modern art

American  

noun

1. art that was produced in the late 1860s through the 1970s and that rejected traditionally accepted forms and emphasized individual experimentation and sensibility.

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Etymology

Origin of modern art

First recorded in 1800–10, for an earlier sense

Example Sentences

Our critic said the show “stakes out enlightening new ground” in its exploration of “one of the most influential figures in modern art history.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 21, 2026

The album is experimental, merging modern art with Romanticism.

From Salon • Jun. 5, 2026

“So are people that have been obsessing on modern art and modernism all their lives — they’re gonna be confounded by it.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

The world of art in the 21st century—the world of modern art, as we still call it—does not respond comfortably to the idea of a masterpiece.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 22, 2025

The ground there looked like a really awful piece of modern art, thickly spattered with white, brown, and green chicken poop.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan