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.
Formes en suspens— Contemporary Geometric Abstract Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Formes en suspens by Sophie Dumont is a contemporary abstract oil painting on canvas measuring 89 x 116 cm. The work is presented in a black floater frame. This large-scale compositi...
Canvas, Oil
$14,244
Couleurs en équilibre -Abstract oil painting, stylized bookshelf with warm tones
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Sophie Dumont (b. 1964, Paris) French contemporary painter Sophie Dumont has developed a distinctive body of work over the past two decades, exploring the intersection of memory, str...
Oil
Architecture of Colors, Contemporary Large Abstract Oil Painting, 42x42 in
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Architecture of Colors This work is part of Sophie Dumont’s recent Architectural Abstractions series, an ongoing body of work exploring constructed space through layered oil painting...
Canvas, Oil
Frozen Dreams - Large Colorful Impasto Abstract Painting: 120x100cm
Located in Zofingen, AG
Artist: Alex Senchenko Title: " Frozen Dreams " Size: Large 120cm x 100cm Depth: 4cm Deep. Medium: Professional Acrylics on Gallery- Wrapped Canvas Ready to Hang: Sides are pain...
Oil, Acrylic
I Let Myself Bloom
Located in Zofingen, AG
shipped rolled in a tube. I Let Myself Bloom from the series Inner Landscapes This work is part of the Inner Landscapes series, where landscape becomes a reflection of an inner stat...
Canvas, Acrylic
$3,549
Articulation Point, Modern Abstract painting, Geometric, Original Oil on Canvas
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Oil on canvas, 60 x 60 cm (23.6 x 23.6 in) Framed: 67 x 67 cm (26.4 x 26.4 in) Signed lower right Framed in a black or natural wood floater frame (your choice) Certificate of authen...
Oil
Encounters at Dawn, Contemporary Abstract Oil Painting on Canvas, free shipping
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
"Encounters at Dawn" – Contemporary Abstract Painting on Canvas in Violet Tones with Figuration is an abstract oil painting that explores color field and abstract expressionism. The ...
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
The Air Feels New
Located in Zofingen, AG
shipped rolled in a tube. The Air Feels New from the series “Inner Landscapes” This painting is part of the Inner Landscapes series, where landscape becomes a reflection of memory, ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$511Sale Price|30% Off
Abstract Color Field Composition, Oil on Canvas, 78x61 cm, Signed
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
Abstract Composition with Color Fields is an original oil painting on canvas by Colombian artist Luis Xiua, created in his studio in Bogotá. The work explores the relationship betwee...
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$4,748
Dialogue of Forms — Contemporary Geometric Abstract Oil Painting, Sophie Dumont
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
French contemporary artist Sophie Dumont presents in Dialogue of Forms a refined geometric abstraction structured through a delicate balance of curved forms, architectural lines, and...
Oil
Axe Intérieur, Large Abstract Oil Painting, Signed, 2026, Textured
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Framed in black or light wood (collector's choice) Inner Axis (Axe intérieur) is a masterful work by contemporary French artist Sophie Dumont, exploring the delicate tension between ...
Oil
$562Sale Price|25% Off
Message of Eternity Abstract Painting, 2010s, New, 77x61 cm
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
Painting with a composition of overlapping planes and figures. The scene presents a space constructed through geometric and organic forms in relationships of crossing and continuity....
Canvas, Oil
$8,736
Eroded horizon- Large Abstract Painting – Landscape –Contemporary, French art
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
This original oil painting by Sophie Dumont, a French contemporary painter, reflects her distinctive approach to landscape through abstraction, structure, and material depth. Born i...
Canvas, Oil
$1,709Sale Price|20% Off
Warm Evening. Semi-abstract floral painting, warm color, large, horizontal
Located in Oslo, NO
What we see here is not an ordinary floral landscape, but a state of time, that brief moment between day and night, when the air still retains warmth, but the light has already becom...
Acrylic, Canvas
Blue convergence, Abstract oil paint, Expressionism, Contemporary art
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Oil on canvas, 2026 40 x 40 cm (15.7 x 15.7 in) Framed dimensions: 47 x 47 cm (18.5 x 18.5 in) 3 differents colors (collerctor's choice) Available with a brown or black or light wood...
Oil
Bold Contemporary - Abstract Painting, Colorful Texture, Large, Dream
By Karnish Art
Located in Pretoria, Gauteng
Title: Interconnected Dream Bold Abstract Contemporary Colorful Masculine Investment Red Yellow Grey Blue Orange Texture Detail This series expresses our unity and our interconnect...
Pastel, Oil, Acrylic, Pencil, Color Pencil, Gesso, Canvas, Stretcher Bars
Palette 6 - Huge Large XXXL Abstract Colorful Painting Signed 2026
Located in Zofingen, AG
FREE SHIPPING - This artwork is shipping UNMOUNTED and ROLLED UP in a tube and you can stretch it very easy to your local framer. In this very beautiful large colorful, bold, vivid a...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,424
Partition coloree, Abstract Library, oil paint, Expressionism, Contemporary art
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Partition colorée Oil on canvas, 2026 Unframed: 40 x 40 cm (15.7 x 15.7 in) Framed: 47 x 47 cm (18.5 x 18.5 in) Floater frame available in natural wood or oak or black Signed lower ...
Oil
$4,748
Concerto cubiste — Contemporary Geometric Abstract Oil Painting, Sophie Dumont
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Concerto Cubiste Oil on canvas 65 x 81 cm (25.6 x 31.9 in) Framed dimensions: 72 x 88 cm (28.3 x 34.6 in) 2026 Black floating frame included In this contemporary geometric compositi...
Oil
Rythmes croisés — Contemporary Geometric Abstract Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
This oil on canvas by Sophie Dumont presents a structured composition where curved forms and vertical elements intersect in a finely balanced architectural space. Built through succ...
Canvas, Oil
A Place That Knows Me
Located in Zofingen, AG
shipped rolled in a tube. A Place That Knows Me from the series “Inner Landscapes” This painting is part of the Inner Landscapes series — a body of work where landscape becomes a re...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,869Sale Price|20% Off
Abstract 2558
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this piece, I poured my emotions into a dance of textures and soft hues. The creamy creams, gentle pinks, and calming blues blend with unexpected bursts of black to evoke a serene...
Oil, Acrylic
$1,709Sale Price|20% Off
Contemporary large abstract expressionist nature painting canvas "Floral breath"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
“Floral Breath” is a vibrant contemporary abstract floral painting by French artist Natalya Mougenot, celebrating spring renewal through expressive brushwork and luminous color field...
Acrylic, Canvas
$1,924Sale Price|20% Off
ABSTRACT 2565
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this piece, I poured vibrant emotion into layers of soft pastels, letting acrylics dance freely across the canvas. The swirling pinks, yellows, and blues express an uplifting ener...
Oil, Acrylic
The Sound of Metamorphosis: Abstract Painting in Oil and Acrylic, 100x120 cm
Located in Zofingen, AG
A grand-scale lyrical abstraction that captures the invisible bridge between sight and sound. In this 100x120 cm masterpiece, the fluttering grace of butterflies merges with the rhyt...
Oil, Acrylic
Where Water Holds the Evening
Located in Zofingen, AG
Where Water Holds the Evening From the series Inner Landscapes There are evenings by the water you never quite let go of. Where Water Holds the Evening is painted from exactly that ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$3,442
l'Atelier en suspens, Abstract, Textured, Geometric, Contemporary, French art
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
In The Studio in Suspension, Sophie Dumont reimagines the atmosphere of a working artist’s studio, where canvases, color fields, and subtle objects appear to hover in a poised, quiet...
Oil
Energetic Essence. Abstract square painting in the wood gold frame
Located in Zofingen, AG
-The painting was created alongside my tropical series and does not depict a specific scene, but rather abstract forms and shades of nature. Contemplating these natural motifs always...
Canvas, Acrylic
$536Sale Price|20% Off
Green Happy Life Abstract Painting, Mixed Media on Canvas, 60x75 cm
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
"Green happy life" is an abstract painting distinguished by its texture and interwoven layers of color. Green tones predominate, complemented by flashes of blue, red, and green. It f...
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
School of Fish, Baitball, Oil on Canvas, 90x90 cm
Located in Zofingen, AG
This dynamic 90 × 90 cm original oil painting captures the mesmerizing energy of a sardine bait ball, inspired by the world-renowned Sardine Run along the wild coastline of South Afr...
Canvas, Oil, Cotton Canvas
$1,068
Framed painting "Light Field I" with flowers roses on large linen canvas
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Light Field I” examines the relationship between structured form and atmospheric color fields. Branches intersect softly diffused areas of color, moving through zones of warm light...
Canvas, Linen, Spray Paint, Acrylic
$2,089Sale Price|20% Off
Abstract 2544
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this piece, I poured my emotions through bold acrylic strokes, capturing the interplay of light and shadow with soft pastels and deep blues. The textured layers express a dynamic ...
Oil, Acrylic
$845Sale Price|20% Off
Complementary Patterns 8, Large Abstract Painting, Acrylic on Canvas 2025
Located in Zofingen, AG
In crafting this piece, I poured my soul into an exuberant celebration of color and monochromy, using the brushes and palette knife's bold strokes to invite a dance of joy and freedo...
Acrylic
$1,781Sale Price|20% Off
Abstract 2446
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this vibrant creation, I've layered acrylics to evoke a sense of dynamic motion and emotional depth. The bold streaks and delicate drips represent the perpetual dance between chao...
Acrylic
$332Sale Price|20% Off
Small abstract expressive nature painting wood frame "Vibrant essence of spring"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This contemporary abstract expressive nature painting, created by French artist Natalya Mougenot, bursts with color and emotion. Titled "The Vibrant Essence of Spring", it captures ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,424
Cadence des livres, Abstract Library, oil paint, Expressionism, Contemporary art
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Cadence des Livres Oil on canvas, 2026 Unframed: 40 x 40 cm (15.7 x 15.7 in) Framed: 47 x 47 cm (18.5 x 18.5 in) Floater frame available in black or natural wood Signed lower right ...
Oil
Forgotten melody 150x200cm, Extra Large Abstract Violet Painting Interior Design
Located in Zofingen, AG
This extra-large artwork is made with acrylic on canvas. UV protection varnish. Inspired by the Very Peri color and abstract elements with fantasy lettering. The artwork and the com...
Canvas, Acrylic, Permanent Marker
$1,759Sale Price|20% Off
Abstract 2273
Located in Zofingen, AG
Abstract 2273 - painting is a powerful vision of Love’s vibration, Compassion’s strength, and Hope’s vitality. Woosh away your worries! Feel the exhilarating and mighty presence of W...
Acrylic
High-Rise, Abstract Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
This abstract composition features blocks and shapes in shades of blue, teal, gray, black, and white, forming a towering, building-like structure. A light blue ...
Acrylic
$1,649Sale Price|20% Off
Abstract 2561
Located in Zofingen, AG
This piece is a celebration of contrasts—the intense dance between light and shadow, order and chaos. Using acrylic, I layered textured strokes and splashes of gold to evoke emotion ...
Oil, Acrylic
"Wabi-Sabi Fragments" colorful impressionistic art with flowers on linen canvas
Located in Zofingen, AG
In Japanese aesthetic philosophy, wabi-sabi names a quiet truth: that beauty does not live in perfection, but in impermanence. In what is incomplete, asymmetrical, fleeting. In the m...
Canvas, Linen, Spray Paint, Acrylic
$2,468Sale Price|20% Off
"Floral Landscape" very large diptych on linen, colorful impressionistic art
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Look at the flowers. It is simply unbelievable how happy flowers are." - Osho „Floral Landscape“ is a captivating diptych with two parts, each measuring 80x80x2 cm/31,5x31,5x0,8 in...
Spray Paint, Canvas, Acrylic
$8,902
Geometric Resonance — Contemporary Geometric Abstract Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
French contemporary artist Sophie Dumont presents in Geometric Resonance a refined geometric abstraction structured through a subtle dialogue between curved forms, architectural line...
Canvas, Oil
Vintage American Modernist Abstract Expressionist Framed MCM Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American modernist abstract oil painting. Oil on board. Signed. Framed. Provenance from a Sag Harbor, NY collection. Measuring: 15 by 19 inches overall. Handsomely framed in...
Oil
Untitled 01 - Contemporary, Abstract Painting, White, Monochrome, Organic
Located in Baden-Baden, DE
Untitled 01, 2017 Mixed media: white oil painting, adhesive on canvas (Signed on reverse) 46.85 H x 39.37 W in. 119 H x 100 W cm Zsolt Berszán treats the first layer of the drawing ...
Canvas, Adhesive, Oil
Large Impressive American Abstract Expressionist Modern Interior Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American modernist abstract interior scene oil painting. Oil on canvas. Framed. Signed and titled verso, "Bertoia Chair". Handsomely framed in a period molding. Excellent ...
Canvas, Oil
$3,628Sale Price|20% Off
Abstract 2288
Located in Zofingen, AG
There’s something ethereal, almost magical, about contemporary paintings. The incredible Expressionism bleeds through the canvas, transforming any room into an entirely new experienc...
Acrylic
New York Misses You Too, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
"The source of inspiration for this painting came as I was walking in Manhattan in the rain," says artist Onelio Marrero. "This street is based on 8th Avenue ...
Oil
"Easter Lily & Spring Dancers" - Figurative Floral Abstract
Located in Soquel, CA
Vivid Berkeley school figurative abstract titled "Easter Lily and Spring Dancers" by Patricia Gren Hayes (American, 20th Century), 1976 with wash and varnish added 1983. Signed "Gren Hayes", titled and dated "1976 washes, 1983 washes/demo" on verso. Presented in a new bronze colored frame. Image size: 23.5"H x 29.5"W. Bay Area Figurative / Bay Area Feminist Art Movement artist, Patricia Gren-Hayes, studied at Winnipeg Public Art School in 1950. She received early recognition in Museum and Gallery competitions and exhibitions and was awarded a Special Education in Art recognition by the Winnipeg Museum of Fine Art, and was awarded a scholarship to the Banff College of Fine Art. Further studies were at The University of Manitoba. She was a Member of Winnipeg Free Press Sketch Club and was a Cartoonist and paste-up for a French-English bi-weekly, in Eastern Canada; She studied outdoor impressionism in New York in 1960; in 1962, attended The California College of Arts and Crafts, and in 1976 B.A., U.C. Berkeley where she studied under Elmer Bischoff, David Simpson, Joan Brown, Felix Ruvolo, Yolanda Lopez and Vincent Perez...
Canvas, Oil
$593
Sakura at sunrise //abstrakt floristics oil painting / moody art / good vibes
Located in Zofingen, AG
This painting captures the beauty of the awakening of nature. The touches of the oil palette embody the bright dance of the first rays of dawn, embracing delicate flowers. Thr...
Oil
$2,089Sale Price|20% Off
Abstract 2297
Located in Zofingen, AG
This high quality acrylic painting is done on gallery wrapped canvas, with no need for framing, as the edges are painted. You will receive it "ready to hang", with a hook on the back...
Acrylic
$14,244
Constructed Memory-Abstract oil painting, stylized bookshelf with warm tones
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Sophie Dumont (b. 1964, Paris) French contemporary painter Sophie Dumont has developed a distinctive body of work over the past two decades, exploring the intersection of memory, str...
Oil
Petals in Light - original impressionistic floral art on linen canvas
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Look at a tree, a flower, a plant. Let your awareness rest upon it. How still they are, how deeply rooted in Being. Allow nature to teach you stillness." — Eckhart Tolle Dimensions...
Canvas, Linen, Spray Paint, Acrylic
The Emerald Archipelago by Frédérique Domergue - Contemporary abstract painting
Located in Paris, FR
The Emerald Archipelago is a unique painting by French contemporary artist Frédérique Domergue. This painting is made with oxidized bronze leaves on aluminium panel, patina fixed wit...
Bronze
The Energy Within Nature. Abstract square painting in the wood gold frame
Located in Zofingen, AG
-The painting was created alongside my tropical series and does not depict a specific scene, but rather abstract forms and shades of nature. Contemplating these natural motifs always...
Canvas, Acrylic
Vintage American Modernist Abstract Expressionist Large Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American modernist abstract oil painting. Oil on canvas. Provenance from a Sag Harbor, NY collection. Measuring: 24 by 36 inches overall. Excellent condition, ready to hang ...
Oil, Canvas
$1,424
"Garden of Light" impressionistic painting, colorful flowers on linen canvas
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Look at the flowers. It is simply unbelievable how happy flowers are.” — Osho Garden of Light is a contemporary floral painting inspired by the energy of nature. Slender branches m...
Canvas, Linen, Spray Paint, Acrylic
Paris, River Seine, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
"The artwork is from my cityscapes of Paris," shares artist Suren Nersisyan. "I love the bridges of this city connecting the banks of the Seine river. The sof...
Oil
$1,594Sale Price|20% Off
Details about LARGE 1970'S FRENCH MODERNIST SIGNED OIL - BRIGHT & COLORFUL INT
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: French School, signed lower left, circa 1970's Title: The Interior. Medium: oil painting, on canvas, framed. Size: frame: 25 x 41inches painting: 23.5 x...
Canvas, Oil
$2,199Sale Price|20% Off
Abstract 2437
Located in Zofingen, AG
In creating this piece, I harnessed the vibrant chaos and serenity of nature's own contrasts. Using acrylics allowed me to layer and texturize, enveloping the canvas in a dance of sh...
Acrylic