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.
“The Big City, 1948” Grand Central Station NYC Manhattan Female WPA Modernist
Located in Yardley, PA
“The Big City, 1948” by Anna Elkan Meltzer (American, 1896-1974) One of Meltzer’s finest works, this painting encapsulates the organized chaos of Grand Central Terminal in NYC in th...
Canvas, Oil
$1,080Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage Oil Painting of Southern California Seascape
Located in Soquel, CA
Original Southern California Seascape in Oil Paint on Canvas Beautiful seascape that captures the ruggedness and beauty of the Southern California coast by Nadine Pollard (American,...
Oil, Stretcher Bars, Linen
"Winter Landscape" William Lester Stevens, Cape Ann Snowy Landscape
Located in New York, NY
William Lester Stevens Winter Landscape Signed lower right Oil on canvas 32 x 36 inches Born on June 15, 1888, in Rockport, Massachusetts, Stevens displayed his artistic abilities ...
Canvas, Oil
$960Sale Price|20% Off
Mid Century Modernist Geometric Sailboat Abstract Oil Painting
Located in Soquel, CA
Mid Century Modernist Sailboat Geometric Abstract Oil Painting This dynamic mid-century piece features bold geometry and a strong sense of movement. White triangular shapes parade a...
Linen, Masonite, Oil
$1,036Sale Price|20% Off
1950's French Modernist Signed Oil Painting Portrait of Young Lady in Green
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Portrait of a Young Lady French School, mid 20th century signed, S. Ascher signed oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 16 x 13 inches provenance: private collection, Paris condition: good...
Oil
Small Tide Pools 35 - Small Modern Resin Minimalist 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
$1,800Sale Price|20% Off
Huge Spanish/ French Oil Painting - Baby blue couple
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
The Dancers by Maria Tort Xirau (Catalan, 1924-2018) signed lower corner dated 1999 oil painting on canvas, framed canvas: 36 x 55 inches framed: 41 ...
Canvas, Oil
Interior of Church - Oil Paint by Jules Victor Génisson - Mid-19th Century
Located in Roma, IT
Oil on Board realized by Jules Victor Génisson (1805-1860) in the mid-19th Century. Hand signed lower left. Good condition.
Oil, Panel
Mural Study for "History of Water" American Scene Modernism Social Realism WPA
Located in New York, NY
Mural Study for "History of Water" American Scene Modernism Social Realism WPA Thomas Hart Benton (American, 1889-1975) "Water Story" (Study for The History of Water) Tempera and o...
Oil, Egg Tempera, Board
Bits of Magenta Diptych (Abstract, Expressive, Fun, Colorful, Warm)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Katherine Bello Bits of Magenta Diptych Mixed Media on Board 2025 Size: 12 x 12 inches (30.48 x 30.48cm) (each) Framed: 13 x 13 x 1.25 inches (33.02 x 33.02 x 3.175cm) (each) Signed ...
Wood, Oil, Board
Large American Modernist Abstract Architectural Framed Original Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American modernist cityscape oil painting. Oil on board. Framed. Signed. Measuring: 34 by 48 inches overall, and 28 by 42 painting alone. In excellent original condition. H...
Oil, Board
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
$8,500
Opening No. 51 (Modern, Hudson River Landscape Painting in Romanticist Style)
By Leigh Palmer
Located in Hudson, NY
Contemporary landscape oil painting reminiscent of Hudson River School & Romanticist painters oil on canvas 40 x 48 inches Highly romantic (yet modern) Hudson River oil landsca...
Canvas, Oil
Tall Sunspot 67 - Modern Resin Minimalist Colorful Striped Abstract 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
$3,850
'Still Life', Paris, Académie Julian, Salon des Indépendants, Salon d'Automne
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
'Still Life' by Albert Bertalan, 1929. Paris, Académie Julian, Salon des Indépendants, Salon d'Automne ---- Signed lower right, 'Bertalan' for Albert Bertalan (Hungarian, 1899-1956)...
Canvas, Oil
$2,800Sale Price|20% Off
"Fog over the Lake" by Claude Sauthier - Oil on Wood - 73x54 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Claude Sauthier was born in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1929 and passed away in the same city in 2016. He studied at the Geneva School of Decorative Arts and initially worked as a graphi...
Wood, Oil
Vintage American Modernist Gallery Exhibited Hawaiian Farm Landscape Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American modernist landscape oil painting. Oil on canvas. Unsigned. Framed. Provenance from a gallery collection. Handsomely framed in a giltwood molding. Excellent conditio...
Oil, Canvas
Still life - Oil Painting by Claude Decamps - 1950s
Located in Roma, IT
Still life is an artwork realized by Claude Decamps, mid-20th Century. Oil on wood. 25 x 20 cm. Hadsigned in red in lower margin. Good conditions!
Oil, Wood
$954Sale Price|20% Off
Mid 20th Century French Impressionist Signed Oil Colorful Flowers in Vase
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
French School, mid 20th century signed lower front corner oil on board, unframed board: 29.5 x 25.5 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: very good and sound condi...
Oil
Moving Forms
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Moving Forms, c. 1947, oil on canvas, apparently unsigned, 23 ½ x 20 inches, exhibited The Twenty-Seventh Annual Exhibition of the Southern States Art League, Virginia Museum of Fine...
Canvas, Oil
Over and Above: No. 6, Surreal Cat w/ Fish Bones, 20th Century Cleveland School
Located in Beachwood, OH
Clarence Holbrook Carter (American, 1904–2000) Over and Above: No. 6, 1963 Oil, sand & fish bones on canvas Signed and dated upper left 53 x 31 inches Clarence Holbrook Carter achie...
Oil
Ancient View of the Bay of Naples - Oil Painting - 19th Century
Located in Roma, IT
View over the Bay of Naples is an orginal old master artwork realized by Master of Northern Europe School of the second half of 19th Century. Mixed colored oil on canvas. Relined....
Oil
A Vibrant, 1950s Mid-Century Modern Summer Harbor Scene of Martha's Vineyard
Located in Chicago, IL
A Vibrant, Colorful 1950s Mid-Century Modern Harbor Scene of Martha's Vineyard by Famed Chicago Artist, Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). A busy harbor scene of docks and boat houses,...
Oil, Canvas
Antique American Modernist "Sailing off Long Island" Framed Seascape Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Impressive early American modernist seascape painting by Lawrence Butcher, Jr. (Born 1936). Watercolor and gouache on paper. Framed. Signed. Image size, 8 by 11 inches.
Oil, Archival Paper
Gorgeous Abstract Expressionist Ink and Watercolor Composition
Located in Surfside, FL
Art Brut Expressionist Masterpiece in the manner of Jean Dubuffet.
Ink, Mixed Media, Watercolor
$2,520Sale Price|20% Off
Colorful Modernist Still Life with Fruit and Water Jug
Located in Soquel, CA
Colorful Modernist Still Life with Fruit and Water Jug by Ellis Hopkins (American, b. 1952). This bold still life depicts a bowl of fruit resting on a table with a large green jug....
Board, Oil
Ethel Magafan 1946 Oil Painting Hillside Colorado Landscape Autumn
Located in Denver, CO
“Hillside” is a beautifully atmospheric original oil painting on canvas board by celebrated Colorado artist Ethel Magafan, created in 1946. This evocative landscape captures the quie...
Oil
$280Sale Price|20% Off
Large Abstract Oil Painting on Canvas "Galactic Solar Rays" Serg Graff, COA
By Serg Graff
Located in Palm Coast, FL
This is a unique original oil painting on canvas in a fantasy abstract style by Serg Graff Titled "Galactic Solar Rays". Bright colors and texture make this picture 3D and expressiv...
Acrylic
Lola Anglada “Hostal” Spanish Color Drawing and Mixed Media on Paper
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
Lola Anglada “Hostal” color drawing and mixed media on paper. Mixed media on paper. Signed by the artist. Artwork: 23 × 33 cm (9.1 × 13 in.). Framed: 37 × 47 cm (14.6 × 18.5 in.). O...
Mixed Media
$867Sale Price|20% Off
Classic Tall Sailing Ship in Choppy Waters off Coastline, signed oil painting
By James Hardy
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
James Hardy (British contemporary, 21st century) signed oil painting on board, framed board: 8 x 10 inches provenance: private collection condition: overall very good, a few markings...
Oil
Modern British oil Portrait of a Clown in full makeup
Located in Woodbury, CT
Portrait of a Clown This expressive and dynamic work by Ken Foster, an accomplished English Impressionist painter, is a compelling example of his mastery in capturing the essence of...
Canvas, Oil
$529Sale Price|20% Off
French Gouache Study of Hopi Kachina Mask and Taos Pueblo Textile
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: French Gouache Study of Hopi Kachina Mask and Taos Pueblo Textile by Emile GALLOIS (1882-1965, French) Signed: Yes Medium: Original gouache painting on thick unframed paper, ...
Gouache
"Georgia on My Mind, " 1960s Modern Abstract Painting
By Stanley Bate
Located in Westport, CT
This original Modern abstract piece by Abstract Expressionist Stanley Bate features a warm, earthy palette. In it, organic and rectangular shapes are layered with deep teal and creme...
Canvas, Oil
$272Sale Price|58% Off
Ponton à Ruth by William Goliasch - Print 50x66 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Swiss painter. Lithography and woodcut. Mural Lithograph numbered 54/80 Work on paper with frame, Total size with frame is 68x53 cm
Lithograph
Still Life', Worth Galleries, Palm Beach, Florida, Modernism
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Signed lower left, 'Irv Smith' for Irving T. Smith, (American, 20th century) and painted circa 1965. Irving Smith was an American Modernist painter who exhibited in Florida galleri...
Oil, Board
Colorful Summer Terrace
Located in Zofingen, AG
Colorful summer terrace acrylic painting with flowers and striped umbrellas Acrylic Painting on canvas One of a kind artwork Size: 100 × 120 × 3 cm (unframed) The artwork is titled...
Canvas, Acrylic
$872Sale Price|20% Off
Still Life in Blue 20th Century French Modernist Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Still Life in Blue by Laure Noetzin-Azam (French 1929-2024) pupil of André LHOTE oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 15 x 21.5 inches Provenance: all the paintings we have by this artist...
Oil
Ghosts of Saturday Morning - Abstract Urban Inspired Snoopy Cartoon Artwork
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This original painting on canvas brings the immediacy of street art, neo-expressionism, and raw gestural abstraction into a striking contemporary composition. Based in Los Angeles, O...
Canvas, Acrylic
Large Antique American Modernist Interior Kitchen Still Life Cubist Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Impressive early American modernist interior view still life painting. Oil on canvas. Framed. Image size, 34 by 40 inches.
Canvas, Oil
$120Sale Price|20% Off
Figures Walking Towards The White Cottage British Modernist Pastel Sketch
By Irina Hale
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Pastel Landscape by Irina Hale (British 1932-2022) pastel on brown artist tracing paper , unframed painting: 3.75 x 4.5 inches provenance: private collection, Cotswolds condition: ve...
Pastel
Sun Image
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Sun Image, 1936, oil on canvas, signed lower right, 30 x 24 inches, presented in a newer frame Jerre Murry was a California modernist painter. Born in Columbia, Missouri, Murry stu...
Canvas, Oil
Colorful 1950s Standing Male Bather in South of France by Andre Delfau
By Andre Delfau
Located in Chicago, IL
A vibrant 1950s Modern watercolor of a standing male bather in red & orange tones by notable French artist Andre Delfau. Painted in the south of France along the Cote d' azure (...
Watercolor, Paper
A Stylish, Vintage 1940s Woman's Fashion Design Study, Marshall Field & Co.
Located in Chicago, IL
A stylish, vintage, 1940s fashion study featuring an elegant design for a woman's coat, hat and muff, inscribed "Marshall Field & Co". Likely an advertisement illustration study...
Paper, Watercolor, Pencil
$4,600
A Large, Spectacular 1960s Mid-Century Modern Abstract Still Life Painting
By Rudolph Pen
Located in Chicago, IL
A Spectacular, Large 1960s Mid-Century Modern Abstract Studio Still Life Painting by Notable Chicago Artist, Rudolph Pen. A painting of dy...
Acrylic, Wood Panel
$5,500
'Modernist Still Life', Paris, Salon d Automne, Centre Pompidou, Budapest
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Signed upper right, 'G. Simonka' for Georges Simonka (Hungarian, 1916-2001) and dated 1955. A substantial, mid-century modernist, oil still-life showing an assemblage of items on a ...
Oil, Board
$1,309Sale Price|20% Off
Naval Engagement Napoleonic Wars Sea Battle Fine English Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Contemporay English School signed oil painting on copper panel framed: 13 x 14.5 inches panel: 8 x 10 inches provenance: private collection, England condition: overall very good
Oil
$818Sale Price|40% Off
Mediterranean Forest Landscape Oil Painting Post Impressionist Spanish Woodland
By Ramon Perez Barril
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Artist: Ramón Pérez Barril (Barcelona, 1950) Title: Mediterranean Forest Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 65 × 50 cm (25.6 × 19.7 in) Signature: Signed lower right Period: Contempor...
Oil
Man at Machine
By Theodore Roszak
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Man at Machine, 1939, oil on canvas, unsigned, 9 ½ x 16 inches, label verso bears artist’s name and address, title, date, size and medium of the painting, exhibited Roszak Early Pain...
Canvas, Oil
$1,636Sale Price|20% Off
Busy Beach Summer with Figures on Sand Contemporary French Modernist Oil
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Summer on the Beach Huguette Ginet-Lasnier (French 1927-2020) signed oil painting on canvas 20 x 24 inches. All the paintings we have for sale by this artist have come from the artis...
Canvas, Oil
$7,638Sale 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
Ballerina - Oil Painting by Miloslava Vrbova - Mid-20th Century
Located in Roma, IT
Oil Painting on panel realized by Miloslava Vrbova (1909-1991) in the mid-20th century, depicting an elegant reclyned ballerina. Hand signed. Good condition, framed.
Oil, Panel
An Exceptional Mid-Century Modern Oil Painting of a Reclining Nude Female Model
By Rudolph Pen
Located in Chicago, IL
An Exceptional Mid-Century Modern Oil Painting of a Reclining Nude Female Model by Noted Chicago Artist, Rudolph T. Pen. This alluring studio scene, painted in the 1960s, exemplifi...
Masonite, Oil
American Modernist Interior Scene Still Life Framed Original Snake Plant Signed
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American modernist still life oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed "Bedell". Measuring: 25 by 20.5 inches overall, and 20 by 16 painting alone. Excellent condition, ready to h...
Oil, Canvas
$2,800Sale Price|20% Off
Jungle With Tiger Exotic Large Oil Painting
Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL
Jungle with Tiger Large oil on canvas in the style of Henri Rousseau about 1970s signed R. Montileone. Canvas 48x48 with frame 56x56
Cotton Canvas, Oil
“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
A Striking Modern 1920s Art Deco Portrait of a Young Woman (Oberteuffer Class)
Located in Chicago, IL
A Striking 1920s Art Deco Modern Portrait of a Young Woman by Notable Chicago Artist, Walter Burt Adams (Am. 1903-1990). A well executed, early student work depicting a stylish youn...
Canvas, Oil
$818Sale Price|20% Off
Expressions in Bloom: Portraits from the 20th Century XIV - Florentine School
Located in London, GB
'Expressions in Bloom: Portraits from the 20th Century XIV', oil on canvas mounted on board, Florentine School (circa 1980s-90s). This gallery has acquired a number of paintings thro...
Canvas, Oil, Board
French Modernist 20th Century Oil Painting Red & White Coffee Cup Still Life
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Still Life of Coffee Cup and Fruit by Laure Noetzin-Azam (French 1929-2024) pupil of André LHOTE oil on canvas, unframed canvas: 22 x 15 inches Provenance: all the paintings we have ...
Oil
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
$2,591
Studio Flowers; yellow orchids on blue, original painting, flowers, contemporary
Located in Deddington, GB
An original still life from my Studio Flower series. Yellow orchids in a Moroccan inspired bowl, created in Oxfordshire. Each flower is hand crafted from Japanese paper and the back ...
Oil, Board