Neven Modern

Humpback whales flying over the streets of New York City and a house packed with pink flamingos are the types of fantastical imagery one can find in the paintings by Irish artist Nathan Neven. Inspired by the isolation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, his recent work blends art styles and ecosystems to create lighthearted juxtapositions full of joy and teeming with life.

Neven knew at a young age that he wanted to become an artist. He spent much of his youth in Ireland, drawing and painting what he observed. Over time, and largely self-taught, he developed a mix of realist and abstract styles. He later moved to Paris in pursuit of improving his drawing and painting skills in a formal setting. He also spent time traveling in Europe, which greatly influenced his depictions of interiors and cityscapes, which feel alive with color and detail even without the wildlife settling in. 

Neven has had multiple solo shows in Japan as well as group shows in the United Kingdom, France and Ireland. Neven exhibited his work in France at the Galerie De La Vague à l’Art in La Baule in 2017 and the Galerie Cantele in Honfleur in 2018. The Montenotte Hotel in Cork, Ireland, invited Neven to be its 2022-23 Artist-in-Residence, which, associated with the Gallery Kinsale, resulted in Neven’s “Wild Life Invited” exhibition of animal portraits.

On 1stDibs, find a collection of Nathan Neven’s vibrant paintings.

Painting is an art form that has spanned innumerable cultures, with artists using the medium to tell stories, explore and communicate ideas and express themselves. To bring abstract, landscape and still-life paintings into your home is to celebrate and share in the long tradition of this discipline.

When we look at paintings, particularly those that originated in the past, we learn about history, other cultures and countries of the world. Like every other work of art, paintings — whether they are contemporary creations or works that were made during the 19th century — can often help us clearly see and understand the world around us in a meaningful and interesting way.

Cave walls were the canvases for what were arguably the world’s first landscape paintings, which depict natural scenery through art. Portrait paintings and drawings, which, along with sculpture, were how someone’s appearance was recorded prior to the advent of photography, are at least as old as Ancient Egypt. In the Netherlands, landscapes were a major theme for painters as early as the 1500s. Later, artists in Greece, Rome and elsewhere created vast wall paintings to decorate stately homes, churches and tombs. Today, creating a wall of art is a wonderful way to enhance your space, showcase beautiful pieces and tie an interior design together.

No matter your preference, whether you favor Post-Impressionist paintings, animal paintings, Surrealism, Pop art or another movement or specific period, arranging art on a blank wall allows you to evoke emotions in a room while also showing off your tastes and interests. A symmetrical wall arrangement may comprise a grid of four to six pieces or, for an odd number of works, a horizontal row. Asymmetrical arrangements, which may be small clusters of art or large, salon-style gallery walls, have a more collected and eclectic feel. Download the 1stDibs app, which includes a handy “View on Wall” feature that allows you to see how a particular artwork will look on a particular wall, and read about how to arrange wall art. And if you’re searching for the perfect palette for your interior design project, what better place to turn than to the art world’s masters of color?

On 1stDibs, you’ll find an expansive collection of paintings and other fine art for your home or office. Browse abstract paintings, portrait paintings, paintings by popular artists and more today.