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.
Measured Silence II, by Murray Duncan Mixed Media on Paper
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Measured Silence II by Murray Duncan Mixed Media on Paper Size: 32" × 40" Unframed, signed. Measured Silence I is a one-of-a-kind mixed-media work that explores the quiet relations...
Acrylic, Glaze, Oil Crayon, Pencil
$3,200
Priceless 3 - Textured Impasto Acrylic Colorful Abstract Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Impasto-painted strokes of bright colors are the framework of artist Shiri Phillips’ abstract artworks. Her paintings are flooded with texture through the layering of acrylic paint i...
Canvas, Glitter, Acrylic
$8,200
Deconstructing Dystopia - Neutral Tone Abstract Expressive Mixed Media Artwork
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The paintings of Bruce Rubenstein seamlessly marry sophistication with accessibility. His expressive abstract artwork "Deconstructing Dystopia" brings together fragmented figures, bi...
Canvas, Charcoal, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$2,600
Under - Original Impasto Thick Paint Beige Red Pink Textural Abstract Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Impasto-painted strokes of bright colors are the framework of artist Shiri Phillips’ abstract artworks. Her paintings are flooded with texture through the layering of acrylic paint i...
Canvas, Acrylic
$6,800
Leaving the Pieces Alone, 2024, Original Mixed Media Painting by Murray Duncan
Located in Toronto, Ontario
'Leaving the Pieces Alone' - is an original mixed media painting by Canadian artist Murray Duncan. Measuring 48" H × 84" W, the composition features Duncan's signature gestural lin...
Glaze, Oil Crayon, Acrylic, Pencil
$3,200
Daylight Savings - Original Impasto Acrylic Colorful Textural Abstract Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Impasto-painted strokes of bright colors are the framework of artist Shiri Phillips’ abstract artworks. Her paintings are flooded with texture through the layering of acrylic paint i...
Canvas, Acrylic
$20,000
Louise Bourgeois - Horseshoe (with accompanying horseshoe), signed & inscribed
Located in New York, NY
Engraving by Louise Bourgeois, 2002, hand signed, numbered and inscribed to her longtime printer Judith Solodkin of Solo Impressions, accompanied by an actual horseshoe gifted by the...
Metal
$5,050
The Wellspring III - Large Scale Contemporary Colorful Abstract Oil Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Harrison Gilman's large original artworks begin with a layer of fast-paced gestural abstraction followed by organic shapes and geometric structures. Some of his paintings remain in t...
Canvas, Oil
$7,820
The Big Lebowski - Colorful Abstract Expressive Mixed Media Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The paintings of Bruce Rubenstein seamlessly marry sophistication with affordability. His expressive abstract landscape artwork 'The Big Lebowski' features whimsical details and vibr...
Canvas, Charcoal, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
A Beautiful Story - Original Impasto Textural Thick Paint Abstract Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Impasto-painted strokes of bright colors are the framework of artist Shiri Phillips’ abstract artworks. Her paintings are flooded with texture through the layering of acrylic paint i...
Canvas, Acrylic
$4,110
Floating - Large Color Drenched Impasto Mixed Media Textural Abstract Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Impasto-painted strokes of bright colors are the framework of artist Shiri Phillips’ abstract artworks. Her paintings are flooded with texture through the layering of acrylic paint i...
Canvas, Acrylic
$415
Orange - Original Colorful Framed Impasto Textural Thick Paint Abstract Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Impasto-painted strokes of bright colors are the framework of artist Shiri Phillips’ abstract artworks. Her paintings are flooded with texture through the layering of acrylic paint i...
Canvas, Glitter, Acrylic
AWH 353 - Abstract Minimalist Textured Layered Colorfield Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Bernhard Zimmer produces deeply layered, subtly textured abstract paintings that contain opposed elements—order and chaos, abstraction and representation, boldness and subtlety—in ex...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
$6,050
Jit Madness - Abstract Contemporary Organic Shape Mixed Media Artwork on Canvas
By Rue Bootay
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rue Bootay, a New York-born artist now rooted in the vibrant artistic landscape of Los Angeles, navigates the avant-garde realm of nonrepresentational surrealism with a style uniquel...
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Acrylic
"Intermezzo in Green" Large Scale Acrylic, Pencil & Oil Pastel Painting 60"x84"
Located in New York, NY
Intermezzo in Green, 2026, 84" H x 60" W, is a monumental contemporary abstract painting by Argentine-born artist Karina Gentinetta (featured in Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, Fre...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Pencil
Robot Circleish - Large Scale Abstract Expressive Mixed Media Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The paintings of Bruce Rubenstein seamlessly marry sophistication with affordability. His expressive abstract landscape artwork 'Robot Circleish' features whimsical details and vibra...
Canvas, Charcoal, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$10,150
Mid-Hudson Inscape - Large Abstract Landscape Mixed Media Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The paintings of Bruce Rubenstein seamlessly marry sophistication with affordability. His expressive abstract landscape artwork 'Mid-Hudson Inscape' features whimsical details and vi...
Enamel
$335
Blue and Gold - Impasto Color Drenched Textured Paint Abstract Artwork on Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Impasto-painted strokes of bright colors are the framework of artist Shiri Phillips’ abstract artworks. Her paintings are flooded with texture through the layering of acrylic paint i...
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Glitter
$3,850
AWH 352 - Abstract Minimalist Textured Layered Landscape Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Bernhard Zimmer produces deeply layered, subtly textured abstract paintings that contain diametrically opposed elements—order and chaos, abstraction and representation, boldness and ...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Noteworthy - Original Contemporary Expressive Geometric Abstract Metal Sculpture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Inspired by dance and weightlessness, Granville Beals' industrial metal sculptures are primarily about relationships. Concerned with form and abstraction, he does not merely manipula...
Metal, Steel
AWH 354 - Abstract Landscape Minimalist Textured Layered Colorfield Oil Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Bernhard Zimmer produces deeply layered, subtly textured abstract paintings that contain opposed elements—order and chaos, abstraction and representation, boldness and subtlety—in ex...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
$6,700
12 Dreams - Large Floral Mixed Media Abstract Landscape Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The paintings of Bruce Rubenstein seamlessly marry sophistication with affordability. His expressive abstract landscape artwork 'Flourishing Fields' features whimsical details and vi...
Enamel
$3,200
Subtle Mark - Modern Original Impasto Thick Paint Textural Abstract Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Impasto-painted strokes of bright colors are the framework of artist Shiri Phillips’ abstract artworks. Her paintings are flooded with texture through the layering of acrylic paint i...
Canvas, Acrylic
Echoes: Abstract Geometric Mixed Media on Paper, Signed, 32x40
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Echoes, By Murray Duncan Mixed media on paper Size: 32" × 40" Unframed, signed "Echoes" is an evocative abstract composition where expressive line work emerges from a richly layer...
Glaze, Oil Crayon, Acrylic, Pencil
$2,050
Deep Roots - Original Elegant Organic Abstract Redwood Sculpture with Maple Base
By Joe Garnero
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Joe Garnero’s medium of choice for his winding abstract wood sculptures is reclaimed Redwood roots, which he finds along the northern California coast. The distinct curving shapes of...
Steel
$13,700
Cloudstack - Large Oversized Red Contemporary Geometric Metal Steel Sculpture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Inspired by dance and weightlessness, Granville Beals' industrial metal sculptures are primarily about relationships. Concerned with form and abstraction, he does not merely manipula...
Metal, Steel
$16,000
"Catching the Light" Colorful Mixed Media Abstract Painting, Textured Impasto
Located in Carmel, CA
Sveta Hessler (Russian, born 1973) "Catching the Light" 2026 Oil and mixed media on stretched canvas Signed and dated on verso. "Catching the Light" is a commanding work that reward...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Stretcher Bars
$18,000
Sonia Gechtoff - Portico, painting on masonite, Signed, Ex- Andre Zarre, Framed
Located in New York, NY
Sonia Gechtoff Untitled portico, from the estate of gallerist Andre Zarre, 1977 Acrylic and graphite on masonite Signed and dated '77 in graphite on the front Unique Provenance: Acqu...
Masonite, Acrylic, Graphite
$6,800
Breathtaking (Triptych) - Large Colorful Impasto Inspired Abstract Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Impasto-painted strokes of bright colors are the framework of artist Shiri Phillips’ abstract artworks. Her paintings are flooded with texture through the layering of acrylic paint i...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$7,400
Rearranging Form - Large Contemporary Silver Tone Abstract Acrylic Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Harrison Gilman's large original artworks begin with a layer of fast-paced gestural abstraction followed by organic shapes and geometric structures. Some of his paintings remain in t...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$544Sale Price|20% Off
Untitled #537 by Murray Duncan – Original Contemporary Mixed Media on Paper
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Untitled #537 by Murray Duncan – Contemporary Mixed Media on Paper Size: 32" x 40" Unframed, signed on the back A striking exploration of form and movement, Untitled #527 by Murray ...
Oil Crayon, Acrylic, Pencil
Abstract Mixed Media Pencil Grid No 2, 1966, Unframed, 12.7x17.7 cm
Located in Bournemouth, Dorset
George Dannatt (1915-2009) Pencil Grid No 2 1966 Mixed media on paper Image: 12.7 x 17.7 cm Mount: 46.0 x 38.0 cm George Dannatt (1915-2009) was an outstanding and inspirationa...
Pencil, Mixed Media
$680
Untitled #SP-217, Mixed Media on Paper by Murray Duncan - Abstract Geometric
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Untitled #SP-217, by Murray Duncan Mixed media on paper Size: 32" x 40” Unframed, signed A bold mixed-media work with dynamic lines and textures. This captivating piece by Murray ...
Paint, Paper, Pencil
$455Sale Price|30% Off
Blue Desert No. 6 - Abstract Deep Green Bronze Geometric Original Wall Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Alexander Eulert's original mixed media paintings on wood panels are abstract propositions of worlds where divergent forces coalesce into harmonious geometric interactions. He draws ...
Metal, Gold Leaf
$1,950
Calm and Quiet 5, Encaustic Painting on Panel, Abstract, Framed, 21st Century
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Encaustic on panel. It's simple; I create art because it makes me happy. I try not to overthink the process of what I’m painting and let my intuition be my guide. I love laying do...
Encaustic
$9,000Sale Price|62% Off
Three Totems - Large Oversized Abstract Modern Textural Grey Steel Sculptures
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Inspired by dance and weightlessness, Granville Beals' industrial metal sculptures are primarily about relationships. His original artworks capture the essence of Abstract Expression...
Metal, Steel
Blue Lifebuoy Mixed Media Wall Sculpture with Miniature Figure
By Vera Vizzi
Located in FISTERRA, ES
Blue Lifebuoy Mixed Media Wall Sculpture with Miniature Figure "Portami al Mare" is a unique mixed media wall relief by Italian artist Vera Vizzi. Created on a circular wooden panel,...
Acrylic Polymer, Wood Panel
$3,900Sale Price|56% Off
Light Thoughts, 2024 Mixed Media on Artist Board, Abstract Geometric Art
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Light Thoughts, 2024 Mix Media on artist board Size - 72" height x 84" width x 1.75" depth Signed Murray Duncan is a self-taught creative visionary. Know for his large-scale, expres...
Glaze, Oil Crayon, Acrylic
Life - Large Oversized Bold Colorful Abstract Expressive Modern Original Artwork
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Latex, Spray Paint, Acrylic
$1,300Sale Price|35% Off
Hermosa Way - Large Abstract Blue Original Painting on Canvas
By Clara Berta
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Clara Berta’s acrylic and mixed-media paintings blend texture and color to create harmony, mystery, and depth on the painted surface. Her paintings transform spaces into Zen environm...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Garden Party - Mixed Media Sculptural Artwork
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Kristina Fjellman, a Minnesota-based visual artist and performer, seamlessly blends sculpture and performance art in her captivating work. With exhib...
Steel, Wire
Lineto I (Abstract Encaustic and Collage Painting on Linen)
Located in Hudson, NY
"Lineto I" made by Hudson Valley artist, Alaina Enslen, in 2025 Encaustic, dyed fabrics, and paper mounted on panel 36 x 48 x 2 inches unframed, sides reveal raw panel and wrapped fa...
Fabric, Encaustic, Linen, Monotype
$680
Untitled #535 by Murray Duncan – Original Contemporary Mixed Media on Paper
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Untitled #535 by Murray Duncan – Contemporary Mixed Media on Paper Size: 32" x 40" Unframed, signed on the back A striking exploration of form and movement, Untitled #527 by Murray ...
Oil Crayon, Acrylic, Pencil
2303 - Original Figurative Neutral Abstract Artwork
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Swiss artist Edith Konrad paints figurative abstract compositions with mixed media on canvas. She layers her expression of her emotional response to the subjects with dynamic texture...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
TBG Origins: You Bring Me Joy - Large Meditative Abstract Painting on Canvas
By Jason DeMeo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Abstract minimalist artist Jason DeMeo presents a collection of artworks designed to engage viewers in a meditative experience, drawing them closer to the enduring ideals of truth, b...
Gold Leaf
$15,500
"I Dream in Flowers", Vibrant Colorful Heavily Textured Mixed Media Abstract
Located in Carmel, CA
Sveta Hessler (Russian, born 1973) "I Dream in Flowers" 2025 Oil and mixed media on stretched canvas Signed on verso. “I Dream in Flowers” is a heavily textured contemporary abstrac...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Stretcher Bars, Oil
$4,000
Combahee Night - Abstract Black Sculptural Original Three-Dimensional Wall Art
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Atticus Adams' organically composed modern metal sculptures embody the transformative power of art, illustrating the creation of beauty, meaning, and emotional impact from industrial...
Metal, Wire
$3,400
Fruity Ramen Alchemy: ARRIVAL - Meditative Abstract Blue Tone Painting on Canvas
By Jason DeMeo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Abstract minimalist artist Jason DeMeo presents a collection of artworks designed to engage viewers in a meditative experience, drawing them closer to the enduring ideals of truth, b...
Gold Leaf
Gloaming - Large Dichromatic Glass Sculptural Wall Artwork on White Metal
By Chris Wood
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Chris Wood’s "Gloaming" is a captivating kinetic light sculpture that plays with transparency, reflection, and the fluidity of color. Using precisely arranged dichroic glass elements...
Metal
TERRITORIO. Mixed media Abstract painting on Canvas
By Alec Franco
Located in Miami Beach, FL
" The work resists framing in concepts, it overflows the contours and borders of the rational. It is through the presence of color, combined with an abstraction at times with express...
Canvas, Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Sincroplastia. Mixed media Abstract painting on Canvas
By Alec Franco
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The paintings resists framing in concepts, it overflows the contours and borders of rationality. It is through the presence of color, combined with an abstraction at times with expre...
Canvas, Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
"Wavelet" Fine Art Mirror
Located in Westport, CT
This abstract fine art mirror by Alina B is made with dichroic film on mirror, and is framed in a champagne-toned frame. The film on the mirror allows for it, and the space it reflec...
Mirror, Film
Borrowed Landscapes Study No. 211/Ripples of White Sands, NM
By Nina Tichava
Located in Denver, CO
Nina Tichava is a pattern-based, abstract painter primarily focused on spatial relationships that emphasize the inherent surface quality, color, and visual variations in her work. Sh...
Acrylic, Postcard, Pen, Graphite
If Not For You - Abstract Modern Organic Shape Mixed Media Artwork on Canvas
By Rue Bootay
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rue Bootay, a New York-born artist now rooted in the vibrant artistic landscape of Los Angeles, navigates the avant-garde realm of nonrepresentational surrealism with a style uniquel...
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$7,400
ABACAB - Large Original Abstract Expressionism Colorful Mixed Media Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The paintings of Bruce Rubenstein seamlessly marry sophistication with affordability. His original art merges the creative attitudes of the two distinct art hot spots of New York and...
Canvas, Charcoal, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Going: Abstract Mixed Media on Wood Panel, Framed, 91.4x76.2 cm
Located in BARCELONA, ES
Stephen identifies the delicate texture and beauty of the natural oxidation process. Oftentimes a found object initiates his work: By incorporating an object directly, imprinting, or...
Mixed Media, Wood, Wood Panel
$2,600
Wallpaper 2: Abstract Green Encaustic Painting of Yellow Flower Petals on Panel
By Allyson Levy
Located in Hudson, NY
Abstract painting with green encaustic and light yellow flower petals on wood panel "Wallpaper 2" made by Allyson Levy in 2020 encaustic and flower petals on wood panel, 24 x 24 x 2 ...
Organic Material, Mixed Media, Encaustic, Wood Panel, Pigment
Abstract Relief Painting in Vibrant Blue by José María de Aurora Contemporary
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
At Escat Gallery we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of trust and professionalism for our collectors. Every artwork in our collection comes with a Certificate of Au...
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
Resilience II
By Noosha Golab
Located in Dallas, TX
charcoal on paper
Paper, Charcoal
CINTRA. Mixed media Abstract painting on Canvas
By Alec Franco
Located in Miami Beach, FL
" The work resists framing in concepts, it overflows the contours and borders of the rational. It is through the presence of color, combined with an abstraction at times with express...
Canvas, Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic