Pop Art Paintings
Perhaps one of the most influential contemporary art movements, Pop art emerged in the 1950s. In stark contrast to traditional artistic practice, its practitioners drew on imagery from popular culture — comic books, advertising, product packaging and other commercial media — to create original Pop art paintings, prints and sculptures that celebrated ordinary life in the most literal way.
ORIGINS OF POP ART
- Started in Britain in the 1950s, flourished in 1960s-era America
- “This is Tomorrow,” at London's Whitechapel Gallery in 1956, was reportedly the first Pop art exhibition
- A reaction to postwar mass consumerism
- Transitioning away from Abstract Expressionism
- Informed by neo-Dada and artists such as Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg; influenced postmodernism and Photorealism
CHARACTERISTICS OF POP ART
- Bold imagery
- Bright, vivid colors
- Straightforward concepts
- Engagement with popular culture
- Incorporation of everyday objects from advertisements, cartoons, comic books and other popular mass media
POP ARTISTS TO KNOW
- Richard Hamilton
- Andy Warhol
- Marta Minujín
- Claes Oldenburg
- Eduardo Paolozzi
- Rosalyn Drexler
- James Rosenquist
- Peter Blake
- Roy Lichtenstein
ORIGINAL POP ART ON 1STDIBS
The Pop art movement started in the United Kingdom as a reaction, both positive and critical, to the period’s consumerism. Its goal was to put popular culture on the same level as so-called high culture.
Richard Hamilton’s 1956 collage Just what is it that makes today’s homes so different, so appealing? is widely believed to have kickstarted this unconventional new style.
Pop art works are distinguished by their bold imagery, bright colors and seemingly commonplace subject matter. Practitioners sought to challenge the status quo, breaking with the perceived elitism of the previously dominant Abstract Expressionism and making statements about current events. Other key characteristics of Pop art include appropriation of imagery and techniques from popular and commercial culture; use of different media and formats; repetition in imagery and iconography; incorporation of mundane objects from advertisements, cartoons and other popular media; hard edges; and ironic and witty treatment of subject matter.
Although British artists launched the movement, they were soon overshadowed by their American counterparts. Pop art is perhaps most closely identified with American Pop artist Andy Warhol, whose clever appropriation of motifs and images helped to transform the artistic style into a lifestyle. Most of the best-known American artists associated with Pop art started in commercial art (Warhol made whimsical drawings as a hobby during his early years as a commercial illustrator), a background that helped them in merging high and popular culture.
Roy Lichtenstein was another prominent Pop artist that was active in the United States. Much like Warhol, Lichtenstein drew his subjects from print media, particularly comic strips, producing paintings and sculptures characterized by primary colors, bold outlines and halftone dots, elements appropriated from commercial printing. Recontextualizing a lowbrow image by importing it into a fine-art context was a trademark of his style. Neo-Pop artists like Jeff Koons and Takashi Murakami further blurred the line between art and popular culture.
Pop art rose to prominence largely through the work of a handful of men creating works that were unemotional and distanced — in other words, stereotypically masculine. However, there were many important female Pop artists, such as Rosalyn Drexler, whose significant contributions to the movement are recognized today. Best known for her work as a playwright and novelist, Drexler also created paintings and collages embodying Pop art themes and stylistic features.
Read more about the history of Pop art and the style’s famous artists, and browse the collection of original Pop art paintings, prints, photography and other works for sale on 1stDibs.
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1990s Pop Art Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas
Artist Comments
In 2020, photos of a duck named Forky riding the New York subway went viral on the internet. But New York being New York, Forky was hardly the most unusual pass...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
A cropped image of a bull and its rider captures the intensity of the sport, creating a sense of immediacy and immersion. The scene conveys the rugged nature of...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Oil
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic, Screen
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Paper, Acrylic, Spray Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Newsprint
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Varnish, Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
A family eats dinner and talks about their day. The glowing, soft-focus background and amber palette evoke warmth, love, and perhaps nostalgia, while the styliz...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Oil
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
A lifeguard sits on her chair, watching over an empty beach. The deep blue sky meets the calm sea, while the wet red sand mirrors the scene above. The stillness and fading colors evoke nostalgia, capturing the fleeting nature of summer. The title reflects a moment of pause between what was and what will be. Artist Keith Thomson used oil paint and ink to create this evocative piece.
About the Artist
Alabama-based artist Keith Thomson creates quick-witted, mixed-media artwork that blends realism and surrealism. His background as a political cartoonist in the 90s is reflected in the sharp storytelling his artwork achieves. He combines stylized realism and everyday subject matter with surreal details and ironic twists. He begins his work as digital sketches using animation software, then he transfers the sketch onto the canvas and begins applying oil paint. In addition to painting, he is a writer, of mostly spy novels and nonfiction articles. His writing prowess shines through in his witty descriptions of his pieces.
Words that describe this painting: beach, sea, ocean, sky, lifeguard, chair, reflection, contrast, bright, clouds, water, shore, horizon, pop, seascape, oil painting, blue
The Wednesday After Labor Day...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Foam Board
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Acrylic, Permanent Marker
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Foam Board
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Varnish, Acrylic
Artist Comments
A little boy stands on a sidewalk, posing curiously. He is studying the metal and glass contraption, taking in the numbers of its control panel and measuring ...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Oil
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Pop Art Paintings
Paper, Watercolor, Lithograph
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Varnish, Acrylic, Cotton Canvas
Artist Comments
Tall Saguaro cacti dot a hilly southwestern landscape. The rising sun casts long, dramatic shadows that stretch across the terrain. Bright reds, blues, and yell...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Acrylic
1990s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Glitter, Acrylic, Stencil
1970s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Linen, Acrylic, Screen
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Spray Paint, Acrylic, Wood Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic, Oil Pastel, Ink
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Mixed Media, Pigment, Archival Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Newsprint
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Mixed Media, Pigment, Archival Pigment
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Oil
Early 2000s Pop Art Paintings
Acrylic, Foam Board
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Paper, Oil Pastel, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Graphite
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Wire
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Varnish, Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Four stylized figures stand in a row against alternating blue and gray vertical panels. Each wears a distinct, patterned suit that highlights their personalitie...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Latex, Oil, Panel
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Glue, Mixed Media, Oil, Spray Paint, Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Artist Comments
A woman wearing a wedding gown stands with a steady grip on a shotgun, her posture and expression radiating focus and determination. She emphasizes strength a...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Latex, Oil, Panel
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Acrylic, Panel
Artist Comments
Colorful houses sit at the edge of a lake, with a pink boat anchored nearby. The greens and blues of the summer sky reflect on the still water. Artist John Jaster's choice of a bright color palette creates a lively and inviting atmosphere.
About the Artist
Artist John Jaster paints in a style he describes as realistic impressions, capturing colorful views of his adventures across the Americas. "People always ask me how I get such deep brilliant colors," says John. "The answer is layers. Since acrylic paint dries mostly transparent, it requires multiple layers of paint to build up to a specific color. With the right lighting that depth of layering is like sunshine glistening through clear water." In college, John felt a pull towards computer science and pursued a career in software architecture. Although the two paths...
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Acrylic, Wood Panel
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Linen, Acrylic, Screen
2010s Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Pop Art Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
