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.
$1,960
Blossoming Into Joy - Abstract Colorful Textural Floral Acrylic Canvas Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Drawing inspiration from an immersive and impressionistic interpretation of nature, Canadian artist Vé Boisvert paints textural original artworks that capture the fleeting effects of...
Canvas, Acrylic
Terre d’Argile - Abstract Art in Vintage Frame from France
By Amanda Carol Collection
Located in Tomball, TX
Overall Size: 21.75” W × 25-3/8” H Original mixed media on board Plaster, Acrylic, Ink Presented in a vintage Gilt frame sourced in France, circa 1940. This original, hand c...
Plaster, Ink, Acrylic
1960s "Night Magic" Teal, Pink, Yellow Collage Intaglio Etching NY Artist
Located in Arp, TX
Myril Adler "Night Magic" c.1960s Intaglio etching collage, ink on paper 3"x6" framed Signed and titled in ink Myril Adler, was born on September 22, 1920 in Vitebsk, Russia (now Be...
Paper, Ink, Intaglio
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
$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
American Abstract Painting
Located in Houston, TX
Eye catching abstract mixed media painting blending vivid jewel tone colors by American artist Kismine Varner, 1990. Signed and dated lower right. Original artwork on paper displa...
Acrylic, Paper
$14,233
Rose Madone — Large Neutral Abstract Minimal Earth Diptych on Canvas (Set of 2)
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Onirisme organique (Diptych), 146 × 114 cm each panel, Acrylic on raw canvas. Total size of the two panels: 146 × 228 cm. At Escat Gallery, we are committed to maintaining the highe...
Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Pigment
$6,400
Green Cathedral III - Large Contemporary Abstract Green Tone Geometric 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
Ancient Wisdom - Large Abstract Textural Layered Expressionist Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Marc Raphael's abstract expressionism paintings are influenced by New York's abstract expressionist movement. After encountering Jackson Pollock’s work for the fir...
Canvas, Acrylic
Hushed Moment 1
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
Fields of Gold
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
"Fifteen on the Farm", Abstract Collage painting
Located in Westport, CT
In Fifteen on the Farm, Jill Haas arranges florals into a richly layered composition alive with warmth, movement, and graphic clarity. Creamy white blossoms, soft pink forms, and dee...
Mixed Media, Canvas
$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
$7,900
Midnight Blue - Large Modern Abstract Textured Color Drenched Landscape Artwork
By Lee Herring
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Lee Herring is a contemporary painter specializing in vibrant, textured, and abstract landscapes that convey fleeting moments. Herring's energetic artworks are inspired by everyday m...
Canvas, Varnish, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$7,200
Mirror
By Ky Anderson
Located in Dallas, TX
Oil & acrylic on paper
Acrylic, Paper, Oil
$2,800
Contemporary Green, Teal, Tan, & Black Geometric Hard-Edge Abstract Painting
Located in Houston, TX
Geometric abstract painting by contemporary artist Stephanie Beukers. The work features layers of hard-edged shapes in green, white, tan, and black set against a light background. Si...
Canvas, Acrylic
$544Sale Price|20% Off
Untitled #542 by Murray Duncan - Contemporary Mixed Media on Paper
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Untitled #542 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 Dunc...
Paper, Glaze, Oil Pastel, Acrylic
1960s "Moonscape" Red, Pink, Orange Collage Intaglio Etching NY Artist
Located in Arp, TX
Myril Adler "Moonscape" c.1960s Intaglio etching collage, ink on paper 3"x6" site unframed Signed and titled in ink Myril Adler, was born on September 22, 1920 in Vitebsk, Russia (n...
Paper, Ink, Intaglio
Autumn Biogram of the Nelson
By Kory Twaddle
Located in Kansas City, MO
Artist : Kory Twaddle "Autumn Biogram of the Nelson" Newsprint, graphite, conté crayon pastel, charcoal, beeswax, cardboard, paper, gingko leaves, stickers, and Mixed Media on drawi...
Paint, Paper, Conté, Charcoal, India Ink, Acrylic, Tempera, Watercolor, ...
$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
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
"Wandering Bonanza 19" Abstract Mixed Media Sculpture, Unframed
Located in Philadelphia, PA
"Wandering Bonanza 19" is an original Lost Object Series assembly with string by Amsterdam-based artist X-O (Hyland Mather) measuring 20in x 16in x 2in.
Mixed Media, Paint, Wood
$555
Moody - Color Drenched Impasto Inspired 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
Piling In Front 2
By Ky Anderson
Located in Dallas, TX
Pigment & acrylic on paper
Paper, Acrylic, Pigment
untitled 607
By Ky Anderson
Located in Dallas, TX
Acrylic & oil on paper
Paper, Acrylic, Oil
Ray of Light 1
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
Nidium 1.5m - Interactive Outdoor Sculpture, LED, Nature-Inspired
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This unique contemporary outdoor sculpture inspired by nature is interactive. Oeno Gallery is proud to host the North American debut of this extraordinary interactive sculpture, “wh...
Wood, LED Light
$9,448
ABSTRACT Contemporary Artist French Rose Madone New Artwork Nature earth colors
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
Ensign No. 1
Located in Columbia, MO
A native of Upstate New York, Matt Ballou was educated at The School of The Art Institute of Chicago (BFA 2001) and Indiana University ( MFA 2005) before coming to The University of ...
Mixed Media, Plastic, Permanent Marker
Mountain High - Large Original Abstract Expressionism Playful Landscape Painting
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...
Canvas, Charcoal, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Inscape No.2, Abstract Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
"This piece is like magnified images of the inner constellations of neurons, thought forms, and connections," shares artist Maya Malioutina. A minimalist mode...
Mixed Media
Ensign No. 3
Located in Columbia, MO
A native of Upstate New York, Matt Ballou was educated at The School of The Art Institute of Chicago (BFA 2001) and Indiana University ( MFA 2005) before coming to The University of ...
Plastic, Mixed Media, Permanent Marker
$415
Memory - Muted Color Impasto Inspired 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
$244Sale Price|38% Off
Untitled (Abstract, Impasto, Monochrome, Red)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Melanie Sherman Untitled Mixed Media on Canvas 2004 Signed by hand, dated on verso Size: 24 x 24 inches (61.0 × 61.0 cm) COA provided This contemporary abstract painting commands a...
Canvas, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
AWH 338 - 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 diametrically opposed elements—order and chaos, abstraction and representation, boldness and ...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
28K Gold Organic - 3D gold color contemporary abstract mural sculpture
Located in New York, NY
Erin Vincent is a Toronto based-artist whose work draws on a variety of repetitive and labor intensive processes and materials. Things and common objects have always fascinated Vinc...
Foam, Acrylic, Wood Panel
Futuristica 3 (Original Mixed Media Artwork)
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
**STORE CLOSURE - UP TO 80% OFF - TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT** ***EVERYTHING MUST GO BY DECEMBER 31ST!*** >>The artist is moving to a new full time venture in 2026<< _________...
Mixed Media
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
White Path - 3D small contemporary abstract round mural sculpture
Located in New York, NY
Erin Vincent is a Toronto based-artist whose work draws on a variety of repetitive and labor intensive processes and materials. Things and common objects have always fascinated Vinc...
Acrylic, Wood Panel, Archival Paper
Existential Dance - Blue Abstract Acrylic Painting on Canvas, 2010+
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Marc Raphael is influenced by the New York abstract expressionism of the 1940s and 50s. After encountering Jackson Pollock’s work for the first time in the 90s, Ra...
Canvas, Acrylic
"Adagio in Burnt Umber" Acrylic, Oil Pastels, Pencils Brown Hue Abstract 72"x60"
Located in New York, NY
"Adagio in Burnt Umber" 2025, 72" H x 60" W. Abstract, mixed media painting consisting of acrylic, pencils, and oil pastels on canvas by Argentine-born artist Karina Gentinetta (feat...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Carbon Pencil, Color Pencil
$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
CC 100 - Blue red 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
Toothpicks I - 3D wood color contemporary abstract mural sculpture
Located in New York, NY
Erin Vincent is a Toronto based-artist whose work draws on a variety of repetitive and labor intensive processes and materials. Things and common objects have always fascinated Vinc...
Wood
Dynamic Tension 3 - Original Geometric Contemporary Abstract Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Mexican artist Heny Steinberg’s mid-century modern inspired abstract artworks invite us to travel from the map to the localized event. She is suggesting that the spatial memory guid...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
154 Squares V.2 - Modern Colorful Abstract Geometric Acrylic Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Brandon Neher is a California artist whose original paintings embody a profound exploration of space, structure, and balance, infused with a touch of modern minimalism. Drawing inspi...
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Wood
$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
$6,800
Feel the Summer - Large Modern Abstract Textured Color Drenched Landscape Art
By Lee Herring
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Lee Herring is a contemporary painter specializing in vibrant, textured, and abstract landscapes that convey fleeting moments. Herring's energetic artworks are inspired by everyday m...
Canvas, Varnish, Mixed Media, Acrylic
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
Seabreeze Soul - Abstract Color Drenched Contemporary Mixed Media Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The original artworks by Canadian artist Julie Naima feature visually appealing abstract compositions with organic shapes that evoke a sense of tranquility and serenity. The harmonio...
Canvas, Acrylic, Crayon, Mixed Media, Watercolor
Original Painting on Canvas Titled: "PDP 1147” 48 x 60
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Painting on Panel signed verso Cecil Touchon Born 1956 Austin, Texas is a contemporary American collage artist, painter, published poet and theorist living in Pagosa Springs, Colora...
Acrylic
Las Máscaras V and VI. From Las Mascaras (The masks) Series
Located in Miami Beach, FL
This series draws inspiration from Hatillo’s Fiesta de los Santos Inocentes, translating the festival’s vibrant movement and collective energy into a refined abstract vocabulary. Thr...
Canvas, Spray Paint, Acrylic
$6,050
Jit Madness - Abstract Contemporary Organic Shape Mixed Media Artwork on Canvas
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
Registros en el este II. From The Series Registros
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Impressions of past lives, perceptions of future lives. The Records series carries that mystery. Simple and profound since its deed does not happen on the surface. Although it manif...
Canvas, Mixed Media
Impermanence Series n7 and n6, Diptych. From the 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...
Canvas, Ink, Pigment
8.19 #4 - Impasto Expressive Muted Color Abstract Acrylic Painting 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
$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
Untitled
By Sandu Darie
Located in London, GB
Sandu Darie Untitled , 1955-1962 Signed upper left and bottom right, on front of sheet - Comes with Certificate of Authenticity from Perdro De Oraa, 2013. Ink, collage, and graphite ...
Mixed Media
Forces of Nature 21 - Textural Abstract Thick Paint Layered Artwork on Canvas
By Len Klikunas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Len Klikunas paints minimalist artworks to modify experienced reality through visual perception. The Blocks series is a mix of art and architecture, hovering between painting and scu...
Gesso, Canvas, Mixed Media
Abstract Geometric Composition with Paper, Fibers, and Acrylic on Canvas (Green)
Located in Soquel, CA
Abstract Geometric Composition with Handmade Paper, Fibers and Acrylic on Canvas Whimsical abstract composition by an unknown artist (20th Century). Lime green acrylic paint makes u...
Jute, Acrylic, Washi Paper