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.
Early 2000s Abstract More Art
Ink, Mixed Media, Lithograph, Offset
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
1990s Abstract More Art
Metal, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
Late 20th Century Abstract More Art
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract More Art
Acrylic, Paper
1970s Abstract More Art
Metal, Enamel
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Glitter, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Watercolor, Graphite
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Ceramic, Porcelain
Artist Comments
"Monet's Garden in Giverny, France - just a delightful train ride outside of Paris - never fails to inspire artists just as it was intended to do when it was ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Resin, Epoxy Resin, Wood
2010s Abstract More Art
Steel
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Canvas, Oil
Mid-20th Century Abstract More Art
Silk, Screen, Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Gold Leaf
Early 2000s Abstract More Art
Ceramic, Porcelain, Mixed Media, Screen
2010s Abstract More Art
Photogram
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Color
2010s Abstract More Art
Oil, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Watercolor
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Glitter, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Watercolor
2010s Abstract More Art
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Thread, Paper
Artist Comments
"This painting was inspired by the coastal palette of the Mendocino region in California," shares artist Lisa Elley. The soothing cool hues present the scene ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Onelio Marrero shares about his recent visit to Boston. While there, he and his wife took in the many cultural and historic sights. One of the places they spent some time was at the Historic Boston Library where Onelio examined the Sargent murals. The series of murals known as "Triumph of Religion", depict Judeo-Christian themes. "I painted myself as the figure in the room with the blank panel that Sargent never completed. It was to be a scene depicting 'The Sermon on...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
Early 2000s Abstract More Art
Stainless Steel, Metal
2010s Abstract More Art
Photographic Film, Encaustic, Handmade Paper
Artist Comments
Inspired by a beautiful basin in northern New Mexico outside of Santa Fe. "A monsoonal storm passed through and left the ground wet," says artist Heather Fost...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Textile, Canvas, Paper, Mixed Media, Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Lisa Elley displays an impression of a breezy coastal seascape on a beautiful summer's day. She draws inspiration from one of her plein air painting tr...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
A calm saturates the night while pleasant chatter fills the air. Artist Onelio Marrero finds inspiration from the burning light of the fire pit against the ba...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Linen, Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Onelio Marrero presents a view of a canoeist traversing the New Jersey river as storm clouds brew in the distance. The piece embodies the adventure of ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Onelio Marrero depicts a mother and her child dropping coins into a fountain for good luck. The quiet moment is painted in brilliant morning light with dappled shadows in the foreground. Behind them lies a verdant backdrop of foliage around a stone church and a view of the distant city beyond. Onelio's rich textures and detailed brushwork greatly enhances the piece. "The separating line between the church and the fountain reminds us of the demarcation between faith and luck," says Onelio.
About the Artist
Onelio Marrero paints city scenes of everyday life. In an impressionistic style he captures the romanticism of New York City, the picturesque fountains in Central Park and the wet city streets after a rainy afternoon. His use of warm tones creates a sense of nostalgia and the feeling that you have visited or seen this particular scene before. Onelio will often paint from direct observation, or he will work from a combination of photographs and combine numerous sources into one piece. In this way his work combines reality with fantasy, creating a new story with each painting. His work captures an appreciation for beauty in all of its greatest forms; nature, art, and people.
Words that describe this painting: fountain, church, plaza, spring, stonework, architecture...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
2010s Abstract More Art
Acrylic
2010s Abstract More Art
Resin, Epoxy Resin, Wood
Artist Comments
Artist Valerie Berkely presents a floral still life in expressive and fluid paintwork. She executes the piece with wet-on-wet f...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil
2010s Abstract More Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract More Art
Paper, Acrylic
1990s Abstract More Art
Mosaic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Watercolor, Graphite
Artist Comments
"Amid the autumn season, I revisit the natural stages from sprouting to maturing and the long waiting in between," says artist Shyun Song. The yellow-green, s...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract More Art
Oil