grand Prix Racer
H 17.33 in W 24.41 in
Grand Prix Racer II
Located in London, GB
'Grand Prix Racer II', French School, oil on board (circa 1960s). The 'good ole' days' of Formula One (or Grand Prix) racing are depicted in this thrilling ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Dreaming Woman - Original hansigned oil on paper
Located in Paris, FR
Rene GENIS (1922-2004) Dreaming Woman Original watercolor and oil painting on paper Signed bottom middle 32 x 25 cm (c. 13 x 10 inch) Excellent condition
Category

Late 20th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of Young Man with Mustache - 20th Century - Painting - Modern
Located in Roma, IT
Nice oval painting realized by an Italian master belonging to the Tuscan school at the end of 19th / beginning of 20th century. In excellent conditions.
Category

Early 20th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Boy with Duffle Coat - Original hansigned oil on paper
Located in Paris, FR
Rene GENIS (1922-2004) Boy with Duffle Coat Original watercolor and oil painting on paper Signed bottom middle 31 x 23 cm (c. 12 x 9 inch) Excellent condition
Category

Late 20th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of Giuseppe Garibaldi
Located in Roma, IT
Beautiful portrait of the hero of Italian Risorgimento, so-called "hero of two worlds" meaning his political and military effort in joining and enhancing revolutionary movements in L...
Category

Early 20th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait of Giuseppe Garibaldi
Portrait of Giuseppe Garibaldi
H 25.2 in W 20.08 in D 0.48 in
White Head #3
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist: Enrique Kico Govantes (Cuban, born 1957) Title: White Head #3 Year: Circa 1983 Medium: Oil on hardboard panel Panel size: 12 x 9 inches Sig...
Category

Late 20th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

White Head #3
White Head #3
H 14 in W 10.85 in D 1.5 in
"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 ...
Category

20th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Board, Paint, Oil

Study of Girl
Located in Dallas, TX
Donald Vogel’s paintings reflect his interest in seeking beauty in life and in sharing pleasure with his viewers. Vogel entreats us to "rejoice and celebrate each new day, knowing it...
Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Previously Available Items
Portrait of a Lady by Ben Benn
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Ben Benn, Polish/American (1884 - 1983) Title: Portrait of a Lady Year: circa 1920 Medium: Oil on Linen, signed l.r. Size: 30 x 22 in. (76.2 x 55.88 c...
Category

1920s Modern Portrait Paintings

Materials

Linen, 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.

Recently Viewed

View All