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.
A Colorful Mid-Century Modern Still Life of Flowers by William C. Buxton
Located in Chicago, IL
A colorful Mid-Century Modern floral still-life painting by Wisconsin artist William C. Buxton. Artwork size: 23 1/2" x 18". Framed size: 28" x 24". William Buxton was born in A...
Paper, Casein
Flower Arrangement
By Menelaw Sete
Located in Long Island City, NY
A contemporary cubist still life painting of vases and flowers in bright oranges and yellows by Brazilian Menelaw Sete from 1999. Framed in cherry wood frame. Artist: Menelaw Sete, Brazilian (1964 - ) Title: Flower Arrangement...
Canvas, Acrylic
Vintage Fish Illustration Marker Drawing Red Black Graphic Marine Art
By Guy Nicod
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Modernist Fish Study in Red and Black Marker on Paper Guy Nicod (French, 1923–2021) Felt-tip pen / marker on artist paper, unframed. Size: approximately 10 x 16.5 inches (height x wi...
Pen, Felt Pen
"Near Jussy, Switzerland" by Morini Zolfanelli - Oil on wood 46x65 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Oil on wood sold with frame Total size with frame 54x72 cm Signed Morini Zolfanelli, Swiss artist unknown from the gallery Dated 1993
Oil
Antique American Modernist SunFlower Still Life Framed Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American school modernist still life painting. Oil on board. Signed. Framed. In excellent original condition. Handsomely framed in a gold giltwood molding. Excellent c...
Oil, Board
Man with Necktie
By David Segel
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Man With Necktie, third quarter 20th century, oil on canvas signed lower right, 29 x 23 3/4 inches, titled verso, presented in a new frame David Segel was an American painter, scul...
Canvas, Oil
Monumental American Modernist Abstract Expressionist Original NYC Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American abstract oil painting. Oil on canvas. Measuring: 40 by 49 inches overall. In excellent original condition. Excellent condition, ready to hang and enjoy.
Canvas, Oil
$796Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage Mid Century Modern Abstract Expressionist Framed Signed Oil Painting
By Christine Opolus
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American modernist abstract oil painting. Oil on canvas. Framed. Signed.
Canvas, Oil
$7,560Sale Price|20% Off
Huge French Modernist Portrait of Cubist Figure Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
"L'usure du Temps" French School, late 20th century signed indistinctly lower right, titled verso oil painting on canvas 55 x 40 inches Magnificent French oil painting on canvas from the close of the 20th century, depicting this haunting figure dressed in what looks to be some sort of coat of armour...
Canvas, Oil
Elm Trees in Autumn Landscape in Antique Newcomb-Macklin Frame
By Mary H. Brubaker
Located in Soquel, CA
Elm trees in autumn at the edge of Salt Creek, Illinois, by Mary H. Brubaker (American, b. 1891). Signed and dated "Mary H. Brubaker 35" in the lower left corner. Presented in an ...
Canvas, Oil, Illustration Board
Woman with Floral Crown
Located in Zofingen, AG
Acrylic painting on paper One of a kind artwork Size: 42,5 × 59,5 × 0,1 cm It is original painting on 160gsm acid-free paper The artwork is titled and signed on the front and also ...
Paper, Acrylic
Woman Floral Portrait
Located in Zofingen, AG
Acrylic painting on paper One of a kind artwork Size: 42,5 × 59,5 × 0,1 cm It is original painting on 160gsm acid-free paper The artwork is titled and signed on the front and also ...
Paper, Acrylic
High Heels on Piano
Located in Zofingen, AG
Acrylic painting on paper One of a kind artwork Size: 29 × 42 × 0,1 cm It is original painting on 160gsm acid-free paper The artwork is titled and signed on the front and also come...
Paper, Acrylic
Woman with Yellow Flowers
Located in Zofingen, AG
Acrylic painting on paper One of a kind artwork Size: 50 × 70 × 0,1 cm It is original painting on 160gsm acid-free paper The artwork is titled and signed on the front and also come...
Paper, Acrylic
$1,614Sale Price|20% Off
Large 20th Century French Modernist Oil Painting Vase of Flowers in Interior
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Vase of Flowers by Laure Noetzin-Azam (French 1929-2024) pupil of André LHOTE oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 31.5 x 30 inches Provenance: all the paintings we have by this artist ha...
Oil
Set of 2 Bright Landscape Studies of 1960's British Modernist Drawings
By Irina Hale
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Set of Two Paired Studies 1960's British Modernist Drawing by Irina Hale (British 1932-2022) oil crayon drawings on light brown artist paper stuck on A4 artist paper, unframed overal...
Oil Crayon
My pomegranates, Painting, Oil on Canvas
By Vyusal Rain
Located in Yardley, PA
Still life with pomegranets at the back ground of beach. :: Painting :: Modern :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Han...
Oil
Whimsical Garden Party
Located in Zofingen, AG
Acrylic on canvas Size: 60 x 80 x 2 cm Signed by the artist with certificate of authenticity Artwork arrives in perfect condition while keeping shipping costs affordable. Whimsical...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,290Sale Price|40% Off
California Coastal Landscape - Original Oil Painting, Signed
Located in Soquel, CA
California Coastal Landscape - Original Oil Painting, Signed Serene oil painting depicting a sandy beach with low mountains in the distance. Attributed to Louise Lauritzen McCaslin ...
Oil, Board
"People" - Mid-Century Ovoid Geometrical Abstract Black & White Drawing
Located in Beachwood, OH
Clarence Holbrook Carter (American, 1904-2000) People, 1964 Ink and crayon on paper Signed and dated upper right 36.5 x 24 inches Clarence Holbrook Carter achieved a level of nation...
Crayon, Ink
$3,000Sale Price|61% Off
Frederick Shane Artists Sketching California 1940s Modernist Gouache
By Frederick Shane
Located in Denver, CO
A striking 1940s modernist gouache painting by Frederick Shane titled Artists Sketching (California), depicting three artists working outdoors against a sweeping mountainous landscap...
Gouache
Tahiti - Signed Modernist Landscape Oil on Canvas by Roger Muhl
By Roger Mühl
Located in Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Signed and titled oil on canvas by French modernist painter Roger Muhl. The piece depicts a view of hills of Tahiti, an island in French Polynesia. Signature: Signed lower right and...
Canvas, Oil
Vintage Framed American Modernist Surreal Beach Scene Fauvist Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Impressive early American modernist beach scene oil painting by Brooks Kelly (1935 - 2012). Framed. Oil on canvas, lain to board. Signed. Image size, 12H by 16L.
Canvas, Oil
French Still Life with Coffee Pot and Oranges 20thC Modernist Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
French Still Life with Coffee Pot and Oranges, Modernist Oil Painting by Laure Noetzlin-Azam (French, 1929–2024), pupil of André Lhote oil on canvas, unframed Canvas: 15 x 18 inche...
Oil
$418
Abstract Cloudy Green Lake French Modernist Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Landscape Jacqueline Boisselot, French, late 20th century oil on canvas, unframed Canvas: 7.5 x 9.5 inches Provenance: from a private collection of this artists work, Paris,...
Oil
$1,196Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage American Modernist Abstract Interior Scene Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American modernist interior scene oil painting. Oil on canvas. Framed.
Canvas, Oil
NY Skyline
Located in Los Angeles, CA
NY Skyline, 1942, oil on canvas, signed and dated lower left, 24 x 20 inches, dated and titled verso, together with Lewis’ address NY Skyline depicts a typical array of Manhattan sk...
Canvas, Oil
$40,000
"Untitled" Edward Zutrau, Mid Century, Modernist, Abstract Composition, Green
Located in New York, NY
Edward Zutrau Untitled, 1956 Signed and dated on the reverse Oil on linen 40 x 82 inches Edward Zutrau (1922–1993) was an American painter whose career spanned from the 1940s throu...
Canvas, Oil
$3,500
“Mascara (Mask)" 2000 by Justino Alves Portuguese Contemporary Abstract Portrait
By Justino Alves
Located in Yardley, PA
About this work: “Mascara (Mask)" 2000 by Justino Alves (Portuguese, 1940-2015). A magnetic work by one of Portugal’s most distinguished postwar painters. This painting has all of t...
Canvas, Oil
Large French Modernist Vase of Flowers Charles Levier Paris Floral Oil Painting
Located in Surfside, FL
Charles Levier (1920-2004) Oil Painting on canvas Vase of Flowers, Fleurs Hand signed lower right Dimensions: 34.75 X 20 framed, canvas is 29.5 X 14.75 Charles Levier He was born in...
Oil, Canvas
"Mazarrón, " 1960s Modern Abstract Painting
By Stanley Bate
Located in Westport, CT
In this Modern abstract painting by Stanley Bate, a bold palette is married with imperfect shapes and large brush strokes. Sandy beige rectangles blend with yellow and deep blue, on ...
Canvas, Oil
$658Sale Price|20% Off
Green Table Newspaper and Flower Vases Abstract Interior Modernist Still Life
By Guy Nicod
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Green Table Newspaper and Flower Vases Abstract Interior Modernist Still Life Guy Nicod (French 1923 - 2021) Gouache on artist paper, unframed Size: 19.75 x 25.5 inches (heig...
Gouache
$1,620Sale Price|88% Off
1950's Mid Century French Modernist Oil Painting Still Life Interior Scene
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: French School, mid 20th century Title: Interior scene French Modernist interior still life scene. Medium: oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas: 28.5 x 21.2...
Oil
Memoire Fanee 18
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
$1,800
Conductor with Orchestra, Figurative Oil Painting by William Harnden
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: William Harnden, American (1920 - 1983) Title: Conductor with Orchestra Medium: Oil on Masonite, signed Image Size: 15.5 x 19 inches Frame Size: 18 x 21 inches
Masonite, Oil
$1,675
Wiggle Room 40 - Abstract Modern Resin Minimalist Colorful Mixed Media Artwork
By Ricky Hunt
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Ricky Hunt’s mixed media minimalist wall art is influenced by his tumultuous past that led to a paradigm shift in creativity and life. He covers the wood panel with layers of acrylic...
Resin, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Wood Panel
Red Woman Portrait
Located in Zofingen, AG
Acrylic painting on paper One of a kind artwork Size: 29,5 × 41,5 × 0,1 cm It is original painting on 160gsm acid-free paper The artwork is titled and signed on the front and also ...
Acrylic, Archival Paper
Colorful Woman Portrait
Located in Zofingen, AG
Acrylic painting on paper One of a kind artwork Size: 42,5 × 60 × 0,1 cm It is original painting on 160gsm acid-free paper The artwork is titled and signed on the front and also co...
Acrylic, Archival Paper
A Colorful, Dynamic 1930s Modern Boxing Scene by Chicago Artist Francis Chapin
Located in Chicago, IL
A Colorful, Dynamic 1930s Modern Boxing Scene by Notable Chicago Artist, Francis Chapin. Artwork size: 2 3/4 x 4 inches, oil on Masonite mounted to original board; accompanied wit...
Masonite, Oil
$756Sale Price|20% Off
The Italian Coastline Turquoise Sea Signed Antique Impressionist Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Italian Coast Italian School, circa 1900's indistinctly signed oil on canvas, unframed canvas : 9.75 x 16.5 inches provenance: private collection condition: very good and sound c...
Oil, Canvas
“Abstract 4”
Located in Southampton, NY
Original oil paint on heavy archival paper abstract by the American artist, Martin Rosenthal. Bold, vibrant colors. Signed lower right by the artist and dated 1964. Condition is goo...
Oil, Archival Paper
Large-Scale Apple Painting by Isaac Monteiro, Signed
Located in New York, NY
Isaac Monteiro (1938-2008) Apple, 1985 Oil on canvas 36 x 48 in. Framed: 37 1/2 x 49 x 1 1/4 in. Signed lower left: I Monteiro Inscribed verso: Apple I Monteir...
Canvas, Oil
$1,710Sale Price|40% Off
Farmhouse in Autumn, Early 20th Century Landscape by Florence Helena McGillivray
Located in Soquel, CA
Farmhouse in Autumn, Early 20th Century Landscape by Florence Helena McGillivray A vibrant and colorful late 1920's landscape by Florence Helena McGillivray (Canadian, 1864-1938). This beautiful 1929 landscape depicts a quaint farmhouse in autumn, surrounded by a landscape full of fall foliage in goldenrod yellow, bright orange, and deep red, with soft purple hills receding into the distance. Signed "F. McGillivray" lower left. Displayed in a new Arts & Crafts style giltwood frame. Board size: 16"H x 20"W. Framed size: 19.25"H x 23.25"W x 1"D. McGillivray (1864–1938) garnered admiration for her modern landscape paintings, as well as for her mentorship of young artists, including Tom Thomson. She has been credited in some instances as an influence for what would later be known as the Group of Seven. A prolific sketcher and painter, Florence McGillivray...
Oil, Canvas, Illustration Board
$1,600Sale Price|20% Off
Boats on the Leman lake by René Béguin - Oil on canvas 54x65 cm
By René Beguin
Located in Geneva, CH
Oil on canvas sold with frame Total size with frame 67x78 cm René BEGUIN is a Swiss artist born in 1892 and died in 1947. His works have been sold at public auction 12 times, mainly...
Oil
$2,040Sale Price|20% Off
Colorful Modernist Still Life with Jug and Plant, Late 20th Century
Located in Soquel, CA
Colorful Modernist Still Life with Jug and Plant by Ellis Hopkins (American, b. 1952). This bold still life depicts pieces of fruit resting on a table with a large green jug and po...
Oil, Board
Conductor with Singer, Figurative Oil Painting by William Harnden
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: William Harnden, American (1920 - 1983) Title: Conductor with Singer Medium: Oil on Masonite, signed Image Size: 11.5 x 23.5 inches Frame Size: 17.5 x 30 inches
Masonite, Oil
$2,204Sale Price|32% Off
"Restaurante Mercè Oil on Canvas Painting, Modern, Signed, 73x92 cm"
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Author: Alfredo Palmero Hernández (1966) Title: Restaurante Mercè, Barcelona (handwritten inscription on the stretcher) Medium: Oil on canvas Dimens...
Canvas, Oil
PERSONAGGI - Olio su masonite, Nicola Gambedotti, 1970
By Nicola Gambedotti
Located in Napoli, IT
Nicola Gambedotti, è stato un pittore e incisore figurativo di ricerca, considerato uno dei massimi esperti nell’utilizzo della tecnica ad acrilico bulinato. Le sue opere figurano in...
Masonite, Oil
$1,728Sale Price|20% Off
Cabane de Cacharel, Modern Gouache on Paper, Signed, Circa 1950s
By Yves Brayer
Located in London, GB
'Cabane de Cacharel', gouache on paper, by Yves Brayer (circa 1950s). In the Camargue region of Southern France, there is an historic Mas (farmhouse / ranch) called Cacharel, nearby ...
Paper, Gouache
American School Signed Black Male Pensive Signed and Framed Portrait Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American impressionist portrait oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Framed. Measuring: 26 by 22 inches overall, and 20 by 16 painting alone. Excellent condition, ready to h...
Oil, Canvas
Colorful Still Life with Vases
Located in Zofingen, AG
Bright mixed media collage with oil pastels and acrylic markers on white paper oil pastel, acrylic marers a still life of vases and plants in the style of henri matisse, with black ...
Acrylic, Archival Paper
$3,000Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage Signed Israeli American Modernist Beach Scene Framed Signed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Modernist abstract landscape painting by Abraham Pariente. Oil on canvas, circa 1990. Signed. Displayed in a giltwood impressionist frame.
Canvas, Oil
$1,728Sale Price|20% Off
Follower of Matisse, 20th Century French Oil Pink House in South of France
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: French School, mid 20th century, follower of Henri Matisse Title: The Pink House. Medium: oil on board, framed Framed: 22.5 x 25.5 inches Painting: 15 x 18 inches...
Oil
$961Sale Price|20% Off
Signed & Dated French 1990's Modernist Figures in Abstract Landscape Oil
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Modernist Figures French, signed lower right and dated 91' oil on canvas, in wooden frame framed: 25 x 19 inches canvas: 24 x 18 inches Provenance: private collection, France Conditi...
Oil
$950
A Charming, 1950s Mid-Century Modern Harbor Scene of Martha's Vineyard
Located in Chicago, IL
A Charming, Colorful 1950s Mid-Century Modern Harbor Scene of Martha's Vineyard by Notable Chicago Artist, Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). Painted near the artist's longtime studio ...
Masonite, Oil
Inner Pearl
Located in Zofingen, AG
Flower II Inner Pearl (part of the “State of Bloom” series) “Inner Pearl” is part of the “Bloom of State” series, which explores the inner nature of feminine presence. Here, the cl...
Canvas, Acrylic
A Striking 1940s Modern Studio Portrait of a Seated Young Female Model
Located in Chicago, IL
A Striking, Colorful 1940s Modern Studio Portrait of a Seated Female Model in a Pink Blouse by Notable Chicago Modern Artist, Walter Burt Adams (Am. 1903-1990). The painting a is we...
Oil, Masonite
Mid Century Modern Swedish Expressive Landscape Oil Painting - Hillside Path
Located in Bristol, GB
HILLSIDE PATH Size: 54 x 70 cm (including frame) Oil on canvas A soothing mid-century painting that presents a bold and simplified view of a vast landscape scene, executed in oil on...
Oil, Canvas
Whimsical Kitchen Woman
Located in Zofingen, AG
Acrylic Painting on canvas One of a kind artwork Size: 80 × 80 × 3 cm (unframed) The artwork is titled and signed on the front and also comes with a certificate of authenticity. Ar...
Canvas, Acrylic
An Innovative Mid-Century Modern Landscape by Noted Chicago Artist, Rudolph Pen
By Rudolph Pen
Located in Chicago, IL
A Unique, 1960s Mid-Century Modern, European City View Watercolor by Noted Chicago Artist, Rudolph T. Pen. Artwork is formatted in a trapezoid shape, an innovative compositional dev...
Paper, Watercolor