Skip to main content

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.

to
908
917
625
854
509
506
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
17
88
2,354
952
5
18
51
221
167
174
195
174
123
97
12
16,474
5,513
3,577
3,411
1,622
1,418
1,351
1,320
603
466
381
169
85
75
1,869
1,295
232
2,194
1,375
892
816
651
349
218
191
173
145
142
128
110
99
98
66
62
58
56
53
3,056
2,125
1,139
1,110
502
58
51
41
35
34
1,296
352
1,579
1,495
Style: Modern
It Takes Two to Tango 2 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Couple, Love
It Takes Two to Tango 2 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Couple, Love

It Takes Two to Tango 2 - 21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Couple, Love

By Samson Olatubosun

Located in Ibadan, Oyo

Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube. This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Samson Olatubos...

Category

19th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic

Ricard Opisso, Large 1940s Figurative Oil Painting, Catalan Modernist Narrative
Ricard Opisso, Large 1940s Figurative Oil Painting, Catalan Modernist Narrative

Ricard Opisso, Large 1940s Figurative Oil Painting, Catalan Modernist Narrative

By Ricard Opisso Sala

Located in Sitges, Barcelona

Ricard Opisso i Sala – “Soldiers Flirting in the Park” – Oil on Canvas, 75 × 101 cm (29.5 × 39.7 in) Artist: Ricard Opisso i Sala (1880–1966) Title: Soldiers Flirting in the Park Te...

Category

1940s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

A Stylish, Vintage 1940s Fashion Design, Women's Dresses, Marshall Field & Co.
A Stylish, Vintage 1940s Fashion Design, Women's Dresses, Marshall Field & Co.

A Stylish, Vintage 1940s Fashion Design, Women's Dresses, Marshall Field & Co.

Located in Chicago, IL

A stylish, vintage, 1940s fashion study featuring an elegant design for women's dresses (day & evening wear). Most likely a design study for a print advertisement for the famed Chicago department store, Marshall Field & Co. Inscription reads: "Above- Irene Castle inspired this dinner gown...

Category

1940s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Paper, Pencil, Color Pencil

Figure in a Blue and Red Poke Dot Shawl Strolling Through The Country Field
Figure in a Blue and Red Poke Dot Shawl Strolling Through The Country Field

Figure in a Blue and Red Poke Dot Shawl Strolling Through The Country Field

By Irina Hale

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Strolling Figure signed initials by Irina Hale (British 1932-2022) oil painting on thin card , unframed painting: 5 x 4 inches provenance: private collection, Cotswolds condition: ve...

Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Still Life  - Oil on Canvas - Late 19th century
Still Life  - Oil on Canvas - Late 19th century

Still Life - Oil on Canvas - Late 19th century

Located in Roma, IT

Still Life is an artwork realized by an unknown artist in the late 19th Century. Oil on Canvas Mounted on Board. 18 x 13 cm. Good conditions

Category

Late 19th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Board

21th Century French Modernist Gouache Painting Colorful Figure Sitting
21th Century French Modernist Gouache Painting Colorful Figure Sitting

21th Century French Modernist Gouache Painting Colorful Figure Sitting

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

by Paul-Louis Bolot (French 1918-2003) signed inverso original gouache painting on thick paper/ card unframed condition: very good and sound; the edges have a few curls and scuffs/ e...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache

A Vibrant Modern City Street Scene, Urban Realism, New Mexico Landscape Painting
A Vibrant Modern City Street Scene, Urban Realism, New Mexico Landscape Painting

A Vibrant Modern City Street Scene, Urban Realism, New Mexico Landscape Painting

By Walter Burt Adams

Located in Chicago, IL

A Large, Colorful Modern City Street Scene by Notable Chicago Artist, Walter Burt Adams (Am. 1903-1990). A vibrant, painterly view of a sunlit small town city street, a scene located near the artist's studio and winter residence in Belen, New Mexico, located south of Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Likely painted in the quiet morning hours after dawn, a favorite time to paint by the artist. A wonderful Post-War example of the colorful Urban Realism practiced by the artist, a distinct style developed in the late 1920s and painted throughout his life, highly inspired by the artwork of fellow American artist, Edward Hopper. Artwork size: 18 x 36 inches, oil on canvas, accompanied with a hand-finished, charcoal toned oak slat frame (framed size: 18 1/2 x 36 1/2 inches). Signed "Walter Burt Adams" and dated lower left. Provenance: Estate of the artist. Walter Burt Adams was a dedicated painter of the American Scene and a singular personality among his peers in the Chicago Modern Art community. His no-nonsense manner, devotion to his craft and sardonic sense of humor characterize a man whose paintings capture life in and around Chicago between the early 1920s and the late 1970s. Born in Kenosha, Wisconsin just after the turn of the last century, Walter Burt Adams spent his childhood in Fargo, North Dakota and began his artistic education there through a correspondence cartooning class as a boy. After finishing high school in Fargo, Adams moved to Chicago in 1922 in order to enroll at the school of the Art Institute of Chicago. Adams’ instruction at the school with artists such as George Oberteuffer, Frederick V. Poole, Charles Wilimovsky...

Category

1930s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

French Modernist 1970's Oil Painting Two Nude Females Beautiful Original Work
French Modernist 1970's Oil Painting Two Nude Females Beautiful Original Work

French Modernist 1970's Oil Painting Two Nude Females Beautiful Original Work

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Title French Modernist Double Nude Study Figures Oil Painting 1970s Key Details Artist: French School, circa 1970s Medium: Oil on board Size: 25.5 x 16 inches Provenance: Private Fr...

Category

Late 20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Flower I Cherry Wine
Flower I Cherry Wine

Flower I Cherry Wine

By Svitlana Van Rossum

Located in Zofingen, AG

Flower I Cherry Wine (part of the “State of Bloom” series) “Cherry Wine” is a painting about youthful sexuality — that rare moment when the world feels carefree, and life takes on ...

Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Mid-Century Gouache Painting, American Modern, Circa 1950
Mid-Century Gouache Painting, American Modern, Circa 1950

Mid-Century Gouache Painting, American Modern, Circa 1950

Located in Arp, TX

From the estate of Jerry Opper & Ruth Friedmann Opper Slit c. 1940-1950's Gouache on Paper 15" x 18", Unframed *Custom framing available for additional charge. Please expect fra...

Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Paper, Gouache

Large 1960's Modernist Signed Oil Painting Venice Grand Canal Atmospheric Work
Large 1960's Modernist Signed Oil Painting Venice Grand Canal Atmospheric Work

Large 1960's Modernist Signed Oil Painting Venice Grand Canal Atmospheric Work

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

The Grand Canal, Venice Alvarez ( Mid 20th Century) signed oil on canvas, framed framed: 25 x 33 inches canvas: 20 x 28 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: very ...

Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Blushing Roses in a Golden Vase Still Life Large Scale Classical Oil Painting
Blushing Roses in a Golden Vase Still Life Large Scale Classical Oil Painting

Blushing Roses in a Golden Vase Still Life Large Scale Classical Oil Painting

By Continental School

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Blushing Roses in a Golden Vase Continental School, late 20th century most likely a pastiche work after an earlier composition oil on canvas, unframed canvas : 36 x 24 inches provena...

Category

Late 20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Textures of the Past: Paris, 1901 (Belle Époque, Romantic, Nostalgia, ~26% OFF)

Textures of the Past: Paris, 1901 (Belle Époque, Romantic, Nostalgia, ~26% OFF)

By Samir Farah

Located in Kansas City, MO

Samir Farah Textures of the Past: Paris, 1901 Acrylic on Stretched Canvas Year: 2025 Size: 11.81 x 15.74 x 0.78 inches (30 x 40 x 2 cm) Signed lower right COA provided *Comes on str...

Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Duomo of Milan with Pesants- Oil Painting - 18th Century
Duomo of Milan with Pesants- Oil Painting - 18th Century

Duomo of Milan with Pesants- Oil Painting - 18th Century

Located in Roma, IT

Duomo of Milan with peasants is a modern artwork realized by an Italian Artist in 18th century. Mixed colored oil on canvas 40x33cm with frame included. Good conditions.

Category

18th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

A new adventure
A new adventure

A new adventure

By Olena Kishkurno

Located in Zofingen, AG

shipped in roll A New Adventure She knows how to draw attention — red dress, stockings, veil. Too bold? Exactly as planned. Naivety is a carefully staged role, and mystery is part ...

Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

"Tighties" 1950's Gouache Male Nude Mid Century Painting
"Tighties" 1950's Gouache Male Nude Mid Century Painting

"Tighties" 1950's Gouache Male Nude Mid Century Painting

By Jerry Opper

Located in Arp, TX

From the estate of Jerry Opper & Ruth Friedman Opper Tighties c. 1950's Gouache on Paper 15" x 18" blue lacquered frame 18.5"x1.75"x21.5" Unsigned From the estate of Ruth Friedmann Opper & Jerry Opper. Ruth was the daughter of Bauhaus artist, Gustav Friedmann...

Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Paper, Gouache

Northern French Coast Oil Painting, 19th Century, Framed, Unsigned

Northern French Coast Oil Painting, 19th Century, Framed, Unsigned

Located in Roma, IT

Oil on canvas, framed with a gilded, late 19th Century frame. Not signed. A finely executed coastal composition depicting a working shoreline, animated by figures and maritime activ...

Category

19th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Still Life on a Table - Oil Painting on Canvas - 20th Century
Still Life on a Table - Oil Painting on Canvas - 20th Century

Still Life on a Table - Oil Painting on Canvas - 20th Century

Located in Roma, IT

Still Life on a Table is an original oil painting on canvas realized in the 20th Century. Good conditions (the painting has been restored in some parts). Frame included (83x108 cm).

Category

20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Rural Catalan Peasant Portrait with Barretina Oil Painting Spanish Figurative
Rural Catalan Peasant Portrait with Barretina Oil Painting Spanish Figurative

Rural Catalan Peasant Portrait with Barretina Oil Painting Spanish Figurative

By Luis Graner Y Arrufi

Located in Sitges, Barcelona

Rural Catalan Peasant Portrait with Barretina Oil Painting Spanish Figurative Art Artist: Attributed to Lluís Graner i Arrufí (1863–1929) Title: Rural Catalan Peasant Portrait with ...

Category

1920s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Board

Modern French Oil Painting Nude Figure in Black Robe Smoking by a Window
Modern French Oil Painting Nude Figure in Black Robe Smoking by a Window

Modern French Oil Painting Nude Figure in Black Robe Smoking by a Window

By Bernadette Kelly

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Title: Modern French Oil Painting Nude Figure in Black Robe Smoking by a Window by Bernadette Kelly (French b. 1933) Unsigned Medium: oil painting on board, unframed Painting size: 5.5 inches (height) x 11.75 inches (width) Condition: overall good and sound Provenance: all the paintings we have for sale by this artist have come from their estate in Paris, France. Description: This modern French oil painting by Bernadette Kelly captures a striking and intimate moment featuring a nude figure draped in a black robe standing by a window while smoking The interplay of light and shadow is masterfully executed with the soft glow of interior lighting illuminating the figure against the deep blue and grey hues of the surrounding space The bold yet delicate brushstrokes emphasize both the form and the quiet atmosphere of solitude Kelly’s expressive use of abstraction and gestural painting creates a moody introspective scene The figure’s relaxed posture combined with the open window suggests contemplation or a moment of stillness as if caught between the interior and the outside world The fragmented architectural...

Category

Late 20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Vintage 20th Century Painting of Lush Green Ireland Village by Irish Artist
Vintage 20th Century Painting of Lush Green Ireland Village by Irish Artist

Vintage 20th Century Painting of Lush Green Ireland Village by Irish Artist

Located in Preston, GB

Vintage 20th Century Painting of Lush Green Ireland Village by Irish Artist, Liam Reilly Art measures 24 x 18 inches Frame measures 28 x 22 inches This stunning painting captures t...

Category

1980s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil

Conjuring Spirits (Jungle Drums)
Conjuring Spirits (Jungle Drums)

Conjuring Spirits (Jungle Drums)

By Thomas Hart Benton

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Dynamic jungle drummer scene by unknown NYC American artist. Oil on canvas measuring 20 x 26 inches. Signed "T 42" in ink on verso. Anco stretchers and Grumbacher NYC store stamp con...

Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Port of Saint-Malo Oil Painting on Canvas, French Modern School, 1984
Port of Saint-Malo Oil Painting on Canvas, French Modern School, 1984

Port of Saint-Malo Oil Painting on Canvas, French Modern School, 1984

Located in London, GB

'Port of Saint-Malo', oil on canvas affixed to board, French Modern School (1984). Although the artist dated this painting '84, it depicts a nostalgic view of the port of Saint-Malo in Western France's, Brittany in 1884 judging by the clothing worn by the characters depicted. The crowd on the shoreline is watching a sailboat regatta starting just inside the port's breakwater. A rather rare sunny day in Brittany brought out the parasols of the sitting ladies on the edge of the old ramparts. The walled city...

Category

1980s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Board

Tikkun

Tikkun

By Noé Katz

Located in Greenwich, CT

Noé Katz is a multi-media Mexican artist creating paintings, sculptures, and murals that reflect concepts of humanity in his signature modernist style.

Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil

Portrait of Emma Hamilton Lord Nelson's Mistress British Oil Painting framed
Portrait of Emma Hamilton Lord Nelson's Mistress British Oil Painting framed

Portrait of Emma Hamilton Lord Nelson's Mistress British Oil Painting framed

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Lady Emma Hamilton British School, late 20th century signed oil on canvas, framed framed: 16.5 x 12.5 inches canvas: 14 x 10 inches provenance: private collection condition: very goo...

Category

Late 20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

The Orchestra Jazz Band Superb 20th Century French Modernist Painting
The Orchestra Jazz Band Superb 20th Century French Modernist Painting

The Orchestra Jazz Band Superb 20th Century French Modernist Painting

By Guy Nicod

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

The Band by Guy Nicod (French 1923 - 2021) watercolour on artist paper, unframed painting : 18.5 x 13 inches provenance: artists estate, France condition: very good and sound condition

Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Gouache

Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy (Grammy, Album Art, Iconic, Rock and Roll)
Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy (Grammy, Album Art, Iconic, Rock and Roll)

Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy (Grammy, Album Art, Iconic, Rock and Roll)

By Kerry Smith

Located in Kansas City, MO

Kerry Smith Led Zeppelin - Houses Of The Holy Mixed Media on Crescent board Year: 2018 Size: 21x20in Signed, dated by hand COA provided Ref.: 924802-1632 *Black frame with a mirror-...

Category

2010s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media, Acrylic, Gouache, Board

Seated Nude in a Expressive Green Landscape French Modernist Oil Painting
Seated Nude in a Expressive Green Landscape French Modernist Oil Painting

Seated Nude in a Expressive Green Landscape French Modernist Oil Painting

By Guy Nicod

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Title: Seated Nude in a Expressive Green Landscape French Modernist Oil Painting Guy Nicod (French 1923 - 2021) Oil on artist paper, unframed Size: 18.5 x 15.75 inches (height x wid...

Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Bond Girl - Modern Abstract silver leaf, black ink figurative painting
Bond Girl - Modern Abstract silver leaf, black ink figurative painting

Bond Girl - Modern Abstract silver leaf, black ink figurative painting

By Hocktee Tan

Located in DE

Hock Tee Tan was born in Malaysia and studied Fine Art at Nanyang Academy of Fine Art in Singapore. He came to London in 1976 and has been working as a Fine Artist ever since. He use...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil Crayon, Ink

Russian Modernist 20th Century Oil Painting Male Nudes in Embrace Abstract
Russian Modernist 20th Century Oil Painting Male Nudes in Embrace Abstract

Russian Modernist 20th Century Oil Painting Male Nudes in Embrace Abstract

By Russian School

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Dual Portrait of Human Connection Russian artist signed and dated 1999 oil on canvas, framed Framed: 28.5 x 36 inches Canvas: 24 x 31.5 inches Provenance: private collection, France ...

Category

1990s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Man in Red and Blue" Mid 20th Century Portrait Painting Dated 1959
"Man in Red and Blue" Mid 20th Century Portrait Painting Dated 1959

"Man in Red and Blue" Mid 20th Century Portrait Painting Dated 1959

Located in Rochester, NY

Modernist portrait of a young man in rich reds and blues. Signed on reverse H. Friedlander, 1959. Oil on board. Unframed.

Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Portrait of A Dapper Man In Top Hat Bright Blue Colours British Oil Painting
Portrait of A Dapper Man In Top Hat Bright Blue Colours British Oil Painting

Portrait of A Dapper Man In Top Hat Bright Blue Colours British Oil Painting

By Irina Hale

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Dapper Man Portrait by Irina Hale (British 1932-2022) oil painting on artist paper, unframed painting: 11.25 x 9 inches provenance: private collection, Cotswolds condition: very good...

Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Oil

Mid Century Modern Jazz Ensemble -- The Band Box Quartet, Signed
Mid Century Modern Jazz Ensemble -- The Band Box Quartet, Signed

Mid Century Modern Jazz Ensemble -- The Band Box Quartet, Signed

Located in Soquel, CA

Mid Century Modern Jazz Quartet Figurative -- "The Band Box" Signed A vivid, mid-century modernist interpretation of a jazz ensemble by Louis M. Centofanti (American, 1921-2018). "B...

Category

1950s Modern Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars

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.