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Mid-Century Modern Paintings

MID-CENTURY MODERN STYLE

Organically shaped, clean-lined and elegantly simple are three terms that well describe vintage mid-century modern furniture. The style, which emerged primarily in the years following World War II, is characterized by pieces that were conceived and made in an energetic, optimistic spirit by creators who believed that good design was an essential part of good living.

ORIGINS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN

CHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN

MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW

ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS

VINTAGE MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS

The mid-century modern era saw leagues of postwar American architects and designers animated by new ideas and new technology. The lean, functionalist International-style architecture of Le Corbusier and Bauhaus eminences Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius had been promoted in the United States during the 1930s by Philip Johnson and others. New building techniques, such as “post-and-beam” construction, allowed the International-style schemes to be realized on a small scale in open-plan houses with long walls of glass.

Materials developed for wartime use became available for domestic goods and were incorporated into mid-century modern furniture designs. Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen, who had experimented extensively with molded plywood, eagerly embraced fiberglass for pieces such as the La Chaise and the Womb chair, respectively. 

Architect, writer and designer George Nelson created with his team shades for the Bubble lamp using a new translucent polymer skin and, as design director at Herman Miller, recruited the Eameses, Alexander Girard and others for projects at the legendary Michigan furniture manufacturer

Harry Bertoia and Isamu Noguchi devised chairs and tables built of wire mesh and wire struts. Materials were repurposed too: The Danish-born designer Jens Risom created a line of chairs using surplus parachute straps for webbed seats and backrests.

The Risom lounge chair was among the first pieces of furniture commissioned and produced by legendary manufacturer Knoll, a chief influencer in the rise of modern design in the United States, thanks to the work of Florence Knoll, the pioneering architect and designer who made the firm a leader in its field. The seating that Knoll created for office spaces — as well as pieces designed by Florence initially for commercial clients — soon became desirable for the home.

As the demand for casual, uncluttered furnishings grew, more mid-century furniture designers caught the spirit.

Classically oriented creators such as Edward Wormley, house designer for Dunbar Inc., offered such pieces as the sinuous Listen to Me chaise; the British expatriate T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings switched gears, creating items such as the tiered, biomorphic Mesa table. There were Young Turks such as Paul McCobb, who designed holistic groups of sleek, blond wood furniture, and Milo Baughman, who espoused a West Coast aesthetic in minimalist teak dining tables and lushly upholstered chairs and sofas with angular steel frames.

As the collection of vintage mid-century modern chairs, dressers, coffee tables and other furniture for the living room, dining room, bedroom and elsewhere on 1stDibs demonstrates, this period saw one of the most delightful and dramatic flowerings of creativity in design history.

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Style: Mid-Century Modern
Period: 1960s
Ricardo Santamaria, "Entre les lignes"
Located in Catonvielle, FR
Ricardo Santamaria (1947-2004), acrylic and newspapers on canvas titled "Between the lines", dated 1969 on the back. This creation is part of the beginnings of the artist's Parisian ...
Category

1960s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Paper

J. Vanneste, Oil on Canvas, circa 1960, Signed
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
J. Vanneste, oil on canvas, circa 1960, signed.
Category

1960s European Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint

Midcentury Scandinavian Oil Painting of a Woman in Original Frame, Denmark
Located in Berlin, DE
This midcentury Scandinavian oil painting of a woman working has its original frame and was painted in Denmark in the 1960s. A unique piece...
Category

1960s Danish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Pine, Paint

Painting “Motion” by Earl Daniels 'Midcentury 1960s' American Painter
By Earl Daniels
Located in San Diego, CA
Earl Daniels (1920-1999), California painter of landscapes, seascapes, coastal scenes, still- lives and abstracts, was born in New York City where he worked both as a commercial arti...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint

Modern Abstract Painting
Located in Atlanta, GA
Modern abstract painting. Dated 1962 and signed illegibly on verso. Retains original gilt and painted wood frame and linen mounting. Size noted below i...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Wood, Paint

1960s Abstract Dark Mystery Modern Oil Painting Masonite signed Worthington
Located in Chula Vista, CA
Art Painting Oil on Masonite board signed Worthington. 1960s USA Dark Mysterious Modern abstract composition. Dimensions: 25.5W x 29.5 H 1 thick, Art 23 x 19.5 Original patinated woo...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Wood, Masonite

Extra Large Abstract Oil on Styrofoam by Guglielmo “Mino” Lusignoli, Italy
By Guglielmo Lusignoli 1
Located in London, GB
Mid-Century Modern Italian extra large abstract oil on Styrofoam by award winning architect and artist Guglielmo “Mino” Lusignoli (Parma 1920-2003), circa1960. In original chrome cu...
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Polystyrene

Eleanor Coen Abstract Expressionist Painting, 1960's
Located in Phoenix, AZ
This multicolored expressionist style painting by American artist Eleanor Coen depicts the layered feeling of a city with its patchwork of buildings and l...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint

Henri Valachman " nature morte " Oil on Canvas
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Henri Valachman (1925-2020) "nature morte " oil on canvas.
Category

1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint

Abstract Splatter Painting Signed by Artist
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This wonderful painting makes the perfect addition to any home, business, or office. Creative piece of art with many elaborate colors on the canvas. Please confirm item location ...
Category

1960s Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Henri Valachman "gouter aux poires" Oil on Canvas
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Henri Valachman (1925-2020) "gouter aux poires" oil on canvas.
Category

1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint

Henri Valachman "L'instant Fragile" Oil on Canvas
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Henri VALACHMAN (1925-2020) "L'instant fragile" oil on canvas.
Category

1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint

Wonderful MCM Acrylic Painting by C.A. Long---1960s USA
By C.A. Long 1
Located in Miami, FL
Beautiful framed MCM geometric acrylic painting by C.A.Long. Perfect for any MCM setting in terms of color and composition. 1960s USA
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Impasto Oil Painting Floral Still Life 1960s style of William Dobell
Located in Melbourne, AU
An excellent and very stylish impasto oil on board of Ranunculus flowers in an urn vase. The expressionist impasto paint application is fascinating. Clearly the work of a competent colourist. It really evokes the texture of Ranunculas flowers, their weight and the vibrancy of their colour. Unsigned, dating from the 1960s. The style is Expressionist. It reminds us of the work of William Dobell...
Category

1960s Australian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Softwood, Masonite, Paint

Henri Valachman "déjeuner" Oil on Canvas
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Henri Valachman (1925-2020) "déjeuner" oil on canvas.
Category

1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint

George Gach 'Hungarian-American, NY, 1909-1996' Oil On Canvas, "Jones Beach 1968
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Signed and dated 1968 on the lower right and on verso with title and date. Christies labels on the stretcher- 10-JAN 07, sale 1786 lot 23. A wonderful view of the crowded beach with some women wearing two-piece bathing suits...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Oil on Canvas, circa 1960, Signed
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Oil on canvas, circa 1960, signed.
Category

1960s European Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint

"Male Nude with Banner and Pole, " Rare Midcentury Painting by Lear
Located in Philadelphia, PA
John Lear was a contemporary of Paul Cadmus and like him, highly focused on depicting the male figure in various settings and positions. However, Lear never gained fame beyond his ci...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint

Bird Fury Painting by Leonardo Nierman, circa 1966
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Intense acrylic on masonite painting Titled Bird Fury by Leonardo Nierman signed and dated in the lower right Nierman 66. According to Art Brokerage: Leonardo Nierman Mexican Artist: b. 1932. Leonardo Nierman's paintings vibrantly come to life as they capture the intensity and spontaneity of the dynamic forces that rule both nature and the cosmos. With swirling whirlpools of color, darting flame-like wisps, and brilliant hues as dazzling as a sun, they are dramatic in their representation of that which is unchallenged, though perhaps not quite understood. Leonardo Nierman's full career includes numerous distinctions, awards, and exhibitions. He has painted murals for the School of Commerce of the University City in Mexico, 1956; the "Golden West...
Category

1960s Mexican Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Painting by Gert Marcus, Komposition
Located in Stockholm, SE
Gert Marcus (1914-2008): "Rött och Mörkt grått", signed and dated 1960-1963, oil on canvas, 61 x 122 cm. Exhibited: Liljevalchs Konsthall, Stockh...
Category

1960s Swedish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Colorful Mid Century Street Scene
Located in Redding, CT
Colorful Mid Century street scene. Unsigned oil on canvas. Vivid colors of blues, greens and purples. Amazing light and depth make up this inc...
Category

1960s Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Wood, Canvas

Landscape Painting with Cooling Towers by British Sylvia Molloy, circa 1960
Located in London, GB
Expressive landscape painting with Cooling Towers by British Sylvia Molloy circa 1960. Sylvia Molloy was a British Realist and Impressionist artist and t...
Category

1960s Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Wood, Paint, Canvas

Large Scale Mid-Century Modern Oil Painting Blue Lady in Chair Portier
By Alain Portier
Located in Pemberton, NJ
Very unique and large scale oil painting on board -Blue lady in chair signed Portier. I love the unique style of this well painted lady. I also think the size and proportion will set...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood

Oil on Canvas 1969 Depicting Jewish Priest with Signature in the Back
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Oil on canvas 1969 depicting Jewish Priest, with signature in the back.
Category

1960s Israeli Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint

"Greek Islander, " Vivid Portrait of Greek Male Figure with Aegean Sea Backdrop
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Vividly painted in a palette of white, brilliant blue and ruddy skin tones, this portrait of a bearded Greek youth with ruddy complexion and green eyes was...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint

Gianpaolo Lazzaro Italian Avant Garde Symbolist Oil on Canvas Painting
Located in New York, NY
Italian Avant Garde symbolist oil on canvas painting by Gianpaolo Lazzaro (Italian, Padua 1911 - Milan 1977). Created in 1960 and signed by the artist in...
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Wood, Canvas

Jean-Pierre Clement "French" Painting
Located in Norwalk, CT
A surrealist painting by listed French artist Jean Pierre Clement depicting a male figure in jester-like clothing and a light red headdress. He appears to be reading inside a small, ...
Category

1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint

Vibrant Modern Abstract by Arnold Weber, Dated Aug. 1968
Located in Atlanta, GA
A fabulous modern abstract by enormously talented Arnold Weber (1931-2010). Tremendous mood and energy. Expert use of vibrant color that will bring a smile to your face. This Killer ...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Chamberlain Signed Watercolor Mid-Century Modern Custom Museum Framed
Located in North Miami, FL
This vintage signed original one of a kind watercolor by Chamberlain and dated 1960 has a real sensuality to it. This has been tastefully and be...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Silver Leaf

Jean-Pierre Clement Painting
Located in Norwalk, CT
A surrealist scene by listed French artist Jean Pierre Clement depicting a cloaked female figure next to a pile of assorted items including a book,...
Category

1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint

Modernist Abstract Oil by Sidney Zimmerman, Dated 1960
By Sidney E. Zimmerman
Located in Peabody, MA
Modernist abstract oil on canvas, a tapestry of flowing ribbons in peacock hues, by noted New York artist Sidney E. Zimmerman, dated 1960. Zimmerman (1926-2007) studied in Berlin dur...
Category

1960s North American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Paint

Norman Laliberte's “Hommage to Picasso” Original Signed Oil on Canvas Painting
Located in Redding, CT
Norman LaLiberte's “Hommage to Picasso” original signed oil on canvas painting. His cubist style in this piece is a bow to world renown Pablo Picasso....
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Selection of Modern Art
Located in Atlanta, GA
Selection of Modern Art, circa 1950s-1970s. From left to right, they are: 1) The abstract nude female drawing, probably American, circa 1950s....
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Glass, Wood, Paper

Mid-20th Century Still Life Painting
By Seely
Located in San Francisco, CA
Still life painting in carved and giltwood frame. Signed Donald Seely, 1966.
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Masonite

Still Life Painting on Canvas, Victor Petré, Belgium, circa 1960
Located in Brussels, BE
Still life painting on canvas, Victor Petré, Belgium, circa 1960.
Category

1960s Belgian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Estate Henri Leopold Masson Untitled Landscape Charcoal on Paper
By Henri Masson
Located in Montreal, QC
Charcoal Landscape by Henri Leopold Masson (1907-1996) unframed size: 18.5” x 24”; framed size: 27.5” x 32.5” Henri Léopold Masson, painter (b at Spy, Belgium 10 Jan 1907; d at Otta...
Category

1960s Canadian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Paper

Charming Still Life Painting In The Style Of Bernard Buffet
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
An interesting vintage 1960s still life painting int the style of Bernard Buffet. Very well done with heavy impasto application. Measures 17.75" x 32...
Category

1960s North American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Mid-Century Modern Framed German Abstract Painting Acryl on Wood, circa 1960
Located in Berlin, DE
This Mid-Century Modern framed German abstract painting was painted in the 1960s. It is acryl on wood. A unique piece which is a great eyecatcher for your antique, modern, Space Age ...
Category

1960s German Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Wood

Mid-Century Modern Oil Painting
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Bright and colorful vintage modern oil painting on canvas. Please confirm item location (NY or NJ).
Category

1960s Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Selection of Large-Scale Abstract Paintings
Located in Atlanta, GA
Selection of large-scale abstract paintings, artist unknown, probably American, circa 1960s. They have been framed in clean lined white lacquered gallery frames under UV resistant gl...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Wood, Paint, Paper, Glass

Abstract Framed Art
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Colorful abstract painted artwork with wood frame. (Please confirm item location - NY or NJ - with dealer).   
Category

1960s Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint

Brussels Street Scene Painting on Canvas, Victor Petré, Belgium, circa 1960
Located in Brussels, BE
Brussels street scene painting on canvas - Victor Petré, Belgium, circa 1960.
Category

1960s Belgian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas

1960s Mural Sized Architectural Oil Rendering by Richard Bobby
By Richard Bobby
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A very large, oil on canvas, rendering of a future building for Crest Corp drawn in 1966 of John F. Kennedy Blvd in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Signed "Richard Bobby 9.66 Crest Corp ...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Selection of Large-Scale Abstract Paintings
Located in Atlanta, GA
Selection of large-scale abstract paintings, artist unknown, probably American, circa 1960s. They have been framed in clean lined white lacquered gallery frames under UV resistant gl...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Glass, Wood, Paint, Paper

Mid-Century Modern Oil Painting by Hilde Goldschmidt, 1960s, Austria
Located in Vienna, AT
Mid Century Modern vintage oil painting by Hilde Goldschmidt 1960s. Oil on fibreboard Hilde Goldschmidt (7.9.1897 Leipzig) was active in Kitzbühel, A...
Category

1960s Austrian Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Natural Fiber

Midcentury Mixed-Media Cubist Still Life Oil on Canvas
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Midcentury mixed-media Cubist still life oil on canvas, a fine composition with influences of Kurt Schwitters and George Braque. Signed "Gordon" Lower left center. Measures: Canvas 3...
Category

1960s North American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Cano, "composition" Oil on Canvas Signed and Dated 1969
By Cano
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Cano, "composition" oil on canvas signed and dated 1969.
Category

1960s European Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint

Herbert Laurence Davidson “Young Boy on Carousel”, Oil Painting, 1960s
Located in San Francisco, CA
A poignant 1960s oil painting on canvas depicting a young boy on a stationary carousel by important mid-century American artist Herbert Laurence Davidson (b. 1930–2018). A characteristically sensitive portrait by the artist, with his subject's red-eyed expression and dejected body language suggesting that there would be no more rides that day. With a well-earned reputation as a skilled American Realist, the short, finely hashed brushstroke technique that Davidson employs to achieve a detailed, luminous effect is all the more impressive upon closer examination. Signed "Herbert Davidson...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oak, Paint, Giltwood

Large Scale Abstract Paintings
Located in Atlanta, GA
Selection of large-scale abstract paintings, artist unknown, probably American, circa 1960s. They have been framed in clean lined white lacquered gallery frames under UV resistant gl...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Glass, Wood, Paint, Paper

Large Scale Orange Geometric Painting
Located in Atlanta, GA
Large scale orange geometric painting, artist unknown, circa 1960s. It has quite a commanding presence at 6 feet x 6 feet. Please note that this painting is not currently framed or m...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Canvas

Mid-Century Modern Framed Oil on Canvas Scene Painting Signed by Sol Selwan 1962
Located in Keego Harbor, MI
For your consideration is a beautiful, framed, oil on canvas painting of a town scene, signed by Sol Selwas, dated 1962. In excellent condition. The dimensions are 20" W x 24" (2') H...
Category

1960s Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Paint

W. Heffel, Oil on Canvas, 1963
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
Gorgeous large midcentury oil on canvas by W. Heffel, 1963.
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Jean-Pierre Clement Painting
Located in Norwalk, CT
This surrealist work by listed French artist Jean Pierre Clement depicts a female portrait of a woman with a geometric blue headdress and one expos...
Category

1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint

Monhegan Hard Edge Landscape Painting by Henry Kallem, circa 1960s
Located in Peabody, MA
An abstract minimalist painting titled "Enigmatic Landscape" by noted NY artist Henry Kallem. Kallem was an influential member of the 28th Street Group of modernists and also worked ...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Paint

Jean-Pierre Clement Painting
Located in Norwalk, CT
A surrealist painting by listed French artist Jean Pierre Clement depicting two whimsical figures. The male figure in front sports a striped chemis...
Category

1960s French Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint

1969 Original Oil on Canvas by Robert Tyler Lee, 1910-1987
By Robert Tyler Lee
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Original oil on canvas painting "The Back Porch" by listed artist Robert Tyler Lee. Robert Tyler Lee was an Emmy award nominated art director. Also a set decorator painter and scu...
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Peter Keil Mid-Century Modern 'Abstract Face' Oil on Canvas Painting
Located in New York, NY
A framed abstract style oil on canvas portrait made by Peter Robert Keil (b. 1942) in 1967 in his Palma studio. The piece is signed and dated and is in good vintage condition. From t...
Category

1960s Spanish Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Painting, Signed Gunter, Green and Blue Color, "Dancers", C 1969, Mid-Century
Located in New York, NY
Decorative painting, signed Gunter, 1969. Four young ladies dancing. Framed in a beautiful linen matting and gold frame. This is a new frame.
Category

1960s American Vintage Mid-Century Modern Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Mid-century Modern paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Mid-Century Modern paintings 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 paintings created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include wall decorations, folk art, decorative objects and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with fabric, paint and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Mid-Century Modern paintings made in a specific country, there are North America, United States, and Europe pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original paintings, popular names associated with this style include Peter Keil, Jacob Semiatin, Daniel Clesse, and Charles Levier. 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 paintings differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $45 and tops out at $275,000 while the average work can sell for $1,851.

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