Recent Sales
Antique 16th Century English Tudor Blanket Chests
Oak
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
Beech
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
Maple
Vintage 1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Rosewood
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Suede, Rosewood
Antique Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Candelabras
Silver Plate, Bronze
Antique Mid-18th Century Italian Louis XV Console Tables
Marble
Antique 1880s French Napoleon III Credenzas
Marble, Bronze
2010s Figurines and Sculptures
Brass
Antique 15th Century and Earlier European Medieval Antiquities
Silver, Enamel
Antique 1710s Italian Baroque Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Bronze
2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings
Oil
2010s Ankle Boots
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings
Paper, Chalk, Pastel, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings
Paper, Chalk, Pastel, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings
Paper, Chalk, Pastel, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Antique 1770s English George III Credenzas
Kingwood, Rosewood, Satinwood
Antique 19th Century Louis XVI Credenzas
Carrara Marble, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Screens and Room Dividers
Copper
Antique 19th Century French Side Tables
Pine
Early 20th Century Dutch Chandeliers and Pendants
Iron
Antique Early 19th Century Dutch Empire Sofas
Cotton, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Mexican Mid-Century Modern Books
Paper
Mid-20th Century American Chinoiserie Paintings
Metal, Copper, Enamel, Sheet Metal
Antique Late 19th Century Unknown Victorian Pitchers
Ceramic, Clay, Earthenware, Luster, Pearlware, Pottery, Paint
Early 20th Century Tibetan Qing Antiquities
Metal, Silver, Brass, Copper, Sheet Metal
Mid-20th Century Canadian Victorian North and South American Rugs
Fabric, Textile, Tapestry, Wool, Burlap, Yarn, Natural Fiber, Organic Ma...
21st Century and Contemporary Fashion Rings
Diamond, White Gold
Antique Mid-19th Century Chinese Qing Ceramics
Enamel
2010s Greek Byzantine Pendant Necklaces
Turquoise, Silver, Copper
2010s French Floor Lamps
Limestone
21st Century and Contemporary Black and White Photography
Silver Gelatin
21st Century and Contemporary Black and White Photography
Silver Gelatin
21st Century and Contemporary Black and White Photography
Silver Gelatin
21st Century and Contemporary Black and White Photography
ABS, Silver Gelatin
21st Century and Contemporary Black and White Photography
Silver Gelatin
21st Century and Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Rose Gold, White Gold
Antique Late 19th Century French Side Tables
Iron
2010s Danish Vases
Marble
2010s Danish Decorative Bowls
Marble
2010s Dutch Modern Side Tables
Aluminum
Early 20th Century Chinese Qing Paintings and Screens
Ceramic, Clay, Luster, Porcelain, Wood, Hardwood, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Table Lamps
Pottery, Silk
2010s Dutch Modern Side Tables
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Indian Modern Cocktail Rings
Diamond, 18k Gold
2010s American Organic Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Ebony, Walnut, Burl
21st Century and Contemporary Kuwaiti Pendant Necklaces
Diamond, 18k Gold, Rhodium
2010s Abstract Expressionist Abstract Paintings
Acrylic, Oil
2010s American Organic Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Prints
Other
Antique Late 19th Century French Baroque Candelabras
Bronze, Iron
Early 20th Century Dutch Modern Armchairs
Steel
2010s Dutch Modern Side Tables
Aluminum
Antique Late 19th Century Chandeliers and Pendants
Wrought Iron
2010s American Organic Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Hardwood, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Classical Roman Wrist Watches
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Photography
Aluminum
2010s American Contemporary Pendant Necklaces
Ruby, 14k Gold
2010s French Table Lamps
Limestone
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Art Deco Cocktail Rings
Diamond, White Gold
A Close Look at modern Art
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.
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.