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Folk Art Paintings

FOLK ART STYLE

Folk art is a genre of art that shares the creator’s traditions, offering not just an artistic display but an opportunity to learn about a culture. Antique, new and vintage folk art typically reflects a heritage or location. It can include utilitarian objects and handmade art as diverse as weather vanes, duck decoys, portraiture and paintings, carnival art and quilts.

Quilts are a quintessential part of American folk art but their roots are international, with quilting dating back to Ancient Egypt. The practice spread to Europe and was especially prominent in the Middle Ages, with one of the oldest surviving examples being the Tristan quilt made in Sicily in the 14th century. They were made as bedcovers and clothing, including as a layer for knights to wear beneath their armor. Native American folk art includes functional objects reflecting their heritage, such as baskets, textiles and wooden pieces.

Elsewhere, the vast range of work associated with Mexican folk art includes masks made by Mexican craftspeople for traditional celebrations and ceremonial dances. Mexican masks are part of the country’s folk-art traditions that go back thousands of years and play a role in festivals and theater.

Works in the folk art tradition are valuable because of the skills involved, like weaving, hand-carving wood and even stonework. Many folk artists are self-taught, while some train as apprentices within their community. By using available materials and taking a personal approach to their creations, artists ensure each piece is unique and conveys a story.

During the Great Depression, artistic materials in America were hard to come by, so artisans used discarded wood from cigar boxes and shipping crates to make highly stylized, notched pieces — most often picture frames and boxes — that are today sought after by collectors. This folk art style is called tramp art and was popular from roughly 1870 until the 1940s.

Folk art brings vibrant culture and traditions into your home. Browse an extensive collection of antique, new and vintage folk art on 1stDibs.

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Style: Folk Art
Bali Hindu Textile Framed Kamasan Painting, Indonesia C. 1920
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
A mid-20th century 'Kamasan' cotton textile painting from Bali, Indonesia. The hand-painted image has great detail and depicts Balinese Hindu mythology. Key features of this image ar...
Category

1950s Balinese Vintage Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Cotton, Paint

Deborah Barrett "Woman in Animal Suit" Graphite Mixed Media on Paper / Collage
By Deborah Barrett
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Title: Woman in Animal Suit Artist: Deborah Barrett Medium: Mixed Media Collage on Paper Signed and date to the lower right and bearing an old Susan...
Category

1990s American Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Gesso, Paper

JOHN R. WATTS, Folk Art Watercolor Gouache Landscape Painting, U.S., C.1889
Located in Chatham, ON
JOHN R. WATTS (Unknown/Unidentified Artist) - Folk art watercolor and gouache landscape painting on paper - graphite highlights and shading - unframed - signed and dated lower right ...
Category

Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Paint, Paper

E. MULBE - Vintage Gouache Painting on Panel - Signed - Framed - 20th Century
Located in Chatham, ON
Vintage - E. MULBE - gouache landscape painting on panel - signed lower left - contained in a vintage softwood frame - old Simpson's framing label verso - mid 20th century. Excellen...
Category

Mid-20th Century Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Wood, Paint

Charles Saül Framed Haitian Vintage Village Scene Acrylic on Canvas Painting
Located in Miami, FL
An original framed acrylic on canvas painting of a Haitian village scene with people going back and forth, huts, and tall foliage and palm trees. Signed...
Category

Late 20th Century Haitian Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Swedish 19th Century Folk Art Oil Painting With Kids
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Swedish naive oil painting with the original frame, from the 2nd part of the 19th Century. This folk art work on canvas represents kids and a dog playing by a courtyard, opening the...
Category

Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood

Exceptionally Long Bali Hindu Textile Kamasan Painting, Indonesia C. 1900
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
This striking vintage Balinese Kamasan painting, rendered on handwoven cotton, beautifully captures the timeless elegance of classical Wayang-style storytelling. Featuring intricate ...
Category

Early 1900s Balinese Antique Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Cotton, Paint

Jan Bačur Naive Folk Art Painting Oil on Canvas Framed, Serbia 1986
Located in Clifton Springs, NY
The original oil on canvas painting depicts a country scene with a woman handing laundry on the line with a few chickens and a dog surrounding her. Bright dress and colorful laundry ...
Category

1980s Serbian Vintage Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Paint

Great Oil Painting of a Garden Scenery, Alexander Michael 1997
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Great Oil Painting of a Garden Scenery, Alexander Michael 1997 A framed oil painting depicting a colorful, vibrant garden scene filled with greenery, flowering plants and a garden h...
Category

Late 20th Century German Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Wood, Paint

Naive art painting "Lunch Table" by Ivan Lacković Croata, Yugoslavia 1961
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find a beautiful example of Yugoslav Naive art. The painting is called "Lunch Table" (in Serbo-Croatian "Trpeza") and it was painted by Ivan Lacković Croata....
Category

1960s Vintage Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Hardwood, Paint

Important Monumental Vintage Folk Art Painting of Vibrant Harvest Scene - Mexico
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
A captivating vintage Mexican folk art painting brimming with color, cultural richness, and a very unique story! While at a destination wedding in Puerto Vallarta, our driver passed ...
Category

20th Century Mexican Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Paint

Antique Rosen Style Folk Art Fruit Still Life Oil on Canvas Painting, C1830
Located in Big Flats, NY
Antique Severin Rosen Style Folk Art Fruit Still Life Oil on Canvas Painting Seated in Giltwood Frame C1830 Measures- 18''H x 22.25''W x 2.5''D; 14.5''...
Category

Early 19th Century Antique Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Paint

Zabihi Collection Chinese Batou Pictorial Rug
Located in New York, NY
1920s Chinese Batou Scatter size Rug Details rug no. j2234 size 3' x 6' 1" (91 x 185 cm)
Category

Early 20th Century Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Wool

Large Oil on Canvas, Mayan Jaguar by Kindrie Grove 2002
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Very large oil on canvas, ancient tableau, Jaguar by Kindrie Grove, Canadian Artist. Large oil painting that depicts a Mayan Jaguar. Made in 2002. The ar...
Category

20th Century Canadian Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Canvas

19th Century American Folk Art Oil Painting Landscape Sailboats On River
Located in Stamford, CT
A 19th century American folk art oil painting on canvas depicting a river scene at dawn with a horse and rider on a bridge over a waterf...
Category

Mid-19th Century American Antique Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Vintage Latin American Folk Art Oil Painting - Unsigned - Late 20th Century
Located in Chatham, ON
Vintage Latin American folk art oil painting on stretched canvas - likely done for the tourist market - untitled - unsigned - unframed -...
Category

Late 20th Century Central American Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Paint

American Folk Art Painting, Still Life with Flowers, Naive Art
Located in Clifton Springs, NY
Vintage still life painting features a large vase with bouquet of spring flowers, including lilacs, narcissi, tulips, and a peony, with a small flower posy placed next to it. Charmin...
Category

20th Century American Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Canvas

La Hacedora De Peces by Postwar Contemporary Venezuelan Artist Ender Cepeda
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
This painting entitled "La Hacedora De Peces" (The Fish Maker) was hand-painted using oil paint on canvas by Venezuelan Artist Ender Cepeda. Cepeda i...
Category

Late 20th Century Venezuelan Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Paint, Canvas

Surreal Painting, Roland Gautier
Located in London, GB
A large oil painting on ply board by French artist Roland Gautier. A surreal figurative observation of the female form facing a male body in the foreground. Colourful and bold with a...
Category

Late 20th Century French Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Plywood, Paint

E. SIMCOE - Vintage Oil Painting on Panel - Unframed - Canada - Mid 20th Century
Located in Chatham, ON
E. Simcoe - Vintage Impressionist style oil painting on panel - signed - unframed - Canada - mid 20th century. Excellent vintage condition - very clean - no loss - no damage - no re...
Category

Mid-20th Century Canadian Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Paint

Collection of Mexican Prayer Plaques "Retablos Ex-Votos" from 1950s and 1960s
Located in North Miami, FL
This is an amazing and important collection of 8 plaques (7 tin metal and one in wood) that have been hand painted by Catholic religious devotees in gratitude to either Christ, Virgi...
Category

1950s Mexican Vintage Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Tin

Untitled, Purvis Young Mixed-Media Painting, 1980s
Located in Miami, FL
Abstract mixed-media work by artist Purvis Young. Folk Art portraying bleeding and pregnant figures in a crowd, policemen on horseback and large blue eyes. Young used eyes as symbols...
Category

1980s American Vintage Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Paint, Reclaimed Wood, Canvas, Paper

20th Century Theatre Scenery Trees Wall Sculpture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
American mid-20th century. Stage prop scenery trees from a theatre. Painted canvas on wood, muted greens, blues, browns, grays and golden colors depicting Albizia trees. Two separate...
Category

20th Century American Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Large Vintage Framed Pichhavai Painting of Krishna Playing His Flute
Located in Morristown, NJ
Vintage Pichhavai painting on fabric of Krishna playing is flute with Radha and female Gopis gathered by his side. The colors, details and facial ex...
Category

1970s Indian Vintage Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Fabric, Wood, Paint

Large Mid-Century Era Watercolor Painting of President Dwight Mrs. Eisenhower
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
This large and well executed original watercolor painting on masonite board is signed by a Jim Barclay, presumably from the United States, dating to 1964 and done in a period folk art style. The painting depicts President and Mrs. Dwight Eisenhower...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Paint

Surreal Figurative Painting, Roland Gautier
Located in London, GB
A large oil painting on ply board by French artist Roland Gautier. A surreal figurative observation of two forms with floating heads. A bold piece of qui...
Category

Late 20th Century French Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Plywood, Paint

Surreal Oil Painting by N. Borrell
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Spanish surreal oil painting by N. Borrell . Painting framed measures 27.5" wide, 1.5" deep and 21.5" high.
Category

1960s American Vintage Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Canvas

The World of Bruegel by Timothy Foote Hardcover Art Book in Sleeve
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
The World of Bruegel, By Timothy Foote hardcover book Slipcase. The World of Bruegel: 1525-1569. The work of the Flemish artist discussed in a blend of biography and art criticism wi...
Category

20th Century Belgian Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Paper

Pair of Antique Religious Folk Art Paintings Jesus Stations
Located in Boca Raton, FL
Pair of Antque folk art religious paintings, oil on canvas, Jesus stations. Some paint loss . Will be shipped without glass and frame.
Category

Early 1900s Austrian Antique Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Bali Hindu Textile Framed Kamasan Painting, Indonesia C. 1940
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
An early 20th century 'Kamasan' cotton textile painting from Bali, Indonesia. The hand-painted image has great detail and depicts Balinese Hindu mythology. It is stretched over a can...
Category

1950s Balinese Vintage Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Cotton, Paint

W.P.A. Oil Painting on Canvas/ Federal Arts Project by Florence Whiting
By Florence Standish Whiting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Wonderful W.P.A. Oil Painting on Canvas/ Philadelphia Federal Arts Project by Florence Whiting depicting "Flowers in a pewter vase" Retains original frame.. original plaque..Extremel...
Category

1930s American Vintage Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Paint

Chinese Yangliuqing New Year Painting of Beauty and Baby, c. 1920
Located in Chicago, IL
Chinese New Year paintings (nian hua) are colorful folk paintings created to celebrate the annual Spring Festival. Drawn or printed by folk artists in regional studios, nian hua pain...
Category

1920s Chinese Vintage Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Paper

Portrait of a Mardi Gras Zulu Chief, Signed Bix, Circa 1960s
Located in Peabody, MA
A strikingly flamboyant portrait of a Zulu Chief, from a Mardi Gras New Orleans parade, signed "Bix", ca. 1960s.
Category

1960s American Vintage Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Paint

Gabriel Cohen "L Egypte Ancienne..." Naive Oil Painting on Metal
Located in Morristown, NJ
Gabriel Cohen (1933-2017) French/Israeli, "L'Egypte ancienne..." Naive-style oil painted on sheet metal with a crimped and painted edge forming the frame. The work is a fantastic dep...
Category

1980s Vintage Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Metal, Sheet Metal

Pin Prick Watercolour
By Babette Baronne Roth
Located in New York, NY
Pin prick watercolour. Antique watercolour painting with pin pricking of a street vendor in double-sided glassed frame. Signed Babette Baronne Roth. Germany, 1785, Dimension: 14....
Category

Late 18th Century German Antique Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Paper

Bali Hindu Textile Framed Kamasan Painting, Indonesia C. 1950
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
This striking vintage Balinese Kamasan painting, rendered on handwoven cotton, beautifully captures the timeless elegance of classical Wayang-style st...
Category

1950s Balinese Vintage Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Cotton, Paint

Pair of Vintage Indonesian/Balinese Paintings by Artist W. Suaridi
Located in COLMAR, FR
Two absolutely fantastic, vintage paintings from Indonesia in a traditional Balinese style. One of the paintings is signed by the artist, W. Suaridi in the lower left (see photo). Bo...
Category

Late 20th Century Indonesian Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Plywood

Madonna Arte Povera
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Large Arte Povera painting. Original frame, as shown in the photos.
Category

1930s Italian Vintage Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Masonic Sheepskin Man Portrait
Located in London, GB
Masonic Sheepskin Man Portrait We are proud to offer a highly unusual subject matter oil on canvas painting by the recently deceased Cornish artist James Scrase. A fine example from a member of the Royal Society of National Portraits members, trained under the guidance of Italian artist Annigoni in the early 1970s. James produced some wonderful piece of art in many different mediums. The unusual thing about this portrait is not only the fact that the subject sits proud in a sheepskin coat as his best attire, but also the fact that the artist name is hidden in the note painted...
Category

1950s British Vintage Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Chinese Yangliuqing New Year Painting of Beauty and Baby, c. 1920
Located in Chicago, IL
Chinese New Year paintings (nian hua) are colorful folk paintings created to celebrate the annual Spring Festival. Drawn or printed by folk artists in regional studios, nian hua pain...
Category

1920s Chinese Vintage Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Paper

Little Boy Blue Painting on Canvas Cloth
Located in Redding, CT
Early 20th Century Little Boy Blue Painting on Canvas Cloth. Classic Fairy Tale illustration of Little Boy Blue fallen asleep in the hay. Grea...
Category

1940s Vintage Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Linen

Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Masterpieces at the Musee d Orsay Book
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Masterpieces at the Musee d'Orsay by Anne Distel, Genieve Lacambre, Sylvie Gache-Patin, et al. Musee d'Orsay Impressionist and Post-Impressioni...
Category

Late 20th Century Indian Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Paper

Harvey Milligan Amish Farmhouse Pastoral Scene Oil on Canvas
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Americana Amish "farmhouse" oil painting by Harvey Milligan, circa 1950s. Charming character scale and composition (figures are very small). Although n...
Category

1950s American Vintage Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Paint

Oil on canvas depicting gentleman - gold leaf wood frame - ITALY 1910.
Located in Milano, IT
Italian school early 20th century (year about 1910) Oil on canvas depicting gentleman with wooden frame finished in gold leaf.
Category

1910s Italian Vintage Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

Bright Impressionist Oil painting of French Town Signed A. Roubaud Gilded Frame
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This vivid Impressionist oil painting beautifully captures the charm of a French townscape, signed by the artist A. Roubaud. The composition is alive with color, movement, and textur...
Category

1980s French Vintage Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Framed Portrait Painting of a Young Boy in Red and Blue with Gilt Frame - Signed
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
A large framed portrait painting of a boy in red and blue. The piece features a young boy or teen wearing a white collar shirt with a red overcoat. He has short blonde hair with hints of brown and auburn. He wears a blue newspaper boy cap...
Category

1990s American Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Metal

Pair of Vintage Mexican Folk Art Paintings of a Man and a Woman by Oscar Bernach
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Double take pair of vintage Mexican oil paintings on canvas of a man and a woman in interior settings executed in a distinctive naive sty...
Category

Mid-20th Century Mexican Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Mirror, Giltwood, Paint

Rufus Porter Mural from New Hampshire Tavern
By Rufus Porter
Located in Milford, NH
Mural by Rufus Porter from Prescott Tavern in East Jaffrey, New Hampshire, circa 1824. This panel was removed from the tavern prior to its being torn down in 1950. This mural hung in...
Category

19th Century American Antique Folk Art Paintings

Original Cover of Mexican Comic "Sensacional De Maestros"
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
We offer this amazing original cover painted in gouache in excellent vintage conditions, circa 1990 issue 226 "Pecho a Pechito llegaré a hojalatear tu corazón". About the Sensacional Comics as part of the Mexican Culture: "Sensacional" is the generic name of a handful of Mexican comics published at the end of the 1970s (1979 to be exact) and whose "Boom" remained in force within the Mexican idiosyncrasy for circa 20 years, (all the decade of the 1980s and 1990s) to then go downhill and "evolve", so to speak, until they become sexually explicit...
Category

1990s Mexican Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Paper

Canvas painting antique flowers
Located in Cantù, IT
Painting on canvas antique flowers Private Collection Domenico Rugiano
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Folk Art Painting by Latin Artist, Elias Telles
By Elias Telles
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Folk Art Painting by Elias Telles. Telles is a self taught painter and has become quite sought after and collectible. He speaks to the Historical figures and community with his unique subject matter and heavily painted pieces. Telles paints on a variety of unique back grounds, ie, old barn wood...
Category

20th Century Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Paint

Flemish Oil on Board Love Scene, Netherlands, 17th Century
Located in Madrid, ES
This Flemish oil on board painting dates to the 17th century and was produced in the Netherlands during a period marked by strong narrative painting and refined genre scenes. The wor...
Category

17th Century Dutch Antique Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Wood, Paint

Bernard Watercolor Columbian Woman Carries Fruit Basket Folk Art Ornated Frame
Located in Miami, FL
Vintage Bernard Watercolor Framed behind Glass Columbian Young Woman carries a Fruit Basket on her Head. Signed on Bernard, Copyright. Wood Frame is whitewashed and ornate. In vinta...
Category

Late 20th Century Colombian Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Glass, Wood, Paper

Original Cover of Mexican Comic "Sensacional De Maestros"
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
We offer this amazing original cover painted in gouache in excellent vintage conditions, circa 1990 issue 129 "Sancho te encontr'e en la movidita Sancho". About the Sensacional Comics as part of the Mexican culture: "Sensacional" is the generic name of a handful of Mexican comics published at the end of the 1970s (1979 to be exact) and whose "Boom" remained in force within the Mexican idiosyncrasy for circa 20 years, (all the decade of the 1980s and 1990s) to then go downhill and "evolve", so to speak, until they become sexually explicit...
Category

1990s Mexican Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Paper

Abstract Folk Art Painting by Michael Davis
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Abstract Folk Art painting on canvas by Michael Davis. Painting measures 33.75" wide, 2.25" deep and 33.25" high.
Category

1980s American Vintage Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Bill W. Dodge A Blue Persian Signed Contemporary Americana Folk Art Acrylic
Located in Keego Harbor, MI
A contemporary Americana Folk Art acrylic painting on canvas titled “A Blue Persian” by Bill W. Dodge. Hand signed on the lower right and titled lower left. Circa 1990s. Executed in a bold, detailed style, the composition captures a charming red barn scene complete with Holstein cows, a curious owl, colorful barn quilt...
Category

1990s American Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Outsider Portrait Painting of a Man in Green on Canvas 16" x 20"
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
A tall portrait painting of a gray-haired man on canvas. This piece is by an unknown outsider artist. It features an older gentleman with clipped gray and brown hair and a tan suit j...
Category

20th Century American Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Paint

Naive School Portrait Of A Man With A Map, Original Antique Oil Painting
Located in Bristol, GB
ANTIQUE ORIGINAL OIL ON CANVAS PAINTING DEPICTING A MALE SITTER Depicting a rather portly man with a characterful face in a curly wig with a flouncy collar and sleeves. He is pointi...
Category

18th Century Antique Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Saidi Nakoko, African Tingatinga School Painting, Oil on Canvas, 1970s, Framed
Located in Warszawa, Mazowieckie
Saidi Nakoko, Tingatinga, Tanzania, 1970s Oil on canvas Work signed by the artist Working dimensions 44/33 Framed work Tinga Tinga is an art style originating from East Africa. It w...
Category

1970s Tanzanian Vintage Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Canvas

Five Child s Art Watercolors of World War I Fighter Planes
Located in New Windsor, NY
A child's silhouette renderings of five World War I English and German fighter planes featuring: Albatross Scout, Sopwith Camel, The Rumpler, Gotha and Handly-Page. All done in black...
Category

Early 20th Century American Folk Art Paintings

Materials

Paint, Paper

Folk Art paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique folk art paintings for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage paintings created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include folk art, wall decorations and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with canvas, fabric and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Folk Art paintings made in a specific country, there are North America, and United States pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original paintings, popular names associated with this style include Purvis Young, Alejandro Rangel Hidalgo, M J Myers, and A. Tamme. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for paintings differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $2,380 and tops out at $2,600 while the average work can sell for $2,490.

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