Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Perhaps one of the most influential contemporary art movements, Pop art emerged in the 1950s. In stark contrast to traditional artistic practice, its practitioners drew on imagery from popular culture — comic books, advertising, product packaging and other commercial media — to create original Pop art paintings, prints and sculptures that celebrated ordinary life in the most literal way.
ORIGINS OF POP ART
- Started in Britain in the 1950s, flourished in 1960s-era America
- “This is Tomorrow,” at London's Whitechapel Gallery in 1956, was reportedly the first Pop art exhibition
- A reaction to postwar mass consumerism
- Transitioning away from Abstract Expressionism
- Informed by neo-Dada and artists such as Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg; influenced postmodernism and Photorealism
CHARACTERISTICS OF POP ART
- Bold imagery
- Bright, vivid colors
- Straightforward concepts
- Engagement with popular culture
- Incorporation of everyday objects from advertisements, cartoons, comic books and other popular mass media
POP ARTISTS TO KNOW
- Richard Hamilton
- Andy Warhol
- Marta Minujín
- Claes Oldenburg
- Eduardo Paolozzi
- Rosalyn Drexler
- James Rosenquist
- Peter Blake
- Roy Lichtenstein
ORIGINAL POP ART ON 1STDIBS
The Pop art movement started in the United Kingdom as a reaction, both positive and critical, to the period’s consumerism. Its goal was to put popular culture on the same level as so-called high culture.
Richard Hamilton’s 1956 collage Just what is it that makes today’s homes so different, so appealing? is widely believed to have kickstarted this unconventional new style.
Pop art works are distinguished by their bold imagery, bright colors and seemingly commonplace subject matter. Practitioners sought to challenge the status quo, breaking with the perceived elitism of the previously dominant Abstract Expressionism and making statements about current events. Other key characteristics of Pop art include appropriation of imagery and techniques from popular and commercial culture; use of different media and formats; repetition in imagery and iconography; incorporation of mundane objects from advertisements, cartoons and other popular media; hard edges; and ironic and witty treatment of subject matter.
Although British artists launched the movement, they were soon overshadowed by their American counterparts. Pop art is perhaps most closely identified with American Pop artist Andy Warhol, whose clever appropriation of motifs and images helped to transform the artistic style into a lifestyle. Most of the best-known American artists associated with Pop art started in commercial art (Warhol made whimsical drawings as a hobby during his early years as a commercial illustrator), a background that helped them in merging high and popular culture.
Roy Lichtenstein was another prominent Pop artist that was active in the United States. Much like Warhol, Lichtenstein drew his subjects from print media, particularly comic strips, producing paintings and sculptures characterized by primary colors, bold outlines and halftone dots, elements appropriated from commercial printing. Recontextualizing a lowbrow image by importing it into a fine-art context was a trademark of his style. Neo-Pop artists like Jeff Koons and Takashi Murakami further blurred the line between art and popular culture.
Pop art rose to prominence largely through the work of a handful of men creating works that were unemotional and distanced — in other words, stereotypically masculine. However, there were many important female Pop artists, such as Rosalyn Drexler, whose significant contributions to the movement are recognized today. Best known for her work as a playwright and novelist, Drexler also created paintings and collages embodying Pop art themes and stylistic features.
Read more about the history of Pop art and the style’s famous artists, and browse the collection of original Pop art paintings, prints, photography and other works for sale on 1stDibs.
Artist Comments
Beneath the stark canopy of a bus shelter, a young woman in a luminous gown sits in quiet anticipation. Her elegance is out of place and raises the question: "W...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
Subways are a melting pot of culture. The station on 14th Street offers an ideal setting to observe this diversity and engage in people-watching. On cold days, one can often see homeless alcoholics among the fashion models, Wall Street executives, and commuters from all over Manhattan waiting for trains.Painted with bright colors and in the style of David Hockney and Edward Hopper, the scene depicts artist Leroy Burt's impression of a New York City subway station...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Permanent Marker
Artist Comments
A surreal scene offers two possibilities. First, it is a realistic rendering of a man in a Big Bird costume, slouched at a dimly lit bar among solitary drinkers...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
A man and his dog drive through a vast, open landscape. There’s a zero percent chance their trip won’t involve beef jerky. This sun-drenched scene captures ...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Oil
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Permanent Marker
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Oil Pastel, Ink, Illustration Board
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
A young woman reclines on a bright red inner tube, floating in a shimmering aquamarine pool. Her sunglasses, floral bikini, and the lyrical ripples on the water...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Oil
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Wood, Spray Paint, Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Mixed Media, Pigment, Archival Pigment
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Oil, Board, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media
Early 2000s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Enamel
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Canvas, Paint, Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic, Screen
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
Two people share a tense, personal moment over a morning beer in a bar. The scene delivers a strong story through the use of color, light, and character portray...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Permanent Marker
1970s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Newsprint, Canvas
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Spray Paint, Acrylic, Board
1980s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Epoxy Resin, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Wood Panel, Newsprint
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Oil, Acrylic, Canvas
1990s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Latex, Oil, Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Mixed Media, Canvas, Acrylic, Newsprint
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Canvas, Spray Paint, Acrylic, Board
Artist Comments
A family eats dinner and talks about their day. The glowing, soft-focus background and amber palette evoke warmth, love, and perhaps nostalgia, while the styliz...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
A woman wearing a wedding gown stands with a steady grip on a shotgun, her posture and expression radiating focus and determination. She emphasizes strength a...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Oil
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Canvas, Spray Paint, Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Varnish, Acrylic, Panel
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Enamel
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Canvas, Stencil, Pencil, Paint, Cotton Canvas, Ink, Mixed Media, Oil, Sp...
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Permanent Marker
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Permanent Marker
Artist Comments
A woman sits cross-legged, peering at the city through binoculars. The scene shows a strong sense of composition and color interplay, with contrasting hues an...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
Flowing stripes on the dancer's dress create a bold visual rhythm. The composition crops both figures intentionally, shifting focus to the textures, patterns,...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Wood, Sequins, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Glitter
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Acrylic, Paint, Canvas
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Mixed Media, Pigment, Archival Pigment
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Mixed Media, Pigment, Archival Pigment
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Canvas, Paint, Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Glue, Mixed Media, Oil, Spray Paint, Acrylic
1970s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
This diptych shows two women wearing bold sunglasses with bright pink lenses. The sun and its rays connect across both panels, while bird of paradise flowers bl...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Portrait Paintings
Spray Paint, Acrylic, Board
