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.
Mid-20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
1950s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Late 20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
1980s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Mixed Media, Oil, Paper
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1970s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Clay, Acrylic
1980s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Oil
1990s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Late 20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Jerry Salinas created this impressionist scene after teaching a painting class in Florence, Italy. "I was amused by these tourists who were tired from a long day of touring," he says with a smile. Jerry applied the paint with a brush, spatula and palette knife, "the way the workman who built the city may have created the walls and streets - thick and colorful."
About the Artist
Artist Jerry Salinas paints light-filled impressionist portraits of travelers in Europe who are enjoying art, food and culture. Jerry studied illustration and painting at the American Academy of Art in Chicago. After graduation, he went to work as a commercial illustrator for several advertising agencies, which he credits as keeping him in fine art. In the early 2000s, Jerry made a fortuitous move from Chicago to Phoenix. With the help and encouragement of his wife, he transitioned to a career as a full-time painter. Today Jerry works from a bright studio space with surrounding views of Phoenix Mountains Preserve. “You’re welcome to visit, but you may have to sit for a portrait,” he says with a smile. Jerry’s artwork has been exhibited at the Museum of the West in Scottsdale and in gallery shows throughout the United States with the Oil Painters of America and the American Impressionist Society. When he’s not working, Jerry and his wife run a medical mission that brings doctors, nurses and volunteers to northern Mexico.
Words that describe this painting: impressionist, Florence, Italy, cafe, tourists, romance, sunny, Europe, travel, couple, table, seated, drinks, cuisine, summer, waiter, impressionism, people, travel, cuisine, representational, oil painting, yellow
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
A couple engages in deep conversation over a glass of wine at a Parisian street cafe. "The light is what first caught my eye," says artist Faye Vander Veer...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
"This bold and colorful artwork shows a woman full of color and a wild afro," says artist Asha Hanna. "The piece was created based o...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
1990s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media, Oil
Mid-20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Gouache
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Fabric
1970s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Board, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Archival Paper, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Archival Paper
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
"The universe has its plan for you," says artist Mitch Davis-Mann. "You are at its mercy, just like a ship is to the sea. This piece depicts a woman falling...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Paper, Oil
1990s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Cardboard
Artist Comments
In this painting, artist Onelio Marrero endeavored to convey the atmosphere of al fresco dining. Onelio often paints scenes of people in restaurant settings w...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
1970s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Masonite
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Fabric, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
"This painting captures my passion for color and music," shares artist Robin Okun. Using expressive blues and a pop of gold, Robin employs pattern and simplicit...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
A flowing, expressionist portrait of woman lost in dance and embracing the promise of a new day. "I created this painting as 2020 drew to a close and 2021 daw...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Giclée
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Watercolor, Ink
Artist Comments
An expressionist portrait of a woman set in a deep tonal space. Her features are kept anonymous as she moves forward toward the cool, clear light. The piece i...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
1930s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic Polymer, Vinyl
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Clay
Artist Comments
"That wonderful day of no work, but you may not want to sleep in so you don't miss the farmers market," says artist Jerry Salinas...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
1990s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Asphaltum, Found Objects, Acrylic, Panel, Wood Panel, Magazine Paper, Ne...
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Silver