Skip to main content

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 The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics.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.

to
673
1,403
887
1,564
530
390
Height
to
Width
to
2,943
2,484
708
675
426
332
238
155
107
105
78
71
58
58
56
43
42
27
1
5
1,558
920
49
384
846
7
12
19
25
52
171
207
128
156
1,093
1,040
804
558
476
1,076
1,039
862
386
249
2,484
2,436
2,463
36
31
28
26
21
Style: Modern
S. Hamlet, Swedish artist. Oil on painter's board. Abstract composition.
Located in Copenhagen, DK
S. Hamlet, Swedish artist. Oil on painter's board. Abstract composition with a colorful palette and impasto brushwork. Signed and dated '72. In perfect condition. Board dimensions: ...
Category

1970s Swedish Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Other

Original Modern Contemporary Pink and White Painting in Antique Gilt Frame
Located in Houston, TX
Original Modern Contemporary Acrylic Painting in antique frame by Shannon Weir. Signed in bottom right. This beautiful original art was made in 2022, but the frame is vintage.
Category

2010s American Modern Paintings

Materials

Wood, Giltwood, Paint

Rose de Sables, II Oil Painting by Antonio Guansé
Located in Palm Desert, CA
Up for sale is a beautiful oil painting by Antonio Guansé (1926-2008). Signed and titled "Rose de Sables, II". In original frame. About the artist: Ant...
Category

Late 20th Century French Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Paint

Painting "Composition Green" 2010 Geometric Modern Canvas by Cecilia Setterdahl
Located in Dubai, Dubai
Acrylic on Canvas by Cecilia Setterdahl Title: "Composition Green" Year: 2010 Size: 30 x 30cm Living with geometric shapes About the artist: Cecilia’s is working with all geome...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Emirian Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Modern Large Square Acrylic Painting on Canvas, France 1990s
Located in Dallas, TX
"Prisoner" painting by Philippe Delhom; named after the English television shows that starred Patrick McGoohan, in the end 1960s in Great Britain. Th...
Category

1990s French Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Paint

Mid Century Large Pastel "Sponge Diver Tarpon Springs Flat" by Americo Di Franza
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Beautifully executed pastel of a Sponge Diver in amazing colors. Signed lower right corner Americo Di Franza is the artist. In excellent condition.
Category

1970s American Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Brass

Enrique Climent Birds Tempera on Board Painting
Located in Mexico City, MX
A tempera on board painting depicting a group of birds by Spanish painter Enrique Climent. The painting is signed on the lower left and has its original frame. Painting's dimension...
Category

1970s Mexican Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Wood

"Cathedral, " A Large Framed Abstract Painting by Kathi Robinson Frank
Located in New York, NY
"Cathedral," is a large abstract painting featuring oil, oil stick and pastel on canvas. The warm brilliant shades of burnt orange, rust and magenta, tempered by the cream and gray g...
Category

2010s American Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint

Jean Legros, Bi-Face Sculpture Composition, 1976, France
By Aurélie Nemours 1
Located in Brussels, BE
Rare Jean Legros (1917-1981) sculpture, composition, 1976, France. Wood pannel painted on both sides, yellow-black and red-green. Signed and dated undersid...
Category

1970s French Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Wood

Unknown European Artist, Watercolor on Paper, Abstract Composition, Mid-20th C
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Unknown European artist. Watercolor on paper. Abstract composition. Mid-20th century. Visible dimensions: 61 x 31.5 cm. Overall dimensions: 68.5 x 37.5 cm. The frame measures: ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Paintings

Materials

Other

Angels of Mercy by David Gatling
Located in Pasadena, TX
This is a colorful abstract yet cubist style artwork by outsider artist David F. Gatling. It's an earlier work of the artist. It's titled "Angels of Mercy" from 2018. This artwork...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Paper

Pulliam Abstract Framed Oil On Canvas
Located in Countryside, IL
Pulliam abstract framed oil on canvas This painting measures: 20 wide x 2 deep x 24 inches high This Painting is in Good Vintage Condition with minor marks, dents, and wear. ...
Category

2010s American Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Paint

Abstract Painting of Dripping Paint in a Black Frame
Located in Queens, NY
Acrylic on canvas abstract dripping paint action painting in red, black, and white by Richard Rumi, "Assurance".    
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Robert Duffy (American, 1928-2015), Painting of a Harbor Fisherman in Newport
Located in Atlanta, GA
Robert Duffy (American, 1928-2015). Oil On Canvas "Robert “Bob” Duffy is a “Plein Air Artist” who paints primarily in New England. Frequently, he can be seen in Northern Vermont ar...
Category

20th Century American Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Giltwood, Paint

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

Acrylic, Canvas

Monica Perez "Let Go" Original Acrylic Painting 2021
Located in New York, NY
Monica Perez "Let Go" (2) Original Acrylic Painting on Canvas, 2021. Dimensions include frame size. Monica Perez’s works are expressions of emotion—im...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Paint, Acrylic

Shirley Kaneda Original Acrylic Framed Abstract Painting
Located in Sarasota, FL
Shirley Kaneda original abstract acrylic painting. Dated 1994 Shirley Kaneda started exhibiting her work in the late 1980s in New York at such venues as White Columns as well as in...
Category

Late 20th Century American Modern Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Paper

Contemporary Abstract Painting by Felix Bachmann, Biedermeier Frame, 2023
Located in Berlin, DE
This beautiful Contemporary Abstract Painting on Canvas in Black and White by Felix Bachmann was made 2023. The pieces is painted on plywood with acrylic, pencil and chalk. It come...
Category

2010s German Modern Paintings

Materials

Walnut, Plywood, Paint

Painting from the 1940s, Red, Blue and Yellow Color, New Frame, Mid-Century Art
Located in New York, NY
Decorative painting from the 1940s. Red, blue and yellow. Children playing on a bicycle. Framed in a beautiful gold frame with a linen liner.
Category

1940s American Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

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

Sven Bertil Thorell, Sweden artist. Oil on canvas. Abstract composition 1960s
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Sven Bertil Thorell, Sweden artist. Oil on canvas. Abstract composition 1960s Signed SBT. In excellent condition. Measures: 38,0 cm. x 32,0 cm. Total dimensions: 40 cm. x 34 cm.
Category

1960s Swedish Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Signed Huang Gang Chinese Diptych Painting, 21st Century
Located in Hamburg, PA
Huang Gang (Chinese b. 1961) A diptych painting was done in Chinese lacquer and mineral pigment on board, signed "Huang Gang" on both panels. In good condit...
Category

Early 2000s Chinese Modern Paintings

Materials

Wood, Giltwood, Paint

Ivy Lysdal, B 1937, Gouache on Cardboard, Abstract Modernist Painting
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Ivy Lysdal, b 1937. Danish ceramist and painter. Gouache on cardboard. Abstract modernist painting. Colorful palette. Late 20th century. Measures: 100 x 70 cm. Provenance: Th...
Category

Late 20th Century Danish Modern Paintings

Materials

Other

One of a Kind Multicolor Oil Painting by Street Artist Rae
By RAE
Located in New York, NY
Domestic Segars, 2015. From the series Back Against The Wall: Graffiti Show. Silkscreen with spray paint. Original artwork by iconic Brooklyn artist RAE. This figurative abstract painting was commissioned by Joseph Carini in 2016 as a result of his passion for this artist's work and some successful collaborations in rug making. Fantastic paint surface with a thick texture, the painting has a very commanding presence. Fun colorful street artist painting with a dominant blue background. For over a decade, Brooklyn artist RAE, (aka RAE BK...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint

Victor Isbrand Painting Javanese Market, Oil On Canvas.
Located in Kastrup, DK
Victor Isbrand (Danish, 1897-1989) Javanese market, oil on canvas. Frame size (cm):60 x 79 x 5 Artwork size: 52 x 70 Signed V. Isbrand in the lower right corner and on the flip size...
Category

Early 20th Century Javanese Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Composition with a Figure by Teddy Millington Drake, circa 1963
Located in London, GB
Oil on canvas, Villa Albrizzi, Veneto, 1963 Teddy Millington-Drake (1932-1994) was a nomad, linguist, bon viveur, aesthete and master gardener, but above all an artist. Discharged from service and in part inspired by his sister's anecdotes of her travels abroad, Millington-Drake embarked on a painting tour that took him to Lebanon, Iran, Iraq and Syria. He then rented a house, the Villa Albrizzi at Este, Veneto in Italy, and became a more frequent painter, particularly now of abstract murals. He befriended Freya Stark, a writer and traveler who lived nearby, and in Venice he became friends with Daisy Fellowes, Peggy Guggenheim, Barbara Hutton and Elsa Maxwell. In Este, he painted continually and more boldly, turning his hand to abstract murals. He later transformed a neglected Tuscan farmhouse in the village of Poggio which was co-decorated by his friend the designer John Stefanidis. There were vine-hung terraces and a skillfully landscaped garden. A swimming-POOL was built on a shelf cut into the Hillside, so that you felt yourself gliding towards the horizon, suspended in space as you swam. There Millington-Drake worked passionately at all forms of painting. There are haunting large abstracts inspired by Jung, hard-edged acrylic wave paintings and some intriguing semi-calligraphic works on paper based on phrases taken from the works of poets such as Cavafy, Mandelstam and Elizabeth Bishop...
Category

20th Century Italian Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Painting from the 1940s, Golden, Mid-Century Art, Blue, Chocolate & White Colors
Located in New York, NY
Decorative painting from the 1940s. Painting has a beautiful gold frame with a linen liner.
Category

1940s American Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Scandinavian artist. Oil on canvas. Abstract composition. Mid-20th C.
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Scandinavian artist, oil on canvas. Abstract composition. Mid-20th century. In excellent condition. Dimensions: 50.0 cm x 40.0 cm.
Category

Mid-20th Century Scandinavian Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Painting Regarde moi by Frédérique Tristant France 2024 Mixed media.
Located in Antwerp, BE
Painting Regarde moi by Frédérique Tristant. Mixed media on canvas. France 2024. Frédérique Tristant is a French artist born in Vannes in 1971, who lives and works in Brittany in ...
Category

2010s French Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint

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

Josef Albers Inspired Painting "Happy" by Todd Hase, Yellow
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Josef Albers inspired painting "Happy" by Todd Hase, yellow version. This was created for various window displays, so there are some marks, rubs, and imperfections that add the chara...
Category

2010s American Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Pulliam Abstract Framed Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Countryside, IL
Pulliam Abstract framed oil painting on canvas This painting measures: 20 wide x 2 deep x 24 inches high This painting is in great Vintage condition with minor marks, dents, an...
Category

2010s American Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Paint

Abstract Painting Acrylic on Canvas by Brazilian Artist Sandro Ward, Rio 2017
Located in Miami, FL
Abstract painting acrylic on canvas by Brazilian Artist Sandro Ward, Rio 2017. Offered for sale is an abstract painting (acrylic on canvas) by Brazilian artist Sandro Ward. The pa...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Paint

Peder Brøndum Sørensen. Oil on board. Modernist motif with a figure by a house.
Located in Copenhagen, DK
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

Trilogy Aquatinta by Rajko Kovacevic
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Aquatinta art technique combination by Rajko Kovacevic Yugoslavian Academic artist he was leaving and work in Italy in the late 1970s and begging of eighties inspired by Venice Carnival...
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Modern Paintings

Edmund Pick-Morino "Animated Countryside Landscapes" Pair of Oils on Canvas
By Edmund Pick-Morino
Located in Beuzevillette, FR
Very nice pair of oil on canvas depicting animated countryside landscapes. signed by Edmund Pick Morino, Early 20th Century Artist. Beautiful landscapes of nature, which gives a feel...
Category

Early 20th Century Hungarian Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas

American Still Life with Lillacs Signed Painting Got ketone Frame
Located in Boca Raton, FL
Lilacs bouquet in a vase still life American oil on canvas painting, signed left lower corner Marti, verso - date 1987.
Category

1980s Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Cubist Style Painting by Ebba Carstensen
Located in Kastrup, DK
Ebba Carstensen, Danish 1885-1967 Cubist style painting of studio set-up, Denmark, c. 1920. Oil painting on canvas, framed in pine wood fr...
Category

Early 20th Century Danish Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Have You Seen My Shirt Two Figured Represented in an Erotic Situation
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

Summer Sky by Brackish Winds, 24x36, Oil on Wood Canvas, 2022
Located in Deland, FL
James Mattison (1990) is a self-taught fine artist focusing on contemporary impressions of people and his surroundings both of his home in New England and beyond. Born in Portland, M...
Category

2010s American Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint

Abstract Painting Titled Trick or Treat
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Painting on canvas titled, Trick or Treat. Painting measures 49" wide, 2.25" deep and 63" high. The painting needed a new stretcher bar and frame. It was professionally removed fr...
Category

1980s American Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Ivy Lysdal, Acrylic on Canvas, Abstract Modernist Painting, Late 20th Century
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Ivy Lysdal, b 1937. Danish ceramist and painter. Acrylic on canvas. Abstract modernist painting. Colorful palette, Late 20th century Canvas measures: 30 x 24 cm. Provenance: The...
Category

Late 20th Century Danish Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Sven Ahlgren, Sweden, Oil on Board, Modernist Landscape with Boats
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Sven Ahlgren (1922-1997), Sweden. Oil on board. Modernist coastal scene with a fishing boat. Dated 1965. The board measures: 29 x 16 cm. The frame measures: 1.5 cm. In excellent condition. A few...
Category

1960s Swedish Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Other

Modernist Oil Painting on Canvas of a Bird or Dove
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Exciting oil painting on canvas of a colorful dove on a wheel with geometric implications under a half moon and over a landscape. Executed in a modern surrealist style. Signed by noted Brazilian artist Braz Dias...
Category

20th Century Brazilian Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint

Modernist Painting "Mermaid" by Yugoslav artist Uros Toskovic, oil on cardboard
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find an modernist oil painting titled "Mermaid", painted by a well known Yugoslav artist Uros Toskovic who was based and worked in Belgrade in Serbia. Techni...
Category

1950s Serbian Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Wood

Henry Maurice D'Anty. Oil on canvas. clown and horse-drawn carriage.
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Henry Maurice D'Anty (1910-1998). Swedish/French artist. Oil on canvas. Depiction of a clown and horse-drawn carriage. Bold brushstrokes. Coloristic palette. Fauvist style. 1959-1960...
Category

1950s French Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Original Modern Abstract Painting by Shannon Weir
Located in Houston, TX
An original black and white modern abstract painting in an elegant vintage gold frame created by Houston artist, Shannon Weir
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Paint

Architectural Pastel on Paper in Blue Washed Wood Frame
Located in Houston, TX
Architectural Pastel on Paper in Blue Washed Wood Frame Signed bottom left
Category

Early 2000s American Modern Paintings

Materials

Paper

'Still Life in Red and Blue' by Joseph Mellor Hanson
Located in Grand Rapids, MI
USA, 1960 'Still Life in Red and Blue' by Joseph Mellor Hanson, British, 1900–1963. Gorgeous abstract oil painting on canvas in a modern, gilt Frame. Da...
Category

1960s American Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Giltwood, Paint

Tony Rosenthal "CATS EYES 1" Wall Sculpture.
Located in Chicago, IL
Tony Rosenthal "CATS EYES I" variation Wall Sculpture Painted wood assemblage with white, yellow and black elements fastened with screws, unsigned, circa 2006. From The Estate Collec...
Category

Early 2000s Modern Paintings

Materials

Wood

Aboriginal Diptyque Paintings by Raelene Kerinauia
By Raelene Kerinauia
Located in Atlanta, GA
A lovely diptyque paintings by Australian Aboriginal artist Raelene Kerinauia (1962- ). Born in 1962 (Tiwi People), Wurrumiyanga, Mantiyupwi Country, Bathurst Island, Northern Terri...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Australian Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Painting "Balance" 2015 Geometrical Acrylic on Canvas by Cecilia Setterdahl
Located in Dubai, Dubai
About the painting “Balance” 2014 Geometric balance in your life. Speaks about having a balance, two like sided images that results in a meeting in the middle in a relief element. ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Emirian Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Andre Minaux Pochoir
By Andre Minaux
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Andre Minaux pochoir. Numbered and signed 147/150 Minaux. Art size: 25: 25" x 17" Framed size: 36" x 28".
Category

1960s Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Glass, Wood, Paper

S. Hamlet, Swedish artist. Oil on board. Abstract composition, 1971
Located in Copenhagen, DK
S. Hamlet, Swedish artist. Oil on board. Abstract composition with a colourful palette and textured brushstrokes. Signed and dated '71. Perfect ...
Category

1970s Swedish Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Other

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

French artist. Abstract composition. Oil on canvas.
Located in Copenhagen, DK
French artist. Abstract composition. Oil on canvas. Indistinctly signed and dated 1966. In great condition. Dimensions: 40.0 x 32.0 cm. / 43.0 x 35.5 cm. with frame
Category

1960s French Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas

"Basket of Eggs" Painting on Board by Chicago Artist Stanley Mitruk 1958
Located in Chicago, IL
Painting on board of an atmospheric still life of eggs in a cloth draped basket by Chicago artist Stanley Mitruk titled "Basket of Eggs", dated 1958. Measurements given below are ...
Category

1950s American Vintage Modern Paintings

Materials

Paint, Wood

Italian Abstract Oil on Canvas by Fausta Dossi, Milan, 2008
Located in Houston, TX
Italian Abstract oil on canvas by Fausta Dossi, Milan, 2008. Stunning abstract oil on canvas by noted Italian artist from Milan, Fausta Dossi, dated 2008. Title: Acqua Copy of ar...
Category

Early 2000s Italian Modern Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Paint

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.

Recently Viewed

View All