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.
$480Sale Price|20% Off
Banana skin yellow pill (minimaliste grid round painting on wood dopamine)
Located in Quebec, Quebec
"Banana skin yellow pill" is one of the 30 small tondo paintings on wood comprising the Dopamine mosaic. This 30-piece ensemble was created between January and April 2024 by the arti...
Spray Paint
$15,000
Ben Wilson - Byzantium, original signed Abstract Expressionist painting Framed
By Ben Wilson
Located in New York, NY
Ben Wilson Byzantium, 1975 Oil on Masonite painting Hand signed reverse, Titled, "Byzantium", dated 1975 by the artist and also with estate stamp - in addition to Ben Wilson's hand s...
Masonite, Oil
$15,200
"Love for Meadow VII" - Colorful Rainbow Textured Impasto Contemporary Abstract
Located in Carmel, CA
Sveta Hessler (Russian, born 1973) "Love for Meadow VII" 2025 Acrylic paint, Gel, Mixed Media, Canvas, Stretcher Bars The artist signed the back of the painting. The artist notes th...
Canvas, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars, Mixed Media
$3,251Sale Price|45% Off
Resonance in Red — Large Abstract Expressionist Colorful Painting by Emmi Iida
Located in Lahti, FI
“Resonance in Red” is an original large abstract expressionist painting by Finnish multidisciplinary artist Emmi Iida. Measuring 90 x 70 cm, the piece is a striking exploration of rh...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Acrylic, Oil, Watercolor
$9,100Sale Price|35% Off
Contemporary Minimalist Textured Black & White diptych, Franz Kline inspired
Located in Maricopa, AZ
Artist : Svetlana Shalygina, "The Elegance of Simplicity" Original black & white textured diptych. Large scale, uniquely textured Contemporary paintings, with 2.5" gallery wrap edg...
Mixed Media
Forces of Nature 17 - Textural Abstract Layered Paint 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
$4,500
Peter Halley - CORE Geometric Abstraction Silkscreen, Lithograph Signed/N Framed
By Peter Halley
Located in New York, NY
Peter Halley Core, 1991 Limited Edition Silkscreen with lithography on Coventry Rag paper. Pencil signed and numbered 13/50 on the front Publisher: Edition Schellmann & Pace Edit...
Lithograph, Screen
Small Blue Abstract Mixed Media Bicycle Painting on Paper
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...
Acrylic, Cardboard, Ballpoint Pen
$4,800Sale Price|20% Off
Plaines & Mines, d'Ombre 2025.2 (grid pastels painting pattern wood nature)
Located in Quebec, Quebec
Plaines & Mines, d’Ombre 2025.2 by Melisa Taylor Metzger envelops the viewer in a delicate tension between structure and atmosphere. Diaphanous layers of cool greens and blues, lilac...
Spray Paint, Wood Panel
1960s Blue & Yellow II Collage Intaglio Etching NY Artist Myril Adler
Located in Arp, TX
Myril Adler Untitled c.1960s Intaglio etching collage, ink on paper 3.75"x1.75" site unframed Signed in ink lower right Myril Adler, was born on September 22, 1920 in Vitebsk, Russi...
Paper, Ink, Intaglio
Las Mascaras V. 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
Lapis - 3D small contemporary blue 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
Naming Rights, Quampium (Long Water, Greenwood Lake)
Located in New York, NY
Cyanotype print on Muslin Fabric, sewn with thread and stretched over a wooden frame. Using the cyanotype process, the artist places the UV treated fabric into bodies of water docu...
Photogram
Untitled 19. From the Mexican Ryōan-ji Series.
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Ryōan-ji is the Japanese Zen temple in Kyoto, a monastery that gave rise to the idea of the purely abstract Zen garden that inspired this series Francisco Larios’ works are done by...
Gold Leaf
$9,442
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
$772Sale Price|78% Off
Beauty Beneath the Chaos, Abstract Expressionist Painting by Emmi Iida
Located in Lahti, FI
“Beauty Beneath the Chaos” is an original abstract expressionist painting by multidisciplinary Finnish artist Emmi Iida, whose work blends raw emotion, layered symbolism, and poetic ...
Oil Pastel, Pastel, Acrylic, Pencil, Color Pencil
Painting on paper, lyrical abstraction, contemporary, music score
Located in Carballo, ES
Blue Minimal Painting. This is an original artwork realized by TUSET in 2019. We can frame it in natural wood or black on request. The dimensions of the painting are 41 x 29,5 cm. W...
Ink, Handmade Paper
$1,350
Zig Zag 16-3-2 - Original Modern Oil Painting Geometric Stripes with Texture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Petra Rös-Nickel’s original paintings merge playful forms, bright colors and architectural compositions in oil and mixed media on canvas. Her contemporary artworks contain rich textu...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
A432 - Minimalist Abstract Original Red and Black Textural Artwork
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Swiss born artist Marco Schmidli creates minimalist paintings with a contemporary edge. Placing emphasis on process, he lets the mediums naturally manifest within his artwork. “An im...
Acrylic, Canvas
Large abstract painting, acrylic and oil paint I Cry Because I miss You
Located in Jönköping, SE
This painting is part of a series titled Sublime Memories. It is inspired by the commonly unseen aspects of nature that I notice when in such an environment. I look for those element...
Charcoal, Oil Pastel, Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Natural / Unnatural L - 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. She has ga...
Steel
$4,500
"Calm's Chaos - Storm Eye", Abstract, Blue, Brown, Orange, Mixed Media Painting
By Peter Knapp
Located in Franklin, MA
Peter Knapp’s “Calm’s Chaos – Storm Eye” is a 24 x 36 x 1 inch abstract mixed media painting on cradled panel in blue, indigo, and ochre acrylic, ink, and pencil. This colorful abstr...
Archival Ink, Acrylic, Color Pencil, Panel
$600
1960s "Magic Journeys" Teal, Pink, Orange Collage Intaglio Etching NY Artist
Located in Arp, TX
Myril Adler "Magic Journeys" c.1960s Intaglio etching collage, ink on paper 6"x3" mahogany wood gallery frame 11.25"x8.25" Signed and titled in ink Myril Adler, was born on Septemb...
Paper, Ink, Intaglio
$1,720Sale Price|20% Off
Zipline - Textured Black and White Abstract Thick Paint Monochrome Original Art
By Tasha Jentel
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Tasha Jentel creates original abstract art that merges minimalist design with richly tactile, sculptural texture. Working exclusively in black and white, ...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Active Transport
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Resin coated and mounted to layers of plywood, these digital/mixed media ‘picture objects’ represent interpretations of contemporary visual culture charmed by minimalism, modernism...
Resin, Panel, Digital Pigment
Taiga - Sculptural Painting Original Minimalist Artwork on Canvas
By Len Klikunas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Artist Len Klikunas paints to modify experienced reality through visual perception. His art is a mix of art and architecture, hovering between painting and sculpture. It employs shiz...
Canvas, Wood, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Tondo Arboretum II - Circular Contemporary Abstract Warm Tone Botanical 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
Triptych: Hesperides 003, Hesperides 004 and Hesperides 001. Abstract Paintings
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The central concept of Larios painting series KHLORIS is based on the idea of the garden as a metaphorical space. Larios seeks to find a certain romantic beauty in the details of n...
Canvas, Lacquer, Pastel, Automotive Paint, Acrylic
$1,795
Waves of Freedom - Abstract Gold Tone 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
1960s Teal, Pink, Yellow Collage Intaglio Etching NY Artist Myril Adler
Located in Arp, TX
Myril Adler Untitled c.1960s Intaglio etching collage, ink on paper 3"x6" mahogany wood gallery frame 8.25"x11.25" Estate stamp lower right Myril Adler, was born on September 22, 1...
Paper, Ink, Intaglio
'Femme Assise'. Large Mixed-media Montage on Board.
By Armand Avril
Located in Cotignac, FR
Imposing and very large scale mixed media 'assemblage' by French artist Armand Avril. The work includes the French tricolour flag colours, his symbolic cat sculptures and a highly colourful geometric image of the artist's mother sitting in a chair. The work is signed and dated to the reverse and comes with a certificate of authenticity from the gallery. This montage fully demonstrates Avril's geometric period whilst also expressing the humour and joy that he puts into all his work. A very strong sculptural image and a feast for the eyes in searching for and recognising the everyday objects used in making this piece come alive. This montage is made from wood pieces, plywood, oil paint, acrylic, bottle top and nails . The more sculpted areas of the piece stand out up to 3cm from the frame. Armand Avril was born in 1926 in Lyon. His father, Marcel Avril was a painter and collector of African art. At 16 Armand became an apprentice shepherd in Provence. Avril could always be seen equipped with a sketchbook and a book on the history of art whilst tending his flock. It was not until the age of 30, in 1956, that Armand embarked on painting as an autodidact, influenced by Raoul Dufy, Pierre Bonnard, Henri Matisse and the Lyonnaise School of Painting. He exhibited for the first time in 1957. In 1960, he left for a one-year trip to Africa. There he met the painter Jean Arène who introduced him to the village of Cotignac in the Var and to Louis Pons...
Wood, Plywood, Acrylic, Board
Mary Bauermeister - Studio Leftover Fetich, 3D mixed media sculpture Fluxus, S/N
Located in New York, NY
Mary Baumeister Studio Leftover Fetich, 1953, 1967 Unique Mixed Media 3-D Assemblage Ink Signed, dated, titled, annotated "Edition Original" and numbered 52/75. Shadow box frame Incl...
Wood, Found Objects, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$5,000
Magical Mycorrhiza - Original Art - Vibrant Exploration of Nature and Connection
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, Charcoal, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Fabric
Abstract Relief Painting in Vibrant White 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
Morning Dew - Original Calm Soft Tone Abstract Blue Landscape Painting on Canvas
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, Latex, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
Steel Blue - Original Cool Tone Textured Abstract Mixed Media Artwork Framed
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The delicate and poetic artworks of painter Frederic Paul reference his Asian roots in expressive and elaborate compositions. Inspired by the bold colors, spices, flora, and landscap...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic, Rice Paper
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
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
This is Up - 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
$13,000
Sphere
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Lisa Bartleson is a Northern California - based mixed-media artist whose work is inspired by the Light and Space movement from the 1960’s and 1970’s. Her work has a luminous quality ...
Resin, Mixed Media, Panel
$890
Streets, Modern Minimal Geometric Painting, Colorful Abstract Original 16x20
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Modern Minimal Geometric Painting, Colorful Abstract Original Artwork Silent Streets, 2025 16 × 20 in (40.6 × 50.8 cm) Silent Streets explores balance through color, repetition, an...
Concrete
$12,000
"4 Figures" - Large Textured Oil Abstract in Black, Green, White, & Gold Leaf
Located in Carmel, CA
Frida Willis (Swedish, born 1971) "4 Figures" 2025 Oil Paint, Mixed Media, Canvas, Stretcher Bars The artist signed the back of the painting. “4 Figures” by Frida Willis is a moody,...
Gold Leaf
Sunlit Landscape V - Framed Abstract Yellow Original Contemporary Painting
By Greet Helsen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Belgian artist Greet Helsen masterfully layers acrylic paint with the effervescent transparency of watercolors in her large mixed-media abstract paintings. Reminiscent of abstract ex...
Canvas, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$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
$12,000
Scabious - Minimalist Light Reflecting Wall Sculpture Colorful Kinetic Patterns
By Chris Wood
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Chris Wood’s "Scabious" is a dichroic glass light sculpture that radiates a mesmerizing interplay of color, light, and movement. The circular arrangement of glass elements reflects a...
Metal
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
Paper Shale- black 3D organic feel 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...
Resin, Foam, Acrylic, Wood Panel, Archival Paper
Green Mesa
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
$10,250
"Evening Falls" - Serene Blue and Earth Tone Mixed Media Color-Field Abstract
Located in Carmel, CA
Katheryn Holt (American, born 1951) "Evening Falls" 2022 Oil paint and mixed media on cradled wood panel. The artist signed the back of the painting. With Frame: 33" x 49" x 2" “Ev...
Mixed Media, Oil, Wood, Wood Panel
Ragisména series Brown, Abstract Sculpture
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The Ragisména series, which in Greek means cracked, has its materiality manifested through the desire to recreate and make feelings, memories and mythology tangible in the physical w...
Canvas, Plaster, Acrylic
$2,250
Spring is in the Air - Abstract Expressionist Green Landscape Painting on Canvas
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, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Seamstressed Heroines, Abstract Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Acrylic paint and strands of yarn form an abstract mixed-media piece full of lyrical movement and symbolism. Artist Sheila Grabarsky drew inspiration from the w...
Mixed Media
Crossing Stripes - Colorful Abstract Geometric Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Petra Rös-Nickel’s original paintings merge playful forms, bright colors and architectural compositions in oil and mixed media on canvas. Her contemporary artworks contain rich textu...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Forces of Nature 26 - Textural Abstract Minimalist 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
Realms of Paradise: Study 1
Located in Zofingen, AG
Realms of Paradise: Study 1, 2024 Oil, mixed media on paper (oil, sindur, milk paint) 22 × 19 cm x 0,2 (33 × 30 x 0,8 cm mounted) In Realms of Paradise: Study 1, Yuliia Holovatiuk-U...
Mixed Media, Oil, Archival Paper
$880
Quiet Room from Above, Bauhaus Geometric Interior, Nude Tones Patchwork, 2024
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is a beautiful patchwork piece by Zita Chocarro. Her exploration of color plays with form and contrast, as the intersection of the shapes she uses masterfully come together to ...
Fabric
Lightness (Abstract Expressionist painting), Hand signed and Estate stamped
By Ben Wilson
Located in New York, NY
Ben WIlson Lightness, ca. 1980 Oil on masonite board 21 × 25 × 3/10 inches Stamped by artist's estate, Hand signed by the artist on the front AND stamped by the artist's estate on th...
Oil, Board
Out in the Dark - Abstract Serene Cool Tone Textural Acrylic Canvas Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
rawing 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
$1,468Sale Price|61% Off
Frequency Bloom – Bold Contemporary Abstract Graffiti Painting with Nordic Sprin
Located in Lahti, FI
A bold, playful explosion of green, pink, and black, "FREQUENCY BLOOM" is an abstract graffiti-style statement piece that channels the electric moment of finding your inner rhythm—th...
Canvas, Acrylic, Permanent Marker, Color Pencil
Las Mascaras XII. 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...
Paper, Crayon, Oil Crayon, Pastel