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Modern Contemporary Art

MODERN STYLE

The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw sweeping social change and major scientific advances — both of which contributed to a new aesthetic: modernism. Rejecting the rigidity of Victorian artistic conventions, modernists sought a new means of expression. References to the natural world and ornate classical embellishments gave way to the sleek simplicity of the Machine Age. Architect Philip Johnson characterized the hallmarks of modernism as “machine-like simplicity, smoothness or surface [and] avoidance of ornament.”

Early practitioners of modernist design include the De Stijl (“The Style”) group, founded in the Netherlands in 1917, and the Bauhaus School, founded two years later in Germany.

Followers of both groups produced sleek, spare designs — many of which became icons of daily life in the 20th century. The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics. While Bauhaus principals Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created furniture from mass-produced, chrome-plated steel, American visionaries like Charles and Ray Eames worked in materials as novel as molded plywood and fiberglass. Today, Breuer’s Wassily chair, Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chaircrafted with his romantic partner, designer Lilly Reich — and the Eames lounge chair are emblems of progressive design and vintage originals are prized cornerstones of collections.

It’s difficult to overstate the influence that modernism continues to wield over designers and architects — and equally difficult to overstate how revolutionary it was when it first appeared a century ago. But because modernist furniture designs are so simple, they can blend in seamlessly with just about any type of décor. Don’t overlook them.

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Style: Modern
Color:  White
Boos Wool Tapestry, Contemporary Wall Hanging, Naturally Dyed and Handwoven
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This wall hanging is a one of a kind heirloom piece. Taking inspiration from brutalism, mid-century abstraction, and Joseph Albers studies on the interaction of color. The entire pr...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Boos Wool Tapestry, Contemporary Wall Hanging, Naturally Dyed and Handwoven
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This wall hanging is a one of a kind heirloom piece. Taking inspiration from brutalism, mid-century abstraction, and Joseph Albers studies on the interaction of color. The entire pr...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Boos Wool Tapestry, Contemporary Wall Hanging, Naturally Dyed and Handwoven
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This wall hanging is a one of a kind heirloom piece. Taking inspiration from brutalism, mid-century abstraction, and Joseph Albers studies on the interaction of color. The entire pr...
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21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Contemporary Art

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Wool, Cotton

Large Green, Pink, & White Abstract Acrylic Painting on Canvas by John Link
Located in Greensboro, NC
Large Vibrant Green, Pink, & White Abstract Acrylic and Alkyd Resin Painting on Canvas by John Link titled "Precession" 2007. Painting on canvas by the La...
Category

Early 2000s North American Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas, Resin, Acrylic

Georges Braque Framed 'Port de Collioure' Color Lithography, circa 1972
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Original 'Port de Collioure' color lithograph by Georges Braque Lithograph printed from an original painting made by the author in France, circa 1906. Published by Fernand Mour...
Category

1970s French Vintage Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Paper

Doozie - Acrylic silkscreen ink on canvas
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Doozie 2021 Acrylic silkscreen ink on canvas 66 x 48 inches (152.94 x 121.92 cm) Edition of 2 Multidisciplinary artist, designer, photographer, an...
Category

2010s American Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Canvas

Roger de la Fresnaye 'Visage' Framed Lithography, circa 1968
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Original color lithograph 'Visage' by Roger de la Fresnaye. Lithograph printed from an original painting made by the author in France, circa 1921. Published in France by Fernan...
Category

1960s French Vintage Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Paper

Louise Nevelson Style White Found Object Sculpture
Located in New York, NY
Unknown Artist, perhaps "AG" in the manner of Louise Nevelson (American, 1899 1988), a white found object sculpture, rectangular, and ...
Category

20th Century Unknown Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Wood

Orthon Friesz Framed 'Paysage a la Ciotat' Color Lithography, circa 1972
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Original 'Paysage a la Ciotat' color lithograph by Emile Orthon Friesz. Lithograph printed from an original painting made by the author in France, circa 1...
Category

1970s French Vintage Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Paper

André Derain Framed 'Paysage à l'Estaque' Color Lithography, circa 1972
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Original 'Hyde Park' color lithograph by André Derain. Lithograph printed from an original painting made by the author in France in 1906. Published by Fernand Mourlot in Les Fauves. Paris, circa 1972. Framed and signed in the stone. Frame will be slightly different from the one on the photos, each piece will be framed once it sells, this is an exhibition frame. In good original condition, with minor wear consistent with age and use, preserving a beautiful patina. About the Artist: André Derain (10 June 1880 – 8 September 1954) was a French artist, painter, sculptor and co-founder of Fauvism with Henri Matisse. Derain and Matisse worked together through the summer of 1905 in the Mediterranean village of Collioure and later that year displayed their highly innovative paintings at the Salon d'Automne. The vivid, unnatural colors led the critic Louis Vauxcelles to derisively dub their works as les Fauves, or "the wild beasts", marking the start of the Fauvist movement. In March 1906, the noted art dealer Ambroise Vollard sent Derain to London to produce a series of paintings with the city as subject. In 30 paintings (29 of which are still extant), Derain presented a portrait of London that was radically different from anything done by previous painters of the city such as Whistler or Monet. With bold colors and compositions, Derain painted multiple pictures of the Thames and Tower Bridge. These London paintings remain among his most popular work. Art critic T. G Rosenthal: "Not since Monet has anyone made London seem so fresh and yet remain quintessentially English. Some of his views of the Thames use the Pointillist technique of multiple dots, although by this time, because the dots have become much larger, it is rather more simply the separation of colours called Divisionism and it is peculiarly effective in conveying the fragmentation of colour in moving water in sunlight." He experimented with stone sculpture and moved to Montmartre to be near his friend Pablo Picasso and other noted artists. Fernande Olivier...
Category

1970s French Vintage Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Paper

Heart Shaped White Wall Decor, 2022, Handmade in Italy, Anatomical Unique Piece
Located in San Miniato PI, IT
Celebrating the human body by dissecting it. The human body as a great system of signs and symbols. We are expression, beyond words and gestures. A perspective of the flesh in wh...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Ceramic

Charles Dufresne Framed 'Descente de Croix' Lithography, circa 1971
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Original 'Descente de croix' color lithograph by Charles Dufresne. Lithograph printed from an original painting made by the author in France, circa 1932. Published by Mourlot i...
Category

1970s French Vintage Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Paper

Framed Photograph by Don Hong-Oai
Located in Atlanta, GA
A framed photograph by Chinese American photographer Don Hong-Oai (1929-2004). Entitled in Chinese "Playing with Hoops, Vietnam". The work is a sepia-toned gelatin-silver print. It is stamped with three red artist seals and black ink Chinese inscription, mounted and framed under plexiglass. Sight is 10.5"h x 13.5"w. It is one of the matching pair from an American collection. Don Hong-Oai was born in Canton, China but raised and educated in Saigon, Vietnam. At age 13 he began an apprenticeship at a Chinese photo and portrait shop. In 1979 he immigrated to the United States and settled in the Chinatown of San Francisco. Don began making a living by selling his landscape photographs in front of Macy’s and began to receive recognition for his craftsmanship. His style was heavily influenced by the legendary photographer Long Chin...
Category

1980s American Vintage Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Paper

Su Xiaobai "Intactness D" Etching, 2015
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Su Xiaobai "Intactness D" Etching, 2015 Measures: 60 x 65 cm Edition 40 Edition number might be different as we have more than one copy available.
Category

2010s Chinese Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Paper

Roger de la Fresnaye 'Scene Militaire' Framed Lithography, circa 1968
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Original color lithograph 'Scene Militaire' by Roger de la Fresnaye. Lithograph printed from an original painting made by the author in France, circa 1917. Published in France ...
Category

1960s French Vintage Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Paper

André Derain Framed 'Les Deux Hangars' Color Lithography, circa 1970
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Original 'Les Deux Hangars' color lithograph by André Derain. Lithograph printed from an original painting made by the author in France, circa 1947. Published by Mourlot in Col...
Category

1970s French Vintage Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Paper

André Derain Framed 'Deux femmes nues et nature morte' Lithograph, circa 1970
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Original color lithograph 'Deux femmes nues et nature morte' by André Derain. Lithograph printed from an original painting made by the author in Fr...
Category

1970s French Vintage Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Paper

Roger de la Fresnaye Framed Color Lithography, circa 1968
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Original color lithograph 'La table Louis-Philippe' by Roger de la Fresnaye. Lithograph printed from an original painting made by the author in France, circa 1922. Published in...
Category

1960s French Vintage Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Paper

Charles Dufresne Framed 'La Reve' Color Lithography, circa 1971
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Original 'La reve' color lithograph by Charles Dufresne. Lithograph printed from an original painting made by the author in France, circa 1923. Published by Mourlot in Collecti...
Category

1970s French Vintage Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Paper

Plumage, a Piece of 3D Sculptural Tan with White Leather Wall Art
Located in Margate, GB
Plumage: A piece of 3D sculptural wall art designed and made from two layers of tan and white leather, woven together by Louise Heighes. Measurements are 14 x 14 inches or 36 x 36 c...
Category

2010s European Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Leather

André Derain Framed 'Portrait de Denise et Claire' Color Lithography, circa 1970
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Original 'Portrait de Denise et Claire' color lithograph by André Derain. Lithograph printed from an original painting made by the author in France, circa 1949. Published by Mourlot in Collection Pierre Levy in 1970, Paris. Framed and signed in the stone. Frame will be slightly different from the one on the photos, each piece will be framed once it sells, this is an exhibition frame. In good original condition, with minor wear consistent with age and use, preserving a beautiful patina. About the Artist: André Derain (10 June 1880 – 8 September 1954) was a French artist, painter, sculptor and co-founder of Fauvism with Henri Matisse. Derain and Matisse worked together through the summer of 1905 in the Mediterranean village of Collioure and later that year displayed their highly innovative paintings at the Salon d'Automne. The vivid, unnatural colors led the critic Louis Vauxcelles to derisively dub their works as les Fauves...
Category

1970s French Vintage Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Paper

Joe Eula Watercolor of a Sunflower
Located in New York, NY
From the 1950s to the 80s, Joe Eula cut quite a figure on the New York scene as a graphic, costume, fashion, stage-set, and film-set designer, as well as a stylist, party giver, and, briefly, a model agency macher. In addition, he was an artist. You could say that Eula was the art director extempore of Manhattan. And if you’ve never heard of Eula (or hadn’t before David Pittu played him in the recent Netflix Halston series), it’s because he was famous as an eminence grise, to employ a contradiction in terms. That’s why Andy Warhol called him, in typical Warholian hyperbole, “the most important man in New York.” Eula came from a hardscrabble background in South Norwalk, Connecticut. After serving in World War II, he took classes on the GI Bill at the Art Students League, and formed a partnership with photographer Milton Greene to produce features for Life and Look magazines, and a couple of films, with Greene behind the camera, and Eula painting backdrops and styling. On his own, Eula illustrated Eugenia Sheppard’s famous newspaper fashion column, did illustration work for Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, designed ballet costumes and sets for Jerome Robbins, an album cover for Miles Davis, and a benefit invitation for Cesar...
Category

1980s American Vintage Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Paper

Contemporary Monument Forms Abstract Art Print with black, red & purple
Located in London, GB
Monument Forms are a series of modern abstract paintings by Louis Jobst experimenting with form and color. Focusing on the composition of two black silhouettes...
Category

2010s British Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Acrylic, Paper

KAWS "Urge" Portfolio of 10 Silkscreens with Additional Silkscreened Title Page
By KAWS
Located in Stamford, CT
Based off of a series of paintings currently showing at the Brooklyn Museum. The limited edition works consist of 10 high quality screen prints portraying his signature CHUM characte...
Category

2010s American Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Paper

Etching by Su Xiaobai "Intactness D", 2015
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Su Xiaobai "Intactness D" Etching, 2015 Measures: 60 x 65 cm Edition 40 Edition number might be different as we have more than one copy available.
Category

2010s Chinese Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Paper

Phosphoriglyph: Wall-Mounted Sculpture in Copper by TJ Volonis
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Title: Phosphoriglyph Year: 2015 Phosphoriglyph (“written upon Venus”) is a large-scale, wall-mounted sculpture executed entirely in half-inch copper tubing, taking its name from Phosphorus, known as Venus, the morning star, and even Lucifer (light bearer...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Contemporary Art

Materials

Copper

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Modern contemporary art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Modern contemporary art for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage contemporary art created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include wall decorations, decorative objects, mirrors and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, glass and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Modern contemporary art made in a specific country, there are Europe, Italy, and Portugal pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original contemporary art, popular names associated with this style include sicis, Louise Heighes, Las Animas, and Sabrina Landini. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for contemporary art differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $110 and tops out at $191,803 while the average work can sell for $3,868.

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