Famous Modern and Contemporary Artists: A Top 15

If you walk through an art museum like the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, The Tate Modern in London or the Centre Pompidou in Paris, you’ll find walls lined with famous modern and contemporary works of art. You might pass by a dotted, seaside impressionist painting, an eye-catching, comic-inspired pop artwork, or a huge color-blocked abstract creation. 

Impressionism, pop art and abstract art are all movements within the modern and contemporary art eras. While modern and contemporary are synonyms in the day-to-day English language, in the art world, modern art and contemporary art are two distinct art periods. 

What Is Contemporary and Modern Art?

Modern art begins around the 1860s and ends around the 1960s but these dates can range slightly depending on the art critic or historian defining the dates. Contemporary art doesn’t have a fixed starting point, but it begins around the mid-20th century with the end of the modern art era. 

Art critics and historians can recognize modern art not only by the date the piece was made but also by certain techniques and styles. Art styles like cubism are a part of the modern art movement and can be recognized by its fractured objects and multiple viewpoints. 

Contemporary art is broader and more diverse than modern art and it often refers to art created by present-day artists. There is a slight overlap between these two art forms. You can try spending some time over the next months exploring art from both periods to have a better understanding of modern versus contemporary artists. Art forms like line art and abstract scribble art can be found in both contemporary and modern art periods. 

The 15 Most Famous Modern and Contemporary Artists

Depending on where you grew up, where you went to school and the exposure you have had to art, you may or may not find artists you already know in this list of famous modern and contemporary artists. Ranging from pop artists to abstract artists to post-impressionist artists, this group of painters and sculptors will take you through the modern and contemporary art eras.

1. Roy Lichtenstein was an American pop artist. His most famous works are inspired by comic strips and use ben-day dots. You’ll find this in his works “Drowning Girl,” “Look Mickey,” and “Whaam!”  
2. Frida Kahlo was a modern art painter whose work was influenced by Mexican folk art and surrealism. She is known for her self-portraits, vivid colors and dream-like imagery. 
3. Georgia O’Keefe was an American modernist painter known for her close-up paintings of shells, flowers, bones and other natural objects. While originally from Wisconsin, O’Keefe spent a lot of time in New Mexico, which influenced the bold colors and stark landscapes in her pieces.   

4. Vincent Van Gogh was a post-impressionist, Dutch painter who used bright colors and bold and swirling brush strokes to create landscapes, self-portraits and still-life creations. Considered one of the most recognizable artists in the world, Van Gogh is also known for mental health struggles and his post-mortem fame. 
5. Jean-Michel Basquiait was a Haitian-American artist who gained fame during the 1980s for his raw works of art that often contained graffiti-inspired elements, social commentary, mythological figures and Afro-Caribbean influences. He collaborated with other famous and unique artists like Andy Warhol before he died from a drug-related incident at just 27 years old. 

6. Andy Warhol is often considered the creator of the pop art movement, which is known for being inspired by pop culture. Advertisements, celebrities, comic strips and product packaging are often represented in pop art. Andy Warhol’s “Campbell's Soup Cans” and “Marilyn Diptych” are two famous examples of this.
7. Pablo Picasso is a Spanish painter, sculptor and printmaker and co-founder of the Cubism movement. Known for famous paintings like the “Dove of Peace” and “Head of a Woman,” Picasso explored a wide range of styles in his works including surrealism. 
8. David Hockney is an English painter, photographer and printmaker. Often referred to as one of the most famous British contemporary painters of the 20th century and a big player in the pop art movement, Hockney has created well-known works that feature Californian landscapes, portraits, and his miniature dachshunds. You’ll notice his bold colors and fun scenes in works like “A Bigger Splash” and “Portrait of an Artist (Pool With Two Figures).” 

9. Piet Mondrian was a Dutch painter known for his abstract art. He was a big figure in the De Stijl art movement which was categorized by its straight horizontal and vertical lines, use of primary colors and abstract geometric shapes. His works “Broadway Boogie-Woogie” and “Composition with Red, Blue, and Yellow” are two famous examples of this. 

9. Jackson Pollock was a famous American painter during the Abstract Expressionism art movement. He is known for splattering acrylic paint across the canvas to create abstract forms rather than realistic objects or scenes. You might have seen his famous works “One: Number 31” and “Convergence.” 
10. Mark Rothko was a famous painter who is known for his abstract, color fielding style. His works often included big, hazy rectangles of color on large-scale canvases. You can see examples of this in his famous works like “No. 13” and his “Seagram Murals.” 

12. Paul Cézanne was a French, post-impressionist painter who is known for his textured brush strokes, muted color schemes and focus on geometric forms within his landscapes, still lifes and portraits. 
13. Barbara Kruger is an American collagist and visual artist who used bold text and eye-catching images to create works of art that often critiqued or commented on societal norms and pop culture. You can see this in two of her most famous works: “I shop therefore I am” and “Your Body is a Battleground.”
14. Takashi Murakami is a Japanese contemporary artist who combined traditional Japanese aesthetics and pop culture elements to create his colorful, flat and visually striking creations. He is known for flower-studded creations in his artistic concept “Superflat” and collaborations with other famous modern artists in the 21st century like the Graduation album cover he designed for Kanye West.   

15. Wassily Kandinsky was a Russian painter who is often referred to as one of the pioneers of abstract art in the Western world. Throughout his life, he focused on using pure color, deep emotions and abstract forms within his works. Works like “Composition VII” and “Yellow, Red, Blue” both exhibit his energetic brushstrokes and synergistic use of color. 

Learn More About Modern and Contemporary Art

If you’re planning on becoming an artist one day, want to learn how to price your art or just want to have a better understanding of art and art history, learning about the key players in the modern and contemporary art eras can enhance your appreciation for art and give you a great understanding of history and culture. For further guidance, Skillshare has the best class selection, from beginners to advanced, for learning about modern and contemporary art.

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Written By

Calli Zarpas

Producer & Writer by occupation. Ceramicist & Newsletter Editor by avocation.

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