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.
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Latex, Paper, Ink, Acrylic, Pigment
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic, Spray Paint, Permanent Marker
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Latex, Paper, Ink, Acrylic, Pigment
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Wood Panel
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Watercolor, Permanent Marker
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
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
India Ink, Watercolor
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
India Ink, Watercolor, Charcoal
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
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Watercolor, Mylar
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Oil, Acrylic
1980s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Paper, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Glass, Oil, Board
1990s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Tempera, Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1960s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
1980s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Wood, Oil
1950s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1970s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
"This painting of an outdoor cafe in Paris is so full of life, you can almost hear the people engaged in conversation," says Faye Vander Veer. "From the waiter in the foreground to the waiter standing in the doorway, you can feel the energy." Through her loose brushwork and sense of perspective, Faye draws you into the painting so you too can experience a sunny April in Paris...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Engraving
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Oil, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Late 20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Paper, Magazine Paper
1950s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, India Ink, Casein
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Handmade Paper, Permanent Marker
Artist Comments
Gary Leonard draws inspiration from a daydreaming woman by the beach. The sun envelopes her in warmth evoking a feeling of peace and relaxation that only this p...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Pastel, Oil, Acrylic, ABS
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paste, Wax, Oil
1960s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Masonite
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
A puddle reflects a pensive scene of the city in artist Andres Lopez's impressionist piece. Pedestrians walk past in opposite directions appearing to be absorbed in thought. "Sometimes it is necessary to return to a place or a memory or some experience to learn or maybe just to relive it," says Andres. He uses reference photos he took in the city to realize the work and conceptualizes the desired message.
About the Artist
Andres Lopez was born in the old Cuban town of Santa Clara. As a child, he developed a deep love for the beauty of the countryside and the exquisite architecture of his hometown. He participated in drawing contests at the tender age of nine where landscapes were always his favorite theme. In his early twenties, Andres made his way to Florida, bringing only his worn-out brushes and a great dream. Immediately captivated by the beauty of the Everglades, his works display the close relationship between humanity and the natural world around us.
Words that describe this painting: city, reflection, conceptual, urban scape...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic, Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Andres Lopez shares a view of two figures by the shade of the trees in loose painterly strokes. A simple moment of peace for two people who walk near the water. "It is almost like a dream...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
A young boy and his dog walk along the a sunny shore in artist Sally Adams's tranquil piece. "Lake Michigan is a beautiful but very c...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Mary Pratt paints an impressionist image of a geisha dressed in a bold striped kimono. The subject leaves her arm outstretched as a tiny bluebird perches on her left hand. An enthralling atmosphere of red surrounded by turquoise engulfs the fanciful background. "Painting the geisha is inspiring to me. The mystery is her allure," says Mary.
About the Artist
Mary Pratt, a Georgia-based artist, is known for her impressionistic yet modern oil paintings that capture the world with a jovial poise. Her soft, ethereal palette is complemented by the occasional bright pop of color. The artist’s aesthetic choices are intuitive rather than premeditated. Through her gestural brushstrokes, Mary’s paintings summon a joyful, even childlike, emotional response. Her style is nuanced by a range of inspirations, including scenery from the state of Georgia...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
Artist Comments
Nestled in a pattern of an abstract floral bed, a woman walks through the garden with a bird perched on her hand. Artist Mary Pratt di...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil