Pop Art 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.
Early 2000s Pop Art Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Paint, Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic, Panel
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Spray Paint, Acrylic, Wood Panel
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 Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Newsprint
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Artist Comments
A cropped image of a bull and its rider captures the intensity of the sport, creating a sense of immediacy and immersion. The scene conveys the rugged nature of...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Spray Paint, Acrylic, Wood Panel
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Metal
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Acrylic, Permanent Marker
1980s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Screen
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media
1980s Pop Art Paintings
Paint, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Newsprint
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Paper, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Graphite, Gel Pen
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Paper, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Gel Pen
Early 2000s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
A performer leans toward the mirror, applying a final touch of lipstick beneath the glow of vanity lights. Clad in a star-spangled top and Uncle Sam hat, she re...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Oil
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
A nighttime scene shows an In-N-Out Burger with a few people eating inside the brightly lit restaurant. Several cars are parked outside. The outdoor tables with colorful umbrellas are empty. The red and yellow neon lighting infuses the scene with a festive atmosphere.
About the Artist
Artist John Jaster paints in a style he describes as realistic impressions, capturing colorful views of his adventures across the Americas. "People always ask me how I get such deep brilliant colors," says John. "The answer is layers. Since acrylic paint dries mostly transparent, it requires multiple layers of paint to build up to a specific color. With the right lighting that depth of layering is like sunshine glistening through clear water." In college, John felt a pull towards computer science and pursued a career in software architecture. Although the two paths...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1970s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Newsprint
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Acrylic, Wood Panel
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 Paintings
Oil
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Wood, Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Acrylic, Permanent Marker
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Paper, Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
A woman appears with an impassive expression, seemingly absorbed in thought. Her calm face and sculptural softness bring a sense of tranquility, while the vibra...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Charcoal, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Wood Panel, Archival Paper
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Newsprint
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic, Graphite, Oil Pastel
Artist Comments
People bustle past each other, filling the sidewalks of 42nd Street in New York City. On this sunny winter afternoon, storefronts dazzle with colorful advertisements, while theater marquee lights reflect off restaurant windows. The sounds of traffic mix with the lively beat of Spanish rock music from boom boxes, infusing the air with the vibrant pulse of urban life.
About the Artist
Artist Leroy Burt paints playful, offbeat landscapes and portraits based on his experiences living in Milwaukee, New York, Costa Rica, and currently Rochester, Minnesota. "I think of my paintings as short stories," he says. As a young child, Leroy faced a number of obstacles. His parents divorced when he was four years old and he was raised by his grandparents in a three-room shack without running water or electricity. Leroy worked hard to pull himself out of poverty. He studied graphic design and painting, which led to a 30-year career in graphic design - five years at WMVS, the PBS television station in Milwaukee, fifteen years at city hall in Milwaukee, and ten years at WNET, the PBS station in New York. In 2015, Leroy retired to focus his energy on painting. Today, he works from a tiny studio filled with half-finished paintings stacked against every wall. "There are photos and sketches for future paintings taped everywhere," says Leroy. "My windows are filled with orchids. There are books, films and music CDs in every corner. And the room is dominated by a black and silver Andy Warhol silkscreen...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Gouache, Board
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
A pop art-style portrait of a powerful leopard, surrounded by bursts of bright vivid colors and flowing brushwork. The big cat stares into the distance, undi...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Oil
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic, Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Mixed Media, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
