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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
Hidden Portraits XXII, Acrylic on Board, Modern, Framed, 1980s
Hidden Portraits XXII, Acrylic on Board, Modern, Framed, 1980s

Hidden Portraits XXII, Acrylic on Board, Modern, Framed, 1980s

Located in London, GB

'Hidden Portraits XXII', acrylic on artist's board, Florentine School (circa 1980s-90s). This gallery has acquired a number of paintings through an intermediary of an ageing art prof...

Category

1980s Modern Art

Materials

Acrylic, Board

Antique American Modernist Orchid Flower Still Life Framed Luminous Oil Painting
Antique American Modernist Orchid Flower Still Life Framed Luminous Oil Painting

Antique American Modernist Orchid Flower Still Life Framed Luminous Oil Painting

Located in Buffalo, NY

Antique American modernist still life oil painting. Oil on canvas, lain to board. Framed. Measuring: 29 by 23 inches overall, and 24 by 18 painting alone. Excellent condition, read...

Category

1920s Modern Art

Materials

Oil

Green Hill Landscape Study of 1960's British Modernist Painting
Green Hill Landscape Study of 1960's British Modernist Painting

Green Hill Landscape Study of 1960's British Modernist Painting

By Irina Hale

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

1960's British Modernist Drawing by Irina Hale (British 1932-2022) watercolour painting on artist paper, unframed overall size: 7 x 5 inches provenance: private collection, Cotswolds...

Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Art

Materials

Watercolor

The Ditch

The Ditch

By Virginia True

Located in Los Angeles, CA

The Ditch, 1934, oil on board, signed and dated lower right, 18 x 24 inches, label verso has title, artist’s name, Colorado and New York addresses, and original price Virginia True ...

Category

1930s Modern Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Cinq Boules et Deux Serpents, Alexander Calder
Cinq Boules et Deux Serpents, Alexander Calder

Cinq Boules et Deux Serpents, Alexander Calder

By Alexander Calder

Located in Fairfield, CT

Artist: Alexander Calder (1898-1976) Title: Cinq Boules et Deux Serpents Year: 1965 Medium: Lithograph in colors on wove paper Edition: 90, plus proofs Size: 20.5 x 28.75 inches Cond...

Category

1960s Modern Art

Materials

Lithograph

'Woman in Blue', Danish Royal Academy, Brooklyn Museum, Kolding
'Woman in Blue', Danish Royal Academy, Brooklyn Museum, Kolding

'Woman in Blue', Danish Royal Academy, Brooklyn Museum, Kolding

Located in Santa Cruz, CA

Initialed lower left, 'A.S.' for Anton Schroder (Danish, 1893-1965) and dated 1953. A substantial, modernist oil painting of a young woman, shown seated and gazing to her left with ...

Category

1950s Modern Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Metropolitan Abstraction" Signed Mid Century Cubist Architectural Abstraction
"Metropolitan Abstraction" Signed Mid Century Cubist Architectural Abstraction

"Metropolitan Abstraction" Signed Mid Century Cubist Architectural Abstraction

Located in Buffalo, NY

Antique American abstract cubist street scene oil painting. Oil on board. Framed. Signed. Measuring: 31 by 42 inches overall, and 25 by 36 painting alone. In excellent original con...

Category

1940s Modern Art

Materials

Oil, Board

An Officer, Grande Armée, Hussars, Circa 1815
An Officer, Grande Armée, Hussars, Circa 1815

An Officer, Grande Armée, Hussars, Circa 1815

Located in Stoke, Hampshire

John Leslie Berry (1920–2009) An Officer, Grande Armée, Hussars, Circa 1815 Oil on canvas Signed lower left Canvas size - 14 x 10 in Framed size - 18 1/2 x 14 1/2 in ohn Leslie Ber...

Category

20th Century Modern Art

Materials

Oil

Sculptures (M. 950), Framed Modern Lithograph by Joan Miro
Sculptures (M. 950), Framed Modern Lithograph by Joan Miro

Sculptures (M. 950), Framed Modern Lithograph by Joan Miro

By Joan Miró

Located in Long Island City, NY

An original Joan Miro lithograph on BFK Rives with signature in the plate (printing). Printed and published by Arte Adrien Maeght, Paris. Nicely framed. Artist: Joan Miro, Spanish...

Category

1970s Modern Art

Materials

Lithograph

Goofy (Walt Disney Productions Cartoon Animator)
Goofy (Walt Disney Productions Cartoon Animator)

Goofy (Walt Disney Productions Cartoon Animator)

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Dick Ruhl (American, 1926-1991) Original Gouache Painting of Goofy, one of three images created specifically for Disney Interview portfolio, Los Angeles 1943. (see reference in bio below). Image measuring 12 x 18 inches. Signed & dated 1943 lower right. Framed measurement: 19 x 25 inches. Dick Ruhl was the grandson of German immigrants who settled in Nebraska as farmers brought to the US by the federal government to raise food for a growing population after the Civil War. On his mother’s side, his family dates back to Nathan Hale. Her father was in the Union Army and given a small farm by the government near Guthrie, Oklahoma. Dick’s parents, John and Lucille, were married in Chandler in 1902, and his dad got a job with the Frisco Railroad. Since the main yard and a hub were in Sapulpa, they moved here, initially settling at Elm and Lee street, but later they bought five acres at 1300 Cleveland and built a simple home with a water well, outdoor toilet, and coal oil lamps. Dick is a Sapulpa native who left his hometown at 16 to become an animator during the “golden age” of Disney Studios. Photo courtesy of Sapulpa Historical Society. Dick finally came along in 1926 and was born in the Sapulpa City Hospital at Division and Cleveland Streets. According to Dick, his doctor, William Polk Longmire—a famous Sapulpan in his own right—named Dick after himself on his birth certificate, listing Dick’s name as “Polk Knox Ruhl.” It wasn’t until 1937 that it was discovered and changed to James Richard Ruhl. Dick was doing farm chores at 5 years old, mostly feeding the animals and milking the cow. Every evening, he delivered milk to his last customer, a cousin named “Nellie,” whom Dick says was a bootlegger. Dick recalls one evening as he put Nellie’s milk in her icebox, a handsome gentleman named Charlie took him up on his lap. “He was wearing a gun, which impressed me,” Dick said, adding that Charlie gave him a shiny half dollar as a gift. “Each evening I rushed to Nellie’s, hoping to meet Charlie again, until one evening, she told me he would never be back.” Nellie showed Dick the evening Sapulpa Herald announcing that Charles “Pretty Boy” Floyd had been killed. Dick started school at 5 years old and said his teacher “loved and whipped me through first grade.” It must have done some good because he was able to skip the 2nd grade. In 3rd grade, his teacher, Miss Giles, had her students draw a house. “I don’t know why, but I drew my house in perfect perspective,” Dick said. “She bragged about my talent and it was then I decided to become a great artist.” Dick turned a small chicken house at his parents’ farm into his first studio and gallery. “My clients were ducks, chickens, and an occasional pig,” he said. As the country fell into the Great Depression, Dick said “it didn’t mean anything to me. We raised our food and Dad eked out a small wage on the railroad. Mom made our clothes from feed sacks purchased at Lee Nevin’s Feed Store, and we had credit at Bodkin’s Grocery, House’s Grocery, and Katz Department Store.” It was in High School that Dick began to really pursue his creative talents again. “The WPA sponsored an art class at the library in the basement,” he said. “My algebra teacher let me attend the art class instead of algebra.” Dick said his art teacher was Henry Simpson—a retired Western artist from Ft. Worth— and another teacher named Mrs. Casteel, whom Dick said “gave me the greatest advice I have ever learned: ‘Don’t think you’re all that good! You’ll meet artists who are better than you, but don’t get discouraged, keep doing your thing.’” Disney comes calling Dick was working at the Criterion Theatre in Sapulpa when Disney released “Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs...

Category

1940s Modern Art

Materials

Chalk, Gouache

Ben Avram, Israeli Bezalel School Old City Jerusalem Israel Landscape Painting
Ben Avram, Israeli Bezalel School Old City Jerusalem Israel Landscape Painting

Ben Avram, Israeli Bezalel School Old City Jerusalem Israel Landscape Painting

By Edward Ben Avram

Located in Surfside, FL

Edward Ben Avram Hand signed lower right Jerusalem Israeli Old City walls landscape cityscape. Home of the Har Habayit, The Western Wall, Temple mount. Size includes frame 23 X 28, paper is 14 X 20 inches Edward Ben Avram (born 1941) is an Indian - Israeli artist who was born in Bombay, India and immigrated to Israel as a teenager. He graduated from the Bezalel School of Art and Design in 1965 and continues to call Jerusalem his home. Most of Ben Avraham oil painting and watercolors portrays Israeli cities, particularly the old city of Jerusalem with its architecture and orientalist domes and arches, religious festivals, and Bible stories. He paints in creamy sensual tones incorporating symbols such as doves, a menorah, and Shabbat candles. With his penchant for filigreed designs and bright colors, Edouard Ben Avram betrays some influences of his Indian boyhood. But the subjects that he paints so gracefully with a touch of Oriental lyricism are scenes of Jerusalem, his home for over 20 years. Exhibitions 1964 Group exhibitions in the United States and Canada 1977 Safrai Gallery, Jerusalem (a prestigious gallery that shows Abel Pann, Mordecai Ardon, Samuel Bak, Abraham Binder...

Category

1980s Modern Art

Materials

Paper, Gouache

Set of 2 Bright Landscape Studies of 1960's British Modernist Drawings
Set of 2 Bright Landscape Studies of 1960's British Modernist Drawings

Set of 2 Bright Landscape Studies of 1960's British Modernist Drawings

By Irina Hale

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Set of Two Paired Studies 1960's British Modernist Drawing by Irina Hale (British 1932-2022) oil crayon drawings on light brown artist paper stuck on A4 artist paper, unframed overal...

Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Art

Materials

Oil Crayon

Cappiello's Contratto Canelli Vermouth - later printing, archival linen-backed
Cappiello's Contratto Canelli Vermouth - later printing, archival linen-backed

Cappiello's Contratto Canelli Vermouth - later printing, archival linen-backed

By Leonetto Cappiello

Located in Spokane, WA

Original Contratto Canelli Vermouth vintage Italian liquor poster. Archival linen backed and ready to frame. Very good condition. This is the later c.1950 lithograph printing of the poster. Beautiful advertising vintage affiche printed in offset lithography (second edition). There is no second printing date besides the original date inside the poster by Cappiello's signature. (Note that the earlier printing sells for about $9500.) Most standard size original Italian posters are 39" x 55" in size; or 27.5" x 39 half sheets. This is currently the lowest and best price for this Cappiello Contratto poster...

Category

Late 20th Century Modern Art

Materials

Offset

"Lahti" Rope work on canvas, by Axelle Gosse (40x 60 in), 2026
"Lahti" Rope work on canvas, by Axelle Gosse (40x 60 in), 2026

"Lahti" Rope work on canvas, by Axelle Gosse (40x 60 in), 2026

Located in Paris, France

This artwork by Axelle Gosse explores the interplay of structure, rhythm, and color through a complex composition crafted from rope and textile. Meticulously arranged lines create a ...

Category

2010s Modern Art

Materials

Textile

Mary Magdalene - Oil on Canvas by Italian School 19th cent.
Mary Magdalene - Oil on Canvas by Italian School 19th cent.

Mary Magdalene - Oil on Canvas by Italian School 19th cent.

Located in Roma, IT

Oil on canvas. cm 60.5 x 2 x 50 Nice Oil painting (Italian School of XIX century) with a rapid sign and intense colors backgrpound. Some color cracking on left margin and top edge, ...

Category

18th Century Modern Art

Materials

Oil

Untitled
Untitled

Untitled

By Fernando Canovas

Located in Miami Beach, FL

Constantly moving between the two- and three-dimensional worlds, Canova's painting reveals a profound preoccupation with space and time, themes that remain central to his work despit...

Category

1990s Modern Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Comédie Humaine : Circus Clown and Ballerina - Original Lithograph (Mourlot)
Comédie Humaine : Circus Clown and Ballerina - Original Lithograph (Mourlot)

Comédie Humaine : Circus Clown and Ballerina - Original Lithograph (Mourlot)

By Pablo Picasso

Located in Paris, IDF

Pablo PICASSO (1881-1973) Comédie Humaine, Circus clown and Ballerina, 1954 Original lithograph (Mourlot workshop) Unsigned On paper 26 .5 x 35.5 cm (c. 10,2 x 13.7 in) INFORMATION : Created for portfolio Verve n°29-30 "La comédie humaine, suite de 180 dessins de Picasso...

Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Art

Materials

Lithograph

Vintage American Modernist Surreal Figural Nude Portrait Large Framed Painting
Vintage American Modernist Surreal Figural Nude Portrait Large Framed Painting

Vintage American Modernist Surreal Figural Nude Portrait Large Framed Painting

Located in Buffalo, NY

Antique American modernist nude portrait oil painting. Oil on board. Framed. In excellent original condition. Handsomely framed in a modern molding. Excellent condition, ready to ...

Category

1950s 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

Three Figures - Drawing - 20th Century
Three Figures - Drawing - 20th Century

Three Figures - Drawing - 20th Century

Located in Roma, IT

Three figures is a modern artwork realized by Artist of 20th century Mixed colored drawing on paper. Hand signed on the lower margin. Includes frame.

Category

20th Century Modern Art

Materials

Paper

French Gouache Study of Hopi Kachina Mask and Taos Pueblo Textile
French Gouache Study of Hopi Kachina Mask and Taos Pueblo Textile

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, ...

Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Art

Materials

Gouache

36x48 "Star Wars" VHS Photo Photography Pop Art by Destro Signed
36x48 "Star Wars" VHS Photo Photography Pop Art by Destro Signed

36x48 "Star Wars" VHS Photo Photography Pop Art by Destro Signed

By Destro

Located in Los Angeles, CA

"The VHS" by pop Artist Destro. We all remember those iconic nights at the video store. Pop artist DESTRO once again encapsulates one of our favorite past times in a fine art con...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Art

Materials

Archival Pigment

Mid-Century Signed Still-Life Watercolor Drawing
Mid-Century Signed Still-Life Watercolor Drawing

Mid-Century Signed Still-Life Watercolor Drawing

By John Haymson

Located in Roma, IT

Wonderful and evocative watercolour on paper by the great Austrian-born artist who lived in the United States John Haymson (Vienna 1902 - New York 1980). This beautiful still life de...

Category

1940s Modern Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

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.