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.
$1,500Sale Price|40% Off
Post War Bay Area Figurative - Original Watercolor Painting "Beach Day" Signed
Located in Soquel, CA
Post War Bay Area Figurative - Original Watercolor Painting "Beach Day" Vibrant watercolor of three figures on the beach by Turkish-American artist Ömer Şahingil (Turkish/American,...
Watercolor, Illustration Board
Vintage American Modernist Framed Abstract Original MCM NYC School Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American abstract oil painting. Oil on board. Framed. Measuring: 29 by 13 inches overall, and 27.5 by 11 painting alone. Unsigned. Excellent condition, ready to hang and en...
Oil
The Window 352 - Contemporary Shiny Resin Minimalist Brown Dual Tone 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
$1,091Sale Price|20% Off
1960’s French Stylish Portrait of a Woman Modernist Oil 1965
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: French School signed A.Bertin signed on back, dated 1965 Title: Period portrait of a woman Medium: oil on board, framed Framed: 18.5 x 12.5 inches Board : 18 x 12 ...
Oil
$320Sale Price|77% Off
Doves by Franck Chabry - Gouache on paper 50x70 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Work on paper Frame in wood moldings and gilded plaster with glass pane 65 x 85 x 3 cm
Gouache
Mid-Century Modern Swedish Abstract Landscape Oil Painting -Along the Blue Coast
Located in Bristol, GB
ALONG THE BLUE COAST Size: 45 x 72 cm (including frame) Oil on canvas A charming mid-century modernist landscape that distils a coastal scene into a series of simplified shapes and ...
Oil, Canvas
Children's Theater
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Children’s Theater, 1934, watercolor on paper, signed and dated lower right, 10 ¾ x 12 5/8 inches (image) Children’s Theater is a fine example of Berlandina’s modernist approach to ...
Paper, Watercolor
A Bustling, 1950s Mid-Century Modern Summer Harbor Scene of Martha's Vineyard
Located in Chicago, IL
A Bustling 1950s Mid-Century Modern Harbor Scene of Martha's Vineyard by Famed Chicago Artist, Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). A busy harbor scene of sandy shoreline, docks and boat...
Canvas, Oil
$431Sale Price|20% Off
French Modernist Signed Oil Painting Nude Figure Dressing
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: French School, signed and dated verso Title: Nude getting dressed Medium: oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas: 10.5 x 8.75 inche...
Oil
$170
Windy Village Path in Quirky Landscape British Modernist Pastel Sketch
By Irina Hale
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Pastel Landscape by Irina Hale (British 1932-2022) pastel and pencil sketch on brown artist tracing paper , unframed painting: 4.5 x 3.75 inches provenance: private collection, Cotsw...
Pastel, Pencil
$1,233Sale Price|20% Off
Huge 20th Century British Naive Welsh Oil Painting Village Life in Winter Snow
By Ben Powell
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Winter in the Village by Ben George Powell, British contemporary artist signed oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 32 x 40 inches provenance: private collection of this artists work, UK ...
Canvas, Oil
A Vibrant, 1950s Mid-Century Modern Painting of a Bull Fight by Francis Chapin
Located in Chicago, IL
A vibrant, colorful, 1950s Mid-Century Modern painting of a bull fight by notable Chicago artist, Francis Chapin. Oil on canvas, presented in a period, dark walnut brown stained flo...
Canvas, Oil
Trois personnages. Print: Artist's proof 99/300
Located in Riga, LV
Ossip Zadkine — a prominent French avant-garde sculptor of Jewish descent, born in Vitebsk. He became one of the key representatives of the School of Paris and a recognized master of...
Lithograph
The Window 316 - Modern Mixed Media Resin Artwork, 21st Century, 16x12
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
$1,527Sale Price|20% Off
North African Orientalist Scene Man on Horseback with Dogs outside City Building
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Orientalist Scene European artist, late 20th century possibly a copy of an earlier work judging from the style oil on canvas, unframed canvas : 24 x 20 inches provenance: private col...
Oil
The Day Bangkok Stopped for a Giant Cat
Located in Zofingen, AG
Massive cat blocking traffic Bangkok Thailand acrylic artwork Acrylic Painting on canvas One of a kind artwork Size: 80 × 100 × 3 cm (unframed) The artwork is titled and signed on ...
Canvas, Acrylic
A Charming 1950s Painting of Lisbon, Portugal by Famed Artist Francis Chapin
Located in Chicago, IL
A Charming, 1950s Painting of Lisbon, Portugal by Famed Chicago Modern Artist Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). Depicting a bustling, colorful view of Lisbon's historic Black Horse Sq...
Oil, Canvas, Board
Dancing Figures (Untitled)
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Dancing Figures (Untitled), 1944, oil on canvas, signed and dated lower right, 22 x 34 1/4 inches, presented in its original strip wood frame, from the estate of the artist Ernest Ro...
Canvas, Oil
Vintage Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Dog Portrait Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Vintage Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Dog Portrait Oil Painting Artist: Dorothy Johnson Medium: Oil on canvas laid to boar...
Oil
$1,036Sale Price|20% Off
Golden Fields in Provence French Post-Impressionist Signed Oil
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: Huguette Ginet-Lasnier (French 1927-2020), signed lower front Ginet-Lasnier, the wife of the painter Jean Lasnier, was born in the Seine-Maritime region of France an...
Oil
Wind Flowers in a Tzu Chow Vase
By Ethelyn Cosby Stewart
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Wind Flowers in a Tzu Chow Vase, 1933, oil on canvas board, signed and dated lower right, 20 x 16 inches, label verso with title and original price ($185.00), exhibited 44th Annual E...
Canvas, Oil, Board
$1,091Sale Price|20% Off
French Modernist 20th century Oil Painting Yellow Landscape Cubist Composition
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Yellow Landscape signed by Lucien Gondret (French 1941-2023) signed oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 18 x 24 inches provenance: the artists estate, Franc...
Oil
Vintage American Modernist Flower Still Life Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American modernist flower still life oil painting . Oil on board. Framed. Measuring: 10 by 6 inches overall, and 9.75 by 5.75 painting alone.Excellent condition, ready to han...
Canvas, Oil
“Six Figures, c. 1965-70” by Sakti Burman (b. 1935) Indian Folklore Watercolor
By Sakti Burman
Located in Yardley, PA
“Six Figures, c. 1965-70” by Sakti Burman (b. 1935). A wonderful example of Burman’s distinctive fusion of Indian folkloric imagery with European surrealist and fantastical sensibil...
Paper, Ink, Watercolor
$1,950
“Untitled, 1946” New Hope Modernist Small Abstract Bucks County Lambertville NJ
By Louis Stone
Located in Yardley, PA
“Untitled, 1946” by Louis K. Stone (1902-1984). A strong and charming example of mid-century American modernism by one of the most important artists working in New Hope, PA. This wa...
Paper, Watercolor
$3,450
Michael Green 1966 Large Signed Vintage American Impressionist Tropic Landscape
Located in Buffalo, NY
Large Vintage American impressionist tropical landscape oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Measuring: 47 by 55 inches overall, and 42.25 by 50.25 painting alone.
Oil, Canvas
Early Mexican City Scene by Chicago Artist Francis Chapin, San Miguel de Allende
Located in Chicago, IL
A charming, vibrant, early Mexican city street scene by famed Chicago Modern artist Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). Depicting a quiet, picturesque view of the rooftops and cathedral...
Oil, Masonite
A Machine Age Modern Industrial Scene Painting of a New York City Shipping Crane
Located in Chicago, IL
A striking Machine Age Modern industrial scene oil painting of a New York shipyard crane by notable American artist, Lessing Whitford Williams (1894-1989). A colorful, dynamic examp...
Canvas, Oil, Board
$1,309Sale Price|20% Off
English School Oil Painting Napoleonic Wars Naval Engagement Battle at Sea
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Contemporay English School signed oil painting on copper panel in impressive gilt frame framed: 13 x 14.5 inches panel: 8 x 10 inches provenance: private collection, England conditi...
Oil
A Dynamic 1940s WPA Era, American Modern, Machine Age Industrial Factory Scene
Located in Chicago, IL
A dynamic ca. 1940s American Machine Age Modern industrial scene, depicting a suspended gantry crane and factory workers. Possibly completed as an illustration study for a print adv...
Masonite, Oil
Untitled (Perhaps New Jersey Factories)
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Untitled (perhaps New Jersey Factories), c. 1940s, oil on board, signed lower left, 24 x 28 inches, perhaps exhibited Fifty-First Annual Exhibition, National Association of Women Art...
Oil, Board
$5,800
School
By John Hartell
Located in Dallas, TX
Valley House Gallery is honored to present a selection of paintings from the estate of American artist, John Hartell (1902-1995). John Hartell taught two disciplines at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York: freshman architecture and graduate painting. He was a much-loved professor there from 1930 until his retirement in 1967; one of his most illustrious students is the architect Richard Meier. As an artist, Hartell's first solo exhibition was in 1937 at Kleeman Gallery in New York. He exhibited at Kraushaar Galleries in New York for four decades, beginning in 1943. The Hartell Gallery at Cornell University, under the Sibley Dome, is named for him. In describing John Hartell, the artist Michael Boyd...
Canvas, Oil
French Mid Century Still Life Bright Colourful Flowers in Blue Vase Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Flowers In Blue Vase French School, mid 20th century oil on board, unframed Board: 10 x 13.75 inches Provenance: private collection, France Condition: good overall condition, some su...
Oil
$2,550Sale Price|40% Off
Abstract Expressionist Figurative Homage to Willem de Kooning
Located in Soquel, CA
Abstract Expressionist Figurative Homage to Willem de Kooning's "Women Singing" Colorful and dynamic abstract expressionist figurative mixed media painting contemporary piece, featu...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Magazine Paper, Stretcher Bars
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...
Canvas, Oil
$2,000Sale Price|20% Off
Countryside landscape by Herbert Theurillat - Oil on canvas 81x100 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Herbert THEURILLAT is an artist born in 1896 and died in 1987. His works have been sold at public auction 29 times, mainly in the Painting category....
Oil
$644
Little Sister - Acryl on canvas - Mixed technique - Handsigned Cert. of auth.
Located in Sint-Truiden, BE
Acrylic paint on canvas Mixed technique Hand signed Certificate of authenticity Visual artist Suzanne Visser, was born on March 23, 1972 in Oostburg. After completing her studies at...
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Canvas
Abstract Golden Green Fields French Modernist Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Golden Fields French Impressionist Landscape Oil Painting on Canvas Jacqueline Boisselot, French, late 20th century oil on canvas, unframed Canvas: 5.5 x 7 inches Provenance: from a ...
Oil
Colourful French Interior View, The Artist's Atelier, Chez Marie Astoin
Located in Cotignac, FR
French gouache on card, an interior view of an artist's atelier by Claude Gemy. The painting is signed bottom right and is annotated, signed and dated to the back of the card. Prove...
Gouache
$158Sale Price|20% Off
White Stone Cottages In Blue Sky Village British Modernist Oil Painting
By Irina Hale
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
White Cottages signed initials by Irina Hale (British 1932-2022) oil painting on thin card , unframed painting: 4 x 5 inches provenance: private collection, Cotswolds condition: very...
Oil
$381Sale Price|20% Off
1950's Modernist/ Cubist Painting - Mermaid Figure On The Rocks
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
French Landscape by Bernard Labbe (French mid 20th century) original watercolour with biro on artist paper, unframed stamped verso size: 10 x 8.5 inches condition: very good and read...
Watercolor
Nuns And Doves, The Family, Avant-garde Woman Artist Marcel Duchamp's daughter
Located in Norwich, GB
In 1910, having separated from her first husband, the artist model Jeanne Chastagnier Serré had a relationship with the surrealist Marcel Duchamp: you know, the one of the porcelain ...
Canvas, Oil, Fiberboard
Tide Pools 43 - Contemporary Shiny Resin Minimalist Abstract Artwork on Wood
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
$2,850
Modernist Portrait of St. Francis, Original Oil on Canvas, Signed Tarmo Pasto
By Tarmo Pasto
Located in Soquel, CA
Modernist Portrait of St. Francis, Oil on Canvas, Signed Compelling modernist oil on canvas portrait of St. Francis by Dr. Tarmo Pasto (American, 1906-1986). Presented in a taupe pa...
Canvas, Oil
$1,330Sale Price|30% Off
Post War Bay Area Figurative - Original Watercolor Painting Three Horses Signed
Located in Soquel, CA
Post War Bay Area Figurative - Original Watercolor Painting Three Horses on a Rolling Hill, Signed Vibrant watercolor of three horses in the Bay Area rolling hills with California P...
Paper, Watercolor
$862Sale Price|20% Off
Still Life of Two Pears French Modernist Original 20th Century Painting Framed
By Max Toutain
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Still Life by Max Toutain (French 1935-2006) signed oil on canvas, framed framed: 10 x 12 inches canvas : 7 x 9 inches Provenance: all the paintings we have for sale by this artist h...
Oil
$1,523Sale Price|27% Off
Mediterranean Catalan Village and River Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Mediterranean Catalan Village and River Landscape Oil Painting Artist: Francesc / Francisco Galofré Surís Title: Catalan Village and Ri...
Oil
$136Sale Price|20% Off
Mother and Child in a Yellow and White Dress British Modernist Oil Painting
By Irina Hale
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Mother and Child signed initials by Irina Hale (British 1932-2022) oil painting on thin card , unframed double sided painting: 5 x 4 inches provenance: private collection, Cotswold...
Oil
The Blue Dress Young Woman Oil on Canvas Painting by Maurice Ehlinger, 1957
By Maurice Ambroise Ehlinger
Located in Atlanta, GA
Maurice Ambroise Ehlinger (1896–1981) — Portrait of Mademoiselle France Noël, 1957. Radiating timeless Parisian elegance, this exceptional mid-century oil on canvas by noted French p...
Canvas
A Fine, Vintage 1930s Landscape, Island Lake, Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada
Located in Chicago, IL
A striking, finely painted vintage 1930s Modern Northwoods landscape scene, Island Lake, painted in Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada by notable Chicago artist, Harold Haydon. Many of...
Oil, Canvas
$16,800
Roebling's Dream, The Great East River Bridge (NYC Cityscape by William Clutz)
Located in Hudson, NY
Colorful urban street scene of Brooklyn Bridge, NYC City Landscape Painting by William Clutz "Roebling's Dream, The Great East River Bridge", 1990 oil on canvas 40 x 70 inches, 41 3/...
Canvas, Oil
Early Mexican City Scene by Chicago Artist Francis Chapin, San Miguel de Allende
Located in Chicago, IL
A charming, vibrant, early Mexican city street scene by famed Chicago Modern artist Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). Depicting a quiet, picturesque view of the rooftops and cathedral...
Masonite, Oil
A Vibrant, Mid-Century Modern Cubist Studio Scene, Standing Nude, Woman Artist
Located in Chicago, IL
A Vibrant, Mid-Century Modern 1960s Studio Interior Scene of a Standing Female Nude by Notable Chicago Woman Artist, Vivian Kinsley Chapin (Am. 1909-1984). Very "Mod" in style and a...
Masonite, Oil
Vintage American Modernist Abstract Framed Mid Century Original Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American modernist abstract oil painting. Oil on canvas. Framed. Provenance from a Sag Harbor, NY collection. Measuring: 20 by 16 inches image alone. Handsomely framed in w...
Oil, Canvas
"Paphos, " 1960s Modern Abstract Painting
By Stanley Bate
Located in Westport, CT
This textured, Modern Abstract Expressionist painting Stanley Bate features a neutral palette with both warm and cool undertones. Muted blues and reds seem to be incorporated into a ...
Canvas, Oil
Blacksmith (Untitled)
By Erle Loran
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Blacksmith (Untitled), 1936, oil on canvas, signed and dated lower right, 28 x 30 inches Erle Loran was an influential American painter, art historian, and educator, renowned for h...
Canvas, Oil
Atilt
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Atilt, 1982, acrylic on canvas, 32 x 48 inches, signed and dated lower right, “Alfred P. Maurice 2725 A South Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL, 60616” inscribed verso, “ATILT” inscribed verso, “Maurice.018” inscribed on frame, exhibited: 1) Alfred P. Maurice Artist in the City Paintings 1979 - 1997, Archer Gallery of Clark College, Vancouver, WA, April 8 – April 30, 1997, #11, and 2) An Artful Life: Celebrating the Life of Creator, Teacher, and Collector Alfred Maurice...
Canvas, Acrylic
A French Modern 1950s Watercolor of a Young Male Bather by Andre Delfau
By Andre Delfau
Located in Chicago, IL
A vibrant, Modern 1950's watercolor of a young male bather kneeling against a sunny Mediterranean beach by notable French artist Andre Delfau. Painted most likely near Marseille in ...
Watercolor, Paper
Still Life with Red Flowers - Oil Painting by Claude Decamps - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Still life with red flowers is an artwork realized by Claude Decamps, mid-20th Century. Oil on canvas. 25 x 20 cm. Hand signed in red in lower margin. Good conditions!
Wood, Oil
$518Sale Price|20% Off
20th Century German Modernist Oil Painting Dark Grey and Red Abstract
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist: Elisabeth Hahn (German 1924-2021), Elisabeth Hahn was born in Dortmund, Germany, where she began her artistic studies. In 1953, she moved to Paris. She continued her studie...
Oil