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Modern Abstract Paintings

MODERN STYLE

The first decades of the 20th century were a period of artistic upheaval, with modern art movements including Cubism, Surrealism, Futurism and Dadaism questioning centuries of traditional views of what art should be. Using abstraction, experimental forms and interdisciplinary techniques, painters, sculptors, photographers, printmakers and performance artists all pushed the boundaries of creative expression.

Major exhibitions, like the 1913 Armory Show in New York City — also known as the “International Exhibition of Modern Art,” in which works like the radically angular Nude Descending a Staircase by Marcel Duchamp caused a sensation — challenged the perspective of viewers and critics and heralded the arrival of modern art in the United States. But the movement’s revolutionary spirit took shape in the 19th century.

The Industrial Revolution, which ushered in new technology and cultural conditions across the world, transformed art from something mostly commissioned by the wealthy or the church to work that responded to personal experiences. The Impressionist style emerged in 1860s France with artists like Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne and Edgar Degas quickly painting works that captured moments of light and urban life. Around the same time in England, the Pre-Raphaelites, like Edward Burne-Jones and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, borrowed from late medieval and early Renaissance art to imbue their art with symbolism and modern ideas of beauty.

Emerging from this disruption of the artistic status quo, modern art went further in rejecting conventions and embracing innovation. The bold legacy of leading modern artists Georges Braque, Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo, Salvador Dalí, Henri Matisse, Joan Miró, Marc Chagall, Piet Mondrian and many others continues to inform visual culture today.

Find a collection of modern paintings, sculptures, prints and other fine art on 1stDibs.

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Style: Modern
Period: 1970s
Colorful Purple, Pink, & Green Modern Portrait of Man Playing Billiards or Pool
By Gerald Garston
Located in Houston, TX
Colorful modern figurative portrait of a man playing billiards or pool by Connecticut artist Gerald Garston. The work features a man in a blue bowler ha...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Chimeras, mid-century figural abstract blue acrylic painting
Located in Beachwood, OH
Chimeras, 1974 Acrylic and pastel on textured paper Mid-century figural abstract blue acrylic painting Clarence Holbrook Carter achieved a level of national artistic success that w...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Pastel, Acrylic

The Gold Coast, Mid-Century Pastel Pink & Green Painting of Ovoid, Miami
Located in Beachwood, OH
Clarence Holbrook Carter (American, 1904-2000) The Gold Coast, 1979 Collage and acrylic on scintilla Signed and dated lower right 22 x 30 inches Clarence Holbrook Carter achieved a...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Large Mid Century Modern Abstract Expressionist New York Silver Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American modernist abstract oil painting. Oil on canvas, circa 1973. Signed. Image size 36L x 32H.
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Modernist Lighthouse II
By Costello
Located in Soquel, CA
Vibrant modernist oil painting of an abstract lighthouse by Costello (American, 20th Century), circa 1970. Purchased as part of collection. Signed and dated on verso. Unframed. Image...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Vintage American Modernist Pop Art Bulldog Animal Portrait Signed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American modernist animal portrait painting by Jerry Farnsworth. Oil on canvas, circa 1970. Signed. Image size 20L x 16H. Housed in a peri...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Luc Peire "Graphie 2000", 1972
By Luc Peire
Located in Washington, DC
Exceptional painting on laminate by Luc Peire, Belgian (1916-1994). Signed and dated on back, 1972. Titled "Graphie 2000". Included are two catalogues. Work measures 23.5" x 18".
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Antique American School Modernist Abstract Cityscape Signed Original Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American modernist cityscape oil painting. Oil on canvas, circa 1970. Signed. Displayed in a giltwood frame. Image, 20"L x...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil, Watercolor, Gouache

Antique Original Signed Surreal Landscape Art Deco Flying Bird Rainbow Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Up for sale here is a really fantastically painted modernist composition. The painting is signed lower right, "P. Williams 1972". Gouache on board, circa 1972. Housed in a plexi ...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Watercolor, Gouache

Flowers in Vase Abstracted Expressionism Still LIfe
By Robert Henry Hurdle RWA
Located in Soquel, CA
Wonderful expressionist painting of abstracted flowers in vase by Robert Henry Hurdle, RWA (English, b. 1918), 1970. Signed and dated lower right corner. Presented in rustic frame: Condition: Very good; painting had been glued into frame which is now restored. Image size: 16"H x 12"W. Framed size: 18.50"H x 22.50"W. Robert Henry Hurdle, Royal West of England Academy (RWA) was born in London on 9th August 1918. He first trained at the Richmond School of Art and then after distinguished war service during World War 2 he studied painting at Camberwell School of Art under Sir William Coldstream and was later senior lecturer at the West of England College of Art ( later called Bristol Polytechnic ). He has exhibited widely across the British lsles and most notably in Hong Kong and the South of France. His most recent solo show was at the Art Room at Topsham, Devon in 2013. His work is featured in many public and private collections including Bristol City Art Gallery and the Royal West of England Academy. Selected One Man Exhibits: 1969 Faculty of Fine Art, University College, Swansea. 1977 'Land and Water' City Art Gallery, Bristol 1978 'Land and Water' Pao Sui Loong Galleries, Hong Kong Arts Centre. 1981 'Reflections on Bristol 1950-81' King Street Gallery, Bristol. 1983 Farnham Maltings, Kiln Gallery, Farnham. 1987 Peter Sands Gallery, Bristol. 1989 Clevedon Bridge Gallery, Bath 1995 'Retrospective' Royal West of England Academy, 1998 'Robert Hurdle at 80' Fedden Gallery, Royal West of England Academy 2003 'Meeting with Tress' New Gallery, Royal West of England Academy 2009 'Selective Retrospective' New Gallery Royal West of England Academy 2012 'Paintings' The Art Room Group Exhibits: 1949-65 London group exhibitions 1950 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London. 1959-2015 Royal West of England Academy, Annual Exhibition 1959 Artists of Fame and Promise, Leicester Galleries 1960 New Arts Centre, London 1964 Frost and Reed Galleries, Bristol 1966 William Ware Gallery, London 1974 Courages Coronation Exhibition, City Art Gallery, Bristol. 'Accent on Colour', The Albany Gallery, Cardiff. 1976 Westward TV Exhibitions, Plymouth. 1978 Frost and Reed Galleries, Bristol. New Ashgate Gallery, Farnham. 1980 'Art in the making', King Street Gallery, Bristol and the City Art Gallery, Bath. 1985 '3 West Country Painters' Hunstrete House, Near Bath. 1988 'Recent paintings' Peter Sands Gallery, Bristol. Anthony Rossiter and Robert Hurdle. 2003 Innocent Fine Art, Bristol. 2004 'Western Approaches' Six members of the Royal West of England Academy: Derek Balmer, John Huggins, Robert Hurdle, Neil Murison...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

"NEW HORIZON" LARGE MID CENTURY MODERN ABSTRACT
Located in San Antonio, TX
Michael Frary (1918 - 2005) Austin Artist Image Size: 51 x 35 Frame Size: 59 x 43 Medium: Oil Dated 1970 "New Horizon" Biography Michael Frary (1918 - 2005) Michael Frary was born in...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil

Rare German Israeli Surrealist Judaica Abstract Gouache Watercolor Painting
Located in Surfside, FL
A Surrealist Judaica scene of a bearded man (Rabbi) in a boat with Shabbat candlesticks. Sight size: 17.75" x 22.5". Overall size with frame: 26.5" x31.5" Naftali Bezem (Hebrew: נפתלי בזם‎‎; born November 27, 1924) is an Israeli painter, muralist, and sculptor. Bezem was born in Essen, Germany, in 1924. His early adolescence was spent under Nazi oppression, in constant fear for the safety of his parents, who perished in the Holocaust in the Polish Auschwitz concentration camp. Naftali emigrated to Mandate Palestine in 1939, at the age of fourteen with a Youth Aliyah group. From 1943 to 1946, he studied art, painting and sculpture, at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem with Israeli painter Mordecai Ardon. He then spent three years studying in Paris. He was published by Editions Empreinte in Paris, France. They published, Jean Michel Folon, Sempe, Raoul Ubac, Raymond Savignac, Cesar, Bengt Lindstrom , Paul Aizpiri and many other modern masters. In addition to painting and sculpture, Bezem created murals, wall reliefs, tapestry wall hangings, and stained glass windows. His most famous public works include a wall relief at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem and the ceiling mural in the main reception room at the President's Residence, Jerusalem. Awards and recognition In 1957, Bezem was a co-recipient of the Dizengoff Prize for Painting Group Exhibitions Orit Art Gallery, Tel Aviv Artists: Yosef Zaritsky, Marcel Janco, Lea Nikel, Robert Baser, Bezem, Michael Druks, Israeli Painting (Watercolors and Gouache) Artists: Pinchas Abramovich, Bezem, Naftali Nachum Gutman, Haim Gliksberg, Mordechai Levanon, Avigdor Stematsky, Avshalom Okashi...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Watercolor, Gouache, Ink

Abstract Expressionist Purple and Green Fashion Handbag Still-Life
Located in Soquel, CA
Fun and vivid fashion painting of a bright purple and green handbag with abstract geometric and linear accents by Michael William Eggleston (American, 20th Century). Signed on verso....
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Paper, Oil

Modern Abstract Blue Rose, Vintage Abstracted Minimalist Floral by Eleanor Perry
Located in Soquel, CA
Modern Abstract Blue Rose, Vintage Abstracted Minimalist Floral by Eleanor Perry Modernist blue and white rose abstract by San Francisco, California artist Eleanor Louise Perry (Ame...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Masonite, Acrylic

Marbleized Abstraction
Located in Buffalo, NY
An original mid century modern abstract painting.
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Rites of Spring, " 1970s Modern Abstract Painting
Located in Westport, CT
"Rites of Spring" by Modernist painter Stanley Bate is a large-scale, textured oil painting on canvas. The deep grey and maroon colors serve as a backdrop to a burst of geometric sha...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Hommage A Chubac, 1976 - ink on paper, 64x59 cm., framed
Located in Nice, FR
Gouache on paper, signed by different Chubac friends artists, lower right. The artists are: Max Charvolen, Serge Maccaferri et Martin Miguel that constituted the Groupe 70 a Nice. A ...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Ink

"Euphoria" Red and White Dimensional Abstract Painting
Located in Houston, TX
Red and white three-dimensional trapeze-shaped canvas. The artist creates each individual canvas shape and stretched the canvas over the uniquely created stretchers. Towards the top ...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Wood, Acrylic

Drawings, Ink on Paper, Black & White by Padma Shree Artist Sunil Das "In Stock"
Located in Kolkata, West Bengal
Sunil Das - Untitled - 13.25 x 8.75 inches (unframed size) Ink on Paper Inclusive of shipment in ready to hang form. Sunil Das (1939-2015) was a Master Modern Indian Artist from Ben...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Paper, Ink

Portrait of A Woman, Abstract Oil Painting by John Uht
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: John Uht, American (1924 - 2010) Title: Portrait of a Woman Year: circa 1970 Medium: Oil on Board, signed l.l. Size: 12 x 9 inches Frame Size: 16 x 13 inches
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil

Abstracted Figure in Nature
Located in Soquel, CA
Beautiful and unique abstract piece of a figure in nature by an unknown artist (American, 20th Century). The graceful and simplified form of the figure crouches away from the viewer...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Paper, Pastel, Ink

"Genesis II with Squares" Black and White only. Modern
Located in San Antonio, TX
Dorothy J. Krueger (1926-2011) mm Austin Artist Image Size: 18 x 16 Frame Size: 19 x 17 Medium: Acrylic Mid Century Modern Genesis...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

George Washington with Letters
Located in Buffalo, NY
You are viewing a mixed media painting and collage on paper by American artist Richard Huntington. This piece is titled "George Washington with Letters" and is signed lower r...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Mixed Media

Abstract Composition GS2, 1973 - Acrylic, 113x115 cm, framed
Located in Nice, FR
Oil on canvas, signed on back
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

"South Bay, " 1970s Modern Abstract Oil Painting
Located in Westport, CT
This Modern abstract painting by Modernist painter Stanley Bate features earthy, textured umber tones with deep reds. muted blues, and accents of warm orange. The geometric shapes ar...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Mountain Night
Located in Buffalo, NY
An original mixed media (Watercolor and india ink) on paper depicting a mountain range at night.
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Archival Paper, India Ink, Watercolor

Landscape
Located in Buffalo, NY
An original watercolor painting by Westley "Wes" Olmsted. This work is currently featured in the exhibition Man of Extremes at Benjaman Gallery in Buffalo, NY. Westley G. Olmsted ...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

Modernist Blue & Yellow Abstract
By Grady McDonald
Located in Soquel, CA
Beautiful oil abstract titled "Coming Out" by Grady McDonald (American, 1938-1980). Signed lower right, titled and dated 1974 on verso. Unframed. Image, 50”H x 44”W. Grady McDona...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Oracle, " 1970s Modern Abstract Painting
Located in Westport, CT
This painting by Modernist painter Stanley Bate is almost monochromatic with dark brown, sandy tan and white geometric shapes. There is a single bright red pop of color at the almost...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

One of The Thieves Was Saved
Located in Buffalo, NY
"One of The Thieves Was Saved" from Waiting for Godot by Samuel Becket An original watercolor painting by Westley "Wes" Olmsted. This work is currently featured in the exhibition ...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Archival Paper, Watercolor

"Abduction of the Emperor, " 1970s Modern Abstract Painting
Located in Westport, CT
"Abduction of the Emperor" by Stanley Bate is an abstract oil painting made in 1971. This piece is primarily a textured sandy gold color with geometric shapes that add pops of light ...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

'Portrait of a Seated Man', German School (circa 1970s)
Located in London, GB
'Portrait of a Seated Man', oil on canvas, German School (circa 1970s). A richly coloured portrait of a figure painted in the style of expressionists / cubists of the era. The sensuo...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Blue Composition - Painting by Vincenzo Arena - 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Blue Composition is an original contemporary artwork realized by Vincenzo Arena in 1970. Mixed colored oil painting on canvas. Label on the back wi...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Paint, Oil

"Dance of the Daughters-One" Gray Modern Abstract Expressionist Painting
Located in Houston, TX
Abstract modern expressionist painting by American modernist artist, Jules Olitski. This painting features heavy textures formed by multiple layers of paint. Framed in a modern float...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Playing Possum
By Roger Weik
Located in Missouri, MO
Artist Statement Since Roger Weik was early in college in the 70's, he has always held an affinity for thickness and texture. There was something very organic about his work, a sens...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Emulsion, Polymer

Paris in Purple
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Presenting a recently discovered oil on panel by American artist Robert McIntosh (1916-2010.) Robert McIntosh was a prolific art winning first prize at the Los Angeles County Museum...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil

Oblique I - 20th Century, Oil on canvas by Prunella Clough
Located in London, GB
Signed verso
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil

The Covered Wagon
Located in Dallas, TX
In The New York Times Arts in America column, Edward M. Gomez writes of Valton Tyler, "visionary seems the right word for describing his vivid, unusual and technically refined painti...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Pink, Red and Black - 20th Century, Ink & oil on paper by Ben Nicholson
Located in London, GB
Ink and oil on prepared paper Signed Nicholson, dated 1978/April and inscribed as titled on the reverse The sheet is tipped to a painted Masonite board at the upper left and right...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Ink, Oil

Untitled - 20th Century, Oil on canvas by Roger Hilton
Located in London, GB
Signed and dated verso Provenance: Private Collection
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Brith at Red
Located in Dallas, TX
In The New York Times Arts in America column, Edward M. Gomez writes of Valton Tyler, "visionary seems the right word for describing his vivid, unusual and technically refined painti...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Linen, Oil

Grey Cliff with Waterfall
Located in Buffalo, NY
An original oil painting by Westley "Wes" Olmsted. This work is currently featured in the exhibition Man of Extremes at Benjaman Gallery in Buffalo, NY. Westley G. Olmsted (1934-2...
Category

1970s Modern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Modern abstract paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Modern abstract paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add abstract paintings created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, orange, red, pink and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Stanley Bate, Christel Haag, Clarence Holbrook Carter, and Carmen Gutierrez. Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Oil Paint and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Modern abstract paintings, so small editions measuring 18 inches across are also available. Prices for abstract paintings made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $380 and tops out at $175,000, while the average work sells for $2,970.

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