Abstract Figurative Paintings
ABSTRACT STYLE
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.
Style: Abstract
Color: Orange
"The Ship “, acrylic on paper, 46x65
Located in Brooklyn, NY
acrylic paint.
Category
1990s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Paper, Acrylic
Contemporary British Abstract Original Painting Four Walking Figures
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Composition
by Sally Vaughan (contemporary)
gouache painting on card, unframed
measurements: 7 x 5.5 inches
condition: very good
provenance: fro...
Category
1990s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Gouache
Picking Roses. Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting
Located in Brecon, Powys
A leading exponent of contemporary art in Europe, Paul Wadsworth utilises a palette of vibrant colours to achieve his signature paintings redolent of people and place. Expressionism ...
Category
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil
"Revival" Oil Painting 39" x 35" inch by Anastasiia Danilenko
Located in Culver City, CA
"Revival" Oil Painting 39" x 35" inch by Anastasiia Danilenko
Anastasiia Danilenko is an artist and graphic designer.
But the area of her occupation is painting and such a traditio...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Life in E Flat
Located in Provincetown, MA
This near-comic portrait demonstrates that style as well as the artist’s affinity for jazz. Life in E Flat bursts with color- and light-borne energy, and draws the viewer into that e...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil
Country Mama (frame 02) - Painting by Dax Norman - 2023
Located in Roma, IT
Country Mama (frame 02) is an acrylic painting on recycled record cover featured in Dax Norman's "Cinema Graffiti" NFT collection. Hand-signed.
The works in this collection of paint...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
The Tailor. Contemporary Figurative Oil Painting
Located in Brecon, Powys
Paul Wadsworth is one of the UK’s leading exponents of Expressionist paintings. His pieces are heavily worked with layers of richly applied paint, the result is paintings that sing w...
Category
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil
Elephants Have A Festival. Large Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting
Located in Brecon, Powys
Paul Wadsworth is one of the UK’s leading exponents of Expressionist paintings. His pieces are heavily worked with layers of richly applied paint, the result is paintings that sing w...
Category
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil
Saffron: Large Contemporary Expressionist Oil Painting
Located in Brecon, Powys
Paul Wadsworth is one of the UK’s leading exponents of Expressionist paintings. His pieces are heavily worked with layers of richly applied paint, the result is paintings that sing w...
Category
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Orange Garden: Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting
Located in Brecon, Powys
Paul Wadsworth is one of the UK’s leading exponents of Expressionist paintings. His pieces are heavily worked with layers of richly applied paint, the result is paintings that sing w...
Category
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"India Bus Ride" Contemporary Expressionist Oil Painting
Located in Brecon, Powys
Paul Wadsworth is one of the UK’s leading exponents of Expressionist paintings. His pieces are heavily worked with layers of richly applied paint, the result is paintings that sing w...
Category
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Rajisthan Garden: Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting
Located in Brecon, Powys
Paul Wadsworth is one of the UK’s leading exponents of Expressionist paintings. His pieces are heavily worked with layers of richly applied paint, the result is paintings that sing w...
Category
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Mas Rojo
By Frank Arnold
Located in Fresno, CA
"Mas Rojo", as hte name implies, is "More Red" in an Oil on Canvas painting. Frank Arnold is thought by many to be one of the foremost abstract figurative painters and sculptors of o...
Category
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil, Canvas
Rajasthan - large, bold, gestural abstract, expressionist, acrylic on canvas
By Graham Coughtry
Located in Bloomfield, ON
Remarkably beautiful, lush, and impressionistic in form—Rajasthan is a stunning example of Canadian artist John Graham Coughtry’s masterful use of colour. Rendered in the exotic spic...
Category
1980s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
Kakoma, From the series Lous and The Yakuza. Mixed media fashion color photo
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Kakoma, 2022 by Hunter & Gatti
From the series Lous and The Yakuza
Acrylic and oil wax on fine art paper 255 grs.
Image size: 20.6 in H x 15.7 in W
Unframed
This is a project togeth...
Category
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Wax, Oil, Acrylic, Archival Paper
Night Watchers: African American collage painting w/ Black figures, red pink
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
"Night Watchers" is a collage / painting created from acrylic and collage on leather mounted on MDF panel with predominant red / pink / orange. The work itself is 24" x 22", framed to 24.5" x 22.5" in a narrow, simple dark wooden frame. It includes several photograph of Black figures. It is signed and dated along the lower edge. This is one of a series of four works -- see image gallery for additional works in the series. Each is listed separately on IstDibs, but I will combine shipping for multiple purchases.
PROVENANCE: Exhibited in "Portals + Revelations: Richard J. Watson," the African American Museum in Philadelphia, PA, Oct 2021 - Mar 2022 & "And the Beat Goes On," Suzanne H. Arnold Gallery, Lebanon Valley College, Annville, PA, Sept - Oct 2022.
"Most of my works are supported by memories of the past and suggested realities. Issues of social politics, ancestral references, and astral projections are presented with fragmented elements...
Category
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Leather, Acrylic, Panel, Fiberboard, Archival Paper
I Spy With My Eye
By Wencke Uhl
Located in Bonn, NW
original painting; acrylic, paper and pastels on high quality canvas stretcher. Finished off with a glossy varnish. 60 x 80 cm 23.6 x 31.5". The sides are painted and it’s ready to ...
Category
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Parchment Paper, Acrylic
Cripple Creek Victor Mine, Colorado Mountain Landscape, 1940 Watercolor Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Original signed watercolor on paper painting by Charles Ragland Bunnell from 1940 of Cripple Creek or Victor Mine located in Colorado. Mine buildings wit...
Category
1940s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
Untitled, Abstract Expressionist Composition.
Located in La Canada Flintridge, CA
Oil on paper. Signed lower left Bertschmann.
Category
1970s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil
Contemporary Orange-Toned Abstract Figurative Female Nude Portrait Painting
Located in Houston, TX
Orange-toned abstract figurative work by contemporary Missouri artist Michael Stack. The work features a light cream and silver silhouette of a headless ...
Category
1990s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Foam Board, Mixed Media
Silk Road Series, no. 14
Located in La Canada Flintridge, CA
Acrylic and mixed media on paper. Mixed media. Signed lower center Bertschann. The artwork size is 12"x16" without matboard.
Category
1990s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
X2 - French Artist large Painting Colors Pale Brown Beige Yellow Green
Located in Sofia, BG
"X2" is a painting by the French artist - designer Hélène Cohen Carricaburu.
Through her art, she has a very sharp, abstract and unique style of bright and colorful expression.
Abo...
Category
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Bright & Colorful French Abstract Oil Painting Amazing Shapes & Colors
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Composition
French School, circa 1970's
oil painting on board, unframed
size: 18 x 22 inches
condition: overall good and sound
provenance: from a private collection in Paris...
Category
20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil
Bright & Colorful French Signed Abstract Oil Painting Amazing Shapes & Colors
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Composition
French School, circa 1970's
indistinctly signed and dated
oil painting on board, unframed
size: 21 x 25.5 inches
condition: overall good and sound
provenance: fr...
Category
20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil
The Light That Won't Turn Off
Located in Boston, MA
Artist Commentary:
This piece is part of a series I've been working on about my recent trip visiting family in the Philippines. The paintings all contain layered elements of plants, ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Acrylic, Panel
Oil on Canvas "Center"
By Frank Arnold
Located in Fresno, CA
“Center” is 60”x48” The impasto surface stages a range of yellow and gold earth tones. Frank Arnold’s paintings exhibit the highest quality materials for a truly archival piece, crea...
Category
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil, Canvas
Large & Colorful Abstract Figures
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Wonderfully bright and colorful abstract oil painting, on a very large scale, measuring 36 x 26inches in size. The painting displays a wonderful mixture of various bright colors - gu...
Category
Late 20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil
Sybils Telling Cosmic Jokes On Mankind, Framed Figurative Abstract Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Vintage 1960s original semi abstract oil painting, "Sybils Telling Cosmic Jokes On Mankind", by 20th century Denver modernist, Edward Marecak (1919-1993). Painted in bright colors of...
Category
1960s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil, Canvas
Paix
Located in ATLANTA, GA
Jean-François LARRIEU (1960) (France) is an artist born in 1960 The oldest auction result ever registered on the website for an artwork by this artist...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
The girl with a contrabass. 2013. Oil on canvas, 81x69 cm
Located in Riga, LV
The girl with a contrabass. 2013. Oil on canvas, 81x69 cm
ALEXANDER LOZOVOY/Александр Лозовой (1949)
Alexander Lozovoy remained in the 21st century as the only artist who was a direct disciple of Russian avant gard artists. His teacher was Barbara Bubnova (1886 - 1983), who worked and participated in exhibitions together with V. Kandinsky, K. Malevich, P. Filonov, A. Rodchenko and others. His father Nikolai Lozovoy (1901 - 1992) took classes from Filonov and Malevich in 1920s. In his paintings Lozovoy uses technique and secrets of the old Russian icon...
Category
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Seven Fires: geometric abstract painting of fire in yellow, red & orange
By Mat Tomezsko
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
Free shipping with code ART2021SHIP through December 2021! Mat Tomezko's latest series of mixed media paintings uses evocative materials and imagery of fire, flowers, food, newspaper...
Category
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Acrylic, Wood Panel
Siren I, Oil Painting
By Ryan Pickart
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A modernist portrait combining a realistic face and an abstract figure. Artist Ryan Pickart uses bold linework to explore how the mi...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil
Fauvist rose - original hand signed gouache painting, 1997
Located in Paris, FR
Michel Guignard
Fauvist rose, 1997
Original gouache painting
Hand signed and dated at the bottom left
Countersigned on the back
On red canson paper 65 x 50 cm (c. 25,5 x 19,6 inch)
...
Category
1990s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Gouache
Siren II, Oil Painting
By Ryan Pickart
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A modernist portrait combining a realistic face and an abstract figure. Artist Ryan Pickart uses negative space to explore how the m...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil
Simorgh Descending VI,
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Yari Ostovany is an American abstract artist of Iranian origins. He has lived in Tehran, Cologne, Los Angeles, San Francisco and in Reno. He is currently based in New York City. His ...
Category
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Cotton Canvas, Oil
"Symphete Musicale" Abstract
Located in Soquel, CA
Bold abstract in spray paint by Jean Simon Labret (French, 20th Century). This early example of spray paint art hints at the forthcoming street art scene in France, which began in th...
Category
1960s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Linen, Spray Paint
Camellia Totem 2
Located in New Orleans, LA
MARGARET EVANGELINE received her MFA from the University of New Orleans (UNO) in 1978, where she was the first woman to graduate from the program. Margaret studied with Calvin Harlan...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
ARLETTE MARTIN (b.1924) SUPERB FRENCH BURNT ORANGE ABSTRACT PAINTING - SIGNED
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
"Abstract Composition"
by Arlette Martin (French, b.1924)
signed lower corner
gouache painting mounted on card, unframed
mount: 6 x 7.5 inches
painting: 2.75 x 4.5 inches
Stunning ...
Category
Late 20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Gouache
ARLETTE MARTIN (b.1924) SUPERB FRENCH GEOMETRIC ABSTRACT PAINTING - 1979
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
"Abstract Design"
by Arlette Martin (French, b.1924)
signed and dated lower right hand-side,
painting mounted on card, unframed
painting: 2.75 x 6 inches
card: 6.5 x 12 inc...
Category
Late 20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Gouache
"Seriously!"
By James Lechay
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Signed lower right
Jim’s of Lambertville is proud to offer this artwork by:
Rex Ashlock (1918 – 1999)
Born in Spokane, Washington in 1918 Rex Ashlock was known for his abstract, f...
Category
20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Beach Walk" Red Figurative Hippy Painting
By Erik Sprohge
Located in Houston, TX
Red toned scene with figures lined up walking down the beach. The painting was done of hippies from the 1970's. It is framed in a wooden frame. It is signed by the artist and titled....
Category
1970s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Pensive in Red
By Robin Okun
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
As part of my typical process, I started this piece with layers of color without a clear subject in mind. When I found a photo my friend posted on social medi...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
"Abraxus" - Bay Area Abstract Expressionist
By Conrad Alvarez
Located in Soquel, CA
Compelling Abstract Expressionist oil painting titled "Abraxus" by San Francisco Bay area Abstract Expressionist Conrad Alvarez (American, 20th centu...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Abstract Beach Diptych
Located in Soquel, CA
Abstract surfer, Bay Area figurative school, by M. Prince (American, 20th c). Expressive and exciting with bright sun colors and standing su...
Category
1990s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
The Orange Dress
By Gary Leonard
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
This striking piece with its bright colors creates a floating feeling of grace. It has highly detailed areas contrasting the flowing bold loose strokes.
About the Artist
Through composition, color, texture and more, Gary Leonard celebrates beauty. His works start with the subject, but then he lets the work evolve into a more complex composition. Oftentimes, he enjoys merging figures with abstract images and varying textures. He hopes that his works will leave the viewer with a sense of warmth and peace. When he's not making art, he enjoys listening to music and learning how to play the piano.
The Orange Dress...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil
"La Cage Aux Fowls" - Surreal Figurative Abstract
By G. Lester
Located in Soquel, CA
"La Cage Aux Fowls" A tongue in cheek swipe at the artist and his muse, the nude and of course the chicken. An oil on canvas circa 1980, signed G. Lester of Ardsley, New York (Americ...
Category
1980s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Celebration
By Judith Berry
Located in Montreal, Quebec
I think of my paintings primarily as landscapes. Recently, these landscapes appear to be more manufactured than organic. At first glance the subjects seem to be monumental forms such...
Category
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
The Making of the Mountains
By Judith Berry
Located in Montreal, Quebec
I think of my paintings primarily as landscapes. Recently, these landscapes appear to be more manufactured than organic. At first glance the subjects seem to be monumental forms such...
Category
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
Some Thoughts
By Judith Berry
Located in Montreal, Quebec
I think of my paintings primarily as landscapes. Recently, these landscapes appear to be more manufactured than organic. At first glance the subjects seem to be monumental forms such...
Category
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
Morning Bath Abstract Expressionism
Located in Soquel, CA
Colorful abstract figurative of couple in the morning by Kristin Cohen (American, b. 1963). Wonderful texture adds depth and interest. A California abstract expressionist artist, Kri...
Category
1980s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil, Board
Hip Hole
By Emily Roz
Located in New York, NY
oil on wood panel
21" x 27"
Emily Roz is known for her (sometimes lurid) hyper-detailed oil paintings and drawings depicting scenes from nature. Her macroscopic paintings ...
Category
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
"Kinetic Icon: Mirrored" Abstract Geometrical Knot Painting Work on Paper Framed
Located in New York, NY
Wolfgang Leidhold is a prominent contemporary German painter, drawing upon mythological, geometric, religious, and historical themes to depict his whimsical vision of the world. Infl...
Category
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Paper, Ink, Oil, Acrylic
Forest River. Large Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting
Located in Brecon, Powys
A leading exponent of contemporary art in Europe, Paul Wadsworth utilises a palette of vibrant colours to achieve his signature paintings redolent of people and place. Expressionism ...
Category
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil
Large abstract oil painting - 52 x 64 in.
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This is a large, vibrant and bold piece of abstract expressionist oil painting on canvas. Exclusively available from Modern Art Etc, call to inquire to view. Subject to availability....
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Materials
Oil Pastel, Oil
Abstract figurative paintings for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Abstract figurative 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 figurative 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, purple, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Cindy Shaoul, Simon Richard Halimi, Frank Arnold, and Judith Berry. 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 Abstract figurative paintings, so small editions measuring 1 inches across are also available. Prices for figurative 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 $121 and tops out at $570,000, while the average work sells for $2,500.