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.
El Olor del Silencio, Abstract Mixed Media on Cardboard, 1980s, Signed
Located in Sant Celoni, ES
COMO PUEDEN APRECIAR, LA OBRA VA FIRMADA POR LA PARTE TRASERA "ALDO MENÉNDEZ" Y TITULADA (EL OLOR DEL SILENCIO) ESTA OBRA ES DE FINALES DE LOS AÑOS 80 LA OBRA SE PRESENTA SIN ENMAR...
Mixed Media
"M-3-73 (#CO-02892)" Conrad Marca-Relli, Ab-Ex, Newsprint, Collage, White Forms
Located in New York, NY
Conrad Marca-Relli M-3-73 (#CO-02892), 1973 Signed and titled "MARCA-RELLI M-3-73" on the reverse Oil, burlap canvas, and newsprint collage on canvas 39 x 62 inches Provenance Marlb...
Canvas, Burlap, Oil, Newsprint
Large Calman Shemi Art Textile Stendhal #2 Israeli Soft Tapestry Wall Hanging
By Calman Shemi
Located in Surfside, FL
this is a bright vibrant abstract wall hanging tapestry by Calman Shemi. I believe the material is wool with a linen backing but i am not positive. it can also be used as a floor rug...
Mixed Media
Game of Chance, Abstract Painting
By Joey Korom
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Various materials and textures create depth in this modern abstract composition. Fabric, impasto, and corrugated cardboard form a layered, tactile surface. Co...
Mixed Media
Bouquet of Winter / Mixed Media impasto large painting 100x100 cm, Signed.
Located in Zofingen, AG
❄Winter is the harshest time of the year. But it is in winter we have the most beautiful holidays! We are looking forward to Christmas and New Year in anticipation of a miracle. An...
Resin, Acrylic
Perpetual Solace, Abstract Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Bold fluorescent colors weave through the composition, shifting between recognizable shapes and abstract forms. The haunting imagery reveals drips, dots, and ...
Mixed Media
"The Denizens of Delight - Fun with Matisse", Abstract, Mixed Media Painting
By Peter Knapp
Located in Franklin, MA
Peter Knapp’s “The Denizens of Delight – Fun with Matisse” is a 27.375 x 38.25 x 1 inch mixed media abstract painting on panel in blue, purple, orange, and green acrylic, ink, and co...
Archival Ink, Acrylic, Panel, Color Pencil
$6,263
Abstract Painting, Red 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
"Cross" Monumental Mixed Media Painting by Éruel 78.7 × 118.1 in
Located in Zaporizhzhia, UA
BESPOKE LOGISTICS & VIP TRANSIT NOTICE Due to the monumental scale of this artwork (2x3 meters) and the current logistics complexities in Eastern Europe, we provide a premium Art Con...
Fabric, Linen, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
Fragment. Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media on Canvas Painting
Located in Brecon, Powys
Patricia McParlin, is an award winning British artist who lives and works in Wales. She studied at The University of Wales and The West Wales School of the Arts. She has recently b...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Large Louis Stone Abstract Expressionist Mixed Media
By Louis Stone
Located in New York, NY
Louis K. Stone (1902-1984) Untitled, 1980 Mixed media on paper Framed: 52 1/4 x 42 1/4 in. Signed lower right: Stone 80 An abstract painter, Louis Stone settled in Lambertville, New ...
Paper, Mixed Media
$6,559Sale Price|20% Off
The courage to grow old, Abstract Expressionist, Mixed Media, 120x80cm, 2026
Located in Saint Pol de Léon, Bretagne
"The courage to grow old" Abstract acrylic, sand, art paper on linen — 100 × 80 cm Acrylic, sand, art paper on linen — 100 × 80 cm On a creamy white background, a large vertical for...
Marble
Pink Dream - Contemporary Original Framed Abstract Landscape Mixed Media Art
By Lee Herring
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Lee Herring focuses his contemporary paintings on vibrant, textured, and abstract landscapes that convey fleeting moments. Herring's energetic artworks are inspired by everyday momen...
Mixed Media, Board
'Oberon, Series 1', Instituto Allende, Carmel Art Association, NAWA, La Jolla
By Barbara Johnson
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Signed lower right, 'Barbara Johnson' (American, 1927-2021) and titled, lower left, 'Oberon Series 1'. Exhibited: Carmel Art Association, circa 1995 (accompanied by original label) ...
Gold Leaf
Untitled
Located in Milano, MI
negli anni approfondisce anche lo studio della storia dell’arte e, in particolare, si appassiona ai pittori che lui stesso ama definire “fuori dall’onda”, per lo “spirito di novità” ...
Mixed Media, Oil, Board
Borrowed Landscapes Study No. 204/The World's Highest Bridge, Royal Gorge, CO
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
Mid Century Modern 1960s Abstract Geometric Collage w Navy Blue, Green & Purple
Located in Soquel, CA
Dynamic late 1960's mixed media abstract geometric collage, with mulberry paper cut into curved and angular shapes and adhered in layers, in a unique color palette of navy blue, dark...
Mulberry Paper, Tissue Paper
"Two Tiaras at Tea" Princess Di and Princess Kate
By Klau
Located in New York, NY
Depicts Princess Diana and Princess Kate sitting down for tea. Two Tiaras at Tea, Abstract Mixed Media, 45.50 x 33, 2017, artist Klau Colors: Black, Gray...
Mixed Media
Large Painting on Canvas Titled: "PDP929ct17" 48 x 60
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Painting on Canvas signed verso Cecil Touchon Born 1956 Austin, Texas is a contemporary American collage artist, painter, published poet and theorist living in Pagosa Springs, Color...
Acrylic, Archival Paper
$2,800
PR 08
By Andre Costa
Located in New York, NY
Andre Costa, PR 08, Abstract Acrylic on Vinyl, 19.75 x 19.75, 2014 Colors: Green, White, Orange, Black, Yellow, White, Black Andre Costa is Brazilian visual artist and author of the...
Acrylic
$4,373Sale Price|20% Off
December 20, 2025 Mixed Media Abstract Expressionist Painting
Located in Saint Pol de Léon, Bretagne
December 20, acrylic, marble powder, collage on linen, 120 x 80 cm new A wind blows across this canvas, as it is blowing across the global atmosphere at the moment: the impression t...
Marble
Horizontal Communication, Abstract Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Terri Bell executes abstract sound waves into uniform horizontal lines. Each pattern stream sets the background apart in mesmerizing brown and beige sp...
Mixed Media
$2,600
Fiber Art Collage Israeli Modernist Vibrant Colorful Tapestry Wall Hanging Rug
By Smadar Livne
Located in Surfside, FL
Smadar Livne, an Israeli born artist, is currently living and creating in Owings Mills, Maryland. An award winning artist, she is recognized as one of today’s leading Judaica artists. Educated at Haifa University, Livne has degrees in art, literature, and architecture. She has continued her education of philosophy through Baltimore Hebrew University. Portraying scenes from her life and learning is what gives her work an edge. Livne’s works are vibrant and exciting, and express the joy that Livne sees in life. Not only are the works beautiful, but subtle messages are also painted into each piece, and require time for observation and reflection. Technique sets Livne apart from the rest. Using bold, bright colors and wide strokes, she adds other items in a layering technique. The eye catching result contains layers of paint, fabric, wool and other materials objects, and meaning. Following in the manner of Calman Shemi and before him Kopel Gurwin, Itche Mambush and Georges Goldstein...
Textile
$956Sale Price|20% Off
Her Dreams Abstract
Located in Soquel, CA
Vibrant and arresting "Her Dreaming" is a wonderful modern abstract expressionist lithograph print by unknown artist. Signed illegibly lower right. Numbered "36/345". Image size, 20"...
Mixed Media
Ariel Landscape Island, Abstract Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Patrick O'Boyle created this piece as part of his Aerial Landscape series, drawing inspiration from the photos taken during his travels. Landscape elemen...
Mixed Media
Alan Shields Lonely Night, screenprint and pochoir with collage, signed numbered
Located in New York, NY
Alan Shields Lonely Night, 1969 Screenprint and Pochoir with collage on perforated paper Pencil signed, numbered and dated from the limited edition of 100 Unframed Mixed media colla...
Mixed Media, Screen
$475
"Curious Matter", Abstract Collage, Red, Green, Blue, Monotypes, Mixed Media
Located in Franklin, MA
Monica DeSalvo’s “Curious Matter” is a 14 x 11 abstract mixed media collage on textured ivory pearlescent paper and a pale gray mat. Metallic Orange, translucent red, ochre yellow, l...
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Monotype, Archival Paper
$3,929Sale Price|25% Off
Good-bye Abstract Expressionist Painting, Mixed Media on Linen, 80x120cm, 2010+
Located in Saint Pol de Léon, Bretagne
Good-bye Abstract Expressionist Painting, Mixed Media on Linen, 80x120cm, 2010+ Thank you, Almodovar: the film-maker's work has always moved Emmanuelle Vroelant, and his latest film...
Glue, Acrylic, Other Medium
"Folded Form I" Abstract-Geometric Contemporary Korean Wall Sculpture
By Jin-Sook So
Located in Wilton, CT
"Folded Form I", steel mesh, painted, electroplaited, gold and silver leaf, 12 1/4" x 12 1/4" x 12 1/4", 2004. This abstract geometric wall sculpture was done by fiber artist, Jin-S...
Metal, Silver, Steel, Gold Leaf
Stream (Green Glow, Coral Bars)
By Lizzie Scott
Located in Dallas, TX
Flashe on muslin with mixed textiles
Muslin
Gerda
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
I have used grade one Braille as a form for recognizing what is unknowable and unseeable, until we feel it. As a way of connecting sight with feeling, intertwining the two. This piece is meant to be touched, explored, felt. Made in honor of Gerda Klein, after reading her autobiography of her experiences as a Holocaust survivor. In Braille it reads and then there was one, from whom came many. Found, reclaimed and resurrected- an abstract wood relief ;painting; in an assortment of soft and hard woods puzzled together within a salvaged antique window...
Mixed Media
CC 102 - Blue green abstract geometric 3D wall circular sculpture
Located in New York, NY
Anna Kruhelska is a visual artist and architect working across fields of art and design. She creates abstract, three-dimensional paper wall reliefs that startle in their intricacy an...
Plywood, Acrylic
Abacus: Mixed Media Contemporary Painting by Peter Rossiter
Located in Brecon, Powys
Abacus Mixed media on canvas. New work from his new circle series.
Mixed Media, Oil
Blue Waves, Science Art Collection by Anastasia Vasilyeva
Located in Zofingen, AG
Wave Theory is a painting from the collection "Wave Theory", was participated in the Swiss Art Expo 2021 in Zurich. It is a part of the science art collection by artist Anastasia Vasilyeva...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic
$795
Spring Horizon - Contemporary Original Framed Abstract Landscape Mixed Media Art
By Lee Herring
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Lee Herring focuses his contemporary paintings on vibrant, textured, and abstract landscapes that convey fleeting moments. Herring's energetic artworks are inspired by everyday momen...
Mixed Media, Board
Taos Series
By Harry Nadler
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Taos Series Mixed media on handmade paper Signed and dated by the artist lower right Archival framing with Conversation Glass Frame size: 29 3/4 x 34 inches Image size: 19 1/2 x 19 1/2 inches Provenance: Peter Marciniak, New Hampshire Distinguished Midwest Private Collection Regarding the artist: Select Exhibition: 1991 Franz Bader Gallery, Washington, D.C. (solo) 1980 Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY 1974 Bertha Schaefer Gallery; New York, NY (solo) 1972 Childe Hassam Purchase Show, National Institute of the Arts and Letters 1971 "The Turkish Bath of Ingres,” Louvre Museum, Paris, France 1971 Guest Artist, Tamarind Institute; Albuquerque, NM 1970 “American Drawings of the Sixties,” New School Art Center; New York, NY 1966 Dorsky Gallery, New York, NY (solo) 1962 Dwan Gallery...
Mixed Media
$700
Borrowed Landscapes Study No. 206/The Bay Bridge at Sunset, Oakland/San Francisc
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
Composition by Maurice Estève - Colourful work on paper, Abstract
Located in London, GB
Composition by Maurice Estève (1904-2001) Gouache, watercolour and charcoal on paper 52.6 x 69.3 cm (20 ³/₄ x 27 ¹/₄ inches) Signed lower left, Estève Executed circa 1953-1955 This ...
Paper, Charcoal, Watercolor, Gouache
Cathexis #3 #1
By Ant Pearce
Located in Brecon, Powys
Ink on paper, this intricate pen & ink work is reflective of the artists interest in the psychological state and the complex interactions within the human psyche.
Ink
Glimmers, Abstract Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Subtle blues, greens, and pinks emerge in this abstract painting. What appears as a seemingly neutral composition from a distance reveals itself as an intriguing, complex, layered statement upon closer inspection. Artist Jennifer Hanson...
Mixed Media
"Chroma Bloom" Fine Art Mirror
Located in Westport, CT
This large 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 ...
Mirror, Film
$4,500
"June" Diana Kurz, Abstract Colorist Composition New York Abstract Expressionism
By Diana Kurz
Located in New York, NY
Diana Kurz June Watercolor and pastels on board 17 x 23 inches Diana Kurz (born 1936) is an Austrian-born feminist painter. In 1938, Diana Kurz's family fled Austria, first to Engl...
Pastel, Watercolor, Board
$20,000
'Untitled' Original Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media On Canvas by Steven
Located in Carmel, CA
Steven is now one of the top emerging artists in the U.S. His works are groundbreaking, bold, and imbued with unflinching disregard for painting conventions. ...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Rick Lewis - Spanish Windows II, Painting 2023
By Rick Lewis
Located in Greenwich, CT
Spanish Windows II Oil, bitumen, graphite, marble powder, burlap on canvas 48" X 72" I am a visual artist whose work investigates small and large -scale abstraction primarily in the...
Marble
Contentment II, Abstract Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Natalie George demonstrates a vibrant floral abstract with bright blushing hues. She paints larkspur flowers encased in expressive marks applied in bri...
Mixed Media
Crows On A Walk I
By Giusto Pilan
Located in Dallas, TX
mixed media on paper
Paper
Terrain
By Andrea Myers
Located in Dallas, TX
Layered torn paper collage mounted on matboard 32 x 26 inches (artwork only)
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Richard Overstreet (American, 20th c.) Reclining Figure Pastel Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Richard Overstreet (American, 20th c.) Reclining Figure Pastel Painting Brilliant original pastel painting by noted American artist Richard Overstr...
Pastel
Green Colorful Abstract Mixed Media Painting: Triciclo
Located in New York, NY
Born in Manuel, Cuba in 1973, Juan Lazaro Gutierrez Mamblas is a painter who focuses his vision on the bicycle. His abstract works with forms floating on a virtually monochrome groun...
Oil, Acrylic, Cardboard, Ballpoint Pen
The Colored Promenade: Acrylic Mixed Media Canvas Painting, 125x165 CM
By Taher Jaoui
Located in PARIS, FR
The Colored Promenade (2025) A monumental and unique work, The Colored Promenade (2025) is an exemplary painting by Taher Jaoui, a celebrated Abstract Expressionist artist known for...
Canvas, Charcoal, Oil, Acrylic
Composition With Blue Rectangle, Abstract Painting
By Joey Korom
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Joey Korom creates a collaged abstract with elements of cardboard and fabric. He slathers the paint like butter onto the canvas to create a thick impas...
Mixed Media
Soft Stories, Abstract Painting
By Terri Bell
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
This mixed-media artwork combines calligraphy and found papers to create a neutral-toned composition. Arranged in a grid-like pattern, the piece acts as a story...
Mixed Media
Patricia Zippin "Shades of Blue" 1980s Mixed Media Abstract Painting
Located in Arp, TX
Patricia Zippin Shades of Blue 1980s Mixed Media 15"x 11.5", unframed Signed in ink on lower right Patricia Jayne Zippin (1930-2015) She was born to Ben and Dorothy Schubert on Janu...
Encaustic, Acrylic, Pencil
$620Sale Price|20% Off
Textured Abstract Expressionist Composition (II) in Acrylic on Board
Located in Soquel, CA
Textured Abstract Expressionist Composition in Acrylic on Board Textured and detailed abstract composition by Loretta Burton Youngman (American, b. 1943). Red and charcoal blue patc...
Plaster, Glaze, Acrylic
From Now On, Abstract Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
In a continuing exploration of artist Julie Weaverling's love of blue, she started this painting with experimentation and developed the modernist abstraction ...
Mixed Media
Light Blue and Brown Chine Colle Watercolor with Found Object Collage
Located in Soquel, CA
Beautiful abstract expressionist collage by Bay Area artist Michael Pauker (American, b.1957). Composed of two contrasting sections of light blue and brown, this piece has layers of ...
Paper, Watercolor, Found Objects
$7,630
ABSTRACT Contemporary Artist French Rose Madone New Artwork forms dark colors
By Rose Madone
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 A...
Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Pigment
Seven Hour Game, Abstract Painting
By Joey Korom
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
"As this title suggests there is a contest being waged here; propriety, sobriety, and chance have their respective roles to play," says artist Joey Korom. "Ca...
Mixed Media
"Burdock, " Abstract Painting
By Roger Mudre
Located in Westport, CT
This abstract statement painting by Roger Mudre features a warm red and yellow palette and light layers of circular shapes arranged in a larger circle at the center of the compositio...
Metal
100 Tears II
By Andrea Myers
Located in Dallas, TX
Layered torn paper collage
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic