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Abstract Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

ABSTRACT STYLE

Beginning in the early 20th century, abstract art became a leading style of modernism. Rather than portray the world in a way that represented reality, as had been the dominating style of Western art in the previous centuries, abstract paintings, prints and sculptures are marked by a shift to geometric forms, gestural shapes and experimentation with color to express ideas, subject matter and scenes.

Although abstract art flourished in the early 1900s, propelled by movements like Fauvism and Cubism, it was rooted in the 19th century. In the 1840s, J.M.W. Turner emphasized light and motion for atmospheric paintings in which concrete details were blurred, and Paul Cézanne challenged traditional expectations of perspective in the 1890s.

Some of the earliest abstract artists — Wassily Kandinsky and Hilma af Klint — expanded on these breakthroughs while using vivid colors and forms to channel spiritual concepts. Painter Piet Mondrian, a Dutch pioneer of the art movement, explored geometric abstraction partly owing to his belief in Theosophy, which is grounded in a search for higher spiritual truths and embraces philosophers of the Renaissance period and medieval mystics. Black Square, a daringly simple 1913 work by Russian artist Kazimir Malevich, was a watershed statement on creating art that was free “from the dead weight of the real world,” as he later wrote.

Surrealism in the 1920s, led by artists such as Salvador Dalí, Meret Oppenheim and others, saw painters creating abstract pieces in order to connect to the subconscious. When Abstract Expressionism emerged in New York during the mid-20th century, it similarly centered on the process of creation, in which Helen Frankenthaler’s expressive “soak-stain” technique, Jackson Pollock’s drips of paint, and Mark Rothko’s planes of color were a radical new type of abstraction.

Conceptual art, Pop art, Hard-Edge painting and many other movements offered fresh approaches to abstraction that continued into the 21st century, with major contemporary artists now exploring it, including Anish Kapoor, Mark Bradford, El Anatsui and Julie Mehretu.

Find original abstract paintings, sculptures, prints and other art on 1stDibs.

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Style: Abstract
African with Brian's Note
Located in Miami, FL
Mixed media on paper, 1990, signed 'Ivan Chermayeff' and dated lower right, titled lower left. 30 x 22 in. (sheet), 36 x 28 in. (frame). Provenance:The artist, Art Planning Consult...
Category

1990s Abstract Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Found Objects, Mixed Media, Archival Paper

Self Portrait
Located in ATLANTA, GA
You meet the Spanish artist Alexandro Santana and you think, cripes, can he be for real? So handsome, so flamboyant, so seductive, so amusing -- you’...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Pencil

The Archangel - Contemporary Art, Collage, Funny Character, Yellow
Located in Berlin, DE
The Archangel, 2020 collage on paper 15 3/4 H x 11 13/16 W in. 40 H x 30 W cm The artist’s collages describe a series of faces composed of different materials – cardboards, textiles...
Category

2010s Abstract Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper

The Juggler - Contemporary, Collage, Green, Yellow, Funny, 21st Century
Located in Berlin, DE
The Juggler, 2019 collage on paper 15 3/4 H x 11 13/16 W in. 40 H x 30 W cm The artist’s collages describe a series of faces composed of different materials – cardboards, textiles, ...
Category

2010s Abstract Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper

Colorful Watercolor Portrait of Seated Female in Blue and Pink Floral Dress
Located in Houston, TX
Colorful watercolor portrait of seated female in blue and pink floral dress by Mexican artist, Nadine Mayes. Signed by the artist in the bottom right corner and currently displayed ...
Category

Late 20th Century Abstract Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Pen

Colorful Watercolor Portrait of Seated Female in White Shirt and Striped Hat
Located in Houston, TX
Colorful watercolor portrait of seated female in a white shirt and striped hat by Mexican artist, Nadine Mayes. Signed by the artist in the bottom right ...
Category

Late 19th Century Abstract Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Pen

Colorful Watercolor Portrait of Seated Female in Blue Dress and Black + Red Hat
Located in Houston, TX
Colorful watercolor portrait of seated female in a blue dress and black + red hat by Mexican artist, Nadine Mayes. Signed by the artist in the bottom right corner and currently disp...
Category

Late 20th Century Abstract Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Pen

Janus Woman #2 (Abstract Figurative Portrait Drawing on Paper in Antique Frame)
Located in Hudson, NY
Abstract, figurative portrait drawing on paper in antique frame Graphite on paper in vintage frame 26 x 21 inches This graphite portrait on paper draws inspiration from the ancient ...
Category

2010s Abstract Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Graphite

Homenage Marcel Duchamp
Located in ATLANTA, GA
You meet the Spanish artist Alexandro Santana and you think, cripes, can he be for real? So handsome, so flamboyant, so seductive, so amusing -- you’...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Pencil

Collage
Located in ATLANTA, GA
You meet the Spanish artist Alexandro Santana and you think, cripes, can he be for real? So handsome, so flamboyant, so seductive, so amusing -- you’...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Pencil

Female Nde Aster Degas
Located in ATLANTA, GA
You meet the Spanish artist Alexandro Santana and you think, cripes, can he be for real? So handsome, so flamboyant, so seductive, so amusing -- you’...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Pencil

Portrait of Aiko
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Seiichi Hara (Japanese). Portrait of Aiko, 1972. Pencil, gouache on paper. Sheet measures 16 x 20 inches. Signed lower right and en verso. Custom frame of hardwood with welded steel ...
Category

1970s Abstract Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Gouache, Pencil

Sophia Brunhard
Located in ATLANTA, GA
You meet the Spanish artist Alexandro Santana and you think, cripes, can he be for real? So handsome, so flamboyant, so seductive, so amusing -- you’...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Pencil

The Origami Seller - Contemporary Art, Collage, Orange, Funny, 21st Century
Located in Berlin, DE
The Origami Seller, 2019 collage on paper 15 3/4 H x 11 13/16 W in. 40 H x 30 W cm The artist’s collages describe a series of faces composed of different materials – cardboards, tex...
Category

2010s Abstract Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper

The Amateur - Contemporary, Collage, Figurative, Funny Character, Brown, Pink
Located in Berlin, DE
The Amateur, 2019 collage on paper 15 3/4 H x 11 13/16 W in 40 H x 30 W cm The artist’s collages describe a series of faces composed of different materials – cardboards, textiles, f...
Category

2010s Abstract Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper

The Registrar - Contemporary Art, Collage on Paper, Funny, Green
Located in Berlin, DE
The Registrar, 2019 collage on paper 15 3/4 H x 11 13/16 W in. 40 H x 30 W cm The artist’s collages describe a series of faces composed of different materials – cardboards, textiles...
Category

2010s Abstract Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper

Pen & Ink of Stravinsky by Lawrence Ferlinghetti
By Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Located in San Francisco, CA
Rare Pen & Ink of Stravinsky by Lawrence Ferlinghetti (American, b.1919) c.2009 Dedicated to "Peter" for his Birthday in 2009. We don't know who Peter is. H...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Felt Pen

The Jester in Disguise - 21st Century, Green, Yellow, Funny, Collage
Located in Berlin, DE
The Jester in Disguise, 2019 collage on paper 11 13/16 H x 15 3/4 W in. 40 H x 30 W cm The artist’s collages describe a series of faces composed of differ...
Category

2010s Abstract Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper

The Poker Player - Contemporary, Blue, Pink, 21st Century, Funny
Located in Berlin, DE
The Poker Player, 2019 collage on paper 15 3/4 H x 11 13/16 W in. 40 H x 30 W cm The artist’s collages describe a series of faces composed of different materials – cardboards, texti...
Category

2010s Abstract Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper

Mid Century Portrait of Abstract Expressionist Artist Joan Mitchell
By Jo Ann Hambrick
Located in Soquel, CA
Evocative portrait of iconic abstract expressionist artist Joan Mitchell (American, 1925-1996) by Jo Ann Hambrick Farmayan (American, 1925-2005), ...
Category

1940s Abstract Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Charcoal

African with Brian's Note
Located in Miami, FL
Mixed media on paper, 1990, signed 'Ivan Chermayeff' and dated lower right, titled lower left. 30 x 22 in. (sheet), 36 x 28 in. (frame). Provenance:The artist, Art Planning Consult...
Category

1990s Abstract Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Found Objects, Mixed Media, Archival Paper

Self Portrait, 1970's Ink Drawing by Josep Grau-Garriga
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Josep Grau-Garriga, Spanish (1929 - 2011) Title: Self Portrait II Year: circa 1976 Medium: Ink on Paper Size: 28 x 24 in. (71.12 x 60.96 cm)
Category

1970s Abstract Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Ink

Untitled: Portrait of a Woman 2
Located in New York, NY
Pier Canosa (Italian, b. 1940), "Untitled: Portrait of a Woman 2", Abstract Figurative/ Portrait Charcoal Drawing signed and dated on Paper, 25.25 x 18.25, Late 20th Century, 1969 C...
Category

1960s Abstract Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Charcoal

Untitled: Portrait of a Woman
Located in New York, NY
Pier Canosa (Italian, b. 1940), "Untitled: Portrait of a Woman", Abstract Figurative/ Portrait Charcoal Drawing Signed and Dated on Paper, 24.50 x 18.50, Late 20th Century, 1969 Col...
Category

1960s Abstract Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Charcoal

Untitled (Rabbi Scholar)
Located in New York, NY
Seymour Rosenthal (American 1921-2007) "Untitled: Rabbi Scholar", Figurative Pen/Watercolor on Paper signed in bottom right hand corner, 10.50 x 8 (24 x 20.50 In Frame), Late 20th Ce...
Category

Late 20th Century Abstract Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Watercolor, Pen

Un rio contra ora
Located in New York, NY
Martin Palottini Un rio contra ora, 2017 Pencil and acrylic on paper 21h x 19w in 53.34h x 48.26w cm
Category

2010s Abstract Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Acrylic, Pencil

Untitled Baseball Player
Located in New York, NY
Unknown Artist, "Untitled Baseball Player", Figurative Charcoal Drawing, 17.50 x 23.50 (In Frame 25.50 x 31), Late 20th Century Colors: Blac...
Category

Late 20th Century Abstract Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Charcoal

Classical Female Head (woman portrait)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Beautiful 1950 drawing by Spanish artist, Federico Castellon (1914-1971). Graphite on wove paper, sheet measures 12 x 18 inches. Excellent condition with no restoration or damage. Signed lower right. Unframed. From a recently discovered collection of over 60 important Castellon drawings and watercolors c.1939-1950. Birth place: Almeria, Spain Death place: New York, NY Addresses: NYC (immigrated 1921; citizen, 1943) Profession: Painter, graphic artist, sculptor, etcher, illustrator, teacher Exhibited: Weyhe Gal., 1934, 1936-40; AIC, 1935-47 (prize, 1938); AFA traveling exh., 1937; WMAA, 1938-45; PAFA, 1938-39, 1940 (prize), 1941-42; Carnegie Inst., 1942; PAFA, 1943-53; Assoc. Am. Ar., 1946 (prize), 1952 (solo); Corcoran Gal, 1947; LOC, 1949 (prize); Paris, France, 1952; Bombay, India, 1952; Gallery 10, 1961; Dintenfass Gal., N.Y., 1963; Phila. Pr. Cl., 1964 (prize); Hudson Gld. A., 1964; Great Neck, L.I., 1964; SAGA, 1964 (prize). In 1953, under the auspices of State Dept. Specialist Div., of I.E.S., he exhibited in Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Bolivia, Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, with lectures in each country. Awards: F., Spanish Republic, 1934-36; fellow, Guggenheim Fnd., 1941, 1950; Nat. Inst. A. & Let. Grant, 1950. Member: NA; SAGA Work: WMAA; PAFA; MoMA; PMA; MMA; BM; AIC; NYPL; LOC; Univ. KY; San Diego Mus. FA; Newark (NJ) Pub. Lib.; Princeton Univ. (Frank Jewett Mather Coll.). Comments: A Surrealist painter whose imagery of the 1930s was greatly influenced by Dali. His full name was Federico Cristencia de Castellón y Martinez. Teacher: Columbia Univ., 1946-61; Pratt Inst., Brooklyn, 1952-61. Illustrator: Shenandoah, 1941; I Went into the Country, 1941; Bulfinch's Mythology, 1948; The Story of Marco Polo, 1954; The Man Who Changed China, 1954; The Story of J. J. Audubon, 1955; The Little Prince, 1954; The Life of Robert L. Stevenson, 1954. Reproduction of paintings on The Sumerian Civilization" for Life series "The Epic of Man," 1956; 15 paintings on "The History of Medicine" for MD magazine, 1960-61; The Story of Madame Curie...
Category

1950s Abstract Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Graphite

untitled Woman by the Windows
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Untitled (Woman by the Windows) Unsigned. Pastel on board, c. 1915 Created while the artist was in Giverny, France Provenance: Gift of the artist to his wife, Mary Hess Buehr by Descent to the artist's niece, daughter of Will Hess. David Salzman Robert Henry Adams Fine Art, Chicago Ronald C. Sloter, Columbus One of the early Chicago artists to adopt Impressionism, Karl Buehr became a figure and landscape painter. As a figure painter, his specialty became "gorgeously colored images of young women on porches overlooking brilliant summertime gardens." (Kennedy 98) His later work often showed a female figure with serious expression engaging the viewer with a direct stare. In his landscapes, he was noted for his strong coloration. In a December 1896 student exhibition at the Art Institute, a reviewer for the "Chicago Times Herald" described Buehr's landscapes as "blithe and joyous" with "country roads brilliant in sunlight . . . fields rich in summer verdure, under soft skies painted in a high, musical key." (Gerdts 68) Buehr was born as one of seven sons to a prosperous German family who immigrated to America and settled in Chicago in 1869. He was first exposed to his signature style of Impressionism in 1888 when he enrolled in night classes at the Art Institute while working in the shipping department of a lithographic firm near the Institute. He remained a student there until 1897 and was recognized in a "Chicago Times Herald" editorial of June 13, 1897 as one of the Institute's most outstanding pupils. The next year, his art career was temporarily put on hold when he briefly enlisted with the U.S. Army in the Spanish American War. In 1899, he resumed his art studies, this time with Frank Duveneck. He exhibited a painting at the Paris Salon of 1900. In 1905, thanks to a wealthy Chicago patron, Buehr and his family moved to France. They spent the following year in Taormina, Sicily, and spent time in Venice as well. In Paris, Buehr studied at the Academy Julian with Raphael Collin for two years. Then he went to England, enrolling in the London Art School but had returned to Paris by 1908. During this time, he began painting at Giverny, the home of Impressionist leader Claude Monet (1840-1926, and by 1912, Buehr was listing that village as his home address. One of his good friends and associates at Giverny was Frederick Frieseke. One of Buehr's paintings from that time, "News from Home", was exhibited in 1913 at the French Salon in Paris and at the annual exhibit of the Chicago Art Institute. It shows a woman in floral dress sitting on a porch with a background with potted flowers and lush greenery background. Of his painting done at Giverny, Buehr wrote in 1912 to William Macbeth of Macbeth Galleries in New York: "My figures painted in and around Giverny are costumed and in appropriate out door settings." (Gerdts 68) In 1914, he returned to the United States and took a teaching position in Chicago at the Art Institute, which he held for the remainder of his life. He was married to Mary Hess, a painter of miniatures and decorative works. In 1928-29, he was a guest artist at Stanford University. Courtesy: AskArt “Karl Albert Buehr (1866–1952) was a painter born in Germany. Buehr was born in Feuerbach - near Stuttgart. He was the son of Frederick Buehr and Henrietta Doh (Dohna?). He moved to Chicago with his parents and siblings in the 1880s. In Chicago, young Karl worked at various jobs until he was employed by a lithograph company near the Art Institute of Chicago. Introduced to art at work, Karl paid regular visits to the Art Institute, where he found part-time employment, enabling him to enroll in night classes. Later, working at the Institute as a night watchman, he had a unique opportunity to study the masters and actually posted sketchings that blended in favorably with student's work. Having studied under John H. Vanderpoel, Buehr graduated with honors, while his work aroused such admiration that he was offered a teaching post there, which he maintained for many years thereafter. He graduated from the Art Inst. of Chicago and served in the IL Cav in the Spanish–American War. Mary Hess became Karl's wife—she was a student of his and an accomplished artist in her own right. In 1922, he was elected into the National Academy of Design as an Associate member. Art Studies in Europe In 1904, Buehr received a bronze medal at the St. Louis Universal Exposition, then, in 1905, Buehr and his family moved to France, thanks to a wealthy Chicago patron, and they spent the following year in Taormina, Sicily, where the artist painted local subjects, executing both genre subjects and landscapes as well as time in Venice. Buehr spent at least some time in Paris, where he worked with Raphaël Collin at the Académie Julian. Giverny and American Impressionism Prior to this time, Buehr had developed a quasi-impressionistic style, but after 1909, when he began spending summers near Monet in Giverny, his work became decidedly characteristic of that plein-air style but he began focusing on female subjects posed out-of-doors. He remained for some time in Giverny, and here he became well-acquainted with other well known expatriate America impressionists such as Richard Miller, Theodore Earl Butler, Frederick Frieseke, and Lawton Parker. It seems likely that Buehr met Monet, since his own daughter Kathleen and Monet’s granddaughter, Lili Butler, were playmates, according to George Buehr, the painter’s son. His other daughter Lydia died before adulthood due to diabetes. He returned to Chicago at the onset of World War I and taught at The Art Inst for many years. One of his noted pupils at the Art Institute was Archibald Motley...
Category

1910s Abstract Portrait Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Pastel

Abstract portrait drawings and watercolors for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Abstract portrait drawings and watercolors available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add portrait drawings and watercolors created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, orange and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Annemarie Ambrosoli, Raluca Arnăutu, Oleksandr Miroshnychenko, and Anastasia Kurakina company. Frequently made by artists working with Paper, and Paint and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Abstract portrait drawings and watercolors, so small editions measuring 5.5 inches across are also available. Prices for portrait drawings and watercolors made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $200 and tops out at $36,875, while the average work sells for $1,110.

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