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Any object can be selected at random and described as a work of art, according to Marcel Duchamp (1887–1968). His urinal, entitledFountain , set the tone for the absurd streak that runs through contemporary art.

The pioneer of Pop Art, New-York based Andy Warhol (1927–87) produced this icon of Marilyn Monroe. The work is one of a series of paintings of the actress that Warhol made following her death in 1962. He was also an underground film maker and produced numerous shorts.

The French painter Pierre Bonnard (1867–1947) had a highly individual approach to composition. InThe Bath , he cropped the tub and used the strong geometry of the back wall to great effect. The luminous colours lend a sensual quality to the painting.

One of the 20th-century’s most important painters, Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) was noted for the different painting styles he mastered as he pushed the bounds of Modern Art. A turning point in his career,Three Dancers marks the beginning of a new major phase of his art.

Leader of the contemporary “Britpack” of artists, Damien Hirst (b1965) often used dead animals in his earlier works.Forms Without Life , a display of beautiful shells, represents the dilemma between collection, knowledge and life.

In this late painting by American Abstract Expressionist Mark Rothko (1903–70), swathes of pure colour create a mood of brooding contemplation.

The American Jackson Pollock (1912–56) was the pioneer of Action Painting. He carried out his first “drip” painting in 1947, by pouring paint directly on to huge canvases tacked to the floor.Summertime No. 9A is from 1948.

This sculpture of a kissing couple by Auguste Rodin (1840–1917) depicts characters from the epic poemInferno (Hell ) by the medieval poet Dante. The lovers, Paulo and Francesca, were murdered by Francesca’s enraged husband.

One of the most distinctive sculptors of the 20th century, the Swiss artist Alberto Giacometti (1901–66) has always been exceptionally well represented in the Tate collection. This piece from 1927 was created while he was looking at Cubism. It explores different ways of representing the human form.

This piece from 1980 is by the performing art duo Gilbert and George. The artists met in 1967 while studying at St Martin’s School of Art and have worked together ever since. They were shortlisted for the Turner Prize in 1984 and again in 1986 when their European touring show won. The duo have a world-wide reputation and are among several British artists who have work on display in both Tate Modern and Tate Britain.