Skip to main content

Contemporary Portrait Photography

CONTEMPORARY STYLE

Used to refer to a time rather than an aesthetic, Contemporary art generally describes pieces created after 1970 or being made by living artists anywhere in the world. This immediacy means it encompasses art responding to the present moment through diverse subjects, media and themes. Contemporary painting, sculpture, photography, performance, digital art, video and more frequently includes work that is attempting to reshape current ideas about what art can be, from Felix Gonzalez-Torres’s use of candy to memorialize a lover he lost to AIDS-related complications to Jenny Holzer’s ongoing “Truisms,” a Conceptual series that sees provocative messages printed on billboards, T-shirts, benches and other public places that exist outside of formal exhibitions and the conventional “white cube” of galleries.

Contemporary art has been pushing the boundaries of creative expression for years. Its disruption of the traditional concepts of art are often aiming to engage viewers in complex questions about identity, society and culture. In the latter part of the 20th century, contemporary movements included Land art, in which artists like Robert Smithson and Michael Heizer create large-scale, site-specific sculptures, installations and other works in soil and bodies of water; Sound art, with artists such as Christian Marclay and Susan Philipsz centering art on sonic experiences; and New Media art, in which mass media and digital culture inform the work of artists such as Nam June Paik and Rafaël Rozendaal.

The first decades of the 21st century have seen the growth of Contemporary African art, the revival of figurative painting, the emergence of street art and the rise of NFTs, unique digital artworks that are powered by blockchain technology.

Major Contemporary artists practicing now include Ai Weiwei, Cecily Brown, David Hockney, Yayoi Kusama, Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami and Kara Walker.

Find a collection of Contemporary prints, photography, paintings, sculptures and other art on 1stDibs.

to
4
284
113
2
7
13
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
6
3,243
6,904
1
2
11
67
78
394
483
458
862
526
180
13
8
5
3
3
2
2
1
1
232
166
21
368
214
208
178
166
134
95
74
69
51
37
26
22
20
19
19
18
16
15
15
318
265
92
90
53
20
18
10
8
7
23
286
153
142
Period: 1970s
Style: Contemporary
John Waters Baltimore 1985 (John Waters photograph)
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Fernando Natalici: John Waters, Baltimore 1985: John Waters was born in 1946 in Baltimore, where he continues to live and work. Exhibitions include the Wexner Center for the Arts, Co...
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Inkjet

'Tiger Lady' Limited Edition Photograph by Getty Images 16 X 16
Located in San Rafael, CA
March 16, 1971: Air Stewardess Cynthia Robertson models the new uniform for National Airlines. A synthetic tiger skin number, the new uniform will be worn by over 1000 stewardesses....
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

"Marvin Gaye at the Recording Session for 'Let's Get it On'" photo by Jim Britt
Located in Boca Raton, FL
"Marvin Gaye at the Recording Session for 'Let's Get It On'" black and white framed photograph hand signed by Jim Britt. This image is in the collection of the Smithsonian Portrait G...
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Hunter S. Thompson in Cozumel by Al Satterwhite, 1974, Archival Pigment Print
Located in Denton, TX
Hunter S. Thompson in Cozumel by Al Satterwhite features a portrait of Hunter S. Thompson sitting at a table while pouring a beer into a glass. This photograph is listed as a 17.75 ...
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Truman Capote Candid
Located in Austin, TX
Truman Capote was an American novelist, screenwriter, playwright, and actor. Several of his short stories, novels, and plays have been praised as literary classics, including the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's (1958) and the true crime...
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Robert Redford Blowing a Bubble
Located in Austin, TX
This comedic and striking portrait features Robert Reford chewing gum, blowing a large bubble. Robert Redford is an American actor, director, producer, and businessman. He is the founder of the Sundance Film Festival. Redford made his film debut in War Hunt (1962). His role in Inside Daisy Clover won him a Golden Globe for best new star. He starred in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, which was a huge success and made him a major star. In 1972, he had a critical and box office hit with Jeremiah...
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

AC/DC in Concert
Located in Austin, TX
Awesome color capture of AC/DC concert in 1979, Angus Young rocking out in the foreground. AC/DC is an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Y...
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Digital, Archival Pigment

"Mick Jagger 'The Back'" photograph by Lynn Goldsmith from the Hard Rock Hotel
Located in Boca Raton, FL
"Mick Jagger 'The Back'" framed black and white photograph by Lynn Goldsmith. Image size: 16 x 11 inches. This photograph was previously displayed in a guest room of the original Har...
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

May 6, 1976 -Friuli Earthquake - Gemona - Vintage Photograph - 1976
Located in Roma, IT
May 6, 1976 -Friuli earthquake- Gemona is a black and white vintage photo, realized in May 13, 1976. Good conditions and aged. It belongs to a historical and nostalgic album includ...
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Alice Cooper in Concert
By Mike Gray
Located in Austin, TX
This black and white action shot features singer and musician Alice Cooper performing on stage. Alice Cooper is an American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spans over fi...
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Digital, Archival Pigment

George Foreman: Legendary Fighter
Located in Austin, TX
A spectacular 1970s action shot featuring heavyweight champion George Foreman in his prime. George Foreman is an American former professional boxer, entrepreneur, minister and auth...
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Digital, Archival Pigment

Gigi Proietti - Vintage Photograph - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Luigi Proietti is a black and white vintage photo, realized in 1970s. The photo depicts the italian actor and showman, Luigi Proietti. Good conditions and aged. It belongs to a hi...
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Jasper & Elaine, Infinity, New York, NY, 1976
Located in Hudson, NY
Listing is for UNFRAMED print. Inquire within for framing. Edition 1 of 20 After 30 years on West 11th Street, The Robin Rice Gallery celebrates its first ever exhibition for Robin...
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Metal

Eduardo De Filippo - Vintage Photograph - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Eduardo De Filippo is a black and white vintage photo, realized in 1970s. Good conditions and aged. It belongs to a historical and nostalgic album including historical moments, pla...
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Eduardo De Filippo - Vintage Photograph - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Eduardo De Filippo is a black and white vintage photo, realized in 1970s. Good conditions and aged. It belongs to a historical and nostalgic album including historical moments, pla...
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Gigi Proietti and Mariangela Melato - Vintage Photograph - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Gigi Proietti  and Mariangela Melato is a black and white vintage photo, realized in 1970s. The photo depicts the actors Luigi Proietti and Mariange...
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Gigi Proietti - Vintage Photograph - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Gigi Proietti is a black and white vintage photo, realized in 1970s. The photo depicts the italian actor and showman, Gigi Proietti. Good conditions and aged. It belongs to a hist...
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Gigi Proietti - Vintage Photograph - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Gigi Proietti is a black and white vintage photo, realized in 1970s. The photo depicts the italian actor and showman, Luigi Proietti. Good conditions and aged. It belongs to a his...
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Sal Vizzini - Vintage Photograph - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Sal Vizzini is a black and white vintage photo, realized in 1970s. The photo depicts the secret agent, Sal Vizzini. Good conditions and aged. It belongs to a historical and nostal...
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Sal Vizzini - Vintage Photograph - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Sal Vizzini is a black and white vintage photo, realized in 1970s. The photo depicts the secret agent, Sal Vizzini. Good conditions and aged. It belongs to a historical and nostal...
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

The Italian Actress Lea Massari - Vintage Photograph - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Vintage Photo. The Italian Actress Lea Massari in a vintage dress.
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

The Italian Actress Lea Massari - Vintage Photograph - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Vintage Photo. The Italian Actress Lea Massari on the set of a movie.
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

The Italian Actress Lea Massari - Vintage Photograph - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Vintage Photo. The Italian Actress Lea Massari.
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

The Italian Actress Lea Massari - Vintage Photograph - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Vintage Photo. The Italian Actress Lea Massari on the set of a movie.
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

The Italian Actress Lea Massari - Vintage Photograph - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Vintage Photo. The Italian Actress Lea Massari.
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

The German-American Actress Barbara Bouchet - Vintage Photograph - 1974
Located in Roma, IT
Vintage Photo. The German-American Actress Barbara Bouchet with the "Maschera d'argento" prize 1973-1974.
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

The Italian Actress Antonella Lualdi - Vintage Photograph - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Vintage Photo. The Italian Actress Antonella Lualdi with a baby monkey.
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

The Italian Actress Antonella Lualdi - Vintage Photograph - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Vintage Photo. The Italian Actress Antonella Lualdi.
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

The Italian Actress Antonella Lualdi - Vintage Photograph - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Vintage Photo. The Italian Actress Antonella Lualdi singing.
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

The Italian Actress Antonella Lualdi - Vintage Photograph - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Vintage Photo. The Italian Actress Antonella Lualdi in Rome (15.09.1971).
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

The Italian Actress Antonella Lualdi - Vintage Photograph - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Vintage Photo. The Italian Actress Antonella Lualdi in a seductive pose. Lighty damaged.
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

The Italian Actress Antonella Lualdi - Vintage Photograph - 1982
Located in Roma, IT
Vintage Photo. The Italian Actress Antonella Lualdi and Giulia Fossà during the rehearsal of the show "il dado magico". 25.10.1982
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

The Italian Actress Antonella Lualdi - Vintage Photograph - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Vintage Photo. The Italian Actress Antonella Lualdi.
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

The Italian Actress Antonella Lualdi - Vintage Photograph - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Vintage Photo. Rome, 24.04.1976 Antonella Lualdi, singer, during "Adesso Musica".
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

The Italian Actress Lauretta Masiero - Vintage photo - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Vintage Photo. The Italian Actress Lauretta Masiero in a scene from "Palcoscenico musicale", by Carla Ragionieri. 
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

The Italian Actress Lauretta Masiero - Vintage photo - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Vintage Photo. The Italian Actress Lauretta Masiero.
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

The Italian Actress Lauretta Masiero - Vintage photo - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Vintage Photo. The Italian Actress Lauretta Masiero on the set of a movie.
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

The Italian Actress Lauretta Masiero - Vintage photo - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Vintage Photo. The Italian Actress Lauretta Masiero on the set of a movie.
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

The French Actor Henry Vidal - Vintage photo - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Vintage Photo. 
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

The English Actress Claire Bloom - Vintage photo - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Vintage Photo. The English Actress Claire Bloom in an elegant pose.
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

The Italian Actor Marcello Mastroianni - Vintage photo - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Vintage Photo. The Italian Actor Marcello Mastroianni shows his award.
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

The Italian Actor Amedeo Nazzari - Vintage photo - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Vintage Photo. The Italian Actor Amedeo Nazzari in a scene from the movie "Dal tuo al mio" by Mario Landi.
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

The Italian Actress Laura Belli - Vintage photo - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Vintage Photo. The Italian Actress Laura Belli in a scene from "Ho incontrato un'ombra", by Daniele D'Anza. 
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

The Italian Actress and Singer Loretta Goggi - Vintage photo - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Vintage Photo. The Italian actress and singer Loretta Goggi with Daniele Formica. Lightly damaged.
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

David Bowie at The Forum - mid 1970's by Julian Wasser
Located in Chicago, IL
David Bowie at The Forum, mid 1970's Silver Gelatin Print Edition size: 15 *Also available in black & white* Unframed available in the following sizes: 16...
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Rare Vintage Color C Print Photograph African Maasai Warrior Chromogenic Photo
Located in Surfside, FL
Carol Beckwith, (American, b. 1945), Maasai Portrait Chromogenic print on paper, from Beckwith's book "Maasai" (1980), Hand signed in pencil, dated and titled with name of sitter in margins, 19" x 16" Sheet. Carol Beckwith (1945-) is an American photographer, author, and artist known for her photojournalism documenting the indigenous tribal cultures of Africa, most notably in partnership with the Australian photographer Angela Fisher. Between them, Beckwith and Fisher have published 14 books, and have had their photos appear in National Geographic, Natural History, African Arts, The Observer Magazine, Time, Life, Vogue, Marie Claire and Elle. They continue to exhibit and lecture at galleries and museums worldwide, including The American Museum of Natural History and The Explorers Club in New York City, The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, and the Royal Geographical Society in London. They have also collaborated on four films about African traditions. Together they have received numerous accolades, including the United Nations Award for Excellence, the Royal Geographical Society's Cherry Kearton Medal, two Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards, The Explorers Club Lowell Thomas Award, and the WINGS WorldQuest Lifetime Achievement Award. Carol Beckwith was born in Boston, Massachusetts, where she went on to attend both the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Goucher College in Maryland. After obtaining her degree in Painting and Photography she won a traveling fellowship from the Boston Museum, which let her travel to other countries for the first time. She spent seven months in Japan, living in a Zen temple and studying calligraphy painting. She continued to travel through Southeast Asia and New Guinea, where she witnessed a "sing-sing", a gathering of 90,000 Highland warriors, in Mount Hagen, and paddled up Chambri Lakes in a canoe, an experience she called "one of the most wonderful, and in a way formative, experiences in my life." Her first trip to Africa was in 1973, when she was invited to spend Christmas with a friend in Kenya. Beckwith bought a 45-day roundtrip ticket and ended up staying eight months. There she encountered the Maasai people who invited her to witness a female circumcision ceremony. Astonished by the ritual, she then determined to spend more time with the Maasai. Beckwith studied photography in college but had initially intended to become a painter. It was during her travels through New Guinea that she realized the advantages of photography, saying that "there was such a vast amount of exciting material that I began to photograph instead, approaching photography with the eye of a painter in terms of light, color, composition. I wanted the images to be multi layered experiences in a way that a painting is. . . [Photography] seemed to be a more suitable medium for the pace of travel." Beckwith's first major collaboration was with Tepilit Ole Saitoti, an anthropologist and former Maasai warrior...
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, C Print

Elaine's Kitchen - Andy Warhol and Elaine, New York, 1976
Located in New York, NY
Elaine's Kitchen - Andy Warhol and Elaine, New York, 1976 Photographed by Jonathan Becker Contemporary 14" x 14.5" Platinum & Palladium Print Edition Nº 1 of 3 Certificate of Origin Signed and Titled by the Photographer in Edition and Emboss-stamped in the Margin/Recto Printing & Edition Notes along with Copyright Stamp and Applicable Providence on Verso Printed by hand at the photographer's studio in the traditional Platinum & Palladium process on 100% cotton rag paper. Platinum & Palladium prints are known for their unrivaled longevity and unparalleled subtlety. Print cost includes wrapping/packing/crating for shipment in double-tubing. ______ Jonathan Becker (Steven Kasher Gallery bio by Mark Rozzo) Literate flair, acute visual intuition, love of mischief and spontaneity, and global wanderlust: These are among the hallmarks of the work of Jonathan Becker, whose photography spans four decades and includes iconic portraits (often for Vanity Fair) of a multiplicity of subjects, including Robert Mapplethorpe, Martha Graham, Madonna, Elia Kazan, Prince Charles, Eudora Welty, André Leon Talley, Ai Weiwei, Diana Vreeland and Jack Kevorkian. Becker - whose work was first published in Andy Warhol’s Interview in 1973 - was born in 1954 and raised in New York City. In the mid-1970s, he moved for a year to Paris, where he was mentored by his hero, Brassaï. Upon return to New York, Becker drove a cab, toting his camera and parking to complete magazine assignments. A 1981 exhibition of Becker’s work at New York’s Rentschler Gallery included a series of arresting images of patrons taken inside the kitchen at Elaine’s, the storied hangout on New York’s Upper East Side. This exhibition, curated by art director Bea Feitler brought Becker to the attention of Frank Zachary, editor-in-chief of Town & Country. Zachary invited Becker to work for the magazine, where the young photographer further developed his passion for journalistic portraiture alongside Slim Aarons, who, after Brassaï, became Becker’s guiding light. Becker was then enlisted by Bea Feitler to contribute portraits to the prototype of Vanity Fair’s 1983 re-launch. His participation led to a highly prolific association with the magazine as Contributing Photographer, continuing to this day. Becker has also contributed portraits and reportage to The New Yorker, Vogue, W, The Paris Review, amongst truly most major publications. In complement to his editorial work, Becker has accepted a limited number of private and family portrait commissions each year, some accompanied by privately published books, and in the course of his three-years-long project for the Rockefeller Foundation, Becker documented its vast array of philanthropic grant recipients on four continents abroad. Six trade books comprised entirely of Becker’s photographs have been published including Bright Young Things...
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Platinum

Staff of Statue of Liberty - Group Portrait, New York, National Monument
Located in Denton, TX
Staff of Statue of Liberty by Neal Slavin is a color group portrait featuring workers standing at the base of the iconic New York statue. Edition of 12 Archival Pigment Print Paper...
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

Luchino Visconti - Vintage Photo - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Luchino Visconti is a vintage black and white photograph realized in the 1970s. Good conditions.
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Claudio Martelli and François Mitterand - Vintage photo - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Claudio Martelli and François Mitterand - Historical Photo is a black and white vintage photograph realized in the 1970s. It belongs to historical album including photo reportages of...
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Iva Zanicchi - Vintage Photo - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Iva Zanicchi is a vintage black and white photograph realized in the 1970s. Good conditions.
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Lauretta Masiero - Vintage Photo - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Lauretta Masiero a Portrait is a vintage black and white photograph realized in the 1970s. Good conditions.
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Paulo Gomes Garcet - Vintage Photo - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Paulo Gomes Garcet is a  vintage photo, realized in the 1970s. The artwork is a well-balanced composition.
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Prof. Christiaan Barnard - Vintage Photo - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Old Days - Prof. Christian Barnard is a vintage black and white photograph realized in the 1970s. Good conditions.
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Prof. Christiaan Barnard - Vintage Photo - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Prof. Christiaan Barnard  is a vintage black and white photograph realized in the 1970s. Good conditions.
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Photo of Iva Zanicchi - Vintage Photo - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Photo of Iva Zanicchi a Portrait is a vintage black and white photograph realized in the 1970s. Good conditions.
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Prof. Christiaan Barnard and President Sandro Pertini - Vintage Photo - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Prof. Christiaan Barnard and President Sandro Pertini is a vintage black and white photograph realized in the 1970s. Good conditions.
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Photo of Valeria Valeri - Vintage Photo - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Photo of Valeria Valeri is a vintage black and white photograph realized in the 1970s. Good conditions.
Category

1970s Contemporary Portrait Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Contemporary portrait photography for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Contemporary portrait photography available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add portrait photography created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, orange, purple, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Stefanie Schneider, Tyler Shields, Urizen Freaza, and Clare Marie Bailey. Frequently made by artists working with Paper, and Photographic Paper and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Contemporary portrait photography, so small editions measuring 1.58 inches across are also available.

Recently Viewed

View All