Lagonda Car
1980s Contemporary Landscape Prints
Lithograph
People Also Browsed
Antique 1880s American Industrial Signs
Bronze, Copper
Early 20th Century Impressionist Landscape Drawings and Watercolors
Paper, Watercolor
Early 1900s Art Nouveau Figurative Prints
Etching
Vintage 1920s French Art Deco Prints
Canvas, Wood, Paint
1990s American Modern Animal Prints
Lithograph, Paper
1950s Prints and Multiples
Lithograph
Early 20th Century Industrial Signs
Wood
Mid-20th Century American French Provincial Prints
Paper
1770s Modern Figurative Prints
Etching
Vintage 1970s German Modern Paintings
Paper
Mid-20th Century Realist Portrait Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1950s Surrealist Figurative Prints
Etching, Paper
Vintage 1950s Belgian Mid-Century Modern Posters
Linen, Wood, Paper
Mid-20th Century German Art Deco Figurative Sculptures
Marble, Bronze
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XV Jewelry Boxes
Bronze
1940s Abstract Expressionist Figurative Prints
Drypoint, Etching
A Close Look at Contemporary Art
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.
Finding the Right figurative-prints-works-on-paper for You
Bring energy and an array of welcome colors and textures into your space by decorating with figurative fine-art prints and works on paper.
Figurative art stands in contrast to abstract art, which is more expressive than representational. The oldest-known work of figurative art is a figurative painting — specifically, a rock painting of an animal made over 40,000 years ago in Borneo. This remnant of a remote past has long faded, but its depiction of a cattle-like creature in elegant ocher markings endures.
Since then, figurative art has evolved significantly as it continues to represent the world, including a breadth of works on paper, including printmaking. This includes woodcuts, which are a type of relief print with perennial popularity among collectors. The artist carves into a block and applies ink to the raised surface, which is then pressed onto paper. There are also planographic prints, which use metal plates, stones or other flat surfaces as their base. The artist will often draw on the surface with grease crayon and then apply ink to those markings. Lithographs are a common version of planographic prints.
Figurative art printmaking was especially popular during the height of the Pop art movement, and this kind of work can be seen in artist Andy Warhol’s extensive use of photographic silkscreen printing. Everyday objects, logos and scenes were given a unique twist, whether in the style of a comic strip or in the use of neon colors.
Explore an impressive collection of figurative art prints for sale on 1stDibs and read about how to arrange your wall art.