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Pop Art

POP ART STYLE

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

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

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.

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Style: Pop Art
Whitney Museum print hand signed inscribed by Jasper Johns to Museum conservator
Whitney Museum print hand signed inscribed by Jasper Johns to Museum conservator

Whitney Museum print hand signed inscribed by Jasper Johns to Museum conservator

By Jasper Johns

Located in New York, NY

Jasper Johns The Drawings of Jasper Johns (hand signed and inscribed by Jasper Johns), 1991 Amazing provenance: Offset lithograph poster (hand signed and inscribed to Frank Martin, former conservator of the Whitney Museum) Hand signed and inscribed by Jasper Johns on the front Frame Included: matted in cream colored matting and held in original vintage frame Jasper Johns signed and inscribed this poster to Jack Martin, former Head Preparator at the Whitney Museum. This print was published by the Whitney Museum of American Art for the exhibition, " The Drawings of Jasper Johns Whitney...

Category

1990s Pop Art

Materials

Lithograph, Offset

Mr. Dob
Mr. Dob

Mr. Dob

By Takashi Murakami

Located in London, GB

Mr. Dob, 2016 Edition of 750 Signature Stamped by artist's estate, Stamped by BAIT X Switch Series Mr. Dob Manufacturer ComplexCon Bait. Takashi Murakami’s Mr DOB sculpture toy is a...

Category

2010s Pop Art

Materials

Acrylic, Vinyl

Pop!
Pop!

Pop!

By Burton Morris

Located in West Hollywood, CA

Pop! is an early and defining work by contemporary pop artist Burton Morris, presenting the visual language that helped establish his internationally recognizable style. A tilted pop...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Lichtenstein Paper Plate — Pop Art Icon, 1969 Original Serigraph
Lichtenstein Paper Plate — Pop Art Icon, 1969 Original Serigraph

Lichtenstein Paper Plate — Pop Art Icon, 1969 Original Serigraph

By Roy Lichtenstein

Located in Myrtle Beach, SC

Roy Lichtenstein, 'Paper Plate', serigraph, 1969, edition unknown, Corlett III.45. Printed in dark blue ink verso, 'Roy Lichtenstein © On 1st Inc. 1969'. A fine impression, on white paperboard pressure formed into a 3-dimensional plate; age toning verso, otherwise in very good condition. Published by Bert Stern, New York. Image size 10 1/4 inch diameter, 1-inch depth. Archivally sleeved, unmounted, unframed. Carefully protected for shipping. Literature: John Russell. 'Art: Time for Old-Master Prints', New York Times (July 27, 1979), p. C16. Jan Howard. 'Reflections on 'The Prints of Roy Lichtenstein', Print Collector's Newsletter 26 (July–August 1995), p. 82. Mark M. Johnson. 'The Great American Pop Art Store: Multiples of the '60s', Art & Activities 123 (June–Summer 1998), ill. p. 37 (color). Mary Lee Corlett. 'The Prints of Roy Lichtenstein: A Catalogue Raisonné', New York, 2002, p. 286, no. III.45. Susan Dackerman, ed., 'Corita Kent and the Language of Pop', exhibition catalog, Harvard Art...

Category

1960s Pop Art

Materials

Screen

Scraper, Oil Painting
Scraper, Oil Painting

Scraper, Oil Painting

By Keith Thomson

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A window washer dangles from a skyscraper so reflective it seems less like a building than a very ambitious cloud. What he is thinking is left to the beholder. ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art

Materials

Oil

Yale University Art Gallery (Thinking of Him) Poster /// Roy Lichtenstein Pop
Yale University Art Gallery (Thinking of Him) Poster /// Roy Lichtenstein Pop

Yale University Art Gallery (Thinking of Him) Poster /// Roy Lichtenstein Pop

By (after) Roy Lichtenstein

Located in Saint Augustine, FL

Artist: (after) Roy Lichtenstein (American, 1923-1997) Title: "Yale University Art Gallery (Thinking of Him)" Series: Yale University Art Gallery Posters Year: 1991 Medium: Original Offset-Lithograph, Poster on smooth wove paper Limited edition: Unknown Printer: Springdale Graphics, Springdale, CT Publisher: Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, CT Sheet size: 27" x 26" Image size: 22.25" x 22.5" Condition: Never framed, has been professionally stored away for decades. In excellent condition Notes: Provenance: acquired directly from the printer Springdale Graphics, Springdale, CT. Comes from the 1991 "Yale University Art Gallery" series of three offset-lithograph, posters: "Thinking of Him", "Blam", and "Washing Machine". The image featured on this poster is Lichtenstein's 1963, 68" x 68", magna on canvas painting "Thinking of Him" which is part of the Yale University Art Gallery's permanent collection. GIA Gallery Poster Disclaimer: Not to be confused with thousands of contemporary inkjet/giclée/digital reproductions ignorantly or deliberately passed off as originals on the market today. The examples we offer here are the original period vintage (exhibition) posters, created and designed by, or under the supervision and authorization of the artist or their respective estate (posthumously), for various exhibitions and events in which they participated. If applicable, this poster is also fully documented within its respective artists' official catalogue raisonné of authentic graphic works, prints, and or posters. Biography: American artist Roy Lichtenstein was born in New York City on October 27, 1923, and grew up on Manhattan's Upper West Side. In the 1960s, Lichtenstein became a leading figure of the new Pop Art movement. Inspired by advertisements and comic strips, Lichtenstein's bright, graphic works parodied American popular culture and the art world itself. He died in New York City on September 29, 1997. Lichtenstein was committed to his art until the end of his life, often spending at least 10 hours a day in his studio. His work was acquired by major museum collections around the world, and he received numerous honorary degrees and awards, including the National Medal of Arts in 1995. In 2013 the painting "Woman with Flowered Hat" set another record at $56.1 million as it was purchased by British jeweler Laurence Graff...

Category

1990s Pop Art

Materials

Lithograph, Offset

Pop Art Young Woman with Cat
Pop Art Young Woman with Cat

Pop Art Young Woman with Cat

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Young Woman with Cat, 1966 Mix media on sized paper, 13 x 18 inches. Glued down to cardboard panel measuring 15 x 20 inches. Signed "Lessard" and dated 66, lower right. Beautiful...

Category

Mid-20th Century Pop Art

Materials

Mixed Media

Star Catcher, Peter Max
Star Catcher, Peter Max

Star Catcher, Peter Max

By Peter Max

Located in Fairfield, CT

Artist: Peter Max (1937) Title: Star Catcher Year: 2003 Edition: 453/500, plus proofs Medium: Lithograph on Lustro Saxony paper Size: 3.5 x 3 inches Condition: Excellent Inscription:...

Category

Early 2000s Pop Art

Materials

Lithograph

Stainless Steel Wall Sculpture: YOU ARE ENOUGH V

Stainless Steel Wall Sculpture: YOU ARE ENOUGH V

By Scott Froschauer

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Positive street signs and mindful messages characterize the work of multidisciplinary artist Scott Froschauer. Froschauer utilizes a practice called "cultural jamming," which appropr...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art

Materials

Metal, Steel

Apocalypse 6
Apocalypse 6

Apocalypse 6

By Keith Haring

Located in Hollywood, FL

Artist: Keith Haring Title: Apocalypse 6 Size: 38 × 38 in 96.5 × 96.5 cm Medium: Screenprint in colors on Lenox Museum Board Edition: WP (Working Proof) of 90 Year: 1988 Notes: Ha...

Category

1980s Pop Art

Materials

Screen

Statue of Liberty, Mixed Media Pop Art Painting by Peter Max
Statue of Liberty, Mixed Media Pop Art Painting by Peter Max

Statue of Liberty, Mixed Media Pop Art Painting by Peter Max

By Peter Max

Located in Long Island City, NY

Artist: Peter Max, German/American (1937 - ) Title: Statue of Liberty Year: 2009 Medium: Acrylic and Mixed Media on Paper, signed lower right Size: 11 x 8.5 inches Frame Size: 32 x 2...

Category

Early 2000s Pop Art

Materials

Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic

Profile Series IV, Peter Max

Profile Series IV, Peter Max

By Peter Max

Located in Fairfield, CT

Artist: Peter Max (1937) Title: Profile Series IV Year: 1998 Edition: 300/300, plus proofs Medium: Lithograph on Coventry Smooth paper Size: 9 x 7.5 inches Condition: Excellent Inscr...

Category

1990s Pop Art

Materials

Lithograph

Small Pinocchio Aquatint Etching Jim Dine Pop Art Print
Small Pinocchio Aquatint Etching Jim Dine Pop Art Print

Small Pinocchio Aquatint Etching Jim Dine Pop Art Print

By Jim Dine

Located in Surfside, FL

Jim Dine (American, b. 1935) Etching depicting Pinocchio Published by Enitharmon Press for Whitman College, London 1999 Hand signed in pencil lower right. Measures 9" x 7" sheet siz...

Category

1990s Pop Art

Materials

Drypoint, Etching

Ferrari First Aid Kit
Ferrari First Aid Kit

Ferrari First Aid Kit

By Erik Salin

Located in Nottingham, GB

Original Mixed Media Sculpture. This Incredible pop art sculpture features emergency Ferrari capsules. Presented in a clear first aid kit. Perfect for ...

Category

2010s Pop Art

Materials

Mixed Media

Keith Haring Pop Shop Tokyo 1988 (stickers)
Keith Haring Pop Shop Tokyo 1988 (stickers)

Keith Haring Pop Shop Tokyo 1988 (stickers)

By Keith Haring

Located in NEW YORK, NY

Keith Haring Pop Shop Tokyo 1988: Rare vintage original 1980s large-sized Keith Haring Tokyo Pop Shop sticker sheet, that is well-suited for framing. Designed by Haring in conjunctio...

Category

1980s Pop Art

Materials

Paper, Offset

1000 MG Pink Love pill  -  pop sculpture
1000 MG Pink Love pill  -  pop sculpture

1000 MG Pink Love pill - pop sculpture

By Tal Nehoray

Located in New York, NY

This new work by Tal Nehoray is from her latest body of works called "1000 MG Love Pills". All are hand made with Fiberglass and hand painted with automotive paint. It stands on a bl...

Category

2010s Pop Art

Materials

Metal

Pop Art art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Pop 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, orange, red, purple and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Jack Mitchell, Andy Warhol, Peter Max, and Heidler & Heeps. 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 Pop Art, so small editions measuring 0.4 inches across are also available.