Vintage Space Age furniture captured post–World War II optimism with swooping shapes, bowed lines and experimentation with new materials including plastic and fiberglass.
From the launch of the Sputnik 1 satellite in 1957 to the landing of Apollo 11 astronauts on the moon in 1969, the space race between the Soviet Union and the United States propelled advancements in technology that transformed culture. Space Age design encompassed fashion, architecture, cars, furniture and objects for the home, bringing wonder and hope for the future into everyday life.
Coinciding with Pop art, Space Age style featured bold colors and forms. Eero Aarnio’s Ball chair, which debuted in 1966, used molded fiberglass for a capsule-like space while Verner Panton’s 1959 Panton chair was a single piece of molded plastic for a gravity-defying S shape. Red versions of Olivier Mourgue’s 1964 Djinn chair were futuristic enough to appear on the space station in Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey. Today, Joe Colombo is revered as a master of modern Italian design thanks to the provocative modular furniture pieces he created, such as the Tube chair and the Elda armchair, both of which embody the future-forward spirit of the Space Age.
The Space Age spirit extended to home building too. The futuristic Case Study Houses, which were designed by the likes of Pierre Koenig, Charles and Ray Eames, Richard Neutra and Whitney R. Smith, are considered a high point of modernism and the Southern California lifestyle.
Sometimes the nods to space exploration were more literal, like moon and star motifs or the 1965 Eclisse lamp by Vico Magistretti that saw the mid-century Italian designer integrating a movable inner shade to “eclipse” the light source. Alongside the pioneering moon missions, JVC manufactured the Videosphere portable television reminiscent of the Apollo 11 space helmets.
Although the style faded in the 1970s — with the 1975 joining of the Apollo and Soyuz spacecrafts signaling a new era of cooperation and the global oil crisis impacting the availability of plastics — the era’s innovations influenced designers into the 21st century such as Zaha Hadid and Djivan Schapira.
Find a collection of vintage Space Age seating, tables, lighting and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Signed 1974 Space Age Space Orbital Colony Painting by Connie Kish
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Condition: Original Vintage Condition Materials: Oil On Canvas, Metal Frame This signed 1974 Space Age orbital colony painting by Connie Kish captures the futuristic imagination of ...
Metal
Surrealistic Oil Painting on Canvas, 1970s, Signed
Located in Antwerp, BE
Vintage framed oil painting on canvas, 1970. Depicts a woman with pill, standing in a moonlit landscape. Signed with R.Boutens, 70. Dimensions: 108 W x 88 H x 3.5 D cm.
Canvas, Paint
Vintage Boho Distressed Silk Pishwaa
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Immerse your space in the devotional beauty and weathered soul of traditional Indian art with this monumental vintage Pichwai painting. Rendered in gouache on cloth, this large-scale...
Cotton, Silk, Wood
Unique Illuminated Painting on Fiberglass
Located in Little Burstead, Essex
This wonderful backlit painting on fiberglass was original to an architect designed home and was unique to this property. Unfortunately we have been u...
Fiberglass, Oak
Robert D. H. Bidner, 1930-1983, Six Foot Square
Located in Hanover, MA
Monumental, colorful and very graphic op-art pop art painting dated 1969 (acrylic on fiberboard) by Robert Bidner in a spectrum of greens and yellow. Robert D. H. Bidner, American, ...
Masonite
Vintage Boho Original Oil Portrait of Man on Canvas
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Capture a sense of introspective mystery with this striking vintage oil portrait. The painting features a shirtless male subject rendered with expressive brushwork, his gaze turned s...
Canvas, Wood, Paint
Italian Handmade 1960s Wall Backlit Artistic Window with Madonna Child & Angels
By Max Ingrand, Fontana Arte, Pietro Chiesa
Located in Varese, Lombardia
This artistic window was handmade in Italy in the 1960s. It's made from a ivory painted metal box, with plexiglass and golden aluminum passepartout. The religious representation is a...
Aluminum, Sheet Metal
Vintage Boho 19th Century Figural Painting on Board
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This captivating 19th-century figural painting on board offers a glimpse into a bygone era, rendered with a charming narrative quality that speaks to the romantic sensibilities of th...
Wood, Paint
Denis FADIER, huge abstract surrealism painting, Oil on canvas, France 1972
Located in leucate, FR
Denis FADIER, ( 1949 ) Amazing surrealism painting. Untitled oil on canvas, signed lower right and dated 1972. Big size 39.37" x 12.60" - (100 x 132 cm) Very good condition. Free...
Canvas, Acrylic
Original Space Artist Andreas Nottebohm Acrylic on Aluminum Painting KNM 1387
Located in Tustin, CA
Visionary, abstract original acrylic on aluminum painting by famous NASA Space Artist, Andreas Nottebohn, titled "KNM 1387" depicts a colorful, otherworldly scene on a shimmering sheet of scored metal. This incredible celestial painting frees the viewer from a one dimensional perspective by suggesting a vast and mysterious distance. Information on the back of the painting states, “KNM 1387 Spec 1 of 48 similar original paintings 1996 30 x 24 Acrylic on Aluminum”. Hand signed by the artist in the lower left corner. Very nicely custom framed in a transitional style black frame with wide silver inner lining. Framed, the painting measures approximately 35" high x 29" wide x 2" deep. Unframed painting measures approximately 30" high x 24" wide. One of the key innovators of metal painting, Nottebohm creates what might be called sculptures on a flat plane. By removing microscopic layers from the metal surface, he transforms the material into patterns of shimmering light. The unusual luminous quality of Nottebohm's work comes from the aluminum surfaces he scores, using a variety of manual and machine tools. Aluminum can create light and movement that you cannot create with anything else. It is similar to the sun reflecting on water, and you see one painting from one side and another painting from another side. East German born (1944) Andreas Nottebohm moved to Munich as a teenager and immigrated to the San Francisco Bay area of the United States in 1979, after touring the U.S. for a one man exhibition. While in Germany in the 1970s, he was one of the co-founders of the Society for Art and Science in Munich. Around the time he relocated to the United States, he was invited to participate in the NASA Art...
Aluminum
Vintage Boho Original Oil Canvas of Male Torso
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Capture the timeless beauty of the human form with this evocative vintage oil painting of a male torso. Expertly rendered on canvas, the artist employs dramatic chiaroscuro lighting—...
Canvas, Wood, Paint
"La soledad de la artista", 1970s.
Located in Lisboa, PT
Oil on canvas representing a naked woman, Gloria Morera Font (1938 - ), "La soledad de la artista", signed and dated 1976. Spain, 1970s.
Canvas
Roger Desserprit Low Relief Painting, Signed, France, circa 1980
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Roger Desserprit Low relief painting, signed by the artist France, circa 1980 L. 130 x W. 96 cm, D. 10 cm
Acrylic, Paint
Vintage Boho 19th Century Figural Painting on Board
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This charming 19th-century oil painting on board captures a romantic and intimate scene, radiating a distinct bohemian allure. The artwork depicts a richly dressed couple at a table ...
Wood, Paint
Vintage Boho Original Still Life Oil on Board
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Immerse your space in the sun-kissed charm of this Vintage Boho Original Still Life Oil On Board, a beautifully rendered piece that captures the vibrant essence of nature's bounty. T...
Wood, Masonite, Paint
"Le pont de chemin de fer"painting, M. L. Daguerry 1888.
Located in Lisboa, PT
Oil on canvas painting signed M. L. Daguerry, located Paris and dated 1888 on lower left corner. Wooden frame and gilded stucco. France, 1888.
Canvas
Vintage Boho Original Oil Portrait on Canvas
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Discover the captivating allure of this vintage original oil portrait, a striking piece that blends the timeless tradition of portraiture with a hint of bohemian eccentricity. This f...
Canvas, Paint
$15,000
Boundaries of Reality
By John Brevard
Located in Coral Gables, FL
In this painting, the viewer is transported to a world where the past and future collide. At the center of the painting, we see a female medieval character, dressed in ornate armor a...
Canvas, Acrylic
The Unseen Dimensions of Consciousness
By John Brevard
Located in Coral Gables, FL
In this painting, the viewer is presented with a figure that seems to embody the concept of nonduality and the interconnectedness of all things. The figure is depicted with a futuris...
Canvas, Acrylic
Vintage Boho Original Oil Portrait on Canvas
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This striking vintage oil portrait on canvas captures the dignified presence of a gentleman, exuding an air of timeless sophistication and bohemian charm. The artist's hand is eviden...
Canvas, Giltwood, Paint
"Fantastical Realms: a Nondual Landscape"
By John Brevard
Located in Coral Gables, FL
"Fantastical Realms: A Nondual Landscape" is a breathtaking painting that captures the wonder and magic of a world beyond the boundaries of reality. The scene is bathed in a soft, ethereal light, giving everything an otherworldly glow. At the center of the canvas, a group of fantastical creatures roam freely amongst towering, twisted trees...
Canvas, Acrylic
The Cosmic Explorer – Surreal Acrylic Painting
By John Brevard
Located in Coral Gables, FL
Step into a surreal, multidimensional world with this captivating painting. Featuring a female ethereal figure with a glowing aura, this artwork symbolizes the transcendence beyond m...
Cane, Acrylic
$15,000
The Multidimensional Mind
By John Brevard
Located in Coral Gables, FL
In this painting by John Brevard, the theme of the work is nonduality, illustrating the concept that all things are interconnected and inseparable. At the center of the painting, th...
Canvas, Acrylic
$15,000
Surreal
By John Brevard
Located in Coral Gables, FL
In this John Brevard painting, we see a strange and surreal creature that seems to inhabit a multidimensional world. The overall theme of the painting...
Canvas, Acrylic
$3,895
H 22.75 in W 28.5 in D 1.75 in
Impressionistic New England Landscape Painting by Robert Emmett Owen, Ca. 1930s
Located in Peabody, MA
An impressionistic oil on canvas circa 1930s by the Boston School painter Robert Emmett Owen. He was a successful artist best known for his Impressionist views of the rural landscape...
Canvas, Giltwood, Paint
19th Century Chinese Silk Painting, Framed
Located in Bradenton, FL
19th century Chinese silk painting. Framed and matted. Features scene of Chinese characters in a ceremony. Beautiful muted colors of green, red, ...
Silk, Wood
Oil Portrait Young Man on Canvas by Artist Iwan Tusz
Located in Toledo, OH
Oil on canvas of a young man by Ukrainian artist Iwan Tusz 1869-1941. Has had a small repair. Frame has some damage. Image size measures 15.57" W x 22.25" H, Overall Dimensions: 2" d...
Canvas
Old painting on canvas
Located in AIGNAN, FR
Oil on canvas, circa 1930. Poetic and aesthetic, this painting does not lack beauty and delicacy. It will be perfect in a current decoration, alone or combined with other paintings....
Canvas, Wood
$880
H 35.44 in W 33.86 in D 0.79 in
Large Oil on Canvas Painting, Unknown Artist, 1956, Danish Midcentury
Located in Odense, DK
Presenting an enigmatic oil on canvas painting created by an unknown Danish artist made in 1956. This captivating artwork showcases a woman bathing her feet in a bathroom, and it is ...
Canvas
$1,650
H 25 in W 19.5 in D 0.2 in
Painting by Peter Keil, C 1974, Acrylic on Board, Signed, No Frame, Modern Art
By Peter Keil
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 an artistically talented woman, took her son and struggled her way to West Berlin where they settled. This is where Peter Robert Keil grew up in the working-class neighborhood of Berlin-Wedding and where he discovered his interest in painting – particularly in expressionistic artists and in Pablo Picasso's work. From 1954 on, the East Berlin-based painter Otto Nagel...
Acrylic, Paper
Pair Chinese Asian Silk Watercolor Framed Paintings
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Pair tall framed and matted Chinese silk water color paintings depicting exotic birds and flowers and shrubbery. Both with calligraphy inscription and red seal. Expertly crafted with...
Silk, Wood
Robert Loughlin “RIOT” Painting
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Paint on found wooden frame by New York City picking and art legend, Robert Loughlin. Featured in Patrick Parrish Gallery's “Robert Loughlin: 1998-2011” exhibition in 2021. ROBERT LOUGHLIN (1949 - 2011) may have been one of the most elusive artists in New York, but his work was everywhere. You might have noticed his signature graffiti of a square-jawed man, The Brute, randomly appearing on doors, signs, and walls all over the city. Like his fellow graffiti artists who emerged during the 1980s, such as Basquiat, Keith Haring, and Kenning Scharf, Loughlin has now become a collectible name. Once considered outsiders to the mainstream art world, graffiti artists now command top dollar for their work and are shown in museums all over the world. When he wasn't making his mark on the city streets, Robert Loughlin still incorporated a similar grittiness into his art. He would ransack antique stores, thrift shops, flea markets, galleries, and estate sales and emerge with treasures that he would use as his canvas. Nothing was sacred...
Wood, Paint
Islamic Illuminated Manuscript Pages
Located in Hudson, NY
This pair of manuscript pages are 18th century and are done it water colour and gauche. The images are of people in landscapes and the colors are still...
Paper
Chinese Antique Signed Embroidered Silk Framed Painting
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Tall framed and matted Chinese embroidered silk painting depicting birds and flowers and shrubbery. Signed with calligraphy inscription and r...
Silk, Wood
Folk Art Tropical Painting on Canvas
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Charming acrylic painting on canvas of a group of colorful figures in a tropical setting executed in a naive style. Signed Osnel in the lower right and presented in the original wood...
Paint
$2,780
H 33 in W 40.5 in D 2 in
Antique Framed Oil Painting on Canvas by Euphrasia Loutchinsky (1887-1974)
Located in Dallas, TX
Antique Framed Oil Painting on Canvas by Euphrasia Loutchinsky (1887-1974) is a particularly impressive work showcasing the artist's talents. She was born in St.Petersburg and gradu...
Canvas, Giltwood, Paint
Young woman in the city, 1930s.
Located in Lisboa, PT
Oil on canvas representing a young woman in the city. Modern School, Unsigned. France, 1930s.
Canvas
Painting of a return from fishing, 1930s.
Located in Lisboa, PT
Oil on canvas representing fishermen returning from fishing and bringing fish to a table in the foreground covered with fish in the style of a still life. France, 1930s.
Canvas
Theatre decor drawing, 1940s.
Located in Lisboa, PT
Theatre decor drawing, 1940s.
Canvas
Verner Panton Fabric Wall Art for Mira x, Denmark, 1960s
By Mira-X, Verner Panton
Located in Antwerp, BE
Verner Panton; Mira X; Space Age; Wall Art; 20th century; Denmark; Danish Design; Geometric; Pop Art; Wall Hanging; Fabric Wall Art; Fabric wall hanging design...
Fabric
Vintage Boho Signed Original Oil Painting
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
An exceptional vintage Boho original oil painting. A beautiful floral with a space age composition. Brilliant muted colors add to the piece. Sign...
Paint
Oil painting ''Birds Island'' Evert van Hemert 1972 Dutch .
Located in Den Haag, NL
Flower Power all over .This painting made in 1973 by Evert van Hemert (Haarlem, 12 april 1952 – 14 juli 2022 in his early period . this artist later in life well now for his fat ladies paintings...
Paint
Danish Space Age Geometric Square Painting by Verner Panton, 1970s
Located in MIlano, IT
Danish Space Age Geometric square painting by Verner Panton, 1970s Geometric square painting composed of several squares placed in a concentric way in color: red, pink, blue. blue, g...
Fabric, Wood
Sold
H 44.1 in W 44.1 in D 0.79 in
Danish Space Age Kinetic Brown, Orange and White Canvas by Verner Panton, 1970s
Located in MIlano, IT
Danish space age kinetic brown, orange and white canvas by Verner Panton, 1970s Canvas with kinetic design in shades of orange, brown and white, belonging to a set of three differen...
Canvas
1972, Original Drawing by Ettore Sottsass
Located in Perpignan, FR
Original drawing by the famous Italian designer Ettore Sottsass 1972. Hand signed Pencil and watercolor Very good condition Sizes: A3 (30 x 42 cm).
Paint
Geometric Oil on Canvas Painting by Miodrag Dordevic
Located in Antwerp, BE
Geometric oil on canvas painting by Mio optical art painting by Dordeciv Miodrag, oil on canvas Serbia, 1970s drag Dordevic
Canvas