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Modern Art

MODERN STYLE

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.

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Style: Modern
African Warthog - Lithograph by Paul Gervais - 1854

African Warthog - Lithograph by Paul Gervais - 1854

By Paul Gervais

Located in Roma, IT

African Warthog is an original lithograph on ivory-colored paper, realized by Paul Gervais (1816-1879). The artwork is from The Series of "Les Trois Règnes de la Nature", and was pub...

Category

1850s Modern Art

Materials

Paper, Lithograph

Morning Sunrise, Mid Century Laguna Hills Figurative Landscape
Morning Sunrise, Mid Century Laguna Hills Figurative Landscape

Morning Sunrise, Mid Century Laguna Hills Figurative Landscape

Located in Soquel, CA

Beautiful mid century plein air figural landscape of Laguna Niguel, California by an unknown artist (American, 20th Century). The morning sun glistens on the mountain tops and surrou...

Category

1950s Modern Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Cardboard

Mid-Century Modern Paris: A View of the Seine
Mid-Century Modern Paris: A View of the Seine

Mid-Century Modern Paris: A View of the Seine

Located in Norwich, GB

Experience the romance and abstraction of 1950s Paris through this striking original mixed media drawing by the acclaimed American Modernist, Frederick E. Conway (1900–1973). This c...

Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Art

Materials

Ink, Watercolor, Gouache

Midnight Flower 1969 Signed Limited Edition Large Woodcut

Midnight Flower 1969 Signed Limited Edition Large Woodcut

Located in Rochester Hills, MI

Peter Green Midnight Flower Paper Size = 26½" x 38½" inches Signed in pencil, titled, dated and marked 1/30 Born in 1933, Peter Green studied at Brighton College of Art and the In...

Category

1960s Modern Art

Materials

Woodcut

Erotic Scene - Héliogravure by Micheal Von Zichy - 1911

Erotic Scene - Héliogravure by Micheal Von Zichy - 1911

By Micheal Von Zichy

Located in Roma, IT

Erotic scene is an original Héliogravure artwork on ivory-colored paper, realized by Micheal Von Zichy in 1911. Printed in only 300 copies, Leipzig; Privatdruck, from the Catalogue "Liebe" (Dear), Text in German on the plate, The drawing created unusually bold erotic subjects through deft strokes. Good conditions. Mihály Zichy...

Category

1910s Modern Art

Materials

Paper, Engraving

A Vintage 1950s Pastel & Charcoal Drawing of a Hockey Game by Francis Chapin
A Vintage 1950s Pastel & Charcoal Drawing of a Hockey Game by Francis Chapin

A Vintage 1950s Pastel & Charcoal Drawing of a Hockey Game by Francis Chapin

By Francis Chapin

Located in Chicago, IL

Perfect for any hockey enthusiast! A dynamic 1950s pastel and charcoal on paper drawing of a hockey game by artist Francis Chapin. Artwork size: 9 x 12 inches; Matted size: 14 x 18 inches. Estate stamped on reverse. Provenance: Estate of the Artist. Francis Chapin, affectionately called the “Dean of Chicago Painters” by his colleagues, was one of the city’s most popular and celebrated painters in his day. Born at the dawn of the 20th Century in Bristolville, Ohio, Chapin graduated from Washington and Jefferson College near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania before enrolling at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1922. He would set down deep roots at the Art Institute of Chicago, exhibiting there over 31 times between 1926 and 1951. In 1927 Chapin won the prestigious Bryan Lathrop Fellowship from the Art Institute – a prize that funded the artist’s yearlong study trip to Europe. Upon his return to the United States, Chapin decided to remain in Chicago, noting the freedom Chicago artists have in developing independently of the pressure to conform to pre-existing molds (as was experienced by artists in New York, for example). Chapin became a popular instructor at the Art Institute, teaching there from 1929 to 1947 and at the Art Institute’s summer art school in Saugatuck, Michigan (now called Oxbow) between 1934 – 1938 (he was the director of the school from 1941-1945). Chapin’s contemporaries among Chicago’s artists included such luminaries as Ivan Le Lorraine Albright...

Category

1950s Modern Art

Materials

Paper, Charcoal, Pastel

Studio Flowers, Yellow orchids on pink, original painting, flowers
Studio Flowers, Yellow orchids on pink, original painting, flowers

Studio Flowers, Yellow orchids on pink, original painting, flowers

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 ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Art

Materials

Oil, Board

“Still Life, 1936” by Katharine "Kitty" Duff Church British Modern Oil Signed
“Still Life, 1936” by Katharine "Kitty" Duff Church British Modern Oil Signed

“Still Life, 1936” by Katharine "Kitty" Duff Church British Modern Oil Signed

Located in Yardley, PA

“Still Life, 1936” by Katharine "Kitty" Duff Church (British, 1910-1999). This large, early painting by Katherine Church is among her finest canvases of the period. Characterized by its bold color palette, simplified forms, and expressive brushwork, this composition centers around a tabletop adorned with various objects: potted plants, a ceramic dish, bottles, and what appear to be books or papers. The two potted plants provide contrasting elements: on the left, what appears to be a cyclamen with red blossoms and delicate leaves, and on the right, a lush green plant with darker foliage. These plants, painted with loose, textured strokes, add an organic quality to the otherwise structured arrangement. The tabletop is cluttered yet thoughtfully composed, featuring additional objects like a clear, faceted glass bowl, a small bottle, and books or pads in striking red and green. The dynamic use of color blocks and the juxtaposition of shapes (round pots against rectangular books) create a sense of rhythm and harmony. The background is darker and less defined, emphasizing the brightly lit tabletop. Church's brushwork is gestural and modernist, leaning toward abstraction, challenging traditional still life conventions. This painting reflects Church’s interest in balancing everyday objects with bold artistic expression. It conveys both the simplicity and complexity of daily life, transforming an ordinary moment into a vibrant and engaging work of art. This work is oil on canvas and is signed and dated in the lower right. It is housed in its original gessoed frame and retains various labels and inscriptions on the reverse. Size: 28.25 inches tall by 36 inches wide (painting) 34 inches tall by 42 inches wide by 2 inches deep (frame) Provenance: Private collection, NY; Acquired from the above About the artist: Born in Highgate, north London, Katharine Church, known as ‘Kitty’ amongst friends and family, always wanted to paint. She trained at the Royal Academy of Arts between 1930-1933 and at the Slade between 1933 and 1934. In her early years Kitty exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy. Her first solo exhibition was in 1933 at the Wertheim Gallery. Other artists who exhibited there included Christopher Wood, Victor Pasmore and Cedric Morris. Kitty also showed with the New English Art Club, the London Group and between 1937-1947 her work was exhibited at the influential Lefevre Gallery, which supported avant-garde artists such as Henry Moore, Ben Nicholson and Barbara Hepworth. In 1954 the artist was invited to take part in the Figures in their setting exhibition held at the Tate Gallery. Henry Tonks and Philip Wilson Steer had a strong influence on Kitty’s early work, but it was her friendship with Ivon Hitchens that liberated her painting technique. In 1936 Kitty married Anthony West, the son of writers Rebecca West and H.G. Wells. The couple initially lived in London before moving to Quarry Farm, Chicksgrove, Tisbury, near Salisbury, where they brought up their children Caroline and Edmund. There they hosted many of their friends, including the New Zealand painter Frances Hodgkins. Other regular visitors before the War included John and Mywafany Piper, Ralph and Frances Partridge, Noel and Catharine Carrington, Julian Trevelyan and Mary Fedden. For many of those who visited Kitty would organise painting expeditions. After the war Kitty and Anthony separated, with Anthony moving to the United States. Anthony West moved to the United States to work as a journalist for The New Yorker. In the early years after their parting Kitty visited most years with the children. In the 1960s Kitty purchased Sutton House and ran the Hambledon Gallery at Blandford Forum. There she promoted the work of her early art-school friends Mary Fedden and Julian Trevelyan, alongside work by the Pipers, John Craxton...

Category

1930s Modern Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Half Dome in Pastel Colors, Yosemite National Park Fauvist Landscape Watercolor
Half Dome in Pastel Colors, Yosemite National Park Fauvist Landscape Watercolor

Half Dome in Pastel Colors, Yosemite National Park Fauvist Landscape Watercolor

By Karen Druker

Located in Soquel, CA

Bright Fauvist landscape of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park, with beautiful use of color by Karen Druker (American, 1945). Signed "Druker" in the lower right corner. Presented in...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Art

Materials

Paper, Pastel, Watercolor

PERSONAGGI - Olio su masonite, Nicola Gambedotti, 1970
PERSONAGGI - Olio su masonite, Nicola Gambedotti, 1970

PERSONAGGI - Olio su masonite, Nicola Gambedotti, 1970

By Nicola Gambedotti

Located in Napoli, IT

Nicola Gambedotti, è stato un pittore e incisore figurativo di ricerca, considerato uno dei massimi esperti nell’utilizzo della tecnica ad acrilico bulinato. Le sue opere figurano in...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Art

Materials

Masonite, Oil

Carved Marble Figure of a Putto with Serpent - Sculpture - 19th Century
Carved Marble Figure of a Putto with Serpent - Sculpture - 19th Century

Carved Marble Figure of a Putto with Serpent - Sculpture - 19th Century

Located in Roma, IT

A finely carved marble sculpture depicting a reclining putto engaged in play with a serpent coiled around its arms, realized in Italy in the late 19th Century. The cherubic figure is...

Category

19th Century Modern Art

Materials

Marble

48x36  "Apollo 8 Earth Rise"  Space Photography NASA Fine Art Print Photograph
48x36  "Apollo 8 Earth Rise"  Space Photography NASA Fine Art Print Photograph

48x36 "Apollo 8 Earth Rise" Space Photography NASA Fine Art Print Photograph

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Original museum grade exhibition prints on acid-free archival photographic luster paper. These are the highest quality NASA prints ever produced. Edition of 250 Taken aboard Apollo...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Art

Materials

Archival Ink, Archival Pigment

Blue Stripes and Citrus Dreams
Blue Stripes and Citrus Dreams

Blue Stripes and Citrus Dreams

Located in Zofingen, AG

Oil pastel still life of wine and coffee on striped outdoor table Oil pastel drawing on paper One of a kind artwork Size: 50 × 70 × 0,1 cm It is original hand drawing on 250 gsm acid-free paper The artwork is titled and signed on the front and also comes with a certificate of authenticity. Artworks are shipped rolled in a secure tube. This is a safe and reliable packaging method that ensures your artwork arrives in perfect condition while keeping shipping costs affordable. Bring the warmth of the French Riviera into your space with this vibrant oil pastel still life inspired by Mediterranean summer living. This artwork captures a joyful outdoor table scene featuring coffee, wine, lemons, and palm leaves arranged across bold blue and white stripes. Created in the expressive style reminiscent of Raoul Dufy, this pastel drawing celebrates color, movement, and relaxed coastal elegance. A close-up perspective from above shows hands holding glasses of red and white wine alongside heart-shaped plates filled with fresh orange slices and a dark green olive oil bottle...

Category

2010s Modern Art

Materials

Paper, Oil Pastel

Modern art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Modern art 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 art created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, red, orange, purple and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Kevin Westenberg, Stuart Möller, Destro, and Christel Haag. Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and 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 Modern art, so small editions measuring 0.4 inches across are also available. Prices for art made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $33 and tops out at $390,000, while the average work sells for $1,912.