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Modern Figurative Photography

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
William S. Burroughs (Iconic, Stamped, Naked Lunch, Beat Generation, Cut-Up)
William S. Burroughs (Iconic, Stamped, Naked Lunch, Beat Generation, Cut-Up)

William S. Burroughs (Iconic, Stamped, Naked Lunch, Beat Generation, Cut-Up)

By Robert Mapplethorpe

Located in Kansas City, MO

Robert Mapplethorpe William S. Burroughs Photograph insert from Radar No. 1 (1982) Year: 1982 Sheet Size: 9.8 × 7.8 inches (24.9 × 19.8 cm) Framed Size: 17 x 13 x 1.25 inches (43.2 ×...

Category

1980s Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Yesteryear's Wire Walker (Unidentified) – original circus photograph, 1950s

Yesteryear's Wire Walker (Unidentified) – original circus photograph, 1950s

Located in Middletown, NY

Gelatin silver print mounted on board, 7 1/2 x 9 1/2 in. (190 x 241 mm) from the Roland Butler Collection, Press Agent, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (1930s-1960s) Roland...

Category

Mid-20th Century Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Silver Gelatin

New York City Skyscrapers, July 1931, Silver Gelatin B and W Photography Framed
New York City Skyscrapers, July 1931, Silver Gelatin B and W Photography Framed

New York City Skyscrapers, July 1931, Silver Gelatin B and W Photography Framed

By Press Agency Keystone View Company

Located in Atlanta, GA

An original silver gelatin black and white photograph by Press Agency Keystone View Company. New York City skyscrapers view, taken on July 7th, 1931, with the Empire State Building ...

Category

1930s Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Pope John XXIII - Vintage b/w Photo   - Vintage b/w Photo - 1963

Pope John XXIII - Vintage b/w Photo - Vintage b/w Photo - 1963

Located in Roma, IT

Pope John XXIII - Vintage b/w Photo realized in 1963. In the photo: Pope John XXIII, records Easter Message to the world in his private library in the Vatic...

Category

1960s Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Captivated Audience by Arthur Steel
Captivated Audience by Arthur Steel

Captivated Audience by Arthur Steel

By Arthur Steel

Located in London, GB

Captivated Audience by Arthur Steel SURREY 1979 All prints are hand signed limited editions, no further prints are produced once sold. paper size - 16 x 12" / 41 x 31 cm signed a...

Category

1970s Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Vintage Photo of Painting - Early 20th Century

Vintage Photo of Painting - Early 20th Century

Located in Roma, IT

Vintage Photo of Painting is a vintage photograph realized in the early 20th Century.  The photo belongs to Albumen of historical painting, photographs, meticulously captured. Good...

Category

20th Century Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Women Working at Italtel -New Technologies - 1970s

Women Working at Italtel -New Technologies - 1970s

Located in Roma, IT

Women Working Italtel -New Technologies in the 1970s is a vintage black and white photograph realized in the 1970s in Italy Good conditions an aged.

Category

20th Century Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Sports During Fascist Period in Italy - Vintage b/w Photo - 1934 ca.

Sports During Fascist Period in Italy - Vintage b/w Photo - 1934 ca.

Located in Roma, IT

Vintage Photo from the Fascist period. Photo by Studio Gherlone, Torino. Photo dimensions 17 x 23 cm. Includes passepartout. Very good condition.

Category

1930s Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Laszlo Willinger, "Pin Up, " original photograph of Marilyn Monroe
Laszlo Willinger, "Pin Up, " original photograph of Marilyn Monroe

Laszlo Willinger, "Pin Up, " original photograph of Marilyn Monroe

By Laszlo Willinger

Located in Chatsworth, CA

This piece is an original silver gelatin print from the original negative, shot by Laszlo Willinger in 1948, and printed at a later date. It depicts a young Marilyn Monroe in a pin ...

Category

1940s Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

'Audrey Hepburn ' Limited Edition silver gelatin print

'Audrey Hepburn ' Limited Edition silver gelatin print

Located in London, GB

'Audrey Hepburn' Limited Edition silver gelatin print 1958 A gorgeous candid and delicate shot of the fashion and style movie icon Audrey Hepburn, film actress (1929-1993) during a ...

Category

1950s Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Slim Aarons 'Backgammon in Haiti'
Slim Aarons 'Backgammon in Haiti'

Slim Aarons 'Backgammon in Haiti'

By Slim Aarons

Located in New York, NY

Backgammon By The Pool, 1975 Chromogenic Lambda Print Estate edition of 150 Women playing backgammon while sunbathing at the Habitation Leclerc pool in Haiti, January 1975. Estate ...

Category

1960s Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Lambda

'Skiing In Vail'  *newly added* SLIM AARONS ESTATE Print

'Skiing In Vail' *newly added* SLIM AARONS ESTATE Print

By Slim Aarons

Located in London, GB

'Skiing In Vail' SLIM AARONS ESTATE Print Gorgeous print measuring a Large 20x20" inches / 51 x 51 cm (printed on 20x24" paper size.) A beautiful and classic Slim Aarons C-type p...

Category

1970s Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

C Print

Slim Aarons 'Jazz Scooter'
Slim Aarons 'Jazz Scooter'

Slim Aarons 'Jazz Scooter'

By Slim Aarons

Located in New York, NY

Slim Aarons Jazz Scooter 1949 (printed later) Silver gelatin print estate signature stamped edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity Lucille Brown takes control of the Vespa...

Category

1940s Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Pousada dos Buzios, 1975 - Limited Edition Slim Aarons Estate Stamped C-Type
Pousada dos Buzios, 1975 - Limited Edition Slim Aarons Estate Stamped C-Type

Pousada dos Buzios, 1975 - Limited Edition Slim Aarons Estate Stamped C-Type

By Slim Aarons

Located in Brighton, GB

Pousada dos Buzios, 1975 by Slim Aarons 16 x 20" print. Limited Edition Estate Stamped Print. Edition of 150. Printed Later. 'Pousada dos Buzios' is a Limited Edition Estate Stamped Digital C-Type print by 20th Century American photographer Slim Aarons. Friends and acquaintances lying by the swimming pool at Pousada dos Buzios in Brazil are photographed by Slim Aarons. The man pictured is Italian restaurateur Stefano Monti. Just east of Rio de Janiero city is Buzios, formerly a quiet little fishing village and since the 1960s a bustling, animated, and absolutely upscale seaside resort, littered with fine restaurants, boutiques, and posh pousadas. Pictured here is one such pousada. Also found in Portugal, pousadas offer a blend between luxury hotel and intimate family-run inn. Slim Aarons also photographed "Buzios" which is available in the gallery. Both "Pousada dos Buzios" and "Buzios" were taken in the same place, but spaced years apart. Both 'Buzios' and 'Pousada dos Buzios' were taken in this location. The similarities between 'Buzios' and 'Pousada dos Buzios' are most evident in the subjects: the female sunbather wearing a black and white swimsuit with the straw sunhat appears to be in both scenes, and the female sunbather with short hair wearing the leopard print bikini appears similarly in both scenes. This image from August 1975...

Category

20th Century Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Color, C Print, Digital

Horses - Photo- Early 20th Century

Horses - Photo- Early 20th Century

Located in Roma, IT

Horses is a vintage black and white photograph realized in the early 20th Century. Good conditions with come folding and missing parts.

Category

20th Century Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Michael Jackson - Photo- 1990s

Michael Jackson - Photo- 1990s

Located in Roma, IT

Michael Jackson is a vintage black and white photograph realized in the 1990s. Good conditions.

Category

1990s Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Slim Aarons, Harbour Island (Midcentury Modern Photography)
Slim Aarons, Harbour Island (Midcentury Modern Photography)

Slim Aarons, Harbour Island (Midcentury Modern Photography)

By Slim Aarons

Located in New York, NY

Harbour Island in the Bahamas, 1970 Harbour Island, 1970 Chromogenic Lambda Print Estate stamped and hand numbered edition of 150 with certificate of authenticity from the estate. ...

Category

1970s Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Lambda

'Quiet Moment'  (Limited Edition)

'Quiet Moment' (Limited Edition)

By Edward Feingersh

Located in London, GB

'Quiet Moment' by Ed Feingersh Actress Marilyn Monroe relaxes on a couch in her hotel room at the Ambassador Hotel on March 24, 1955 in New York City, New York. A beautiful and mor...

Category

1950s Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

'Pool At Las Brisas' SLIM AARONS ESTATE Print

'Pool At Las Brisas' SLIM AARONS ESTATE Print

By Slim Aarons

Located in London, GB

'Pool At Las Brisas' 1972 Giant Estate Stamped Limited Edition Print by Slim Aarons 'Pool At Las Brisas' by Slim Aarons Guests in the pool at the Las Brisas Hotel, Acapulco, Mexico, February 1972. Two beautiful young women in bikinis...

Category

1970s Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

C Print

'James Dean Liz Taylor Round Up' Limited Edition silver gelatin print

'James Dean Liz Taylor Round Up' Limited Edition silver gelatin print

Located in London, GB

''James Dean Liz Taylor Round Up' 1956 GALERIE Limited Edition silver gelatin print A gorgeous candid shot of the movie and style icons James Dean with Elizabeth Taylor on the set ...

Category

1950s Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Bob, Mick and Pete 1978
Bob, Mick and Pete 1978

Bob, Mick and Pete 1978

By Michael Putland

Located in London, GB

© Michael Putland Bob, Mick and Pete Bob Marley, Mick Jagger and Peter Tosh backstage after Rolling Stones concert at the Palladium Theatre, New York 1978 Bob Marley, Mick Jagger,...

Category

1970s Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

The Beatles- Photo - 1960s

The Beatles- Photo - 1960s

Located in Roma, IT

The Beatles is an early photograph realized in the beginning of 1960s. Good conditions.

Category

1960s Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Original Hand Signed Rock & Roll Photograph Sly & the Family Stone Woodstock
Original Hand Signed Rock & Roll Photograph Sly & the Family Stone Woodstock

Original Hand Signed Rock & Roll Photograph Sly & the Family Stone Woodstock

By Jason Laure

Located in Surfside, FL

Original signed in gold ink Rock And Roll Photo from the Woodstock music festival. A custom print by Ken Lieberman laboratories in New York hand signed by the photographer. Mounted to board. Jason LAURÉ Born: Chehalis, Washington, USA, 1949. Resides in Cape Town. Studied at Columbia University, New York City and Sorbonne, Paris. Awards: Pulitzer Prize finalist; National Book Award, USA. Residency: Nieman Fellowship, Harvard University, USA finalist. Author: photographer of 32 books. Collection: UNICEF Africa Museum of New York; UCLA; Woodstock Museum, New York. Woodstock 1969: The Lasting Impact of the Counterculture by Jason Laure As the fiftieth anniversary of the Woodstock festival nears, Woodstock 1969 stands out for its singular voice. Photojournalist Jason Lauré followed his unerring instinct for being in the right place at the crucial moment. He and coauthor Ettagale Blauer trace the historic events that preceded the festival and then envelop the reader with photographs of the headliner rock stars that performed during the landmark three-day concert including the Who, Janis Joplin, Grace Slick...

Category

1960s Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Color

Schwarzenegger Is My Idol 10 - 20th century male nude fine art color photography

Schwarzenegger Is My Idol 10 - 20th century male nude fine art color photography

By Sergey Melnitchenko

Located in London, GB

'Schwarzenegger Is My Idol 10' Limited Edition Hahnemühle Rag Baryta print Edition size 10 only. Large 20 x 24" inches paper size. by Sergey Melnitchenko 2012-2013 “Schwarzenegger Is My Idol” is the story about the young guys from Nikolayev (Ukraine) who are united by one thing – it’s a goal to become the best of the best and they will do everything possible to achieve it. The photos show the young people who engage in athletics, acrobatics, fitness, and bodybuilding. I asked one of the boys to tell me what role his hobby plays in his life. Here’s what he told me: “For me, my sport is what I live for. Daily control and hard work – that leads me to success. Sport disciplines a man, enables him to understand the value of labor, the value of choice. I always wanted to be something more than an ordinary man in the street, more colossal than an ordinary representative of the society, so in my sport I do all the best I can, because I want to reach the top”. Why are my 'models' naked on photos? I think it adds them a kind of courage and naturalness. Of course it also looks funny and ironic. About Sergey Melnitchenko : SERGEY MELNITCHENKO Born in 1991 in Mykolayiv, Ukraine. Member of UPHA – Ukrainian Photographic Alternative. Started photography in 2009 and for less than 10 years participated in more than 70 solo and group exhibitions around the world. Winner of Ukrainian and International competitions, including the “Photographer of the year” 2012, 2013 and 2016 (Kiev, Ukraine), “Golden Camera 2012” (Kyiv, Ukraine), one of 10 finalists of the Showoff section within the month of photography in Krakow 2013, shortlist of “Pinchuk Art Center Prize 2015”. “Leica Oskar Barnack...

Category

2010s Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Archival Pigment

A French Young Model - Photo by Gunnar Larsen - 1970s

A French Young Model - Photo by Gunnar Larsen - 1970s

Located in Roma, IT

A French young model is a black and white vintage photo, realized in 1970s, by the photographer Gunnar Larsen.  Good conditions and aged. It belongs to a historical and nostalgic a...

Category

1970s Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

The Cathedral of Lucca - Original Photograph - Early 20th Century

The Cathedral of Lucca - Original Photograph - Early 20th Century

Located in Roma, IT

The Cathedral of Lucca is an original photograph taken in Lucca cathedral, realized by an Anonymous photographer. Titled on the lower with the description in Italian" Altare di S. Re...

Category

Early 20th Century Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper

Speedboat Landing Slim Aarons Limited Estate Print
Speedboat Landing Slim Aarons Limited Estate Print

Speedboat Landing Slim Aarons Limited Estate Print

By Slim Aarons

Located in London, GB

Speedboat Landing A Magnum motorboat belonging to Count Filippo Theodoli arrives at the private jetty of the Il Pellicano Hotel in Porto Ercole, Italy, August 1973. A modern classic...

Category

1970s Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Color, Archival Pigment

Catch Up by the Pool, 1970 - Slim Aarons Estate Stamped C-Type Print
Catch Up by the Pool, 1970 - Slim Aarons Estate Stamped C-Type Print

Catch Up by the Pool, 1970 - Slim Aarons Estate Stamped C-Type Print

By Slim Aarons

Located in Brighton, GB

Catch Up by the Pool, 1970 by Slim Aarons 16 x 20" print. Limited Edition Estate Stamped Print. Edition of 150. Printed Later. "Catch Up by the Pool" is a Limited Edition Estate St...

Category

20th Century Modern Figurative Photography

Materials

Photographic Paper, Color, C Print, Digital

Modern figurative photography for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Modern figurative photography 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 photography created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, purple, orange, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Slim Aarons, Mark Shaw, Alain Le Garsmeur, and Terry O'Neill. Frequently made by artists working with Digital Print, and Paper 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 photography, so small editions measuring 0.79 inches across are also available. Prices for figurative photography 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 $22 and tops out at $115,000, while the average work sells for $1,800.