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.
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Monotype
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
1980s Pop Art Paintings
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Pigment, Screen
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Enamel
1990s Pop Art Paintings
Enamel, Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Newsprint
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Spray Paint, Acrylic, Board, Other Medium, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Mixed Media, Wood Panel, Nylon, Film, Oil Pastel
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Oil
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Oil
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Mixed Media, Paper, Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Enamel
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Oil Crayon, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Resin, Mixed Media, Wood Panel
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Wood, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Graphite
1980s Pop Art Paintings
Linen, Oil
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Wood, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Graphite, Paper
1990s Pop Art Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Lithograph
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Mixed Media, Paper
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Spray Paint, Acrylic, Mixed Media, Resin
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic, Spray Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
Early 2000s Pop Art Paintings
Oil, Canvas, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Acrylic, Paper, Mixed Media
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Linen, Acrylic
1970s Pop Art Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
When asked about the subject of this painting, artist Malia Pettit described her as "bold, striking and intelligent." Malia says the title of the piece is more literal than one might expect. "It's as though the woman who dominates this painting - wearing a power tuxedo no less - has willed herself to life on the canvas, transcending the surface and invading the space of the viewer. She has the power to seduce and command attention wherever she is put on display."
About the Artist
Malia Pettit sees her artistic process as an act of “liberating the paint” and “allowing for the unexpected to occur.” Her portraits of women stem from a fascination with glossy magazines and their portrayal of models, actors and celebrities. Her work has been especially influenced by Chantal Joffe...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Oil
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Mixed Media
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Mixed Media, Wood Panel, Polyurethane
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Oil
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic, Board
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Early 2000s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Early 2000s Pop Art Paintings
Wood, Paint
Artist Comments
A dramatic contemporary portrait. The figure looks out with an intense, piercing glance, balanced by the soft flowers in her hair and gentle blue sky in the background. Artist Malia Pettit explains that the painting is a progression of both her palette and subject matter. "It has all of the elements of my female portraits - dramatic shadows, bold features and sharp contrasting. However, I contrasted these elements with the crown of soft, whimsical, loosely painted flowers to lighten things up. The painting has a geisha-like feel with the high collar and flowing florals."
About the Artist
Malia Pettit sees her artistic process as an act of “liberating the paint” and “allowing for the unexpected to occur.” Her portraits of women stem from a fascination with glossy magazines and their portrayal of models, actors and celebrities. Her work has been especially influenced by Chantal Joffe and John Singer Sargent. She currently lives in California after having lived in England for ten years. When she’s not painting, she is a full-time mom and enjoys exploring estate sales, antique stores and used bookstores...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Linen, Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic, Board
1970s Pop Art Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Oil, Canvas
1970s Pop Art Paintings
Lithograph, Paper