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, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
Early 2000s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1980s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Faye Vander Veer paints a fine summer day in Tuscany. Figures emerge onto a sunlit alley making their way about the city....
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Archival Paper
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Gold Leaf
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Linen, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Plywood, Oil, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Gary Leonard portrays a compelling figure of a woman with alluring red hair and a striking side profile. With her hands on her waist, she tilts her chin up in poised confidence. Gary captures her emotion with combined styles of realism and expressionism. The dark background creates a dramatic contrast and emphasizes the tonal palette making it appear to be three-dimensional. Pops of vibrant colors in teal, red, yellow, purple, and blue add points of interest and a dash of whimsy.
About the Artist
Through composition, color, texture and more, Gary Leonard celebrates beauty. His works start with the subject, but then he lets the work evolve into a more complex composition. Oftentimes, he enjoys merging figures with abstract images and varying textures. He hopes that his works will leave the viewer with a sense of warmth and peace. When he's not making art, he enjoys listening to music and learning how to play the piano.
Words that describe this painting: figurative, whimsical, oilpaint, realism, figurative, woman, people, hair, expressionism, fashion, vertical, expressionism, people, oil painting, black
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Paper, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Linen, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Archival Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Late 20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Board
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Graphite, Acrylic, Archival Paper
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
A poignant image of a young woman lying in bed by artist Onelio Marrero. She is clothed in white laying on a plush bed looking wistfull...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Board
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1980s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Mid-20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
"Bright sun, hot sand, ocean breezes, and lots of people enjoying themselves at the beach," artist John Jaster says of this inviting scene. Capturing the play...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
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
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Linen, Oil, Graphite
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
1960s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
Artist Comments
"This painting depicts a typical sunny afternoon in Paris," shares artist Faye Vander Veer. "The long shadows coming in from the...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Linen, Oil, Felt Pen
20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
Mid-20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Board
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Linen, Oil, Graphite
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Panel, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil Pastel, Oil, Acrylic, Watercolor, Gouache
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Archival Paper
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Mixed Media, Paper, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Panel
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Linen, Oil
20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1950s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1960s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Gouache, Archival Paper
Artist Comments
"This painting was inspired by a feeling—a rekindling of the soul," says artist Pamela Blaies. "Using color temperature, I wanted to create the impression o...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil