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.
Rhosyn Du – Black Rose. Contemporary Quilt
By Bethan Ash
Located in Brecon, Powys
Bethan Ash is a professional quilt maker and teacher with a background in Fashion design. She has exhibited widely and her work has been bought by museums in the UK and USA, includin...
Fabric
$5,625Sale Price|25% Off
Big time Tom Waits, 180x125 cm, oil on canvas
Located in Yerevan, AM
Big time Tom Waits, 180x125 cm, acrylic on canvas
Canvas, Acrylic
25 Gehrys
By Gary Mankus
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This unframed, signed, limited edition pigment print by artist Gary Mankus exists in an edition of 40. Paper size is 37"h x 35"w with an image size of 27"h x 27"w. Gary Mankus was b...
Cotton, Digital, Pigment, Archival Pigment, Digital Pigment
More Or Less - Diptych, 2 Abstract Paintings, 6"x6" Each, Black & White Minimal
Located in Mississauga, Ontario
MORE OR LESS - Small yet commanding, this pair of black and white paintings on canvas place emphasis on simplified composition. Paint and paper collage adds a subtle textured element...
Canvas, Paper, Acrylic
$436Sale Price|20% Off
Drop. Porcelain, h 12, 5 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Drop. Small abstract sculpture from porcelain, h 12,5 cm
Porcelain
$569Sale Price|20% Off
Drop. Porcelain, h 16 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Drop. Small abstract sculpture from porcelain, h 16 cm Elina Titane represents the younger generation of modern ceramic art in Latvia. Emoti...
Porcelain
Monograph: Working (Hand signed and inscribed twice by Ursula von Rydingsvard)
By Ursula von Rydingsvard
Located in New York, NY
Ursula Von Rydingsvard Working (Hand signed and inscribed twice by Ursula von Rydingsvard), 2011 Hardback monograph with no dust jacket as issued (Hand signed and inscribed twice by ...
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Lithograph, Offset
$1,000
Monograph: Anish Kapoor (Hand signed and inscribed to Nadine by Anish Kapoor)
By Anish Kapoor
Located in New York, NY
Anish Kapoor Anish Kapoor (Hand signed and inscribed to Nadine by Anish Kapoor), 1998 Hardback monograph (Hand signed and inscribed to Nadine by Anish Kapoor) Hand signed and inscri...
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Lithograph, Offset
More Or Less #2 - 6"x6", Black And White, Minimal Abstract Painting, Modern Art
Located in Mississauga, Ontario
MORE OR LESS #2 - Small yet commanding, this black and white painting on canvas places emphasis on simplified composition. Paint over paper collage adds a subtle textured element. Th...
Canvas, Paper, Acrylic
Grounded - 12"x24" Abstract Painting, Modern, Minimal, Grey, Black, Neutral
Located in Mississauga, Ontario
GROUNDED - This contemporary minimal abstract painting emphasizes simplicity and quiet depth. Layers of tone on tone gray build up subtle variations, with loose brushstrokes adding c...
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,025
EQUIVALENCE 82- Tint and Acrylic on Linen - Red Abstract Geometric Painting
Located in Signal Mountain, TN
This painting by Linda King Ferguson is painted on linen with a gradient tint, transitioning from red to yellow as our eyes descend the canvas. A hard-edged red section curves diagon...
Linen, Spray Paint, Acrylic
Nancy Cohen "Reversing Falls'
By Nancy Cohen
Located in New York, NY
Nancy Cohen Reversing Falls, 2018 paper pulp on handmade paper 49 x 53 in. This original abstract artwork by Nancy Cohen is constructed in her unique signature style of working with...
Handmade Paper
Goddess 5
By Gary Mankus
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This unframed, signed, limited edition pigment print by artist Gary Mankus exists in an edition of 40. Paper size is 37"h x 35"w with an image size of 29"h x 29"w. Gary Mankus was b...
Cotton, Digital, Pigment, Archival Pigment, Digital Pigment
Doric (Hand signed by Sean Scully)
By Sean Scully
Located in New York, NY
Sean Scully Doric (Hand signed by Sean Scully), 2012 Hardback monograph (hand signed by Sean Scully on the title page) Hand signed by Sean Scully for the present owner at a special ...
Mixed Media, Permanent Marker, Lithograph, Offset
Earth Toned Abstract Cityscape
By Emalita Newton Terry
Located in Houston, TX
Earth toned expressionistic cityscape with various colors including blue, red, and green. Framed in black frame with a yellow matte. Signed by the artist i...
Egg Tempera, Gouache
Twist & Turn I (pairs with Twist & Turn II to create a diptych)
Located in Dallas, TX
hand burnt lines & hand dyed fabric on paper
Fabric, Paper, Engraving
Cyclical Connection
Located in Dallas, TX
hand burnt lines on paper
Paper, Engraving
Kate #7 #3
By Ant Pearce
Located in Brecon, Powys
From the Artist's new series of Kate Moss works where a new techniques is used. Kate #7#3 is a plywood cut (cut using a drill, different drill bits used to form the different size...
Gold Leaf
Sculpture Wood Cast Aluminium Abstract "Skytree" Out and Indoor
Located in Benahavis, ES
The modern Sculpture " Skytree” is a unique metal piece made from a burnout mold by David Marshall in 2021, sand cast in aluminium, mounted with wood, in our foundry, handcrafted by...
Metal
$1,600
Untitled
By Ant Pearce
Located in Brecon, Powys
Same style different execution. Italian copper leaf and fluorescent thread sewn on Splendorlux Black Gloss
Copper
Tectonic IV
By Caro Woods
Located in Brecon, Powys
Part of the Tectonics Series from Cornwall based artist Caro Woods. This mixed media work is available individually or as part of a set of four. Image 6" x 6". Behind glass
Mixed Media
EQUIVALENCE 92- Tint and Acrylic on cut Linen - Red Abstract Geometric Painting
Located in Signal Mountain, TN
This painting on cut linen canvas by Linda King Ferguson depicts a diamond shape that is halved horizontally by a color break. The top triangular section on the diamond is a brown ca...
Linen, Spray Paint, Acrylic
Triton, 2022, Abstract Painting
By John Diehl
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
In this large composition, artist John Diehl crafts a monolithic piece using the Pythagorean theorem and advanced light-absorbing paint. While its elegance is...
Acrylic
Outrun No. 2, 2023, Abstract Painting
By John Diehl
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist John Diehl creates a sharp diagonal division that cleaves the subject into two distinctive halves. The upper portion features a solid white trapezoid, ...
Acrylic
Blue Poppies, Aug 17, 2022 (Ed: 22/50)
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Donald Sultan is an American painter, sculptor, and printmaker. He is particularly well-known for large-scale still life paintings, and one of the first to employ a wide range of ind...
Screen
$2,700
EQUIVALENCE 79- Acrylic Stain and Spray on Linen - Red Abstract Geometric
Located in Signal Mountain, TN
This painting by Linda King Ferguson depicts a rectangular linen canvas painted bright orange, with a second layer of deep wine red ellipsis and scalloped edges in the foreground. Red circles dominate the center of the painting in two different sizes. Some of the circles overlap, creating a vesica piscis shape. Linda King Ferguson lives and works in Munising, MI and Nashville, TN. She is in residence semi-annually in Brooklyn, NY. She has a MA from Rhode Island School of Design, and received an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She also has studied at Academia Di Belle Arti in Perugia...
Linen, Spray Paint, Acrylic
Abstract Composition - Mosaic by Tommaso Cascella - 1990s
Located in Roma, IT
Mosaic realized by Tommaso Cascella in 1990s. Mounted on a wooden panel. Excellent condition.
Mosaic
$3,294
Twentieth Century Limited Edition Screen Print Vaux-Le-Vicomte, French Chateau
Located in ludlow, GB
Twentieth Century Limited Edition Screen Print entitled Vaux-Le-Vicomte, depicting a beautiful French Chateau. Vaux-le-Vicomte a Screenprint by another of Wales's most famous sons...
Screen
"Sunset After Storm, " Stain Glass Window after a Woodcut by Carol Summers
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Sunset After Storm" is a stained glass piece designed by Carol Summers and fabricated by Oakbrook Esser Studios. It depicts an abstract landscape in green with a blue and red sky. T...
Glass
Under the Table and Dreaming, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Onelio Marrero features two of his granddaughters in this heartwarming painting. "When the family gets together at my house, my two oldest granddaughte...
Oil
$5,625Sale Price|43% Off
Sleep of the mind , 200x72 cm, oil on canvas
Located in Yerevan, AM
Sleep of the mind , 200x72 cm, oil on canvas
Canvas, Oil
Floral Study 12, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Valerie Berkely displays and abstract floral filled with small peppy blossoms. She creates a glowing background using a limited palette of transparent purples and yellows. Valerie demonstrates expressive finger painting...
Oil
Island Pony, Original Painting
By Sally Adams
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Sally Adams paints a lone brown horse on a verdant landscape. She draws inspiration from the wild ponies on the islands off ...
Acrylic
Blue and Red Stripes with Diamonds
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Original Navajo Weaving. Artist and year of manufacture unknown.
Textile
Be@rbrick x Warhol and Basquiat Estates 400% and 100%
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Bearbrick and Andy Warhol Foundation and Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat Vinyl Figures: Set of two (400% & 100%) A unique, timeless collectible trademarked & licensed by the Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat & Andy Warhol. The partnered collectible reveals details from Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol's 'New Flame' painting wrapping the figure in its entirety. Housed in a unique Warhol, Basquiat collector's box. Sold out; highly collectible. Medium: Vinyl Figure. Year: 2021. Set of two figurines...
Resin, Vinyl
Blue and Red Light Blue Zigzag
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Original Navajo Weaving. Artist and year of manufacture unknown.
Textile
Black and Red Stripes with Blue Flowers
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Original Navajo Weaving. Artist and year of manufacture unknown.
Textile
The Pond in November; Red Berries, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Elizabeth Garat presents an impressionist autumnal pond. She works on landscapes from direct observation, inspired by the changing seasons. "This is a pond I visit throughout the year," shares Elizabeth. She captures a quiet mood with the blooming red berry...
Oil
$22,000
Acid-Wave
By Omar Rayo
Located in New York, NY
3-Dimensional, Acrylic and Wood on Canvas. Signed, titled, inscribed "New York" and dated in ink on reverse (reference photo).
Canvas, Wood, Acrylic
Once Upon a Time Part I, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Inspired by the beauty, artist Colette Wirz Nauke shares a gorgeous view of cherry blossoms. Vivid colors and bold brush strokes fill the canvas. Colette aims...
Acrylic
Fall Blossoms, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Shades of autumn dance in artist Colette Wirz Nauke's impressionist scene of nature. Red and orange foliage abundantly fill the whimsical landscape. Colette p...
Acrylic
Fields at Sunset, Provence, Original Painting
By Janet Dyer
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Janet Dyer exhibits a picturesque view of a summer sunset in Provence. Groves of trees flourish in the evergreen landscape. She captures the distinct f...
Acrylic
$10,450
“Post Japan 3 / Osaka” abstract geometric painting, yellow, red, bold pattern
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
A contemporary painting by NYC-based painter, Gene Johnson. Signed on verso: [ "Post Japan 3 Osaka" (Yellow) Acrylic on canvas 2024 47 1/2 x 34 3/4" Gene Johnson ] Artist Bio Gen...
Canvas, Acrylic
Trees in Sunlight Near Avignon, Original Painting
By Janet Dyer
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Janet Dyer displays a sunny landscape of Provence, France. A scenic woodland stretches toward a grove of trees flourishing over the terrain. "This fiel...
Acrylic
General Store in Aguanga Baking in the Sun, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Samuel Pretorius displays a rustic general store in the California countryside on a Sunday afternoon. He depicts the ch...
Acrylic
Golden Hour Stroll in Crystal Cove Cliffs, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
In an impressionistic style, artist Samuel Pretorius paints the golden hour on a lovely California summer's evening. The beaut...
Acrylic
Quiet Walk in the Park on a Tuesday in Stockholm, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Samuel Pretorius depicts a leisurely walk in Mariatorget Park, Stockholm, on a slow Tuesday noon. Heavy branches droop ...
Acrylic
What a Stunning Surprise! Lake Thun, Switzerland, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Samuel Pretorius depicts a breathtaking view of Switzerland's famed Lake Thun. A stunning landscape comes into view fro...
Acrylic
$16,000
"Pump", Red, Abstract Aluminum Metal Wall Relief Sculpture by Kevin Barrett
Located in New York, NY
"Pump" by Kevin Barrett Abstract wall relief sculpture in painted aluminum Barrett is noted for creating contemporary metal sculpture and sculpture wall pieces for indoor and outdoo...
Metal
Chasing the Light, Oil Painting
By Jo Galang
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Jo Galang displays a magical woodland path illuminated by the sun. "Walking through the woods is one thing I always look forward to," says Jo. She paints the sun peeking through the trees, leaving speckled patches of sunlight on the ground. It creates beautiful patterns of light and shadow that make the piece all the more captivating and exciting.
About the Artist
Artist Jo Galang expresses a quiet nostalgia in her airy interpretations of the landscapes and waterways of the Pacific Northwest. Her soft oil paintings capture the meditative sounds of rivers and waterfalls flowing past her easel. During the summer, she spends as much time as possible outside creating plein air sketches and studying the light on the landscape. As a young art student in the Philippines, Jo was privileged to study with the renowned painter Danilo Dalena, who she says encouraged her to be the artist she is today. "I believe my art looks simple enough that people have no idea how much time I have spent working on it," she says. When she is not painting, Jo and her husband enjoy taking road trips, playing cards and finding creative ways to spend time with their granddaughter.
Words that describe this painting: ferns, foliage, forest, leaves, moss, nature, plants, sunlight, summer, trees, vegetation, woods, impressionism, oilpaint, impressionism, nature, oil painting, green
Oil
A Vase of Flowers 2, Oil Painting
By Mary Pratt
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Painting from life, artist Mary Pratt creates a clear glass vase with light reflecting on its shiny surface. With pronounced brushstrokes, Mary sets a joyful ...
Oil
All Dressed Up, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
In his signature style, artist George Peebles depicts a colorful gigantic tree in the middle of a vast landscape. He portrays the temperate dressing of autumn in the tree's multi-hued feathery leaves. Clouds dreamily sail on the ethereal sky in the background.
About the Artist
Award-winning artist, George Peebles specializes in contemporary panoramic scenes. Breathtaking combinations of brilliant hues and gradients of rich skies map out his paintings. “My art is a reflection of the place inside each of us where we connect to nature,†says George. Based in Michigan, he draws inspiration from electric moments within his environment. Each stroke is an inward expression of his emotions as he paints from memory. George, being colorblind views his work as a lifelong process that leads him to new concepts and ideas best expressed on his canvas. When he’s out of the studio, George works as a chef at their local hospital. His work is represented in eighteen healthcare facilities.
Words that describe this painting: autumn, fall, season, tree, landscape, sky, horizon, clouds, oilpaint, expressionism, nature, field, meadow, large, expressionism, nature, oil painting, blue
All Dressed...
Oil
Park Winter Scene, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Shuxing Fan displays a scene of a suburban neighborhood after a snowfall. Painting in classical realism, he details the envi...
Oil
Sunset on the River, England, Original Painting
By Janet Dyer
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Janet Dyer pictures an expressionist sun setting behind lakeside mountains. She captures the warm orange glow of the last moments of its descent. "Softly the evening came with the sunset," quotes Janet. In her trademark style of minimalist strokes, she envisions Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's iconic poetry.
About the Artist
Janet Dyer doesn’t like to spend too much time talking about her art, as she’d rather be creating it. She doesn’t have an artist statement, the traditional statement of purpose crafted by visual artists to explain their method. On becoming an artist, Janet simply states, “I picked up some crayons and pencils and brushes and kept using them.†She believes the process of creating art is equal in importance to the final product. The artist enjoys relinquishing control of her paintings to find delightful surprises in her so-called “mistakes.†Janet's expressively gestural yet bucolic landscapes are a testament to the success of her method.
Words that describe this painting: nature, spring, forsythia, yellow, river, water, trees, reflection, abstract, acrylicpaint, sunset, expressionism, expressionism, nature, acrylic painting, green
Acrylic
Blue Umbrella and Cowboy, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Warren Keating connects two expressive overhead scenes of a person holding an umbrella and a cowboy strutting forward. Their cool blue shadows converge...
Oil
Chocolate Frosted Cookie, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist McGarren Flack paints a chocolate frosted cookie on a solid white background. “Who doesn't like sweets?†asks McGarren. In his Sweets series, he dr...
Oil
Majestic Mint, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist McGarren Flack paints a decadent chocolate mint cupcake on a solid white background. “Who doesn't like sweets?†asks McGarren. In his Sweets series...
Oil
Sunny and Clear, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Catherine McCargar paints a classic white house perched on top of a hill. Lush greenery circles the delightful scene. She depicts serene surroundings r...
Acrylic
Birds of a Feather, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist John Jaster paints an impressionistic painting of two White Mandarin ducks. He displays them with their reflections swirling in the water. With intrica...
Acrylic
Day Off, Oil Painting
By Gary Leonard
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Gary Leonard connotes beauty in this refreshing piece of a woman in red by the beach. The stylish subject enjoys her time with the cool breeze, inspiri...
Oil