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.
Missing the Moments, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Onelio endeavored to convey our culture's modern fixation with our phones. "It seems that wherever we are, we feel compelled to 'stay connected' even at the e...
Oil
Sempiternal: Mixed Media Contemporary Painting by Peter Rossiter
Located in Brecon, Powys
Taken from medieval French via Latin Sempiternal means something that has always been like the rise & fall of the tides. Rossiter's oil on canvas abstract is his own interpretation of what has always been and is eternal. Listing Details Dimensions: Image 19" x 39" framed 25" x 44" Date: 2013 Medium: Oil Painting Peter Rossiter was born in Cambridge, UK in 1950 and studied at York University & The Courtauld Institute, London. Peter's background is rooted in the global art world; his Grandfather was the German artist Martin Bloch...
Oil
I Wish That I Could Ride on the Shadows of Clouds, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A fervent hiker and camper, artist Crystal DiPietro invites the viewer on an adventure of the majestic wilderness of the southwest. "This piece is about stand...
Oil
$270Sale Price|55% Off
Still life with oysters, 80х80cm, print on canvas.Edition of 20 pieces
Located in Yerevan, AM
Edition of 20 pieces
Canvas, Color
$750Sale Price|25% Off
Ship , 40x50 cm, oil on canvas
Located in Yerevan, AM
Ship , 40x50 cm, oil on canvas
Canvas, Oil
$270Sale Price|55% Off
Still life with oysters, 80х80cm, print on canvas.Edition of 20 pieces
Located in Yerevan, AM
Edition of 20 pieces
Canvas, Color
Floating Lightly, Abstract Painting, Oil on Canvas, 80 x 60 cm, 2024
Located in London, GB
Neda Dana-Haeri Floating Lightly, 2024 Oil on canvas 80 x 60 cm 31 1/2 x 23 5/8 in
Canvas, Oil
Low Country Garden, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
"I was excited to be able to stay in the garden after closing time to paint the sunset over the marsh," shares artist Sherri Aldawood. She painted this view en plein air at Middleton Place...
Oil
$1,125Sale Price|25% Off
Blue , 120x90 cm, acrylic, canvas
Located in Yerevan, AM
Blue , 120x90 cm
Canvas, Acrylic
The Land of Saguaro Cactuses, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Suren Nersisyan depicts saguaro cactuses in the deserts of Arizona standing under the hot sun. Their large fleshy stems stretch up to the sky thriving ...
Oil
Enchanted Forest Dance, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Part of artist Onelio Marrero's ongoing series exploring scenes from the world of ballet. Two ballerinas prepare their costumes on stage during a rehearsal an...
Oil
$2,000
Australian American D. Rankin Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting Rocky Hillside
By David Rankin
Located in Surfside, FL
David Rankin, American (b. 1946) Rocky Hillside, (1990) Oil on paper Hand signed lower right, signed and titled verso. 30 x 22 1/2 inches David Rankin is a New York-based, British-b...
Paper, Oil
$750Sale Price|25% Off
Pine , 60x25 cm, oil on canvas
Located in Yerevan, AM
Pine , 60x25 cm, oil on canvas
Canvas, Oil
Abstract Composition - Lithograph by Antonio Marasco - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Abstract Composition is a print realized by Antonio Marasco in the 1970s. Lithograph on paper. Hand-signed and numbered, edition 25/125 prints. Good conditions. The artwork is r...
Paper, Mixed Media
Costal Impressions - The Lone Cypress, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
In his signature style, artist John Jaster paints this famous tree in Pebble Beach, California. Overlooking Carmel Bay, The Lone Cypress...
Acrylic
$750Sale Price|25% Off
Two pines , 60x25 cm, oil on canvas
Located in Yerevan, AM
Two pines , 60x25 cm, oil on canvas
Canvas, Oil
$1,875Sale Price|25% Off
Power 2, 120x120 cm, acrylic on canvas
Located in Yerevan, AM
120x120 cm, acrylic on canvas
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,875Sale Price|25% Off
Power 3, 120x120 cm, acrylic on canvas
Located in Yerevan, AM
120x120 cm, acrylic on canvas
Canvas, Acrylic
Monterey Magic, Oil Painting
By Lisa Elley
Located in San Francisco, CA
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...
Oil
Waiting for a Fly, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Fallen tree trunks line the side of Rapid Creek in South Dakota, where a flycatcher waits quietly for its dinner. The evening sun casts long shadows across the ...
Oil
$750Sale Price|25% Off
Fuchsia , 50x50 cm, oil on canvas
Located in Yerevan, AM
Fuchsia , 50x50 cm, oil on canvas
Canvas, Oil
$750Sale Price|25% Off
Sunflowers , 40x50 cm, oil on canvas
Located in Yerevan, AM
Sunflowers , 40x50 cm, oil on canvas
Canvas, Oil
More Or Less #1, 6"x6", Small Minimal Abstract Painting, Black And White, Modern
Located in Mississauga, Ontario
Modern and minimal, this black and white painting on canvas places emphasis on simplifying the composition. Paint over paper collage adds a subtle textured element. The understated, ...
Canvas, Paper, Acrylic
Skyward, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
"I decided to lean into the suggestive pose of the figure," shares artist Sumner Crenshaw, "creating a work that radiates with confident sensuality and femini...
Oil
Original Collage on Paper (Framed) Titled: Fs 3197 ct12
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Final Framed dimension: 18 x 22.5 collage art only: 9 x 6 full paper size: 15 x 19 Cecil Touchon Born 1956 Austin, Texas is a contemporary American collage artist, painter, publishe...
Acrylic, Laid Paper, Magazine Paper
$1,875Sale Price|25% Off
Water lilies , 180x120 cm, acrylic, canvas
Located in Yerevan, AM
Water lilies , 180x120 cm, acrylic, canvas
Canvas, Acrylic
$825Sale Price|25% Off
series "Shells", 70x50 cm, acrylic on cardboard
By Tatiana Nega
Located in Yerevan, AM
series "Shells", 70x50 cm, acrylic on cardboard The work is sold without a frame and mat
Acrylic, Cardboard
$2,400Sale Price|25% Off
Connected by one network, 90x150cm, acrylic on canvas
By Tatiana Nega
Located in Yerevan, AM
Connected by one network, 2020, 90x150 cm
Canvas, Acrylic
Blue Striped Abstract Expressionist Composition in Acrylic on Paper
Located in Soquel, CA
Blue Striped Abstract Expressionist Composition in Acrylic on Paper Bright, saturated abstract painting by California-based artist Ricardo de Silva (American/Brazil, 20th C). This p...
Paper, Acrylic
$315Sale Price|55% Off
What mask are you wearing? 80x80cm, print on canvas.Edition of 20 pieces
Located in Yerevan, AM
What mask are you wearing? 80x80cm, print on canvas Edition of 20 pieces
Canvas, Color
$1,125Sale Price|25% Off
Isolation, 60x60cm, acrylic on canvas
By Tatiana Nega
Located in Yerevan, AM
Isolation, 2020, 60x60 cm
Canvas, Acrylic
Santiago Medina - FOREVER (INDOOR MONUMENTAL), Sculpture 2021
Located in Stamford, CT
Italian stainless steel with a turquoise tint. This sculpture will be shipped directly from the artist's studio. All sculptures are made with the highest quality Italian stainless ...
Stainless Steel
Urban Ramparts, Abstract Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Urban Ramparts, 2017 Tatiana Iliina Acrylic painting on stretched canvas One-of-a-kind Signed on front and back 36 in. h x 36 in. w x 1.5 in. d 5 lbs. 10 oz. Artist Comments This pi...
Acrylic
Hollywood, View from the Roof, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
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 ...
Oil
Quiet Breathes This Night, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
"On December 21st, 2020 I witnessed the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn," shares artist Elizabeth Garat. "Astronomers said these planets hadn't appear...
Oil
Just Blue - 8"x8", Textured, Minimal Abstract Painting On Canvas
Located in Mississauga, Ontario
This minimal abstract painting is a quiet shade of sky blue. The detailed texture creates movement drawing the eye across the canvas while maintaining a sense of calm. While subtle i...
Canvas, Acrylic
Alpine Flowers, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
"This piece is inspired by a steep hike in the high mountains in summer," shares artist Crystal DiPietro. As a hiker, Crystal imparts the feeling of happiness from these wonderful views she gathers during her adventurous trips. "The flower-filled alpine meadows and stunning views bring joy to the heart."
About the Artist
Many artists work with the landscape, but Crystal DiPietro sees her works as different from most in the genre. "I tend not to see landscapes as soft and pretty, but as rugged, dramatic and colorful." Many of her works depict wild storms and moody sunsets. She spends a lot of time in remote spots and uses layers of color to create her compositions. Her work hovers between a brief impression of a scene and a pure dream. Crystal's landscapes of southern Utah seem to undulate and continuously change. What's interesting, though, is that these mountains and valleys seem to do the same thing in person. In these areas, the view changes constantly throughout the day as the light shifts, throwing shadows of faces, mazes and alien patterns across the cliff faces. Crystal impressively captures what's there, and what seems to be but isn't.
Words that describe this painting: mountains, flowers, hike, landscape, alpine, peaks, wildflowers, southwest, west, western, impressionism, impressionism, landscape, western, oil painting
Oil
$1,275Sale Price|25% Off
Night wormwood , 70x60 cm, oil on canvas
Located in Yerevan, AM
Night wormwood , 70x60 cm, oil on canvas
Canvas, Oil
Zao Wou-Ki's limited edition plate "Pierre de Ciel" crafted by Bernardaud
By Zao Wou-Ki
Located in PARIS, FR
In the realm of artistic alchemy, Zao Wou-Ki's limited edition plate, "Pierre de Ciel," crafted by Bernardaud, unfolds as a poetic composition in Limoges porcelain—a masterpiece that...
Porcelain
$1,425Sale Price|25% Off
A premonition of spring , 75x100 cm, oil on canvas
Located in Yerevan, AM
A premonition of spring , 75x100 cm, oil on canvas
Canvas, Oil
$8,500Sale Price|64% Off
Massive 7-Foot Abstract Oil Painting on Canvas by Ed Gilliam, Frameless Display
By Ed Gilliam
Located in Encino, CA
Untitled Abstract, an original oil on canvas by Edward Gilliam, is a piece for the true collector. Gilliam's use of color and paint thickness immediately captivates the viewer. It is...
Oil, Canvas
$750Sale Price|25% Off
Sea , 40x50 cm, oil on canvas
Located in Yerevan, AM
Sea , 40x50 cm, oil on canvas
Canvas, Oil
$600Sale Price|25% Off
Joy, 60x50cm, acrylic on canvas
Located in Yerevan, AM
Joy, 2021, 60x50 cm
Canvas, Acrylic
$3,779
Star Chaser- Original Still life hyper realism oil paintings-contemporary Art
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Canvas, Oil
Tapestry, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A blaze of color warms sunset clouds. "It was early autumn and the leaves turned into yellow, orange, and pink, but some were still very green," explains arti...
Oil
$12,000
Summer and Winter, Mid-Century Tapestry, Woven Hanging, Textile Wall Sculpture
By Adela Akers
Located in Wilton, CT
Adela Akers (b. 1933, Santiago de Compostela, Spain) is a Spanish-born textile and fiber artist. She is Professor Emeritus (1972 to 1995) at the Tyler Scho...
Textile, Linen, Thread, Yarn, Fabric, Tapestry
$825Sale Price|25% Off
series "Shells", 70x50 cm, acrylic on cardboard
By Tatiana Nega
Located in Yerevan, AM
series "Shells", 70x50 cm, acrylic on cardboard The work is sold without a frame and mat
Acrylic, Cardboard
The Derby Race
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
This painting was inspired by the idea that we are shaped by outside forces, but remain unchanged, we persist in the face of adversity. It is what makes us human. My energetic oil paintings of stallions explore and illustrate movement through nature. This work represents an immigrant journey or strength and perseverance. I incorporate both contemporary (watercolor) and traditional (ink calligraphy) painting styles into this series.
About the Artist
Art has been with Shao Yuan Zhang for the majority of his extraordinary, and at times difficult, life journey. Raised in communist China...
Oil
Untitled
Located in New York, NY
Lithograph on white Arches Cover paper. One of 5 artist's proofs, aside from an edition of 35. Signed by the artist, dated and numbered, in Roman numerals, V/V in pencil, lower rig...
Lithograph
Nick Thomm - AFTER DARK (ORANGE)
Located in FITZROY, VIC
Nick Thomm 'After Dark' (Orange) 69cm x 92cm (27"×36″) Limited Edition of 125 Hand Signed and Numbered #104 Archival Pigment Print on Hahnemühle 308gsm Fine Art Paper. Condition: N...
Archival Ink, Giclée, Archival Pigment
Warm Sand and Beautiful Clouds, Original Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
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...
Acrylic
Hidden Pink House, Provence, Original Painting
By Janet Dyer
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A lush glade of trees nestles a charming pink house in artist Janet Dyer's expressionist piece. She draws inspiration from scenes of...
Acrylic
Cosmic Force, Abstract Painting
By DL Watson
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
An expressionist composition filled with scrawling and cascading strokes of blues, greens, purple, black and white. "I do believe that energy and mood are tra...
Acrylic
$1,950
Celebration 6 - Abstract Expressionist Vibrant Blue Tone Textural Drip 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
Santiago Medina - INNER STRENGTH (TABLE TOP), Sculpture 2022
Located in Stamford, CT
Italian stainless steel with a special high-temperature patina. Sculptor Santiago Medina Italian stainless steel sculptures are at marquee public art venues worldwide such as Harvar...
Stainless Steel
$975Sale Price|25% Off
E , 90x70cm, acrylic, canvas
Located in Yerevan, AM
Heterochromia, 80x80 cm
Canvas, Acrylic
$375Sale Price|25% Off
series "Non-standard configurations", 42x30 cm, acrylic on paper
By Tatiana Nega
Located in Yerevan, AM
series "Non-standard configurations", 42x30 cm, acrylic on paper
Paper, Acrylic
White Farmhouse, Berks County Pennsylvania, Oil Painting
By Doug Cosbie
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A late August summer day at an old Berks County farm. Artist Doug Cosbie painted fields of pastel greens, burnished yellows, and br...
Oil
My Real Passion, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A man casts off from a dock in morning sunshine, his reflection softly distorted in the lapping water below. "The fisherman prefers catching fish early in the...
Oil
Cayucos Coastline No. 1, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Waves lap and crash upon rocks in this peaceful end-of-day seascape. Artist Elizabeth Garat takes inspiration from the movement of light off of California's b...
Oil