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.
$4,000
Just Take a Few More Steps - Framed Original Colorful Abstract Landscape Art
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Jane Harington is a Saskatoon-based contemporary painter whose expressive oil paintings explore landscape, florals, and place through color, memory, and emotion. Shaped by an interna...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
$3,050
Follow Me My Little Ones! - Original Colorful Abstract Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Jane Harington is a Saskatoon-based contemporary painter whose expressive oil paintings explore landscape, florals, and place through color, memory, and emotion. Shaped by an interna...
Canvas, Oil
Contemporary Abstract Oil Painting On Canvas, Signed, 75 x 70 cm "Incas"
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
Oil painting on canvas, 75 × 70 cm (29.5 × 27.6 in). The composition combines figurative and abstract elements through the relationship between geometric planes, fields of color, and...
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$705
A Place to Breathe - Abstract Gold Leaf and Acrylic Sky Painting on Wood Panel
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Adele Webster’s contemporary landscape paintings explore atmosphere, light, and the emotional presence of open space. Working with layered acrylic washes on wood panel, Webster creat...
Gold Leaf
$2,158
Au dela des champs, Contemporary Abstract Landscape Painting by Sophie Dumont
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Born in Paris in 1964, French contemporary painter Sophie Dumont creates richly layered oil paintings that explore abstraction through structure, rhythm, and memory. Her works are he...
Oil
Original-Peony Summer-Impasto-British Awarded Artist-Oil, Goldleaf-plein air
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
This Oil impasto and Goldleaf on Paper, named Peony Summer, is a part of Summer Bloom Series by Award winning British artist Shizico Yi. She created the painting in her garden paint...
Gold Leaf
$2,600
Under - Original Impasto Thick Paint Beige Red Pink Textural 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 i...
Canvas, Acrylic
$14,585
"umbrella girl series" Blue- Gold Edition No.14, Painting, 21st Century, Acrylic
By Roger König
Located in Dessau-Rosslau, Sachsen Anhalt
Set against a rich midnight blue background, luminous gold leaf creates a refined dialogue between elegance, depth and timeless luxury Gold Edition - with real gold leaf, 23,75 cara...
Clay, Acrylic
21 (Gestural Abstract, Warm, Soft, Heart, Pink, Green)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Katherine Bello 21 Oil on Canvas 2021 Size: 40 x 30 x 1.5 inches (101.6 cm × 76.20 × 3.81 cm) Signed, dated and titled by hand COA provided *On Stretcher Frame, Gallery-wrapped - re...
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars
$3,038Sale Price|25% Off
Large French Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting Bright Orange and Pastel Colour
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Large French Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting Bright Orange and Pastel Colours Composition by Marie Deloume (French, born 1942) signed verso French abstract expressionist oil pain...
Oil, Canvas
Gold Abstract Paintings, Gold Modern Art, Abstract Art-Grace 4024
Located in Delaware , OH
Gold Abstract Paintings, Gold Modern Art, Abstract Art-Grace All of Addison's text in her paintings are her journal. She uses it as an artist expressions and does not read them afte...
Gold
Held by Morning 1, Original abstract botanical, blue, blue gray
Located in Cumming, GA
Held by Morning 1 captures the quiet beauty of daybreak through soft botanical forms, layered texture, and a luminous palette of pale blue-gray and white. Inspired by the restorative...
Canvas, Acrylic
Original Set of 3-Primary Colour series-Awarded artist-gold leaf with oil
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
Shizico Yi's "Primary Series" is a series where she explores the relationship between colours and emotion, particularly the colour yellow ( using gold leaf as the chosen material for...
Gold Leaf
$1,060Sale Price|30% Off
Large Abstract Expressionist Mid Century Modern Oil Painting on Canvas in Frame
Located in AIGNAN, FR
Large original abstract oil painting on canvas signed in the lower left and framed. A very attractive modern vintage abstract that cascades strong colour and form. Here, the artist...
Oil
$2,800
No Ulterior Motives (Gestural Abstract, Atmospheric, Blue, Cool, Soft Pink)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Katherine Bello No Ulterior Motives Oil on Canvas 2021 Size: 40 x 30 x 1.5 inches (101.6 cm × 76.20 × 3.81 cm) Signed, dated and titled by hand COA provided *On Stretcher Frame, Gal...
Canvas, Oil
$412
HandPainted Artist's Proof-Strawberry Moon Field-Awarded British Artist-GoldLeaf
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
This latest limited, hand-painted Artist Proof is made on a premium metal/aluminium panel. All its gold-leaf parts are hand-painted and gilded by the artist herself, making each Pro...
Metal, Gold Leaf
Enigma, Contemporary Abstract Geometric Painting by Sophie Dumont
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
French contemporary artist Sophie Dumont creates layered oil paintings that balance structure, atmosphere, and emotion. Her work is held in private and museum collections and is reco...
Oil
Hand-Painted large Canvas Limited Edition#6/10–Sunshine Factory-Awarded Artist
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
This stunning large hand-painted Limited canvas edition is created in oil by Shizico Yi and is 95% hand painted directly onto canvas. Signed on the front and signed and numbered on ...
Gesso, Canvas, Oil, Acrylic, Giclée, Archival Pigment
White folds 9. 3D abstraction
Located in Zofingen, AG
The painting, created on canvas with clay, depicts soft, flowing folds that create the impression of draped fabric. The entire piece is rendered in a pure white color, giving it eleg...
Clay, Canvas, Acrylic
"umbrella girl series" Gold Edition No.13, Painting, 21st Century, Acrylic
By Roger König
Located in Dessau-Rosslau, Sachsen Anhalt
Gold Edition - with real gold leaf, 23,75 carat Art measures 7.87“ x 7.87“ inches Frame measures 13“ x 13“ x 2.36“ inches Framed in a high-quality contemporary wooden moulding. Color...
Clay, Acrylic
$3,488
Correspondances, Modern Abstract painting, Geometric, Original Oil on Canvas
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Sophie Dumont is a contemporary French painter recognized for her layered oil paintings, where structure and material create refined, architectural compositions collected internatio...
Oil
$5,050
The Wellspring III - Large Scale Contemporary Colorful Abstract Oil 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, Oil
$2,158
The Shadow Within, Contemporary Abstract Geometric Painting by Sophie Dumont
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
The Shadow Within Sophie Dumont is a French contemporary painter whose work explores the dialogue between geometry, light, and material through richly layered oil paintings. Built o...
Oil
Glimmer
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Glimmer” captures a moment of transition, where tension slowly dissolves into light. The work explores a subtle boundary between heaviness and ease, where silence becomes a space fo...
Canvas, Acrylic, Oil
L'equilibre des voix, Contemporary Large Abstract Oil Painting, 42x42 in
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
L’Équilibre des Voix Sophie Dumont L’Équilibre des Voix, 2026 Oil on canvas 100 x 100 cm (39.4 x 39.4 in) Framed: 107 x 107 cm (42.1 x 42.1 in) Signed by the artist Black or natural...
Canvas, Oil
$850
Mysterious Sea, Abstract Seascape Painting in Orange, School of Fish Patterns
Located in Barcelona, ES
“Mysterious Sea ” is a contemporary abstract painting inspired by the fluid motion of ocean currents. Layers of teal, green, and orange tones intertwine with flowing yellow lines, ev...
Paper, Acrylic, Monotype
Chanson - large, colourful, gestural abstract, acrylic on canvas
Located in Bloomfield, ON
Harold Feist’s gloriously colorful acrylic abstract painting called Chanson radiates joy. Known for his innovative color field work, Feist has chosen a bright rainbow palette in broa...
Canvas, Acrylic
$3,488
Terres de lumiere, Contemporary Abstract Landscape Painting in Earthy tones
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Terres de Lumière (Lands of Light) French contemporary painter Sophie Dumont is renowned for her richly layered oil paintings inspired by landscape, memory, and the passage of time....
Oil
$469Sale Price|30% Off
Green Happy Life Abstract Painting, Mixed Media on Canvas, 60x75 cm
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
"Green happy life" is an abstract painting distinguished by its texture and interwoven layers of color. Green tones predominate, complemented by flashes of blue, red, and green. It f...
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Summer After Winter, Abstract Painting
By Kajal Zaveri
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Inspired by the transition from winter's stillness to the abundance of summer, this painting celebrates nature's renewal and vitality. Layers of vibrant green e...
Acrylic
avp_1628 - Original Abstract Red Tone Contemporary Acrylic Painting on Paper
By Alex Voinea
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The colorful abstract artworks of Romanian artist Alex Voinea are inspired by experiments with paint poured over vibrating surfaces, such as speakers at full volume. Alex Voinea coll...
Paper, Acrylic
AWH 353 - Abstract Minimalist Textured Layered Colorfield Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Bernhard Zimmer produces deeply layered, subtly textured abstract paintings that contain diametrically opposed elements—order and chaos, abstraction and representation, boldness and ...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Temps suspendu, Contemporary Abstract Painting by Sophie Dumont
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Oil on Canvas 40 x 40 cm (15.7 x 15.7 in) 47 x 47 cm framed (18.5 x 18.5 in) Available with a choice of black or natural wood floating frame. In Temps Suspendu, French contemporary ...
Oil
$5,600
Vers l'equilibre, Contemporary Large Abstract Geometric Oil Painting, 34 x 34 in
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Vers l'Équilibre - Oil on canvas Unframed: 80 x 80 x 2 cm (31.50 x 31.50 x 0.79 in) Framed: 87 x 87 x 3.5 cm (34.25 x 34.25 x 1.38 in) Black or natural wood floater frame available S...
Canvas, Oil
L'ordre des tomes, Contemporary textured Oil on Canvas, Abstract library
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Born in Paris in 1964, French contemporary painter Sophie Dumont creates richly textured oil paintings inspired by landscapes, artists' studios and her celebrated library series. Her...
Oil
$3,090
Quiet Serenade - abstracted figurative art - underwater expressive oil painting
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
$890
Trail with Path, Expressionist Diptych, Abstract Landscape, Earth Tones Painting
By Albert Ducet
Located in Barcelona, ES
In "Trail with Path" Ducet reconsiders impressionist landscape paintings through a contemporary and gestual lens. Natural elements are translated into simplified forms and energetic ...
Paper, Acrylic
Green Daze, Contemporary Abstract Painting, original painting
Located in Deddington, GB
Rebecca's work is inspired by a lifelong love of nature, colour, and pattern. Growing up in Kew, she was deeply influenced by the beauty of Kew Gardens and its rich abundance of bota...
Canvas, Acrylic
The Fountain in the Garden of Eden
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Fountain in the Garden of Eden” is a painterly dialogue between Albrecht Dürer’s images of Adam and Eve and Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain. In this work, the classical narrative merges w...
Canvas, Acrylic
You brought Sunshine and Summer: Original Floral Painting, Blue vase, Geese.
By Karnish Art
Located in Pretoria, Gauteng
Title: You brought Sunshine and Summer Original Floral Painting, Blue vase, Geese, Heron, Unique, One-of-a-kind. "You brought Sunshine and Summer" is a painting that portrays a dee...
Gesso, Canvas, Wood, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
$746Sale Price|20% Off
"Free woman" Contemporary figurative nude woman acrylic painting on paper
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
"Free woman" is a contemporary figurative nude painting by French artist Natalya, created in acrylic paints and acrylic pens on heavyweight acid-free paper, depicting a seated female...
Paper, Acrylic
Umbrella - Silent Rain No.13, Abstract Painting, 21st Century, Acryl, Clay
By Roger König
Located in Dessau-Rosslau, Sachsen Anhalt
Delicate blush pink tones and expressive monochrome figures create a poetic dialogue beneath the iconic umbrellas. Part of Roger König's iconic Umbrella Series, this original mixed ...
Clay, Acrylic
Profils interieurs, Contemporary Large Abstract Oil Painting, 42x42 in
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Profils Intérieurs Oil on canvas 2026 100 x 100 cm (39.37 x 389.37 in) Framed dimensions: approx. 107 x 107 cm (42.12 x 42.12 in= Framing: Floater frame available in black or natural...
Canvas, Oil
Le passage, Contemporary Abstract Geometric Painting by Sophie Dumont
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Oil on canvas, 50 x 50 cm (19.7 x 19.7 in) Framed dimensions: approx. 57 x 57 cm (22.4 x 22.4 in) Black floater frame included. Natural wood frame available upon request. Signed lowe...
Oil
$1,220Sale Price|25% Off
Vibrant Abstract with Bold Colours French 20th Century Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Expressionist Composition by Gilbert Pelissier (French born 1924) oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas size: 15 x 31.5 inches condition: overall very good, a few minor su...
Canvas, Oil
White folds 11. 3D abstraction
Located in Zofingen, AG
The painting, created on canvas with clay, depicts soft, flowing folds that create the impression of draped fabric. The entire piece is rendered in a pure white color, giving it eleg...
Clay, Canvas, Acrylic
Venetian Light
Located in Zofingen, AG
Venetian Light from the Inner Landscapes series Abstract impressionist painting inspired by the atmosphere of Venice - a city experienced through light, reflection, and memory. Rath...
Canvas, Oil
Textured Abstract Painting on Canvas by Serg Graff, "Magical Friends", COA
By Serg Graff
Located in Palm Coast, FL
This is an original textured acrylic painting on canvas by contemporary fantasy artist Serg Graff, titled “Magical Friends”. Medium: Acrylic on canvas Artist: Serg Graff (signed and...
Acrylic
$6,800
Leaving the Pieces Alone, 2024, Original Mixed Media Painting by Murray Duncan
Located in Toronto, Ontario
'Leaving the Pieces Alone' - is an original mixed media painting by Canadian artist Murray Duncan. Measuring 48" H × 84" W, the composition features Duncan's signature gestural lin...
Glaze, Oil Crayon, Acrylic, Pencil
White folds 12. 3D abstraction
Located in Zofingen, AG
The painting, created on canvas with clay, depicts soft, flowing folds that create the impression of draped fabric. The entire piece is rendered in a pure white color, giving it eleg...
Clay, Canvas, Acrylic
$4,110
Floating - Large Color Drenched Impasto Mixed Media Textural 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 i...
Canvas, Acrylic
Test Color - Colorful Impasto Textural Thick Paint Framed 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 i...
Canvas, Acrylic, Glitter, Board
$1,100
High Seas, Abstract Gestual Patterns, Contemporary Seascape, School of Fish 2026
Located in Barcelona, ES
Details: Title: Orange Seascape Medium: Acrylic Painting Monoprinting on Paper Size: 100x65 cm ( 40 x 25.6 inches) Year: 2024 * Frame is for illustrative purposes only. Artwork shi...
Acrylic, Watercolor, Handmade Paper
$748Sale Price|20% Off
Contemporary Neo-Expressionist Fauvist influence still-life art "Blooming aura"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
Contemporary Neo-Expressionist floral still life with Fauvist chromatic influence, expressive mixed-media painting on heavyweight professional acid-free paper (50 × 65 cm / 19.7 × 25...
Paper, Acrylic
A Beautiful Story - Original Impasto Textural Thick Paint 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 i...
Canvas, Acrylic
Crazy Apartment - Abstract Figurative Cubist Portrait Still Life Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Valerie Etitinwo's unique approach to abstract figurative painting celebrates the unconventional beauty found in imperfection and awkwardness. The Nigerian-Swiss artist uses bold col...
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Abstract Expressionist Mid-century American painting
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Beautiful minimal Abstract Expressionist painting. Mixed media on paper glued down to illustration backing board. Paper sheet measures 10.25 x 14 inches. Cardboard panel measures 1...
Paper, Mixed Media, Illustration Board
$6,050
Jit Madness - Abstract Contemporary Organic Shape Mixed Media Artwork on Canvas
By Rue Bootay
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rue Bootay, a New York-born artist now rooted in the vibrant artistic landscape of Los Angeles, navigates the avant-garde realm of nonrepresentational surrealism with a style uniquel...
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$5,800
Infinity Bliss - Bue Tone Abstract Atmospheric Landscape Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Mark Acetelli’s oil and mixed media paintings awaken the viewer’s sense of exploration and adventure; they demand a new discovery. His artworks exhibit a chemistry of complexity and ...
Canvas, Oil
$1,466Sale Price|40% Off
Fallen Angel Painting, Abstract Oil on Linen, Signed, 120x60 cm
Located in Silverthorne, CO
A dramatic expressionist painting dedicated to the soul of me before cancer, who believed in a benevolent universe, who saw signs and followed them, who somehow thought she would liv...
Linen, Oil