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Art Deco Paintings

ART DECO STYLE

Art Deco furniture is characterized by its celebration of modern life. More than its emphasis on natural wood grains and focus on traditional craftsmanship, vintage Art Deco dining chairs, tables, desks, cabinets and other furniture — which typically refers to pieces produced during the 1920s and 1930s — is an ode to the glamour of the “Roaring Twenties.” 

ORIGINS OF ART DECO FURNITURE DESIGN

CHARACTERISTICS OF ART DECO FURNITURE DESIGN

  • Bold geometric lines and forms, floral motifs
  • Use of expensive materials such as shagreen or marble as well as exotic woods such as mahogany, ebony and zebra wood
  • Metal accents, shimmering mirrored finishes
  • Embellishments made from exotic animal hides, inlays of mother-of-pearl or ivory

ART DECO FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW

VINTAGE ART DECO FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS

Few design styles are as universally recognized and appreciated as Art Deco. The term alone conjures visions of the Roaring Twenties, Machine Age metropolises, vast ocean liners, sleek typography and Prohibition-era hedonism. The iconic movement made an indelible mark on all fields of design throughout the 1920s and ’30s, celebrating society’s growing industrialization with refined elegance and stunning craftsmanship.

Widely known designers associated with the Art Deco style include Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann, Eileen Gray, Maurice Dufrêne, Paul Follot and Jules Leleu.

The term Art Deco derives from the name of a large decorative arts exhibition held in Paris in 1925. “Art Deco design” is often used broadly, to describe the work of creators in associated or ancillary styles. This is particularly true of American Art Deco, which is also called Streamline Moderne or Machine Age design. (Streamline Moderne, sometimes known as Art Moderne, was a phenomenon largely of the 1930s, post–Art Nouveau.)

Art Deco textile designers employed dazzling floral motifs and vivid colors, and while Art Deco furniture makers respected the dark woods and modern metals with which they worked, they frequently incorporated decorative embellishments such as exotic animal hides as well as veneers in their seating, case pieces, living room sets and bedroom furniture.

From mother-of-pearl inlaid vitrines to chrome aviator chairs, bold and inventive works in the Art Deco style include chaise longues (also known as chaise lounges) and curved armchairs. Today, the style is still favored by interior designers looking to infuse a home with an air of luxury and sophistication.

The vintage Art Deco furniture for sale on 1stDibs includes dressers, coffee tables, decorative objects and more.

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Style: Art Deco
Period: 1930s
Fantastic Painting, Oil on Canvas by Viktor Maria Cortezo Dated, 1934
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Oil on canvas by Viktor Maria Cortezo (1908-1978), signed lower right and dated 1934, in excellent condition. This painting can form a pair with the second one posted.
Category

1930s Spanish Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Canvas

"Nude with Bowl of Fruit, " Art Deco Painting in Shades of Purple and Orange
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Absolutely lovely, almost translucent in its use of color -- as if painted on glass or silk -- this very rare gouache painting was created by William Hentschel, one of the master art...
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1930s American Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Gouache

Young Women in Bathing Oil on Canvas 1930 Signed Thioll
Located in Marseille, FR
Oil painting on canvas 1930 signed Thioll of two young naked women frolicking at the water's edge and the third was wearing a jersey.
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1930s French Vintage Art Deco Paintings

"Haywagon, " Charming Art Deco-WPA Era Painting with Folk Art Influence
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This remarkable oil painting, clearly influenced by American Folk Art, Art Deco stylization and the idealization of rural workers promoted by the WPA, depicts a farm family and a han...
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1930s American Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Paint

"Acrobat and Circus Horse, " Vivid WPA-Era Painting with Semi-Nude Performer
By William Schulhoff 1
Located in Philadelphia, PA
In an era when the circus provided an affordable and exotic form of entertainment for the Everyman, this vivid painting, glowing with the colors of red clay, slate and dusty pink, ca...
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1930s American Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Art Deco Il Sogno Oil Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A large Italian Art Deco painting, new wooden frame. Unknown artist. USA continental in home delivery $400 2-4 weeks
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1930s Italian Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Madonna Art Deco Oil Painting on Cardboard
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Madonna oil painting on cardboard . Wonderful patina.
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1930s Italian Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Canvas

"Nude Bather, Dominican Republic, " 1930s Tropical Scene Watercolor
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Painted by Wilmot Heitland, one of America's great watercolorists in the 1930s, this sun-drenched depiction of a native Dominican, nude and stepping toward a pool of water, captures ...
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1930s American Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

Fantastic Painting, Oil on Canvas by Viktor Maria Cortezo, Dated 1934
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Oil on canvas by Viktor Maria Cortezo (1908-1978), signed lower right and dated 1934, in excellent condition.  
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1930s Spanish Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Art Deco Era Oil on Canvas Painting Wildflowers by Emil Fiala Vienna, 1930s
Located in Vienna, AT
Art Deco oil on canvas painting motif wildflowers by Emil Fiala 1930s, Austria. This presented oil on canvas painting by Emil Fiala shows a motif with wildflowers. This stunning pain...
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1930s Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Paint

"Gathering Storm, Dominican Republic, " Large, Color-Saturated Painting, 1930s
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Full of color and drama and boldly demonstrating his mastery of watercolor this painting by Wilmot Heitland of a shirtless Dominican on the beach next to a wood hut is the finest we ...
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1930s American Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

Original Watercolor by Boris Lacroix, France, Art Déco, circa 1930
Located in Paris, FR
Original watercolor by Boris Lacroix (1902-1984) representing architecture elements, a boat and the seaside. Wall paper design from the Art Deco p...
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1930s French Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Paper

French Delahaye Automobile Huge Original Oil Painting, c1930's Over 6' x 7'
Located in Chicago, IL
Huge French Oil on Canvas, circa late 1930s of a Delahaye Automobile. We cannot decide if this was painted in a large-scale, only to be reduced for an ...
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1930s French Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Art Deco Era Painting Gladioli by Emil Fiala Vienna, 1930s
Located in Vienna, AT
Oil on canvas painting by Emil Fiala (1869-1960) with the motif Gladioli in a glass vase. Signed by Emil Fiala Prof. Emil Fiala had many exhibitions and the membership of the Künstle...
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1930s Austrian Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Pair of Tiger and Lion Art Deco Framed Paintings
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of tiger and lion Art Deco framed paintings. Oil on panel. Beautiful carved wood frames.
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1930s French Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Hardwood, Paint

American Portrait of Norma Engle, St. Louis 1931 by Arthur Johnson (1874 - 1954)
By Arthur Johnson
Located in Hanover, MA
Lovely period grand scale portrait of a young lady in equestrienne attire by Arthur Johnson. A landscape, portrait, genre painter and caricaturist, Arthur Johnson was born in Cinc...
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1930s American Vintage Art Deco Paintings

"Living Room with Aquatic-Themed Painting, " Fabulous Art Deco Watercolor
By William Lentz
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Gorgeous in conception and execution, this vivid and beautiful watercolor rendering, original to the 1930s, depicts an airy and open living space in 1930s modern style. The dramatic black stone...
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1930s American Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

"Waiting for the Barge, " Fabulous & Vivid Art Deco Painting of Bejewelled Figure
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vividly painted in tones of carmen, ivory and sapphire, and depicting a turbaned woman with fashionably short hair and bedecked with strands of diamonds, sapphires and rubies, this p...
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1930s American Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Gouache

1930s Nude Oil Painting Signed Maubri
Located in Cathedral City, CA
French nude painting (oil on canvas) with original frame signed Maubri.
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1930s French Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Wood, Canvas

"Europa Spirited off to Crete, " Important Art Deco Mural Study by Giovannozzi
By Ezio Giovannozzi
Located in Philadelphia, PA
An especially lovely and fresh take on the Classic Europa and the Bull myth that so intrigued artists in the Art Deco era, this impressionistic study by Ezio Giovannozzi was probably...
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1930s Italian Vintage Art Deco Paintings

"Father and Son, " Glowing Depiction of Sleeping Figures, 1930s, Czech Republic
By Svatopluk Machal
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Glowing with tenderness, love and warmth, this depiction of a sleeping father, his arm protectively embracing his baby son, was painted by Svatopluk Machal, a Czech painter, in the 1...
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1930s Czech Vintage Art Deco Paintings

"Classical Nude with Flowers and Temple, " Important WPA Period Painting
By Arthur D. Brooks
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Exhibited at the Thirteenth Exhibition of Contemporary American Painting at the Cleveland Museum of Art in 1933, this large WPA-influenced painting by Arthur D. Brooks depicts a nude female torso in a classical setting, complete with columned temple front, scroll and Greek urn. The artist includes a cluster of column elements to one side, including an Ionic column capita and a fluted column shaft, as well as an arched Roman facade, and a Greek pedimented...
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1930s American Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Canvas

"Bathing by the River, " Large, Atmospheric Painting by Felix Meseck, 1938
By Felix Meseck
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Sunny and melancholy at the same time, this highly atmospheric painting depicts a family happily ensconced along a river bank, though at the centr...
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1930s German Vintage Art Deco Paintings

"Nude with Basket, " Striking Art Deco Gouache Painting by Hentschel
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Painted by William Hentschel, one of Rookwood Pottery's most celebrated artisans in the Art Deco era, this very rare gouache depicts a half-nude female figure carrying a basket fille...
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1930s American Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Gouache

"First Bloom, " Large, Important Art Deco-Magical Realist Ptg. by Calif. Artist
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Bold and extraordinary and clearly influenced by Diego Rivera, Frieda Kahlo and the Mexican muralists, this large painting by John Greathead depicts a nude American Indian woman...
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1930s American Vintage Art Deco Paintings

"Female Nude with Deer, " Arresting Art Deco Painting by WPA Artist
By Frederick Massa
Located in Philadelphia, PA
An early and important work of Frederick Massa, who is best known for his murals for the Fort Ticonderoga Post Office and the Pacific Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, this fair...
Category

1930s American Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Gouache

Art Deco Oil on Canvas by Pierre Mitiffiot De Bélair
By Pierre Mitiffiot De Bélair
Located in Bridgewater, CT
Pierre Mitiffiot De Bélair (1892-1956). "Woman with Parrot" oil on canvas, circa 1930. Signed lower right, 21 ¾ x 18.
Category

1930s French Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Witold Gordon Gouache "Park Row Theater - Vanity Fair"
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This gouache by Witold Gordon, is one of a series commissioned by Conde Nast which were published in Vanity Fair magazine in July 1934 under the banner “New York Shops You Never See”...
Category

1930s American Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Gouache

"Feeding the Squirrel, " Large, Elegant Art Deco Illustration Art, 2-Page Spread
Located in Philadelphia, PA
An elegant and gracious example of illustration art at its height in 1930, this charming scene depicts an elegant couple in a city park, the female figure feeding a squirrel, and her...
Category

1930s American Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Art Deco Painting Autumn Leaves Bouquet by Emil Fiala, Vienna, 1930s
Located in Vienna, AT
Art Deco Oil on carton painting by Emil Fiala (1869-1960) with the motif Autumn Leaves Bouquet signed, 1930. Emil Fiala provided an excellent understanding of transmitting the mood of the autumn time. He had many exhibitions and the membership of the Künstlerbund (formerly the Hagenbund). This painting is set in a golden authentic Biedermeier...
Category

1930s Austrian Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Wood

"Bringer of Light, " Large, Art Deco Nocturnal Triptych with Nude Figures
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Mystical and beautiful, this three-part watercolor painting depicts a central nude male figure holding a faceted crystal emanating shafts of light, surrounded by clusters of other nu...
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1930s Austrian Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

Cubistic Painting of a Boy Reading, 1930s
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Cubistic painting of a school boy reading. Oil on canvas. Faded signature of lower left hand corner. Newly framed in grey and gold leaf.
Category

1930s Dutch Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

"the Judgment of Paris, " Fabulous Art Deco Mural with Nudes by Machin
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A stunning example of Art Deco painting inspired by classical mythology, this piece depicts Paris, with Mercury by his side and with a golden apple in hand, deciding which of three g...
Category

1930s American Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Witold Gordon Gouache, Jesus Saves, Vanity Fair
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This gouache, by Witold Gordon, is one of a series commissioned by Conde Nast which were published in Vanity Fair magazine in July 1934 under the banner “New York Shops You Never See...
Category

1930s American Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Gouache

"Nude in Surreal Landscape, " Important Art Deco Painting by Radio City Artist
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Painted by Eduard Buk Ulreich, who contributed a set of murals to Radio City Music Hall in Rockefeller Center in New York, as well as WPA murals across the nation, this beautiful dep...
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1930s American Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Watercolor, Pencil, Gouache, Paper

"Diana Running with Deer, " Fabulous, Large Art Deco Mythological Mural, Square
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fabulous example of large, Art Deco decorative painting in 1930s Europe, this oil-on-board work depicts the goddess Diana running with two deer from the woods into a field. The col...
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1930s Spanish Vintage Art Deco Paintings

"American Indian Dance, " Art Deco Drawing by Jean Target, 1930s
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Evidence of Western Europe's fascination with Native American culture, dress and way of life for over a century, this vivid drawing uses watercolor, gouache and crayon to capture a g...
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1930s French Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Gouache, Watercolor

Witold Gordon Gouache, Phrenology, Vanity Fair
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This gouache, by Witold Gordon, is one of a series commissioned by Conde Nast which were published in Vanity Fair magazine in July 1934 under the banner “New York Shops You Never See...
Category

1930s American Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Gouache

"Masquerade, " High-Spirited, Colorful Art Deco Genre Scene
By Ellen Carpenter
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Full of life and energy, this marvelous scene of a masquerade party, filled with guests in costume, exotic Japanese lanterns overhead, and swirling colors everywhere, this Art Deco s...
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1930s American Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

"Sailing the Old Florida Coast, " Jewel-Toned Painting with Spanish Ship & Egret
By Peter Koch
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Comparable to the best of N. C. Wyeth's great illustration paintings, this color-saturated and highly atmospheric depiction of an old Spanish ship along the Florida coast...
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1930s American Vintage Art Deco Paintings

"Two Women with Peony Blossom, " Superb Art Deco Painting, circa 1939
By Margaret Thomas
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Quintessentially western and modern and yet hinting at classical Chinese painting also, this double portrait of two stylized women, one holding a pink peony blossom, is a lovely example of decorative Art Deco work. The figures are expressed in lovely shades of gouache, while the background and highlights are executed in silver paint. The painter may have been Margaret Thomas...
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1930s British Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Gouache

Witold Gordon Gouache "Reeperbahn - Vanity Fair"
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This gouache by Witold Gordon, is one of a series commissioned by Conde Nast which were published in Vanity Fair magazine in July 1934 under the banner “New York Shops You Never See”...
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1930s American Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Gouache

Art Deco French Oil Painting
By L. Gache
Located in Los Angeles, CA
painting sign L.Gache
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1930s French Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Wood

Witold Gordon Gouache "Burlesk Theater"
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This gouache, by Witold Gordon, is one of a series commissioned by Conde Nast which were published in Vanity Fair magazine in July 1934 under the banner “New York Shops You Never See...
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1930s American Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Gouache

"Beautiful Gardens" Art Deco Painting for Ladies Home Journal, Horn and Hardart
By W. Schatz
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Painted in brilliant shades of fuscia, persimmon, olive green and aquamarine, this original gouache painting was painted to advertise the Ladies Home Journal in a Horn and Hardart...
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1930s American Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Paint

Art Deco Belgium Gouache and Watercolor Painting by Leo Engels Custom Framed
By Leo Engels
Located in North Miami, FL
This sensual and erotic like one of a kind original vintage work of art by Leo Engels is of the Art Deco period. It is a combination of gouache and water color. It is Belgium. There ...
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1930s Belgian Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Silver Leaf

Witold Gordon Gouache "Shipsmiths - Vanity Fair"
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This gouache, by Witold Gordon, is one of a series commissioned by Conde Nast which were published in Vanity Fair magazine in July 1934 under the banner “New York Shops You Never See...
Category

1930s American Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Gouache

Witold Gordon Gouache Undertaker Vanity Fair
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This gouache, by Witold Gordon, is one of a series commissioned by Conde Nast which were published in Vanity Fair magazine in July 1934 under the banner “New York Shops You Never See...
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1930s American Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Gouache

"Exotic Figure with Bird of Paradise, " Fabulous Art Deco Watercolor by Forbes
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vivid and striking, this Classic Art Deco watercolor of an exotic female figure in harem pants and geometric-patterned blouse, balancing a bird of paradise on...
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1930s American Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

Witold Gordon Gouache, Democratic Club, Vanity Fair
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This gouache, by Witold Gordon, is one of a series commissioned by Conde Nast which were published in Vanity Fair magazine in July 1934 under the banner “New York Shops You Never See...
Category

1930s American Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Gouache

Lifestyle Painting by Zene Fountayne
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Still Life motif by French artist Zene Fountayne. Oil on canvas featuring a motif of a hat, flowers and draped fabric. His work was exhibited at the 1930 Salon of the Independents of...
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1930s French Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

"Paradise Garden" Painting by Lefebre
By Albert Wilhelm LeFebre
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Oil painting signed by Wilhelm Lefebre titled "Paradise Garden". From, Paris, 1930. Oil on canvas with original decorative frame.
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1930s French Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Canvas

"Plowing at Sunrise, " Art Deco Paean to the Black Farmer, 1930s
By Willis Lohse
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Beautifully conceived, dramatically set and very finely painted, this gouache and ink painting by Willis R. Lohse is a paean to the hard work and nobility of the black farmer in America, hat in hand as he marvels at the beauty of the day. Full of lovely colors -- lemon yellow, cerulean and fresh green -- Lohse captures a lovely moment where the farmer pauses to look upward, amidst sprays of birch trees and expanses of rolling fields. Lohse was a German-American artist who is best known for his illustrations for fiction and fantasy books published between the 1920s and 1950s, including "The Boy Who Found the King," "Raff, the Jungle Bird...
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1930s American Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Gouache, Ink, Paper

"Pacific Basin, " Important Art Deco Painting of Golden Gate Expo
By May French Worth
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Beautifully painted in tones of burnt sienna, cream and watery blue, this rare and early view of the Golden Gate Exposition was painted in 1937, just as Treasure Island was being cre...
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1930s American Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Watercolor, Paper

French Abstract Seascape Painting, Circa 1930
Located in Los Angeles, CA
1930s French oil painting. Depicting a beautiful abstracted shipyard scene, the piece enhanced by a deft use of impasto technique. With its moody yet vibrant palette, the artist’s in...
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1930s French Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Canvas

"Spotted Leopard, " Art Deco Painting in Green and Periwinkle by Kleinhenz
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This striking painting presents a fantastical leopard in a shade of periwinkle superimposed over a brilliant backdrop of stylized palm fronds in a vivid shade of green. The colors ar...
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1930s American Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Paint

Vintage Female Nude Oil Painting by Helge Frender c. 1936
By Helge Frender
Located in Atlanta, GA
Vintage Swedish painting, 1936. Oil on linen.

Stamped on back: "Aktiebolaget Wil Becker, Stockholm"

Dimension of painting without frame - 23 3/8 w x 17 5/8...
Category

1930s Swedish Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Linen

Antique 1930 French Folk Art Bockée Female Portrait Watercolor Burl Frame 25"
Located in Dayton, OH
Antique French folk art watercolor on paper portrait painting of a seated female art deco figure dressed in a blue/purple evening gown with a red trimmed cape at her shoulder. Pencil...
Category

1930s Vintage Art Deco Paintings

Materials

Paint, Paper

Art Deco Paintings

Art Deco paintings might not have been as abundant as other decorative art forms when the movement first materialized in the early 1900s, as there wasn’t a painting-specific component of the 1925 Parisian exhibition that gave way to the term Art Deco. But many artists — such as those working as magazine illustrators, glass artists or sculptors — embraced the characteristics of the fashionable style even if painting wasn't their primary medium.

While sculpture and painting were initially secondary Art Deco media, Art Deco paintings were still lively and rich. As part of a reaction against the organic forms and floral motifs that underpinned Art Nouveau, Art Deco painters introduced geometric abstraction and distortion in their work. Painters working in the Art Deco style were inspired by Cubist forms and the bright colors of Fauvism, and an offshoot of Art Deco painting emerged in the 1930s as murals, a way to decorate buildings in the United States after the Great Depression.

Dunbar D. Beck, Witold Gordon, René Buthaud and Emil Fiala are some of the painters associated with Art Deco that you can find on 1stDibs.

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