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, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
"A young woman in a polka dotted dress stands in waiting, dreaming of the night ahead," says Gena. Bold repeated strokes of pinks rhythmically move across the ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic, Panel
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
"This woman is expressing herself and asking for attention with her red gloves," says artist Diana Rosa. "I used black lines to define...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
1950s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Early 2000s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
Part of Naoko's signature series, Who Are These Angels. A diaphanous angel stands quietly in a deep blue landscape. The tonal quality of the painting accentua...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Mixed Media, Oil, Board
Artist Comments
A woman in a yellow dress runs barefoot through wildflowers alongside the ocean on a summer night. This ephemeral painting evokes the sensation of fleeting mo...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
This ethereal portrait of a woman represents a fleeting encounter that fades away. Rendered with soft light, the painting mimics the quality of a dream disapp...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Mixed Media, Oil, Board
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
Late 20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Gouache
Late 20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Gouache
Late 20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Gouache
Late 20th Century Abstract Figurative Paintings
Gouache
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, Wood Panel
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
Artist Comments
This painting is part of a series exploring coastal life and memories. It's all about summer, all year-round. Palm trees, beaches, green grass, evening walks,...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
"This painting is the first in a new series exploring coastal life and memories," says Marie-Eve. "It's all about summer, all year-round. Palm trees, beaches,...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Charcoal, Oil, Canvas
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Charcoal, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Charcoal, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Charcoal, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas, Charcoal
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Charcoal, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Charcoal, Oil, Canvas
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Charcoal, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
As part of my typical process, I started this piece with layers of color without a clear subject in mind. When I found a photo my friend posted on social medi...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil, Canvas
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Artist Comments
I was striving to paint a figure on a highly textured surface. I really like the variation in mark making and the glow of her hair against the darkness. This...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Figurative Paintings
Canvas, Oil