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.
$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
$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
"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
$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
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
$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
$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
$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
Impermanence Series n16 and n20 Diptych. From Impermanence series
Located in Miami Beach, FL
In the Kingdom of Transience, everything is temporary, subject to constant change. Everything is unstable and volatile like the wind. The precariousness of our existence reminds us t...
Paper, Mixed Media
$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
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
$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
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 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
$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
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
$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
$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
$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
$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
$7,890
Jits Do Amalfi - Large Scale Colorful Abstract Modern Mixed Media Art 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, Oil, Acrylic
$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
$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
$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
$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
$680
Structure Study I by Murray Duncan, Abstract Geometric, Mixed Media on Paper
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Title: Structure Study I By Murray Duncan Mixed media on paper Size: 32" × 40" Unframed, signed Bold gestural brushstrokes sweep across a warm monochromatic ground, reducing abstra...
Glaze, Oil Crayon, Acrylic, Pencil
$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
$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
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
$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
$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
Intervals n1, n3 and n2 Triptych. From The Intervals series
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The series explores the expansion of color as both a physical and emotional phenomenon. Water, as an indeterminate agent, displaces and transforms pigment on the surface, generating ...
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, 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
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
Moonbloom
Located in Napa, CA
Alison Haley Paul is a contemporary painter of lavishly textured landscapes full of nuanced color. Her work conjures up connotations and geographical memories: that summer you spen...
Canvas, Charcoal, Wax, Oil, Graphite, Pigment
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
$1,950
Calm and Quiet 2, 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
$4,500
City Feet - Abstract Energetic Expressionist Spontaneous Contemporary Painting
By Jonas Fisch
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Swedish artist Jonas Fisch’s imagery is vibrantly buzzing with colorful commentary on society - past and present - morphed into figures, words, and shapes. His heavily layered canvas...
Canvas, Mixed Media
Untitled 2 . From Ritmos abstractos (Abstract Rhythms) Series
Located in Miami Beach, FL
"Abstract Rhythms" invites us to explore the visual universe of the artist Juan Carlos Amador, who, through his unique perspective, translates the pulsations of space and the invisi...
Canvas, Spray Paint, Acrylic
$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
The Painted Lady - Large Impasto Thick Paint Colorful 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 a...
Canvas, Glitter, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$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
$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
$857Sale Price|20% Off
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
$2,400
Straight Into the Middle - Lively Impasto Thick Paint Colorful 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 a...
Canvas, Glitter, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Don't Let Them Burst your Bubble: Clear 81425 - Blown Glass Sculpture, 35x15 IN
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This contemporary wall sculpture features bubbles of clear glass. Each work is individually hand-formed in glass, so slight variations in colour, shape, and texture from the images ...
Metal
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
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
"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
$1,285
A Moment In Time - Colorful 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, Glitter, Acrylic
$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
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
Abstract Painting, Black Gestural Expressionism on Linen, Contemporary Dutch
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Matthew van Liessum (b. 1989, The Netherlands) is an abstract painter based in Antwerp. His practice is rooted in gestural abstraction, where energetic mark-making meets a strong sen...
Linen, Ink, Oil, Acrylic
$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
$22,000
"Rhapsody in Red" Large-Scale Acrylic, Oil Pastels, Pencils Abstract 72"x60"
Located in New York, NY
"Rhapsody in Red", 2025, 72" H x 60" W. Large-scale abstract painting in hues of a warm, desaturated crimson consisting of acrylic, pencils, and oil pastels on canvas by Argentine-bo...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Carbon Pencil, Color Pencil