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
Paper, Ink
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
1960s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paint, Mixed Media, Board
1940s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Gouache
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
1980s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Pencil, Graphite
Artist Comments
A gentle touch, a delicate figure, a woman glows under a warm dappled ray of sunlight. "I especially enjoyed painting all of the beautiful colors in this scene," artist Sherri Aldawood says about capturing her model Alana, posing in a garden one spring morning.
About the Artist
Sherri Aldawood didn't intend to always paint flowers, but over time her love of gardens started to permeate her art. She focuses on the light and color of the flowers on the canvas. Sherri prefers alla prima, working with wet layers of paint instead of letting them dry. She keeps the paint as wet as possible by using walnut and clove oil to extend the drying time.
Words that describe this painting: portrait, woman, figure, figurative, Arizona, southwest, garden, nature, outdoors, spring, flowers, floral, John Singer Sargent, Joaquin Sorolla, impressionism, female, romantic, impressionism, people, oil painting, green
Alana in the Flower Garden...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
"This exciting composition features a flowing movement of bright warm colors," says artist Gary Leonard. "The dress brings an abstraction of colors that enhan...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Resin, Mixed Media, Oil, Wood Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Linen, Ink, Mixed Media, Graphite
1960s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Early 2000s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Wood, Oil
1980s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
1990s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Pastel, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1970s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Linen, Ink, Mixed Media, Graphite
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
A young girl sits at a park on a late summer's day in August, lost in a story of a compelling book. The strong afternoon sunlight highlights her hair and back. "I saw this girl sitting by the reflecting pool in Washington, DC", shares artist Faye Vander Veer. "I wanted the painting to be about her, so I obscured surrounding details and kept the brushwork loose. What was her story, what was she reading?”
About the Artist
Artist Faye Vander Veer seeks out moments with engaging narratives and captures them with an impressionist style. She describes herself as an observer of people living their day-to-day lives. Her goal is to offer viewers a look into her sensory memory while also prompting the beginning of a story. Faye always keeps her camera by her side, ready to capture reference material. "For me, each painting is an opportunity to explore my emotional reactions to the color and light I observe," says Faye. She enjoys being in her glass-walled studio surrounded by nature to inspire her creative process. When she is not putting paint on canvas, Faye can be found in nature, journaling or writing poetry. Her artwork has been showcased in both American Art Collector and Art of the West magazines.
Words that describe this painting: figure, figurative, female, woman, girl, impressionism, impressionist, water, book, Manet, Degas, people, park, book, hair, impressionism, people, oil painting, brown
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
Early 2000s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Oil, Spray Paint, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Oil, Spray Paint
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Oil
1960s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas
Early 2000s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
1980s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Early 2000s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Acrylic, Wood Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Gold Leaf
Mid-20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Masonite, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Wood, Lacquer




