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.
1950s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Board
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
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
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Digital
1980s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Monotype
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Birch, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Gary Leonard paints a portrait of a woman with apparel matching her ginger hair. The subject dons a peaceful and happy expression, veiled under the shade...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Charcoal
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Oil, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Board, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil Crayon, Watercolor
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Nava Lundy presents a portrait of a woman with her hair whipping in the wind with a strong sense of freedom. "This is a visual reminder to just breathe...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Wood
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Clay, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Clay, Acrylic
Artist Comments
The title of this painting expresses artist Onelio Marrero's observations of people sitting alone in restaurants and cafes. In this case, a woman waits against ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
1980s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Magazine Paper
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Panel, Fiberboard, Leather, Archival Paper
Artist Comments
Artist Gary Leonard presents a portrait of a woman in a tropical setting. He paints with an impressionist approach but leaves the background subtly abstract to ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Latex, Paper, Ink, Acrylic, Pigment
Artist Comments
In the style of impressionism, artist Benjamin Thomas displays a busy but relaxing scene of an outdoor concert. The audience sits on colorful chairs...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Wood Panel
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Latex, Paper, Ink, Acrylic, Pigment
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Archival Paper
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
India Ink, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Watercolor, Permanent Marker
Artist Comments
A quiet moment that artist Onelio Marrero captured of his wife, Lisette. Onelio planned the piece from sketches he did while they were on a trip. Onelio aims to...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Spray Paint, Acrylic, Paper
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
India Ink, Watercolor
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
India Ink, Watercolor, Charcoal
1990s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Pastel, Paper
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
1980s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Wood, Oil
1980s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Paper, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Gold Leaf
1980s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Cardboard, Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Gail Ragains portrays two gestural figures clad in swimwear on a hot summer day. The piece pays homage to the Bay Area figurative movement yet retains ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic