Abstract Abstract Paintings
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.
1990s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Oil, Acrylic, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Oil
1950s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Oil, Fiberboard
Late 20th Century Abstract Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Wax, Wood Panel
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Paper, Pastel, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Graphite
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Gesso, Watercolor, Acrylic, Mixed Media, Cotton Canvas, Paint, Canvas
Mid-20th Century Abstract Abstract Paintings
Acrylic, Board
1980s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Latex, Oil, Panel
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Archival Paper
Artist Comments
Fascinated by the birds that soar over her Big Sur home, artist Heidi Hybl paints an abstract depiction of their migration. Their bold forms contrast the soft...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Charcoal, Acrylic, Graphite
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Paint, Acrylic, Board
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Raw Linen, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Metal, Bronze
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Walnut, Paper, Sumi Ink, India Ink
1990s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Encaustic, Watercolor, Archival Paper
1950s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Oil, Board
Mid-20th Century Abstract Abstract Paintings
Oil
1970s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Ink, Acrylic, Canvas, Cardboard
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Abstract Abstract Paintings
Masonite, Oil
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Paper, Ink, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Oil, Acrylic, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Mixed Media, Tape, Glue, Pencil, Stretcher Bars, Wax
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Ink, Acrylic, Canvas, Cardboard
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Acrylic, Archival Ink
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Oil, Linen
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Pigment
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Drawing inspiration from a textile fabric with a floral pattern, the artwork features long strokes that twirl into dynamic shapes. Each section of color fits with one another like a puzzle. Artist Jennifer Hanson...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1990s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Three people stand closely together. Bold black strokes outline their figures, adding depth and definition. Through abstract shapes, vibrant colors, and confi...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Acrylic, Archival Paper
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Graphite
1960s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Charcoal, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Acrylic, Linen, Wood, India Ink
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Plaster, Acrylic
Early 2000s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Paper, Watercolor