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Modern Paintings

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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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
Kurt Larisch, Abstract Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Signed, Dated, Title in Back
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Very nice and large painting by the well known Austrian artist, Larch, worked in Mexico for many years. This art work is title in Spanish in back "Luna Congelada" his style is abstra...
Category

1970s Mexican Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint

Abstract Representation of the Print Media on a Yellow Background, 1965
Located in Miami, FL
Jean Sanglar was born in France in 1926. He draws with taste and talent from an early age, however, his family will only consider this a mere hobby. After studying law, he later took...
Category

Late 20th Century French Modern Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Wood, Paint

Large Mid Century Modern Painting of a Marilynesque Figure by the Pool 1963
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fabulous, fantastic 1963 oil on canvas painting of a Marilynesque Figure by a pool. Colorful and stylish depiction of the famed and tragic Marilyn Monroe sitting in a pool setting po...
Category

1960s American Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Hardwood, Paint

Large Mural of the Szechenyi Chain Bridge in Budapest Hungary
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fabulous large painting, wall mural of the Chain Bridge in Budapest Hungary. 10 feet x 4 feet with all the trimmings that surrounds the Danube River. Bridge was mostly destroyed by f...
Category

1960s Hungarian Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Paint

Yves Corbassière (French 1925-2020) Large oil on canvas, signed and dated 1967
Located in Oxford, GB
Yves Corbassière (French 1925-2020) Large oil on canvas, signed and dated 1967 Corbassière was born on 16 May 1925 in Montmartre into a family of industrialists. He had two sisters....
Category

1960s French Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint

Erik Hallgren, Swedish artist. Oil on canvas. Abstract landscape, 1975
Located in København, Copenhagen
Erik Hallgren (1910-2000), Swedish artist. Oil on canvas. Abstract landscape with thick, textured brushstrokes. Signed "EH" and also signed and d...
Category

1970s Swedish Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Large David Large Armitage Abstract Painting On Canvas
Located in Bradenton, FL
20th century abstract acrylic on canvas painting by U.K. artist David Armitage. Armitage, originally from Tasmania now living in the U.K., is a well-respected artist whose paintings ...
Category

20th Century English Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint

Large Striking Contemporary Painting Signed Slade
By Paul Slade
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Large original painting signed lower right, Slade, having striking figurative rendering that's almost abstract. The figure appears to be female with a dreamy, bold and powerful styl...
Category

1990s American Modern Paintings

Materials

Paper

Jean Cuillerat (1927-1998), French artist, oil on canvas. Abstract composition.
Located in København, Copenhagen
Jean Cuillerat (1927-1998), French artist, oil on canvas. Abstract composition. Approximately from the 1970s. Signed. In perfect condition. Dimensions: W 45.7 cm x H 37.6 cm.
Category

1970s French Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Painting by Wright Barker
By Barker Wright
Located in Houston, TX
Wright Barker (1864-1941) was a British painter and a member of the Royal British Academy (R.B.A.). He is known as John Wright Barker. He was a painter of genre, rural and sporting s...
Category

Early 20th Century English Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Unknown French Artist, Oil on Canvas, Abstract Composition, Mid-20th Century
Located in København, Copenhagen
Unknown French artist. Oil on canvas. Abstract composition. Mid-20th century. The canvas measures: 90 x 65 cm. The frame measures: 2 cm. Signed. In excellent condition.
Category

Mid-20th Century French Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Flame Colored Copper Painting by Arthur UNGER. Signed.
Located in NICE, FR
Artist : Arthur UNGER (1932- ) Crafted through the intricate process of flame-painting on copper, this piece showcases an explosion of vibrant colors, from rich copper tones to iri...
Category

20th Century Luxembourgish Modern Paintings

Materials

Copper

Oil Painting by Maria Sturm, 1975-1983, Vienna
By Maria Sturm
Located in Vienna, AT
Modern painting in three pieces, Triptychon by Maria Sturm. Oil on pressboard shows the motif "The decades of Life". Literature: Heinrich Fuchs, Die österr. Maler des 20. Jahrhunder...
Category

Late 20th Century Austrian Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint

Peder Brøndum Sørensen. Oil on canvas. Modernist village view, 1977
Located in København, Copenhagen
Peder Brøndum Sørensen (1931-2003), Danish painter. Oil on canvas. Modernist village view with a sea in the background. 1977. Signed. In perfect condition. Dimensions: 41 cm x 31 cm....
Category

1970s Danish Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Other

Craig Allen Abstract Nude Figurative Painting Titled "Echo"
By Craig Alan
Located in Miami, FL
Craig Allen Abstract Nude Figurative Painting Titled "Echo" Offered for sale is an abstract nude figurative painting on canvas titled "Echo. The painting ...
Category

2010s American Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Wood

Painting by Peter Keil, C 1959, The Lion Face", Acrylic on Paper, C 1959, Framed
Located in New York, NY
Peter Robert Keil was born to an artist blacksmith father whom he lost very early in his childhood during the Second World War. During the end phase of the war, Keil's mother, also a...
Category

1950s German Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Small Contemporary Naive Painting of Chestnut Horse Matted and Framed
Located in Morristown, NJ
A small and engaging contemporary painting of a chestnut horse in a pastoral setting. The colors in this unsigned painting are fresh and vibrant. The...
Category

2010s American Modern Paintings

Materials

Glass, Wood, Paint, Paper

Peter Buchman "Star Wars”, Voice-Over Paintings Series, 2025
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary New York artist Peter Buchman's 'Star Wars' is created using laser-cut plexiglass, acrylic medium, and enamel on wood. It's part of his Voice-Over series, in which the a...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Paintings

Materials

Enamel

Mona Ridderstad-Cedergren. Oil on board. Double portrait of man and woman
Located in København, Copenhagen
Mona Ridderstad-Cedergren, Swedish artist. Oil on board. Double portrait of man and woman. Abstract style. Thick strokes. Approximately from the 1960s. Signed. In excellent condition...
Category

1960s Swedish Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Other

Søren Hagen, Prairie Landscape Painting
Located in Kastrup, DK
Søren Hagen (Danish) b. 1957 Prairie landscape, Arizona. Acrylic on canvas. Black wooden frame. Signed Hagen 05 . Without frame: 60 x 60 cm.
Category

Early 2000s Danish Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Rudolf Kämmer, Acrylic on Canvas, 1971
By Rudolf Kämmer
Located in Saarbrücken, SL
Rudolf Kämmer (1935-2021) Untitled, acrylic on canvas Verso signed on stretcher Signed: Rudolf Kämmer and dated: 1971 (black fibre pencil) Rudolf Kämmer belonged to the representatives of Optical Art (Op Art) who oriented themselves in the 1960s to the experimental traditions and movements of the Bauhaus and was one of the founders of geometric, concrete and constructivist art. With his works, Rudolf Kämmer stimulated the perceptual behaviour of the viewer by challenging him to question and influence the work through attentive visual behaviour. His work concepts (colour reliefs, revolving web paintings...
Category

1970s European Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Original Clair Seglem Tall Portrait Painting of a Nude Blonde Woman
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
A lovely tall portrait painting by the late Oklahoma artist Clair Seglem. The piece has a muted pallet and depicts a woman in the buff with long blonde h...
Category

20th Century American Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint, Paper, Masonite

Striking Abstract Geometric Painting by John Foster
By John Foster
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Eye catching powerful abstract in red, pink and black, signed lower right, Foster.
Category

1960s North American Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas

"Ultrablue Garden 05" by Patrick Burns
Located in Chicago, IL
"Concrete Gardens" is a body of work that translates Patrick Burns' deep love of the land and complicated past into richly textured, mixed-media paintings with reverberating, monochr...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Paintings

Materials

Concrete, Other

North Carolina Beach Scene East Coast by J Winston Lawler
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Well executed oil on paper beach scene by J Winston Lawler. Virginian painter of his local scenes. Matted without a frame. In excellent vintage condition. One of many paintings by j....
Category

1970s American Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint, Paper

"Gothic Portals" 2020 Abstract Architectural Painting by Louis Shields
Located in Middleburg, VA
A vivid exploration of time, memory, and space, "Gothic Portals" by Louis Shields combines gestural abstraction with architectural structure. Part of the artist's Element Series from...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Paint

Framed Bold Still Life Oil Painting of a Teapot Filled with Wildflowers
Located in Queens, NY
Contemporary still life oil painting of a bouquet of wildflowers and thistles inside a blue and white teapot against a bold graphic red and black...
Category

20th Century American Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Giltwood

Personaje Sentado / Tinta / Painting / José Luis Cuevas
Located in COYOACAN, DF
José Luis Cuevas Novelo (Mexico City, February 26, 1934-July 3, 2017) 2 known as José Luis Cuevas, was a Mexican painter, draftsman, writer, engraver,...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary North American Modern Paintings

Materials

Paper

Scandinavian artist. Oil on panel. Abstract composition with a colorful palette
Located in København, Copenhagen
Scandinavian artist. Oil on panel. Abstract composition with a colorful palette and impasto brushwork. Approximately from the 1970s. In perfect condition. Indistinctly signed. Image...
Category

1970s Scandinavian Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Other

1986 Hannah Ferenbach Rocky Coastal Seascape Watercolor Painting One-of-a-Kind
Located in Secaucus, NJ
Fabulous 1986 Hannah Ferenbach one-of-a-kind framed rocky coastal seascape watercolor painting on paper. Signed and dated by the artist in the lower right. The painting depicts a coa...
Category

1980s American Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Plexiglass, Walnut, Paint, Paper

Original Paul Rusconi Painting of Famous Pop-Culture Skateboarder, Paul Cardiel
By Paul Rusconi
Located in Tustin, CA
Very large, original digital screenprint on Plexiglas with nail polish on C-print, mounted to Sintra board painting of the famous hall of fame skateboard icon, John Joseph Cardiel (b...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary North American Modern Paintings

Materials

Plexiglass

Ruth Armer (1896-1977) "Painting No. 4" Oil on Canvas, 1966
By Ruth Armer
Located in Sacramento, CA
Abstract oil on canvas by artist Ruth Armer (1896-1977). Entitled "Painting No. 4", produced in 1966. Unsigned with labels on verso from San Francisco Museum of Art Rental Gallery ...
Category

1960s American Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Paint

Abstract # 17 Mixed Medium Painting on Canvas by Luigi Cosentino
Located in Montreal, QC
Abstract mixed medium painting, signed: Luigi Cosentino, titled “Abstract #17” and dated 2018, backside of the canvas, canvas size 48" x 72" x 1.75" profile. Luigi’s artwork is his m...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint

Deceptive Vessels 4 stencil painting on paper by Peter Woodward
By Peter Woodward
Located in Henley-on Thames, Oxfordshire
Stencil painting by Peter Woodward stenciled acrylic paint on handmade recycled paper presented in UV resistant Perspex box frames Each painting is a unique piece by British contemp...
Category

2010s British Modern Paintings

Materials

Paper

Mixed Media Painting by Cuban-American Artist Juan Navarette Titled "Red Boat"
Located in Miami, FL
Offered for sale is an original mixed media painting by the Cuban-American Artist Juan Navarette. The painting is signed in the lower right as well as on verso as pictured. Juan A. N...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Paint

Contemporary Italian Modern Abstract Wall Art White Gold Royal Blue Oil Painting
Located in New York, NY
Bring color and an energized feel to your interior with this contemporary Italian Oil Painting on Board. By unknown artist, the abst...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Paintings

Materials

Gold

Peder Brøndum Sørensen. Oil on board. Modernist motif with a figure by a house.
Located in København, Copenhagen
Peder Brøndum Sørensen (1931-2003), Danish painter. Oil on board. Modernist motif with a figure by a house. 1960s/70s. In perfect condition. Signed PBS. Dimensions: 60.0 cm x 50.0 cm...
Category

1960s Danish Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Other

Painting, "The Golden Lady", Modern Contemporary Art, Painted on Silk Fabric
By Hanneke De Neve
Located in New York, NY
Decorative painting by Hanneke De Neve, Holland, circa 2016. Acrylic on silk fabric. Framed in a beautiful gold leaf wood frame with a linen liner.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Paintings

Materials

Silk, Acrylic

Monica Perez "Boundry" Original Acrylic Painting on Canvas 2021
Located in New York, NY
Monica Perez "Boundry" Original Acrylic Painting on Canvas, 2021. W 40" x H 60" Monica Perez’s works are expressions of emotion—impulsive, spontaneous ge...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Two Figures Represented at the Beach
Located in Miami, FL
Jean Sanglar was born in France in 1926. He draws with taste and talent from an early age, however, his family will only consider this a mere hobby. After studying law, he later took...
Category

Late 20th Century French Modern Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Wood, Paint

Oil on Canvas by José Herrera
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Oil on canvas by José Herrera (Spanish, 1943-). Signed and dated 1973. Original stainless steel frame. A beautiful piece.
Category

1970s Spanish Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Stainless Steel

Homage to Bernard Buffet, Hats on Blue, Yellow and Red, circa 1964
Located in Miami, FL
Signed by the artist. Jean Sanglar was born in France in 1926. He draws with taste and talent from an early age, however, his family will only consider this a mere hobby. After st...
Category

Late 20th Century French Modern Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Wood, Paint

Sitting Monkey Gouache by Henri Samouilov
Located in Henley-on Thames, Oxfordshire
Gouache and pastel study of a sitting Macaque monkey with its hand to its head by Henri Samouilov with a similar unfinished study to the reverse of the...
Category

1990s French Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint

Leonardo Nierman early cityscape abstract , watercolor painting .
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This is an early work by the well known Mexican artist Leonardo Norman , This is a watercolor cityscape , that he made in acrylic with vivid colors in later years . Dated and signed ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Mexican Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint

Standing Macaque Gouache by Henri Samouilov
Located in Henley-on Thames, Oxfordshire
Gouache and pastel study of a standing macaque monkey by Henri Samouilov with an unfinished study of two monkeys to the reverse of the sheet Paris, ...
Category

1990s French Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint

Scandinavian Modernist, Oil on Board, Modernist Composition, 1960s
Located in København, Copenhagen
Scandinavian modernist. Oil on board. Modernist composition, 1960s. The board measures: 122 x 61 cm. The frame measures: 2.2 cm. Signed in monogram. In excellent condition.
Category

1960s Scandinavian Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Other

Contemporary Colorful Nude Woman Chalk Sketch on Gray circa 1960 Signed Ball
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
Portrait chalk sketching of a woman reclining nude. This piece features bold greens, blues, oranges, blacks and yellows. Woman is reclining on a fainting sofa, arms behind her head a...
Category

20th Century American Modern Paintings

Materials

Paper

Figure in Red Contemplating an Orange Sunset on a Night Scene with Many People
Located in Miami, FL
Jean Sanglar was born in France in 1926. He draws with taste and talent from an early age, however, his family will only consider this a mere hobby. After studying law, he later took...
Category

Late 20th Century French Modern Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Wood, Paint

"Tiffany Garden 01" by Patrick Burns
Located in Chicago, IL
"Concrete Gardens" is a body of work that translates Patrick Burns' deep love of the land and complicated past into richly textured, mixed-media paintings with reverberating, monochr...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Paintings

Materials

Concrete, Other

Painting of a Lady with Flowers, Green, Yellow and Blue, On Paper, Hanoi Artist
Located in New York, NY
Lady with water lilies. Contemporary painting by an artist from Hanoi, Viet Nam, 2003. Singed painting by Bitten. The painting comes with a beautiful silver frame.
Category

Early 2000s Vietnamese Modern Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Andreas Wachter (*1951), Restposten (Remainders), 2023
Located in New York, NY
Oil on hardboard Canvas Dimensions: 147 x 89.5 cm Monogrammed and dated AW’23 at the lower right. Signed, dated and titled on the reverse. Andreas Wachter was born in Chemnitz in 19...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Paintings

Materials

Other

Original Modern Acrylic Abstract by Shannon Weir
Located in Houston, TX
Original Modern Acrylic Abstract by Shannon Weir Modern acrylic on panel in antique Frame
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Wood

Impressionistic Beach Scene by Niek van der Plas
Located in Lantau, HK
Niek van der Plas is a Dutch painter born in 1954, he paints impressionist scenes of Holland's beaches and dunes, bulb fields, city scenes in Amsterdam and Maastricht and other typic...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Watercolor by Abraham Walkowitz, Title Bathers on Grassy Shore, circa 1920-1925
Located in Kansas City, MO
Early modernist watercolor on paper by Abraham Walkowitz (March 28, 1878-January 27, 1965), titled is Bathers on Grassy Shore. This work was done between 1920-1925. Framed.  
Category

1920s American Vintage Modern Paintings

"Tree Row II" by Scott Duce
Located in Wiscasset, ME
Oil on panel, inscribed on reverse and signed lower left front. Provenance: Fay Gold Gallery b.1956 Scott Duce is an international artist working in New York. Duce’s work is included in many corporate, museum, and private collections. Notable collections include Random House, General Electric, IBM, Pfizer, Inc., Capital Holding Corporation, McGraw-Hill Corporation, Petroplus Holdings, Switzerland, Seagrams-Montreal, Canada, and the U.S. Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden. Among his awards and honors he received a National Endowment for the Arts/SECCA artist grant. Duce’s work has been exhibited throughout the United States, with several solo exhibitions in New York City, Chicago, Boston, Atlanta, and internationally in Paris, France; Florence, Italy; and Lima, Peru. He has had many commissioned works, including Bell South...
Category

Early 2000s American Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint

Richard Hirsch Encaustic Painting of Nothing #3L, 2013
Located in New York, NY
Contemporary American ceramic artist Richard Hirsch's encaustic Painting of Nothing #3L is made of ceramic raw materials, dry pigment and wax. This piece is part of his ongoing Paint...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Paintings

Materials

Clay, Organic Material

Monumental Contemporary Painting Titled Music Room 2
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Bold impressive super sized monumental contemporary painting by Kate Freeman, signed lower right. Titled The Music Room 2 Style is Matisse-like with pattern on pattern and decorativ...
Category

Early 2000s American Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Large Original Painting on Canvas of Skull Motif Italian Door
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Large new bold rectangular painting on canvas that's a graphic rendering of skulls and bones inspired by a carved door seen in Matera Italy. Colors include a striking palette of blac...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Roger Desserprit painting
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Huile sur toile par Roger Desserprit, provenant d’une belle collection privée française.
Category

1970s French Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint

Kate Shepherd "Gold Double Sun Set" Large Painting on Wood Panels 2007 ‘Signed’
By Kate Shepherd
Located in New York, NY
Large original painting "Gold Double Sun Set", acrylic and acrylic lacquer on wood panels, by Kate Shepherd, American 2007 (signed on back). Kate Shepherd is a contemporary Americ...
Category

Early 2000s American Modern Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Wood

Modern paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique 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, more furniture and collectibles and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with fabric, canvas and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Modern paintings made in a specific country, there are North America, Europe, and United States pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original paintings, popular names associated with this style include Richard A. Hirsch, Harry Hilson, Cecilia Setterdahl, and Peter Keil. 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 $25 and tops out at $166,872 while the average work can sell for $2,187.

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