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
Paper, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Ink, Oil, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Pencil
Late 20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
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...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Wood, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Board
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
Late 20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Pastel
Late 20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Pastel
1950s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Gold Leaf
20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
Late 20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Pastel
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Linen, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Linen, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Enamel
Late 20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
Early 20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Gouache, Laid Paper
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Linen, Oil
Mid-20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Gold Leaf
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Board
Early 2000s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Ink, Acrylic, Pen, Watercolor, Pencil
1990s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Gouache
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Gold Leaf
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Linen, Dye, Ink
Mid-20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Watercolor, Pencil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
1980s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Watercolor
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Sherri posed her model, Bridget, in her backyard garden just as the sun was setting to capture the dramatic backlighting. Golden light silhouettes the figure and works with the shaded areas to build three dimensionality. A timeless and gentle portrait in the warm Arizona light.
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: woman, female, feminine, light, evening, garden, impressionistic, figure, figurative, person, people, Sargent, Sorolla, impressionism, people, representational, oil painting, green
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Panel
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Panel
Artist Comments
Abstract patterns adorn a seated woman in a contemplative silence. The contrast between the figure's bold colors and the serene pale pastel backdrop creates a...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Giclée
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil