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.
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Coffee, India Ink, Paper, Ink, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Mid-20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
Mid-20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Gouache
1990s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
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
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Masonite, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic Polymer, Vinyl
1990s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
"Simple gestures reveal much about a person's character," says artist Onelio Marrero. In this painting, Onelio has caught a moment that may seem mundane. The subject is seen tying a Windsor knot as he readies himself for the day ahead. "Each gesture in the context of the figure's surroundings hint at the character of a person." The man pictured here is the artist himself when he was in his early 40's.
About the Artist
Onelio Marrero paints city scenes of everyday life. In an impressionistic style he captures the romanticism of New York City, the picturesque fountains in Central Park and the wet city streets after a rainy afternoon. His use of warm tones creates a sense of nostalgia and the feeling that you have visited or seen this particular scene before. Onelio will often paint from direct observation, or he will work from a combination of photographs and combine numerous sources into one piece. In this way his work combines reality with fantasy, creating a new story with each painting. His work captures an appreciation for beauty in all of its greatest forms; nature, art, and people.
Words that describe this painting: groom, suit, figure, interior, curtain...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Ink
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
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
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Fabric, Acrylic
Artist Comments
A sunny market scene defined by an array of colorful abstract brushwork. "I spied a couple deciding if they should make a purchase," says artist Jerry Salinas...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Clay, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
"I was inspired by the music of Chopin and the marriage of textures juxtaposed with the figure," shares artist Ryan Pickart. A del...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Early 2000s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Fabric, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Fabric, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
Early 20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Laid Paper, Gouache
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Archival Paper
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1980s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Cardboard
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
Artist Comments
"Three figures stand quietly in space, as if frozen into a rich flowering of modern ornamentation," explains artist Diana Elena Chelaru. "The artwork delves i...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Coffee, Paint, Paper, Ink
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Archival Paper
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Archival Paper
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
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
1990s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Gouache
1990s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas, Cardboard
1970s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Board, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
Artist Comments
A modernist portrait combining a realistic face and an abstract figure. Artist Ryan Pickart uses bold linework to explore how the mi...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
"The inspiration for this painting came from a visit to the Rodin Museum in Paris," says artist Faye Vander Veer. "As a painter, I always get excited when I s...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
"Three geishas walk away from the viewer into a lantern strewn background with various prismatic shapes surrounding the figures," describes artist Mary Pratt....
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas