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.
$713Sale Price|20% Off
Seated Nude Woman Modernist Study French Gouache Painting in Bold Primary Colour
By Guy Nicod
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Seated Nude Woman Modernist Study French Gouache Painting in Bold Primary Colour Guy Nicod (French 1923 - 2021) Oil on artist paper, unframed Size: 18.25 x 15.75 inches (heig...
Oil
Goodyear Tire Advertisement, Route 1, Bridgewater Conn.
Located in Fort Washington, PA
Medium: Oil on Panel Size: 20.00" x 40.00" This illustration "Route 1, Bridgewater Conn." by American artist John Ford Clymer (1907-1989) was used in magazine advertisements. John Clymer was born in Ellensburg, Washington. His art education was acquired at the Vancouver School of Fine Art, the Ontario College of Art in Port Hope...
Oil, Panel
Original 70's Hand Painted Textile Design Gouache Pink & Black Color on Paper
Located in ALCOY/ALCOI, ES
Flowers and pixel design. Sealed on the back with design studio name and number 268 We offer a small number of these original illustration designs by this design studio based in Alc...
Paper, Gouache
Fleurs au Pot Noir
Located in Sheffield, MA
Michel De Gallard French, 1921-2007 Fleurs Aux Pot Noir Oil on canvas 18 by 25 ¾ in, w/ frame 26 ⅜ by 34 in Signed lower left Inventory Number: 01913 Michel De Gallard was born on...
Canvas, Oil
Village on the Shore
By Ginette Rapp
Located in Sheffield, MA
Ginette Rapp French, 1928-1998 Village on the Shore Oil on canvas 25 ½ by 32 in, w/ frame 33 by 40 in Signed lower left
Oil
"Pâquis" by Luce Brélaz - Oil on Canvas - 33x46 cm
By Luce Brélaz
Located in Geneva, CH
Artwork sold with frame (48 x 35.5 cm ) Luce Brélaz-Jacquet was a Swiss painter born in 1915. Although biographical details about her life and career remain scarce, she is recogniz...
Canvas, Oil
$466Sale Price|20% Off
Spanish Expressionist Self Portrait Painting Figurative Oil on Canvas Europe
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Spanish Expressionist Self Portrait Painting 1973 Figurative Oil on Canvas Artist: Joan Cruspinera (1946–) Title: Self Portrait Year: 1973 Medium: Oil...
Canvas, Oil
WILLIAM C GRAUER Abstract Archaeological Fresco colorful 1970s Cleveland School
Located in Rancho Santa Fe, CA
This powerful 1970s painting by William C. Grauer is executed in acrylic on panel at an impressive scale of 48 by 36 inches. The work immediately draws the viewer in with a glowing f...
Acrylic, Panel
$2,600
A Large, Captivating 1960s Mid-Century Modern Abstract Still Life, "Flowers"
By Rudolph Pen
Located in Chicago, IL
A Large, Captivating, 1960s Mid-Century Modern Floral Still Life Painting by Notable Chicago Artist, Rudolph Pen. A painting of dynamic color and patterned forms. Painted in the 19...
Acrylic, Wood Panel
Mixed Media Sculptural Painting "Unicorn" Chicago Jewish Modernist
Located in Surfside, FL
Genre: Modern Subject: Abstract Medium: Mixed Media Surface: Board Dimensions: 28.75 X 24 (size includes frame. signed with initials and bearing a label verso. Reminiscent of the Ar...
Mixed Media
$746Sale Price|25% Off
Nude Female Figure Posed on Red Sofa in Yellow Interior Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Nude Portrait by Jacqueline Boisselot, French late 20th century 19.75 x 25.5 inches oil on artist paper, unframed condition: very good and ready to enjoy provenance: from a private ...
Oil
A Charming Vintage 1930s Forest Landscape, Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada
Located in Chicago, IL
A charming, vintage 1930s Modern forest landscape scene painted in Algonquin Park, Ontario, Canada by notable Chicago artist, Harold Haydon. Many of Haydon's early landscape paintin...
Oil, Board
$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
$14,460
Russin
By Vilma Eckl
Located in Wien, 9
The extensive work of Vilma Eckl covers a period of more than seventy years. Her incomparable artistic talent and her essential contribution to the history of art can be seen in her ...
Canvas, Oil
$2,720Sale Price|20% Off
"So What How?" - Abstract Expressionist Earth Tone Abstract in Oil on Canvas
By John O. Thomson
Located in Soquel, CA
"So What How?" - Abstract Expressionist Earth Tone Abstract in Oil on Canvas Expressive abstract work in earth tones by Monterey Bay artist and gallery owner John O. Thomson (Americ...
Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars
Oars
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...
Oil, Panel
"Flowering Cactus"
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Jim's of Lambertville is proud to present this artwork by Gershon Benjamin (1899 – 1985) An American Modernist of portraits, landscapes, still lifes, and urban scenes, Gershon Benja...
Canvas, Oil
$3,151
Untitled
By Paco Simon
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Paper
Modernist Abstract Composition with Architectural Forms in Warm Earth Tones
Located in Genève, GE
Signed "Di Salvo" and dated "65" in the lower right corner. A striking modernist abstract composition structured around architectural forms and bold geometric interplay. This mid-20...
Canvas, Oil
Modern Nude study Matisse inspired figures in Pink and White
Located in Woodbury, CT
Claude Howard Stuart (British Contemporary) Nude I, circa 2020 Oil on board Signed lower right A striking contemporary composition by the British artist Claude Howard Stuart, depic...
Oil, Board
$3,000
Still Life
By Henry Kallem
Located in Saratoga Springs, NY
Signed lower left & titled verso. A printmaker and painter in abstract style who used wide brush marks, Henry Kallem was born in Philadelphia. His father was Morris Kallem, a portrait painter, with whom he studied, and his brother was sculptor Herbert Kallem...
Canvas, Oil
1970's French Modernist Signed oil Painting Three Fishing Boats in Sleepy Harbou
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Sleepy Harbor French artist signed and dated 1976 oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 18 x 21.75 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: very good and sound condition
Oil
Side Show Barker - Original Modernist American Fair Scene Oil Painting
Located in Marco Island, FL
From the Michael Hall Collection, this is a great American scene showing the excitement of the fair. It depicts a time when men wore coats and ties and women had hats at the fair be...
Canvas, Oil
Young boy by Max Band - Portrait painting
By Max Band
Located in London, GB
Young boy by Max Band (1901-1974) Oil on canvas 81.2 x 54.4 cm (32 x 21³/₈ inches) Signed lower left Max Band Provenance Private collection, London
Oil
Still Life with Cups
Located in Sheffield, MA
Jeannie Borel German, 1928-2007 Still Life with Cups Oil on Canvas 32 by 39 ½ in, w/ frame 39 ½ by 47 in Signed Borel 56 lower center
Oil
$1,675
Wiggle Room 37 - 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
$1,600
Modernist American Judaica Painting Jewish Men Outside Synagogue Eastern Parkway
Located in Surfside, FL
In this painting, Nussbaum portrays a joyful holiday celebration of the megillah reading in the synagogue in a sketch-like manner without focusing on any specific details. The vibran...
Gouache
Antique European Fauvist Nocturnal Street Scene Signed Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique European fauvist landscape oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Framed. Measuring: 30 by 37 inches overall, and 24 by 29.5 painting alone. Excellent condition, ready to han...
Canvas, Oil
"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...
Canvas, Oil
Original 70's Hand Painted Textile Design Gouache Green Shades on White Paper
Located in ALCOY/ALCOI, ES
We offer a small number of these original illustration designs by this design studio based in Alcoy (Spain), which could pair well or make group sets if buyers so desired. Designed t...
Paper, Gouache
$101Sale Price|25% Off
Figures Walking Up The Town Steps 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
"Hayfield" by Unknown Artist - Oil on Canvas - 60x81 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Artwork sold with frame (84.5 x 105.5 cm)
Canvas, Oil
$768Sale 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
Modernist Seascape with Sailing Ships, Textured Impasto Marine Scene
Located in Genève, GE
Signed "Berger" in the lower right corner. A powerful modernist seascape depicting sailing ships emerging through a dynamic, heavily textured surface. This mid-20th-century painting captures the essence of maritime atmosphere rather than precise detail, with rigging and masts sketched in expressive linear accents against a dense, abstracted field of sea and sky. Executed with thick impasto and layered palette knife work, the composition is built through tonal variations of whites, greys, blues, and muted earth tones. The energetic surface treatment creates a sense of movement and turbulence, evoking waves, mist, and shifting light conditions at sea. The ships appear almost ghostlike within the composition, partially obscured by the painterly texture, reinforcing a modernist approach that prioritizes sensation and structure over realism. The work aligns with post-war European abstraction, where figuration and landscape dissolve into material and gesture. The painting offers strong visual presence and tactile appeal, making it an excellent statement piece for contemporary or mid-century interiors. A compelling acquisition for collectors of modernist marine painting and expressive abstract seascapes. modernist seascape, abstract marine painting...
Canvas, Oil
Modern Abstract Muted Painting
By Dante
Located in Houston, TX
Esthetic modern abstract painting in muted pastel colorblocks by French artist, Dante (2011). Signed by the artist at bottom right. Original one-of-a-kind work of art on paper disp...
Paper, Acrylic
$1,196Sale Price|20% Off
"Cowboy Boots" - Bay Area Figurative Movement
By Patricia Gren-Haynes
Located in Soquel, CA
Bay Area School figurative of a cowboy and hats by Berkeley artist Patricia Gren Hayes (American, b- 1932), circa 1983. Signed "Gren Hayes 1983" upper center and signed and titled "C...
Canvas, Oil
1950s Martini Cocktail Party Art Kitschy Music Drinking Dancing
Located in Miami, FL
Today's highly touted ultra-contemporary fine art market has crashed. Why? The artist's lack of talent, concepts, and basic technical skills was overrated and, in some cases, acutely...
Gouache, Illustration Board
$422Sale Price|25% Off
Reversed Profile Nude Figure Pencil Sketch 20th Modernist Century Drawing
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Nude Figure Sketch by Jacqueline Boisselot, French late 20th century size: 25.5 x 19.75 inches double sided pencil drawing on thin paper, unframed condition: very good and ready to ...
Pencil
Star & Mountain, Modernist Black Landscape Inspired by Joan Miró, Cosmic Imagery
Located in Barcelona, ES
A bold and poetic abstraction by Alberto de Blobs, this painting brings together expansive fields of deep black and luminous blue, punctuated by delicate gestural lines that cross th...
Paper, Acrylic
$875Sale Price|25% Off
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
$2,800
British Modernist Portrait of Chaim Weizmann President of Israel Oil Painting
Located in Surfside, FL
Alfred Aaron Wolmark (1877 – 1961) was a painter and decorative artist. He was a Post Impressionist and a pioneer of the New Movement in Art. He was born Aaron Wolmark into a Jewish...
Canvas, Oil
"Blue Nude" Modern Abstract Style Modigliani Study Oil Painting on Canvas
By Cindy Shaoul
Located in New York, NY
Exploring the purity of the feminine form and the drama of French haute couture, artist Cindy Shaoul creates a dialogue between the figurative and the abstract. Her spirited composit...
Canvas, Oil
Still Life with Studio Objects II
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...
Oil, Panel
$2,680Sale Price|20% Off
"Liberty" Heavy Impasto Expressionist Nude Portrait of a Lady Standing
Located in Soquel, CA
"Liberty" Heavy Impasto Expressionist Nude Portrait of a Lady Standing Abstract expressionist portrait of a woman standing with one arm raised over her head by California artist Har...
Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars
Modern Impressionist Portrait of Woman in Interior w/ Plant
Located in New York, NY
French-Canadian artist Joseph Frances Plaskett (1918-2014) Since the 1940s had over 65 exhibitions, with works in major public, private and corporate collections, including the Nati...
Canvas
$760Sale Price|20% Off
Artist Self Portrait in Orange Sweater, Fauvist Style, 14x10
By Don Klopfer
Located in Soquel, CA
Artist Self Portrait in Orange Sweater, Fauvist Style, 14x10 Boldly colored portrait of an artist sketching by California artist Richard "Don" Klopfer (1920-2009). The seated figure...
Masonite, Acrylic
$1,537Sale Price|20% Off
Large 1960's French Modernist Oil Boats in Blue Harbour, Salon des Independants
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: Rene Bellanger (French 1895-1964), signed Title: Castellon de la Plana, boats in the port. The work was exhibited with the French Salon...
Oil
Macedonie, 1966
Located in Atlanta, GA
Wim BOSMA (1902-1985) is an artist born in 1902 The oldest auction result ever registered on the website for an artwork by this artist is a painting s...
Linen, Oil
Untitled
Located in Barcelona, CT
The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate
Acrylic, Handmade Paper
$308Sale Price|25% Off
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
$906Sale Price|20% Off
1970s French Abstract Composition Painting Amazing Bright Colors
By Guy Nicod
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Composition by Guy Nicod (French 1923 - 2021) watercolour on artist paper, unframed painting : 20 x 14 inches provenance: artists estate, France condition: very good and sou...
Watercolor
$1,098Sale Price|20% Off
French 20th Century Modernist Draped Table Cloth Onions Still Life
By Guy Nicod
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Still Life by Guy Nicod (French 1923 - 2021) oil on artist paper, unframed painting : 24 x 18 inches stamped verso provenance: artists estate, France condition: very good and sound c...
Oil
"Faccia d'uomo" (Man's Face) by Salvador Aulestia (Barcelona 1915-Milano 1994)
Located in Milano, MI
This is a rare painting by Salvador Aulestia (Barcelona 1915 - Milano 1994) from his series dedicated to the "linearism" with a strong color presence. Colors range from Yellow, Azure...
Acrylic
Belmont Brook
Located in London, GB
Christopher is interested in the way that society interacts with the wild and not so wild things around it, the effect that we have on the environment and the living things that rely...
Acrylic
$1,043Sale Price|20% Off
1950's British Modernist Oil Painting Cumberland Lake District Dramatic View
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: E.Johnson, British, signed & dated 1951 Title: "Cumberland". A most dramatic and captivating view of this Lake District landscape, the hill tops covered in snow. M...
Oil
Africa - Collage Painting in Orange - African American Artist - Spiral Group
Located in Miami, FL
African American artist Alvin Hollingsworth part of the famous Spiral Group , created an inventive and intriguing close-up portrait with figures in the distance. Found objects such as swatches of burlap, plastic spoons, press type and wood shapes are adhered to the surface make this work an object as much as an image. The overall image is bathed in a super hot orange-yellow. This is Hollingsworth interpretation of the soul of Africa. Indistinctly signed lower right in red. The work makes a powerful statement in person. Provenance: The Artist to a personal friend. Private collection Framed dimensions 19 1/4 x 25 1/4 in. Alvin Carl...
Fabric, Burlap, Wood, Oil
$549Sale Price|20% Off
Collioure Harbour, French 1950's Modernist Colorful Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Collioure, France by Bernard Labbe (French mid 20th century) original gouache on artist paper, unframed size: 13 x 19.5 inches condition: very good and ready to be enjoyed. provena...
Watercolor
$720Sale Price|25% Off
French Modernist Oil Painting Two Black Female Nude Figures In Orange Interior
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Nude Figures by Jacqueline Boisselot, French late 20th century 25.5 x 19.75 inches oil on artist paper, unframed condition: very good and ready to enjoy provenance: from a private co...
Oil
$19,800
Abstract
Located in Sheffield, MA
Donald Raymond David American, 1906-2006 Abstract Oil on canvas 30 by 24 in, w/ frame 34 by 28 in Signed on back Inventory Number: 01915 Donald Raymond David was born in Springbro...
Canvas, Oil
Adolf Dehn - Haitian Scene A signed painting, Associated American Artists, 1950s
Located in New York, NY
Adolf Arthur Dehn Haitian Scene A, ca. 1951 Watercolor gouache on board Signed on the front Frame included: held in vintage modern frame Measurements: Framed: 11 inches vertical by ...
Watercolor, Gouache, Board