Abstract Figurative 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.
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1980s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Board, Glass
Artist Comments
Artist Onelio Marrero paints a tender mother and daughter moment in a river. Created as a figurative study for a larger painting of the same setting. The subjec...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Giclée
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Acrylic, Wood Panel
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Wax, Acrylic, Archival Paper
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Ink, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Linen, Dye, Ink
1990s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1960s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1960s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Watercolor, Gouache, Pencil
1970s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
Early 2000s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
Mid-20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1950s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1960s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
Artist Comments
Artist Diana Rosa says this graphic, expressive portrait of 'Graffiti Man' is an outward portrayal of human emotion, as well as a personal fascination with the human head and skull. "The piece explores questions of identity and communication," explains Diana.
About the Artist
Lighthearted and jovial by nature, Diana’s contemporary paintings depict people in varied scenarios of indulgence. Whether it is a quiet moment alone in the woods, or a tantalizing rendezvous in the tub, Diana creates private moments in carefree or comedic ways. Her narratives often include humorous sexual tension between unlikely bedfellows, enough to elicit a chuckle from even the most stoic art lover. “I create a visual dialogue where everything is possible and magic is the queen,” says Diana. “[There is] a subtle injection of ambiguity that blurs the gap between the ordinary and the fantastic. The background of this sub-world appears to be transformed into an innocent children’s fantasy that almost looks like a dream.”
Words that describe this painting: man, expressionism...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Faye Vander Veer paints an impressionist scene of a cafe in the afternoon. She shows the relaxed and calm atmosphere of a little bistro. The late sunligh...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Benjamin Thomas paints a playful scene of young children referenced from a photo taken decades ago. Tom stands in the middle among three little girls. "M...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Metal
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Spray Paint, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Mixed Media, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Nikolay Rizhankov shows a tranquil winter scene in this work. A boy walks his dog around the frosty driveway on a quiet evening. They both enjoy the stil...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
1960s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Board
1970s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Ink, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Charcoal, Oil, Acrylic
1970s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1980s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
1980s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
1980s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Mixed Media, Oil, Canvas, Ink
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic, Pigment
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Early 2000s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Board
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1980s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1970s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Archival Paper, Graphite