Abstract More Art
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.
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Latex, Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Latex, Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Oil, Spray Paint
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Wood, Lithograph, Offset
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Linen, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract More Art
Fabric
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Glitter, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Textile, Canvas, Paper, Mixed Media, Oil
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
1970s Abstract More Art
Screen, Color
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Archival Ink, Giclée, Archival Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Archival Ink, Giclée, Archival Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Archival Ink, Giclée, Archival Pigment
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic, Latex
2010s Abstract More Art
Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Archival Ink, Giclée, Archival Pigment
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Color
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
1960s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract More Art
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Archival Ink, Giclée, Archival Pigment
Artist Comments
Artist Nicole Lamothe says her focus in this soft, warm still life was the glowing sunlight streaming through her studio window. "I arranged the pair of yello...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
2010s Abstract More Art
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Archival Ink, Giclée, Archival Pigment
1980s Abstract More Art
Gold, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Silk
Artist Comments
Artist Lisa Nielsen displays impressionist roses gleaming from the warmth of the sun. Plump blossoms spring from effervesce...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Archival Ink, Giclée, Archival Pigment
Artist Comments
Reflections on the water in Monet's pond at Giverny. Onelio spent some time there taking in the splendor of the setting. "Each view of the place was a paintin...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
2010s Abstract More Art
Wool, Cotton
Artist Comments
Waits River is a small village on Highway 25 southeast of Stowe, Vermont. "The church, buildings and barns presented an iconic view of New England...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
1970s Abstract More Art
Acrylic, Handmade Paper
Artist Comments
"Central Park in Manhattan is one of my favorite places to visit and I often find my inspirations there," shares artist Onelio Marrero. In this case, Onelio d...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Joanie Ford depicts a few beachgoers enjoying a relaxing day out by the shore. Clouds provide a cool shadow from the sun's summer heat as a gentle bree...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Linen, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Archival Ink, Giclée, Archival Pigment
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Glitter, Acrylic
Artist Comments
"In this painting, I wanted to further my explorations of interiors in dramatic lighting and the look of folds on unmade beds," explains artist Onelio Marrero...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Rebecca Klementovich shares a colorful outlook on the beautiful Monhegan Island—one of her favorite places to paint off the coast of Maine. "Monhegan...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Color
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
1980s Abstract More Art
Silk, Screen
Artist Comments
This painting is part of Suren Nersisyan's series of California landscapes focusing on the nature and stunning light around Los Angeles. He draws inspiration ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Archival Ink, Giclée, Archival Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Paper
Early 2000s Abstract More Art
Screen, Color
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Gold Leaf
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic