Folk Art Paintings
Folk art is a genre of art that shares the creator’s traditions, offering not just an artistic display but an opportunity to learn about a culture. Antique, new and vintage folk art typically reflects a heritage or location. It can include utilitarian objects and handmade art as diverse as weather vanes, duck decoys, portraiture and paintings, carnival art and quilts.
Quilts are a quintessential part of American folk art but their roots are international, with quilting dating back to Ancient Egypt. The practice spread to Europe and was especially prominent in the Middle Ages, with one of the oldest surviving examples being the Tristan quilt made in Sicily in the 14th century. They were made as bedcovers and clothing, including as a layer for knights to wear beneath their armor. Native American folk art includes functional objects reflecting their heritage, such as baskets, textiles and wooden pieces.
Elsewhere, the vast range of work associated with Mexican folk art includes masks made by Mexican craftspeople for traditional celebrations and ceremonial dances. Mexican masks are part of the country’s folk-art traditions that go back thousands of years and play a role in festivals and theater.
Works in the folk art tradition are valuable because of the skills involved, like weaving, hand-carving wood and even stonework. Many folk artists are self-taught, while some train as apprentices within their community. By using available materials and taking a personal approach to their creations, artists ensure each piece is unique and conveys a story.
During the Great Depression, artistic materials in America were hard to come by, so artisans used discarded wood from cigar boxes and shipping crates to make highly stylized, notched pieces — most often picture frames and boxes — that are today sought after by collectors. This folk art style is called tramp art and was popular from roughly 1870 until the 1940s.
Folk art brings vibrant culture and traditions into your home. Browse an extensive collection of antique, new and vintage folk art on 1stDibs.
1850s American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Canvas
Early 19th Century Peruvian Antique Folk Art Paintings
Canvas, Wood, Paint
19th Century Antique Folk Art Paintings
Canvas, Wood
Late 19th Century Korean Antique Folk Art Paintings
Paper, Wood
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Paintings
Canvas, Wood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Folk Art Paintings
Paint
Early 19th Century Unknown Antique Folk Art Paintings
Fabric, Giltwood, Paint, Paper
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Canvas, Giltwood, Paint
Early 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Wood, Paper
Early 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Wood, Paper
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Folk Art Paintings
Glass, Wood
19th Century Antique Folk Art Paintings
Tin
Late 19th Century Antique Folk Art Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1890s French Antique Folk Art Paintings
Wood
1880s Austrian Antique Folk Art Paintings
Feathers
Mid-19th Century American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Paint
1850s American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Paint
Mid-19th Century American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Canvas
1880s American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Canvas, Silk
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Canvas
1870s American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Other
19th Century Antique Folk Art Paintings
Paint, Paper
Mid-19th Century American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Glass, Softwood, Paint
1890s American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Wood
Early 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Paintings
Glass
Mid-19th Century American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Paper
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Paint, Paper
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Canvas, Paint
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Paint, Paper
Mid-19th Century American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Wood, Paint
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Other
19th Century Mexican Antique Folk Art Paintings
Tin
1880s American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Paint, Paper
19th Century Mexican Antique Folk Art Paintings
Tin
19th Century Mexican Antique Folk Art Paintings
Tin
1830s American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Canvas, Paint
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Folk Art Paintings
Canvas, Wood
1840s English Antique Folk Art Paintings
Canvas, Oak
19th Century Mexican Antique Folk Art Paintings
Tin
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Canvas, Paint
Late 19th Century English Antique Folk Art Paintings
Maple, Paper
Late 19th Century Korean Antique Folk Art Paintings
Brocade, Silk, Wood
Late 19th Century Korean Antique Folk Art Paintings
Brocade, Silk, Wood
Late 19th Century Korean Antique Folk Art Paintings
Brocade, Silk, Wood
19th Century American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Maple, Paper
19th Century European Antique Folk Art Paintings
Canvas, Wood
Late 19th Century Welsh Antique Folk Art Paintings
Canvas
Mid-19th Century English Antique Folk Art Paintings
Maple, Paper
19th Century American Antique Folk Art Paintings
Canvas
Early 1800s English Antique Folk Art Paintings
Paper
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Folk Art Paintings
Paint
1870s American Antique Folk Art Paintings
1870s German Antique Folk Art Paintings
Paper
19th Century Chinese Antique Folk Art Paintings
Glass
Mid-19th Century Maltese Antique Folk Art Paintings
Paint