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Modern Figurative Paintings

MODERN STYLE

The first decades of the 20th century were a period of artistic upheaval, with modern art movements including Cubism, Surrealism, Futurism and Dadaism questioning centuries of traditional views of what art should be. Using abstraction, experimental forms and interdisciplinary techniques, painters, sculptors, photographers, printmakers and performance artists all pushed the boundaries of creative expression.

Major exhibitions, like the 1913 Armory Show in New York City — also known as the “International Exhibition of Modern Art,” in which works like the radically angular Nude Descending a Staircase by Marcel Duchamp caused a sensation — challenged the perspective of viewers and critics and heralded the arrival of modern art in the United States. But the movement’s revolutionary spirit took shape in the 19th century.

The Industrial Revolution, which ushered in new technology and cultural conditions across the world, transformed art from something mostly commissioned by the wealthy or the church to work that responded to personal experiences. The Impressionist style emerged in 1860s France with artists like Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne and Edgar Degas quickly painting works that captured moments of light and urban life. Around the same time in England, the Pre-Raphaelites, like Edward Burne-Jones and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, borrowed from late medieval and early Renaissance art to imbue their art with symbolism and modern ideas of beauty.

Emerging from this disruption of the artistic status quo, modern art went further in rejecting conventions and embracing innovation. The bold legacy of leading modern artists Georges Braque, Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo, Salvador Dalí, Henri Matisse, Joan Miró, Marc Chagall, Piet Mondrian and many others continues to inform visual culture today.

Find a collection of modern paintings, sculptures, prints and other fine art on 1stDibs.

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Style: Modern
Day Dream, Etching on paper, Blue, Green, Blackcolors by Indian Artist"In Stock"
Day Dream, Etching on paper, Blue, Green, Blackcolors by Indian Artist"In Stock"

Day Dream, Etching on paper, Blue, Green, Blackcolors by Indian Artist"In Stock"

By Amitabha Banerjee

Located in Kolkata, West Bengal

Amitabha Banerjee - Day Dream - 6 x 10 inches (unframed size) Etching on paper Inclusive of shipment in roll form. About the Artist and his work : Born : In 1929 born in Barisal, Ba...

Category

Early 2000s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Paper, Etching

Gossiping woman, Mixed Media in green, red, yellow by student of Nandalal Bose
Gossiping woman, Mixed Media in green, red, yellow by student of Nandalal Bose

Gossiping woman, Mixed Media in green, red, yellow by student of Nandalal Bose

By Ramananda Bandopadhayay

Located in Kolkata, West Bengal

Ramanando Bandopadhayay - 8 x 10 inches ( Unframed size ) Mixed media on paper Inclusive of shipment in roll form. Style : Lyrical and romantic, his work is typical of the Bengal School and reminiscent of Nandalal Bose...

Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Paper, Mixed Media

Geese
Geese

Geese

Located in Palm Desert, CA

A painting by Gregory Sumida. “Geese” is a landscape painting, watercolor on paper in an earth-tone palette by American artist Gregory Sumida. The artwork is signed in the lower left...

Category

Late 20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

Fishes in Water, Watercolor on paper, Blue by Modern Indian Artist "In Stock"
Fishes in Water, Watercolor on paper, Blue by Modern Indian Artist "In Stock"

Fishes in Water, Watercolor on paper, Blue by Modern Indian Artist "In Stock"

By Kartick Chandra Pyne

Located in Kolkata, West Bengal

Kartick Chandra Pyne - Untitled - 22.5 x 30 inches (unframed size) Watercolor on thick imported paper (Unframed & Delivered Internationally) In this vibrant watercolor, Kartick Cha...

Category

Early 2000s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Man & Woman, Relationship, Etching on paper, Blue, Brown, Black colors"In Stock"
Man & Woman, Relationship, Etching on paper, Blue, Brown, Black colors"In Stock"

Man & Woman, Relationship, Etching on paper, Blue, Brown, Black colors"In Stock"

By Amitabha Banerjee

Located in Kolkata, West Bengal

Amitabha Banerjee - Man & Woman - 6 x 10 inches ( unframed size) Etching on paper Inclusive of shipment in roll form. About the Artist and his work : Born : In 1929 born in Barisal,...

Category

1990s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Paper, Etching

Group of fish in Water, Watercolor on paper, Blue, Grey by K.C. Pyne "In Stock"
Group of fish in Water, Watercolor on paper, Blue, Grey by K.C. Pyne "In Stock"

Group of fish in Water, Watercolor on paper, Blue, Grey by K.C. Pyne "In Stock"

By Kartick Chandra Pyne

Located in Kolkata, West Bengal

Kartick Chandra Pyne - Untitled - 22.5 x 30 inches ( unframed size) Watercolor on thick imported paper Inclusive of shipment in roll form. Style : After graduating from the Governm...

Category

Early 2000s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Fish, Watercolor on paper, Yellow, Blue, Green by Master Artist "In Stock"
Fish, Watercolor on paper, Yellow, Blue, Green by Master Artist "In Stock"

Fish, Watercolor on paper, Yellow, Blue, Green by Master Artist "In Stock"

By Kartick Chandra Pyne

Located in Kolkata, West Bengal

Kartick Chandra Pyne - Untitled - 18 x 24 inches ( unframed size) Watercolor on thick imported paper Inclusive of shipment in roll form. Style : After graduating from the Governmen...

Category

Early 2000s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Ganesha, God of Success, Mixed Media on Paper, Yellow, grey, Skin "In Stock"
Ganesha, God of Success, Mixed Media on Paper, Yellow, grey, Skin "In Stock"

Ganesha, God of Success, Mixed Media on Paper, Yellow, grey, Skin "In Stock"

By Prokash Karmakar

Located in Kolkata, West Bengal

Prokash Karmakar - Ganesha - 20 x 14 inches (unframed size) Mixed Media on paper ** Cost is inclusive exclusive of shipment ( unframed ) The Indian Mythology God , Lord Ganesha , Th...

Category

Early 2000s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Paper, Mixed Media, Charcoal

Vibrant Mid Century Summer Still Life Oil Painting Dated 1975
Vibrant Mid Century Summer Still Life Oil Painting Dated 1975

Vibrant Mid Century Summer Still Life Oil Painting Dated 1975

Located in Rochester, NY

Mid century impressionist still life painting. Brilliant colors. Pears and daises. Signed with monogram "Y D W". Dated 1975. Oil on board. Framed.

Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Man under the tree, Drawing, Ink on paper by Padma Vibhushan Artist "In Stock"
Man under the tree, Drawing, Ink on paper by Padma Vibhushan Artist "In Stock"

Man under the tree, Drawing, Ink on paper by Padma Vibhushan Artist "In Stock"

By K.G. Subramanyan

Located in Kolkata, West Bengal

K G Subramanyan - Untitled - 8.5 x 11 inches (Paper Size) Framed Size : ( 17.5 x 19 ) approx Ink on paper Inclusive of shipment in a mount form. The artist gave the human figure a n...

Category

Early 2000s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Paper, Ink

Miniature South American or Native American Portraits Paintings Signed Erwin
Miniature South American or Native American Portraits Paintings Signed Erwin

Miniature South American or Native American Portraits Paintings Signed Erwin

Located in Houston, TX

Three well painted miniature portraits of South American or Native American men. The piece is framed in a wooden frame with a white matte. Each portrait is signed by Erwin. Dimensio...

Category

20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

A Moment of Grace

A Moment of Grace

Located in Atlanta, GA

I was born in Atlanta, Ga. in i948 and have always lived in the South. The rich tradition of storytelling is in my blood and it is impossible to ignore its influence on my narrative paintings.I am the director of my own tale and must create the characters, the setting, and the poetic tensions implied between the characters and the viewer. My paintings are done on canvas or museum board in a realistic manner with much attention to detail. I have created a technique of layering oil paints and varnish that give the surface a unique technical aspect, one that visually reflects the many levels at which the narrative can be interpreted. The paintings begin with the seed of an idea and a strong fascination and empathy for the central character. One can rely on conscious judgements concerning composition, whether to paint the figure nude or elaborately costumed ,and the use of one's own personal symbols and icons. I believe that only when the artist moves into uncertain territory and listens to her own private language, can she move beyond mere painting. Artist Statement C.Dawn Davis

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media

Distance Bridged by a Bunny, bright colors

Distance Bridged by a Bunny, bright colors

By Jenny Toth

Located in Brooklyn, NY

This is a painting of a nude woman sitting on a bed with her leg extended and her foot pushed against a mirror behind the head of the bed. She is looking at the sleeping man next to...

Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Irises mid-20th century flowers oil painting by Angela Stones
Irises mid-20th century flowers oil painting by Angela Stones

Irises mid-20th century flowers oil painting by Angela Stones

By Angela Stones

Located in London, GB

To see our other Modern British Art, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller" - or send us a message if you cannot find the artist you want. Angela Stones (1914 - 1995) Irises Oil on canvas 56 x 41 cm Signed lower right. A glass jar of irises, with two shells, on a pale pink and peach backdrop. Stones' impasto technique brings texture to the shells and petals, and shades of purple offset the greens and pinks of the composition. Stones was educated at the Chelsea School of Art, and was a member of an artistic dynasty. Her mother Dorothy Bradshaw (1893 - 1983) studied under Jack Merriott – the artist famous for his British Rail posters...

Category

20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

View from Battersea Bridge mid-century oil painting by Angela Stones
View from Battersea Bridge mid-century oil painting by Angela Stones

View from Battersea Bridge mid-century oil painting by Angela Stones

By Angela Stones

Located in London, GB

To see our other Modern British Art, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller" - or send us a message if you cannot find the artist you want. Angela Stones (1914 - 1995) From Battersea Bridge (before Redevelopment) Oil on board 40 x 50 cm Signed lower left. Stones' view of the Thames and Chelsea Bridge...

Category

20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Still Life with Fruit and Coffee Pot 20th century oil painting by Angela Stones
Still Life with Fruit and Coffee Pot 20th century oil painting by Angela Stones

Still Life with Fruit and Coffee Pot 20th century oil painting by Angela Stones

By Angela Stones

Located in London, GB

To see our other Modern British Art, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller" - or send us a message if you cannot find the artist you ...

Category

20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

French street scene mid-20th century oil painting by Angela Stones
French street scene mid-20th century oil painting by Angela Stones

French street scene mid-20th century oil painting by Angela Stones

By Angela Stones

Located in London, GB

To see our other Modern British Art, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller" - or send us a message if you cannot find the artist you want. Angela Stones (1914 - 1995) French Street Scene Oil on board 56 x 41 cm A delightful mid-century oil painting. A couple and their dog meander down a cobbled French lane under a bright blue sky. Stones was educated at the Chelsea School of Art, and was a member of an artistic dynasty. Her mother Dorothy Bradshaw (1893 - 1983) studied under Jack Merriott – the artist famous for his British Rail posters...

Category

20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Boat Twelve, 2011

Boat Twelve, 2011

Located in Atlanta, GA

Harry Holland is widely regarded as one of Britain’s finest figurative artists. Using classical techniques to realise his contemporary figurative paintin...

Category

20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Ruth, American Modern Oil Painting on Canvas, Mid-20th Century, Signed
Ruth, American Modern Oil Painting on Canvas, Mid-20th Century, Signed

Ruth, American Modern Oil Painting on Canvas, Mid-20th Century, Signed

By Joseph Watson Little

Located in New York, NY

Joe Watson Little - (1915 - 1986) Had a considerable run for Hearst publications, doing covers and story arts from the 40s through the 60s. Also did PWPs (Post War Pulps) like Master...

Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Mid Century Modern Expressive Swedish Figurative Oil Painting - Cafe Corner
Mid Century Modern Expressive Swedish Figurative Oil Painting - Cafe Corner

Mid Century Modern Expressive Swedish Figurative Oil Painting - Cafe Corner

Located in Bristol, GB

CAFE CORNER Size: 60.5 x 39 cm (including frame) Oil on board A charming mid-century figurative scene capturing two quiet moments at a cafe, painted in oil onto canvas. In the fore...

Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Romance Love Triangle on Fishing Boat - Mid-Century
Romance Love Triangle on Fishing Boat - Mid-Century

Romance Love Triangle on Fishing Boat - Mid-Century

Located in Miami, FL

Romance Love Triangle on Fishing Boat his artwork appeared on pages 22-23 of the December 1957 issue of Playboy Magazine, illustrating the fiction story by Budd Schulberg titled "Bar...

Category

1950s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media, Oil, Illustration Board, Pencil

Parade of Children
Parade of Children

Parade of Children

By José Palmeiro

Located in Saratoga Springs, NY

Signed lower left & dated 1949 verso osé Palmeiro was born in Madrid and followed the tradition of French Impressionism and Post-Cubism. He created an impressive oeuvre comprising of still lifes, landscapes and figural compositions. His artistic career began in 1925 when he went to Paris and met Spanish painters like Ginés Parra...

Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

La alsaciana
La alsaciana

La alsaciana

By Lourdes Cabrera

Located in Barcelona, CT

The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate

Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Figura Femminile III, 2018

Figura Femminile III, 2018

By Maurizio BONFANTI

Located in Atlanta, GA

Son of painter Angelo Bonfanti, Maurizio Bonfanti attended Bergamo's Liceo Artistico and studied etching at the Accademia di Belle Arti in the same city. Though he enrolled to study ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media

Nude Figures, Metallic  Gold Ground,  African American Artist - Black Artist
Nude Figures, Metallic  Gold Ground,  African American Artist - Black Artist

Nude Figures, Metallic Gold Ground, African American Artist - Black Artist

Located in Miami, FL

Hollingsworth intertwines faces and figures along in black and red on a metallic ground. There are 3 nude figures in total. Black Arts Movement - Dreamy study of faces and nudes floating in a gold metallic sky. In the foreground the is a what appears to be an African figure in a long blue ground with bulbous red hat and then an indication of a mountainous horizon line. The right center is an indication of a sun. Acrylic and metallic paint on board Signed lower right BIOGRAPHY: Alvin Hollingsworth...

Category

1970s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Unexpected Encounter, 1998

Unexpected Encounter, 1998

By Robert Jessup

Located in Atlanta, GA

Born in Moscow, Idaho,and raised in Seattle, Robert Jessup received his BFA from the University of Washington in 1975 and his MFA from the University of Iowa in 1979. His work has been exhibited extensively since 1981 and is in numerous private and public collections including the metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, the University of Virginia, the University of Texas, the Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Dallas Museum of Art. He is a Professor Emeritus from the University of North Texas where he taught painting in the College of Visual Arts and Design from 1991 to 2018. His work is represented by the Conduit Gallery in Dallas, Texas. In 2019, Jessup and his wife, Faith Scott Jessup, moved to Whidbey Island...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

La Chica de Texas

La Chica de Texas

By Alfredo Roldan

Located in Atlanta, GA

A close look at one of Alfredo`s paintings leads to interesting discoveries. The surface is full of rasps and scrapes, stains, impastos, graffiti and lines. This treatment creates an...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

La Mer Melee au Soleil, 2009

La Mer Melee au Soleil, 2009

By Antoni TAULÉ

Located in Atlanta, GA

Taulé was born in 1945 in Sabadell, Barcelona. His father imparted the taste for painting to Antoni as a boy as the young artist watched him paint. After his primary studies, he began studying architecture in Barcelona and graduated in 1970. In 1965, he arrived in Paris and worked in architectural firms. It was Sartre's Paris, the construction of Unesco, the year of Le Corbusier's death and the end of Chandigarh, the French Cinematheque and Antonioni's films. Since the age of 14, he has never stopped painting and made his first personal exhibition in 1966 at the Academie de Belles Arts in Sabadell. Upon receiving his degree in architecture, he worked on the construction of l’Université autonome de Barcelone for a year. In 1971, he was asked to work on the development of a large shipyard on the small island of Formentera. There he met Laetitia Ney of Elchingen, who he would go on to marry. He devoted himself entirely to painting, and Formentera, like Paris, became one of his favorite places in both his life and to work. His first exhibition in Paris was in 1975 with Mathias Fels, presented to him by Hervé Télémaque—showing many paintings of his young daughter Djamilla, then three years old. The exhibition was titled, Espace hors temps (Space out of Time), with a foreword by Alain Jouffroy. In 1976, Taulé exhibited Contre-Jour (Against Day) at Fabien Boulakia on rue Bonaparte with a preface by Gérald Gassiot-Talabot and in Barcelona at the Aimé Maeght gallery—an exhibition visited by Joan Miró and Alexander Calder. In 1977, he exhibited at the Beaubourg gallery, with then associates Nahon and Trigano. In 1983, he met Jorge Luis Borges and Julio Cortázar, who wrote the novella Fin d’étape (End of Stage) for Taulé That same year, he was named Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) by Jack Lang...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Subiendo el
Subiendo el

Subiendo el

By Paco Simon

Located in Barcelona, CT

The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate

Category

1980s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Untitled
Untitled

Untitled

By Duván López

Located in Barcelona, CT

The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate

Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Paper, Ink

Untitled
Untitled

Untitled

By Melchor Zapata

Located in Barcelona, CT

The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate

Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Handmade Paper

Making Bread, 2008

Making Bread, 2008

By Robert Jessup

Located in Atlanta, GA

Born in Moscow, Idaho,and raised in Seattle, Robert Jessup received his BFA from the University of Washington in 1975 and his MFA from the University of Iowa in 1979. His work has be...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Red Dress
Red Dress

Red Dress

By János Huszti

Located in Tulsa, OK

"Red Dress" is a abstract figurative oil painting of a deep red dress. János Huszti is a creator of the visual arts and conceptual thinker. Huszti places a large emphasis on figura...

Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Charmed
Charmed

Charmed

By János Huszti

Located in Tulsa, OK

"Charmed" is a abstract portrait oil painting with a purple overcast measuring 15.70w x 17.70h x 0.80d in János Huszti is a creator of the visual arts and conceptual thinker. Huszt...

Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Untitled
Untitled

Untitled

By Melchor Zapata

Located in Barcelona, CT

The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate

Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Handmade Paper

Wedding in Kana

Wedding in Kana

By Gocha Kakabadze Mamuka Shengelia

Located in Atlanta, GA

Born on April 24, 1966. 1984 graduated from Nikoladze Art College. During 1984 – 1990 he had been studying in Tbilisi State Academy of Arts. Exhibitions of his works have been held regularly in Germany (Berlin, Cologne, and Bonn), Switzerland (Bern, Basel, and Zurich), and Italy (Merano) since 1992. Exhibitions: 2011 - Chardin Art...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media

Untitled
Untitled

Untitled

By Melchor Zapata

Located in Barcelona, CT

The painting is being offered with a work and authenticity certificate

Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Mid-Century Children's Party Scene . Red and Orange, Native American
Mid-Century Children's Party Scene . Red and Orange, Native American

Mid-Century Children's Party Scene . Red and Orange, Native American

Located in Miami, FL

Broad areas of bold, flat red, magenta, and pink characterize this mid-century painting by Barbara Warren Ebersole ( Barbara Tate Ebersole ). It depicts a block party festooned with balloons and a street organ grinder with a smartly dressed performing monkey. The overall look of a lot mid-century art inspires many of today's most celebrated contemporary artists. Signed and dated upper left. Oil on Masonite. Barbara Warren Ebersole was a painter and an author. She may have been of Native American...

Category

1950s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Oil

Mush, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Mush, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

Mush, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

By Nicholas Robertson

Located in Yardley, PA

This work is that emotional expression you see in audiences, in this case a sports event, but it can be any group action. Its that look when your team has a near miss or a save, depe...

Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Modern figurative paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Modern figurative paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add figurative paintings created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, orange, yellow, purple and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Antonio Feltrinelli, Sunil Das, Suhas Roy, and Clarence Holbrook Carter. Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Oil Paint and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Modern figurative paintings, so small editions measuring 1 inches across are also available. Prices for figurative paintings made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1 and tops out at $743,750, while the average work sells for $2,376.