Abstract Interior 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 Interior Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Ink, Acrylic, Cardboard
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Metal
1970s Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Tempera
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Faye Vander Veer depicts a warm summer day in the city of Vernazza, located in the Cinque Terre region of Italy. Crowds...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Paper, Pencil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Suren Nersisyan depicts the romantic cityscape of Paris. "I love the bridges of this city connecting the banks of the Seine river," shares Suren. He ca...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Acrylic, Panel
1970s Abstract Interior Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Wood, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Artist Comments
The Smithsonian Castle in Washington, DC on a bright summer afternoon. The brilliant green lawn and trees in the foreground ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
Evening in an italian town. The title "Passeggiata" refers to a leisurely stroll often taken after dinner where friends meet up on the street. Dramatic lighti...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Onelio Marrero depicts a mother and her child dropping coins into a fountain for good luck. The quiet moment is painted in brilliant morning light with dappled shadows in the foreground. Behind them lies a verdant backdrop of foliage around a stone church and a view of the distant city beyond. Onelio's rich textures and detailed brushwork greatly enhances the piece. "The separating line between the church and the fountain reminds us of the demarcation between faith and luck," says Onelio.
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: fountain, church, plaza, spring, stonework, architecture...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Varnish, Mixed Media, Pigment, Other Medium
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Acrylic, Panel
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Marble, Sandstone
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Catherine McCargar paints a classic white house perched on top of a hill. Lush greenery circles the delightful scene. She depicts serene surroundings r...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Onelio lives near Manhattan and travels there often. Grand Central Station is one of his frequent stops. "It is a marvelous interior space that bustles with c...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
While visiting Paris a few years ago, Faye was inspired by the way the late afternoon sunlight cast its long shadows across this busy street corner. "The warm...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
An open porch welcomes the morning breeze and the warm sunrise. Artist Onelio Marrero recreates the setting from a bed and breakfast inn called "Angel of The Sea" in Cape May...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
Inspired by English artist Keith Vaughan’s landscapes, this artwork reimagines a house with simplified colors and textures. While it doesn't follow cubism i...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Acrylic
1960s Abstract Interior Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
I spent time in beautiful Provence this summer. Its serene countryside, ancient villages, and the glorious booming lavender fields all inspired this painting....
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Enamel
Artist Comments
"The winter season highlights the houses and farms by accenting everything with snow," says artist Brian McCarty. Amongst the crisp winter landscape, a three-story barn stands prominently. A trail makes its way towards the edge of the structure's door and continues to carve its path to an unseen destination. "The reds on country barns become that much more colorful when surrounded by snow."
About the Artist
Words that describe this painting: country, country life, farm, farmhouse, rural, barn, building, architecture, windows, door, winter, snow, trees...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
A scene from heritage dairy and traditional crop farms located north of Frederick, Maryland. Artist Doug Cosbie painted the structures in oil, based on a plei...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Oil Crayon, Oil Pastel, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Marble
1960s Abstract Interior Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Acrylic Polymer, Acrylic, Panel
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Spray Paint, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Sandstone
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Charcoal, Acrylic, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Oil, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Marble
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Canvas, Linen, Oil
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Varnish, Mixed Media, Pigment, Other Medium
2010s Abstract Interior Paintings
Spray Paint, Acrylic