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
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
"This bold portrait of two young women evokes both confidence and the unbreakable bond that two sisters share," says artist Malia Pettit...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
A delicate portrait of a young woman by artist Jerry Salinas. With bold painterly strokes, Jerry combines a neutral abstraction wit...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
1980s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
1980s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Board
1980s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil Crayon, Spray Paint, Screen, Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Charcoal, Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Charcoal, Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Late 20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Gouache
1980s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Board
1970s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Masonite
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Early 2000s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1960s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Board
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Charcoal, Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Sharon Sieben presents an expressive portrait of a woman in warm tones of red, maroon, beige, and ochre. With her eyes closed and head tilted forward, sh...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
1980s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Charcoal, Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Late 20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Wood, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Charcoal, Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1960s Abstract Figurative Paintings
India Ink, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Charcoal
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Board, Oil
1960s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Mixed Media, Illustration Board, Pencil
Artist Comments
"This painting is one in a series that explores the bustle of backstage dance recital preparations," states artist Onelio Marrero. He paints a captivating image...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Early 2000s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic, Cardboard
1990s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Cardboard
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Charcoal, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Pencil, Paper
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Early 2000s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Ink, Pen
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Charcoal, Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Using a light and soft palette, artist Mary Pratt paints a figure in a buoyant tulle dress surrounded by contrasting geometric shapes. With a pink rose in her hand, and a palm delicately placed under her chin, the woman exudes elegance heightened by her graceful manner. "I portrayed a scene where the levitating objects create action in an otherwise restful place."
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. The personal edge that Mary brings to each painting alters and enhances recognizable subject matter, cultivating an imaginative visual experience.
Words that describe this painting: figure, figurative, contemporary, woman, people, dress, fashion, gentle, flower, soft, pastel, impressionism, oilpaint, impressionism, people, oil painting, pink
Seated In Perpetual Motion...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas, Pigment
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Archival Paper
1990s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Early 2000s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Ink, Pen
1990s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
1980s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
1980s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
A defined portrait of a man in painterly strokes by artist Sharon Sieben. His gaze holds profound contemplation with creased brows low on his forehead. "He is d...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic