The 1958 DownBeat review gave the album a maximum five stars. The AllMusic review stated: "Modern Art is the prelude recording for Art Farmer prior to his partnership in the Jazztet with Benny Golson, and also foreshadows the classy, tasteful inventiveness that group brought to the modern jazz world two years after this 1958 session... the Farmer-Golson combine proved to be a[n] important pairing beyond their initial partnership, with the seeds of that forest flower heard and enjoyed here". The Penguin Guide to Jazz described it as "one of Farmer's most successful records of the period", praising the contributions of pianist Bill Evans in particular. Comme neuf.