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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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 chair — crafted 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
Original Antoniucci Volti Oil Painting Entitled "Os"
By Antoniucci Volti
Located in Washington, DC
An original oil painting by artist Antoniucci Volti entitled "OS." A black and white modern art piece from France.
Category
1980s French Vintage Modern Contemporary Art
Handmade Artistic Marble Mosaic Rug Dimension and Colors Customizable
By sicis
Located in London, GB
Making Artistic Mosaic, design of unparalleled beauty, inventing ' tromp l'oeil' thanks to the endless colors of the glass mosaic collections, all this allowed us to produce and divu...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Contemporary Art
Materials
Marble
Day 17 - Emotional Layers Collection by Michele Bagnod
Located in London, GB
Day 17 - Emotional Layers Collection by Michele Bagnod
Michele’s collection “emotional layers” it’s a self-discovery through layers of colors. Nothing is prepa...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary British Modern Contemporary Art
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Frieze, Moses, Contemporary Art Decorative Sculpture by Eduard Locota
Located in Timisoara, RO
From extremely detailed 3D scans of the most important classical sculptures of all times, Eduard Locota has digitally sliced and extracted the essential portion of the artwork, then ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Balkan Modern Contemporary Art
Materials
Ceramic, Acrylic, Fiberglass
Sérigraphie n°15
Located in PAU, FR
Pierre Soulages
Screenprint n°15 from 1981.
Printed by Michel Casa.
Printed in 250 copies.
Edited by Circle Fine Arts Inc. à Chicago
Signed and numbered by hand.
105 x 72.4 cm w...
Category
1980s French Vintage Modern Contemporary Art
Materials
Paper
$30,552
Milan Klimes Mixed Technique on Cardboard, 1970, Czech Republic
Located in Munich, DE
This is a very vibrant & expressive work from Milan Klimes (1945 – 2013), Czech artist created in the 70s, it is a mixed technique on cardboard with a new cedar wooden frame.
The ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Czech Modern Contemporary Art
Materials
Other
$3,354 Sale Price
20% Off
Milan Klimes ii Mixed Technique on Cardboard, 1970, Czech Republic
Located in Munich, DE
This is a very vibrant & expressive work from Milan Klimes (1945 – 2013), Czech artist created in the 70s, it is a mixed technique on cardboard with a new cedar wooden frame.
The ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Czech Modern Contemporary Art
Materials
Other
$3,354 Sale Price
20% Off
Abstract Painting by Ginny Sykes
Located in Chicago, IL
Contemporary abstract painting on paper “ Blue Black Rose Series” by Ginny Sykes. 5 paintings available in this series. Signed. Framed professionally. Due to large size they need to ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Contemporary Art
Materials
Plexiglass, Wood, Paint, Paper
Jean-Marie Planques (1932-1992) "FEMME" - Works on Paper - Sold as a set
Located in Linkebeek, BE
Jean-Marie Planques (1932-1992) Untitled - Works on Paper - Sold as a set of 4
Belgium Painting - Vintage - decoration
Sold as a set .
Measures : With Frame 57cmxH77,5cm
Category
20th Century Belgian Modern Contemporary Art
Materials
Glass, Paper
Pair of Sean Scherer Oil and Wax Paintings on Canvas, 1991
Located in Dallas, TX
Sean Scherer (b. 1968): Malady & Diffident
Oil and wax on canvas, 1991, signed 's. Scherer', titled and dated on the reverse, with label from Stux Galler...
Category
20th Century North American Modern Contemporary Art
Materials
Canvas, Paint
$2,100 Sale Price
40% Off
Cover #14 by Neil Nenner and Avihai Mizrahi
Located in Geneve, CH
Cover #14 by Neil Nenner and Avihai Mizrahi
Cover Story
Dimensions: H 33 x L 16.5 x W 33 cm
Materials: iron
Avihai Mizrahi (b. 1979, Jerusalem),...
Category
2010s Israeli Modern Contemporary Art
Materials
Iron
$11,861 / item
Floral Watercolor Painting
By Buenaventura
Located in Madrid, ES
This charming and sophisticated wall decoration has been entirely hand-painted on 100% natural cotton paper, using the sumi-e technique inspired by ancient Korean paintings. Particul...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Contemporary Art
Materials
Cotton, Acrylic, Paper
Scarabeo Watercolor Painting
By Buenaventura
Located in Madrid, ES
This charming and sophisticated wall decoration has been entirely hand-painted on 100% natural cotton paper, using the sumi-e technique inspired by ancient Korean paintings. Particul...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Contemporary Art
Materials
Cotton, Acrylic, Paper
Painting Green Black Contemporary Geometric Futuristic Acrylic Spray on Wood A14
By Las Animas
Located in Seville, ES
"ATLAS 14"
"Atlas" proposes a disruptive vision of the space-time concept, as a reflection between the ancestral and the comic, making us wander about the connection between both ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Contemporary Art
Materials
Acrylic, Wood
Painting Blue Black Contemporary Geometric Futuristic Acrylic Spray on Wood A-12
By Las Animas
Located in Seville, ES
"ATLAS 12"
"Atlas" proposes a disruptive vision of the space-time concept, as a reflection between the ancestral and the comic, making us wander about the connection between both ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Contemporary Art
Materials
Acrylic, Wood
Painting Green Red Contemporary Geometric Futuristic Acrylic Spray on Wood A-10
By Las Animas
Located in Seville, ES
"ATLAS 10"
"Atlas" proposes a disruptive vision of the space-time concept, as a reflection between the ancestral and the comic, making us wander about the connection between both ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Contemporary Art
Materials
Acrylic, Wood
Contemporary Art Harm De Veer Abstract Wood Sculpture Just Hanging There 2 Grey
By Harm De Veer
Located in Vinkel, NL
"Just Hanging There (2)" is an abstract object from the "Just Hanging There" collection and was designed according to the vision of Dutch designer Harm de Veer. From a production pro...
Category
2010s European Modern Contemporary Art
Materials
Wood, Paint
21st Century Plate "Portrait VI" Kiasmo designer Vincenzo D'alba +Antonio Marras
Located in Ruffano, IT
The series Portrait consists of six plates where the plasticity of the figures merges with the geometries placed in the background. A language where realistic descriptions become dec...
Category
2010s Italian Modern Contemporary Art
Materials
Ceramic
Painting Black Color Contemporary Geometric Futuristic Acrylic Spray on Wood
By Las Animas
Located in Seville, ES
ATLAS 01
"Atlas" proposes a disruptive vision of the space-time concept, as a reflection between the ancestral and the comic, making us wander about the connection between both and t...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Contemporary Art
Materials
Acrylic, Wood
Watercolor "Golden Poppies"
By Buenaventura
Located in Madrid, ES
We present here a unique piece that is part of a set of 3 watercolours painted on 100% cotton paper of 190 gms. They are unique and unrepeatable pieces as they are preliminary studie...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Contemporary Art
Materials
Cotton, Acrylic, Paper
$512 / item
Hand Tufted Lavender, White, Teal, Brown Wavy Rug
By Fem World
Located in Oaklyn, NJ
Hand tufted cut-pile rug in a wavy pastel design. The design is inspired by 70s psychadelic art.
I design & hand tuft all of my pieces, it is truly art for your floor. It can als...
Category
2010s American Modern Contemporary Art
Materials
Acrylic
Contemporary Design 'Sun Rise Wall Piece, by Andredottir & Bobek
Located in copenhagen, DK
One-off a kind - contemporary design, sun rise wall piece, embody the surface of the sun.
Made by the art and design duo Andredottir & Bobek
They have in ...
Category
2010s Danish Modern Contemporary Art
Materials
Foam
Contemporary Photography Family Portrait ii Eduardo Sourrouille
Located in Ibiza, Spain
Photograph “Family Portrait: Nikolaus, Antonius, Cristina, Soraya, Heman, Miguel".
Eduardo Sourrouille 2012.
Edition 1/3
Eduardo Sourrouille. Basauri (Bizkaia), 1970. Bachelor...
Category
2010s Spanish Modern Contemporary Art
Materials
Paper
Oil on Canvas Painting, "Los planetas frutales" by Paola Vega, Argentina, 2020
By Paola Vega
Located in Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires
Oil on canvas painting, "Los planetas frutales" by Paola Vega, Argentina, 2020
The painting was exhibited in her solo show "The life of paintings" at Calvaresi in Buenos Aires, 2020.
Paola Vega bio:
Paola Vega is an artist, researcher and curator. She graduated with a degree in History from the Universidad Nacional del Sur in 2003. In parallel, she began to study painting in Bahía Blanca at Espacio Vox with Gustavo López, and carried out work clinics with Jorge Gumier Maier and Diana Aisenberg between 2001 and 2002, and later in Buenos Aires with Pablo Siquier (2004) and Tulio de Sagastizábal (2005-2007). In 2003 she obtained a scholarship granted by the Antorchas Foundation to continue her training. She was selected to participate in the Artists Program of the Torcuato Di Tella University (2011) with tutoring from Jorge Macchi. In 2015 she did a residency in Madrid at El Prado...
Category
2010s Argentine Modern Contemporary Art
Materials
Paint
Oil on Canvas Painting, "La sandía suspendida" by Paola Vega, Argentina, 2020
By Paola Vega
Located in Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires
Oil on canvas Painting, "La sandía suspendida" by Paola Vega, Argentina, 2020
The painting was exhibited in her solo show "The life of paintings" at Calvaresi in Buenos Aires, 2020.
Paola Vega bio:
Paola Vega is an artist, researcher and curator. She graduated with a degree in History from the Universidad Nacional del Sur in 2003. In parallel, she began to study painting in Bahía Blanca at Espacio Vox with Gustavo López, and carried out work clinics with Jorge Gumier Maier and Diana Aisenberg between 2001 and 2002, and later in Buenos Aires with Pablo Siquier (2004) and Tulio de Sagastizábal (2005-2007). In 2003 she obtained a scholarship granted by the Antorchas Foundation to continue her training. She was selected to participate in the Artists Program of the Torcuato Di Tella University (2011) with tutoring from Jorge Macchi. In 2015 she did a residency in Madrid at El Prado...
Category
2010s Argentine Modern Contemporary Art
Materials
Paint
"Street Skin" Wall Sculpture by Juan Gerslt, Madrid, 2022
Located in Madrid, ES
"Street Skin" wall sculpture by artist Juan Gerslt.
Title: Street Skin
Technique: mixed technique with Graffiti and UV printing on methacrylate and dibon.
Year: 2022
Category
2010s Modern Contemporary Art
Materials
Metal
Set of 456 Painted Panels “Ändlös Vägg”/”Endless Wall” by Einar Höste, Sweden
By Einar Höste
Located in Stockholm, SE
Set of 456 painted panels “Ändlös Vägg”/”Endless Wall” by Einar Höste, Sweden, 1970s.
Painted wooden panels.
This is the artist's most significant work...
Category
1970s Swedish Vintage Modern Contemporary Art
Materials
Wood
Frieze, Vestal, Contemporary Art Decorative Sculpture by Eduard Locota
Located in Timisoara, RO
"I Classici" - An innovative collection in which classical sculpture, contemporary design elements and augmented reality coexist.
From extremely deta...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Balkan Modern Contemporary Art
Materials
Ceramic, Acrylic, Fiberglass
Martin Kline Youthful Protuberance 1998
By Martin Kline
Located in Hudson, NY
This early and important work by Martin Kline is one of the first of this kind and the only of its stylistic type available. Titled "Youthful Protuberance" and created in 1998 with e...
Category
1990s American Modern Contemporary Art
Materials
Wood, Canvas, Linen
Price Upon Request
Annie Morris, Untitled Peg Piece, 2010
By Annie Morris
Located in Hudson, NY
Using 1500 clothes pins to combine painting and sculpture to a dramatic affect is what artist Annie Morris is most famed for. Each peg is individually pai...
Category
2010s British Modern Contemporary Art
Materials
Wood, Paint
Price Upon Request
Large, Signed, Framed Livio De Simone Original Hand Painted Flower on Fabric
Located in New York, NY
Large, signed, framed Livio de Simone original hand painted flower on cotton fabric.
Made in Italy. Nice vibrant and bold colors.
Livio de Simone - D...
Category
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Contemporary Art
Materials
Cotton
Large, Signed Livio de Simone Original Hand Painted Geometric Fabric Framed
Located in New York, NY
Large, Signed Livio de Simone original hand painted geometric shaped pattern on cotton fabric. Made in Italy.
Livio de Simone, designer-artist and cre...
Category
1980s Italian Vintage Modern Contemporary Art
Materials
Cotton
Christopher Makos / Paul Solberg " Horse & Flower" Photograph Series
Located in New York, NY
Christopher Makos / Paul Solberg "Horse & Flower" photograph series.
Category
2010s American Modern Contemporary Art
Materials
Other
Price Upon Request
Christopher Makos/Paul Solberg "Horse & Flower" Photograph Series
Located in New York, NY
Christopher Makos / Paul Solberg "Horse & Flower" series.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Contemporary Art
Price Upon Request
Basquiat 6 Silver Gelatin Photographs by Ari Marcopoulos
Located in New York, NY
Jean Michel-Basquiat (1960-1988) suite of 6 silver gelatin photographs taken by Ari Marcopoulos.
Original suite contained 7 photographs, only 6 available.
2 - 11 x 14, 3 - 16 x 20 and 1 - 20 x 24
Basquiat was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1960 and began as a graffiti artist in the late 1970s before evolving into a Neo-expressionist during the next decade.
During a varied career, the artist collaborated with Pop Art godfather Andy Warhol, played in a band with U.S. film actor and director Vincent Gallo...
Category
20th Century American Modern Contemporary Art
Materials
Paper
Price Upon Request
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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