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Abstract Portrait Paintings

ABSTRACT STYLE

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.

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Style: Abstract
Color:  Black
"DAY OFF" Abstract Oil Painting 36" x 30" inch by Carlos Delgado
Located in Culver City, CA
"DAY OFF" Abstract Oil Painting 36" x 30" inch by Carlos Delgado ABOUT: Carlos Delgado is a Colombian artist with international recognition living be...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Queen - original cubist abstract expressionist bold graphic artwork modern
Located in London, Chelsea
Contemporary painter Borja Guijarro renders a dynamic still life in a cubist style. Bold and graphic in composition, this piece includes captivating subject matter, presented in a un...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Vulcanologist - 21st Century Abstract Contemporary Painting
Located in Vienna, AT
Vulcanologist - 21st Century Abstract Contemporary Painting Astrid Rausch was born 1975 in Innsbruck/Austria. She studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna (Prof. Walter O...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas

One Queen (17), Royal Art, Contemporary Queen Elizabeth II Art, Digital Painting
Located in Deddington, GB
One Queen (17) is an Original on Canvas by Agent. ’One Queen (17)depicts silhouette of the Queen. Agent X digital artworks available with Wychwood Art online and in our gallery. Agent X creates the illusion of a cut-out to reveal a Baroque, floral painting underneath. With its bold composition of the antique with the contemporary, the artwork is a powerful transference of street to Canvas. Agent X, cultural explorer and agent of the unknown, creates experimental, multimedia collages, paintings, and 2D artwork. Described as ‘Pop Art with thought,’ Agent X juxtaposes pop culture, technology, fashion, and music in visually complex amalgamations expressing the anxieties of the global, post-modern world and the dark side of consumerist, media-obsessed culture. His work occupies a unique intersection between the aesthetics and philosophy of Futurism, the social critique of the Dada movement...
Category

2010s Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Digital

Prayer
Located in Aberdeen Dyce, GB
Prayer for peace in Ukraine
Category

2010s Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Gewitter. Mixed media fashion portrait on a Black and white photography
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Gewitter, 2022 by Hunter & Gatti Acrylic and scratch on fine art metallic paper with a pearlescent coating Image size: 20.8 in H x 15.7 in W Unframed The “visible” spectrum, probabl...
Category

2010s Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Archival Paper, Acrylic

FEMALE PORTRAIT - Giacomo Moretti - Italian Oil on Canvas Painting
Located in Napoli, IT
Female Portrait - Giacomo Moretti Oil on Canvas Painting signed lower right, Italy White lacquered wooden frame
Category

Late 20th Century Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

HUMAN ATMOSPHERE 7 - contemporary artwork, oil on canvas
Located in London, GB
In this exhibition, British painter Michael Pemberton (b. 1974) suggests we each have a personal HUMAN ATMOSPHERE. An ether where we truly exist, unseen by the naked eye but as real ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Laßt Blumen sprechen. Mixed media fashion portrait photograph
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Laßt Blumen sprechen, 2022 by Hunter & Gatti Acrylic and scratch on fine art metallic paper with a pearlescent coating Image size: 20.8 in H x 15.7 in W Unframed The “visible” spectrum, probably the most well-known of human sensory limitations, as the human #eye is only capable of perceiving light at wavelenghts between 390 and 750 nanometers. Of course, calling it the “visible” spectrum is a bit of a misnomer, as plenty of animals are capable of perceiving light with frequencies outside this relatively narrow band of electromagnetic radiation. Using infrared black and white...
Category

2010s Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Archival Paper

Vintage Bay Area Figurative -- "Brilliance Dazzles"
Located in Soquel, CA
Wonderful large scale Bay Area Figurative School portrait titled "Jason's Brilliance Dazzles," 1996 by an anonymous bay area artist (M) Unsi...
Category

1990s Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Sled. Mixed media fashion portrait on a Black and white photography
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Sled, 2022, by Hunter & Gatti Acrylic and scratch on fine art metallic paper with a pearlescent coating Image size: 20 in H x 15.5 in W Unframed The “visible” spectrum, probably the most well-known of human sensory limitations, as the human #eye is only capable of perceiving light at wavelenghts between 390 and 750 nanometers. Of course, calling it the “visible” spectrum is a bit of a misnomer, as plenty of animals are capable of perceiving light with frequencies outside this relatively narrow band of electromagnetic radiation. Using infrared black and white...
Category

2010s Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Metal

1950's Mid Century modern oil portrait of a Black nude woman seated on a chair
Located in Woodbury, CT
Well painted 1950's mid-century modern English portrait of a black nude woman seated on a chair. The artist was a portrait and figure painter active during the 1950s-1960s Oils on ...
Category

1950s Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Mid-Century "The Emigrants" Pierre Bosco #34 (Italy/France, 1909-1993)
Located in SANTA FE, NM
Mid-Century "The Emigrants" #34 Pierre Bosco (Italy/France, 1909-1993) Oil on canvas 19 1/2 x 16 1/4 inches, frame size “The savage art of Bosco bears i...
Category

1960s Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Portrait, 1990 - oil paint, 25x20 cm., framed
Located in Nice, FR
Oil on canvas. Dimensions framed: 40x35 cm. Hans Bouman (born in 1951) is a Dutch visual artist working in painting, sculpture, etching and video. He settled in Paris in 1981.
Category

1990s Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Hommage to Paul Klee - Painting by Giorgio Cresciani - 1977
Located in Roma, IT
Abstract is an original contemporary artwork realzed by Giorgio Cresciani in 1977. Oil painting on table. Hand signed and dated on the lower margin.
Category

1970s Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Paint

Allergies No.27, Contemporary Art, Abstract Expressionist, Portrait
Located in Coquitlam, BC
Artist: Zhixiang Wang 2017 M.F.A- University of Academia Albertina Belle Arti di Torino in Italy. 'Allergies' is a series of artworks that the artist...
Category

2010s Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Allergies No.21, Contemporary Art, Abstract Expressionist, Portrait
Located in Coquitlam, BC
Artist: Zhixiang Wang 2017 M.F.A- University of Academia Albertina Belle Arti di Torino in Italy. 'Allergies' is a series of artworks that the artis...
Category

2010s Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Regal Pursuits
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This contemporary patchwork-style abstract portrait is framed in a vintage gold frame with linen trim. Wired and ready to hang, 16 in. wide x 19 in. high
Category

2010s Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

'A Finding' - contemporary abstract portrait - expressionism - Ed Clark
Located in Atlanta, GA
"A Finding" features hues of blue, yellow, black and and orange. This work is framed in a simple white frame measuring 32.5 by 26 inches. Sachi Rome is inspired by the works of Gerhard Richter, Deborah Dancy, Ed Clark...
Category

2010s Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Archival Paper

Couple, Figurative, , Acrylic, Black, White by Indian Artist "In Stock"
Located in Kolkata, West Bengal
Tapas Ghosal - Untitled - 24 x 24 inches (unframed size) Acrylic Dry Pastel & Pigment on Canvas, 2014 It will be delivered in a roll form. Style : In Hindu philosophy, the 'Antahka...
Category

2010s Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Pigment

"An Urgent Man" (Abstract, Black & White, Figurative Oil Painting, Neutral Tone)
Located in Paris, IDF
AN URGENT MAN 2020 Paris, France Oil and acrylic on canvas portray a ‘derbyed’ man attempting to shed the weighted armor of his obligations and persona. A very loose nod to the char...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

"Spirits Through Time IX, " Abstract Portrait Painting
Located in Westport, CT
This abstract portrait painting by Ned Martin is made with oil paint on panel. Part of the artist's Spirits Through Time series, it features a woman's face rendered realistically, wi...
Category

2010s Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Panel, Oil

1950's Mid Century modern oil portrait of a nude black woman seated on a chair
Located in Woodbury, CT
1950's Mid Century modern oil portrait of a nude black woman seated on a chair The artist was a portrait and figure painter active during the 1950s-1...
Category

1950s Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

"Amber & Turquoise", Irene Sheri, Figurative, Impressionism, Original, 34x30
Located in Dallas, TX
Sheri mixes traditional techniques with modern western aspects. Her intense colors free the imagination and embody wonder and beauty through the female form. Soft smiles with momentary looks are subtle yet well-defined and brought together concisely and pointedly. "Amber and Turquoise" embodies what Sheri is all about. A beautiful young woman's blue dress takes over as it transforms into an impressionistic background of amber colors. Her curly red hair frames her beautifully painted face as she begins to realize her matching blue pearl necklace...
Category

2010s Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil, Canvas, Acrylic

Communist the tramp charlot charlie Chaplin oil on canvas painting
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Joaquim Falcó (1958) The painter Joaquim Falcó was born in Manresa (Barcelona, Spain) and was related to art from a very early age: at the age of 9 he e...
Category

Early 2000s Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Peter Robert Keil Acrylic on Canvas Colorful & Dynamic Portrait
Located in Hudson, NY
Peter Robert Keil painting on stretched thick canvas. Lovely colorful portrait.
Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Paint

CARLOS CARNERO (1922-1980) LARGE ORIGINAL PAINTING - FERNAND LEGER ASSISTANT
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
"Mother & Child" by Carlos Carnero (Uruguay/ French 1922-1980) signed verso watercolour/ gouache paint on artist paper, stuck on board 25.5 x 20 inches...
Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Watercolor, Gouache

The Last Snapshot - Minimalism
Located in Miami, FL
This graphic and flatwork was an Interior illustration for the Saturday Evening Post. George Giusti( Italian - American 1908-1990)- ''The Last Snapshot''- ink and acrylic on illust...
Category

1960s Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Ink, Acrylic, Gouache

Chinese Contemporary art by Fu Ze-Nan - Portrait No.3
Located in Paris, IDF
Oil on linen Fu Zenan always known as Da Han is a Chinese artist born in 1953 who lives & works in Songzhuang, Beijing, China. He is graduated from the Suzhou University. In 1985, F...
Category

2010s Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Linen, Canvas

Mixed emotions #2. 2017. Oil on canvas, 110x90 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Mixed emotions #2. 2017. Oil on canvas, 110x90 cm
Category

2010s Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Rembrandt Woman", acrylic painting, portrait, abstract, cubism, classic pose
Located in Toronto, Ontario
"Rembrandt Woman" is an intriguing painting, a woman in classic Dutch master portrait pose with a hand modestly holding her secrets dear, yet por...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Be Thy Self with Glory
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Oil on canvas.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"The Gatekeeper", acrylic, oil stick, judge, jury, portrait, proscenium, stage
Located in Toronto, Ontario
"The Gatekeeper" is a mysterious painting, seemingly both a portrait and a situation – perhaps a portrait of a barrier. Gatekeeping suggests inclusion a...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil Crayon, Acrylic, Canvas

"Out Shall be Virtue", Gold Modern Art Painting, 2020
Located in Delaware , OH
"Out Shall be Virtue", Gold Modern Art Painting, 2020 “Out shall be virtue” is modern art by Addison Jones. This is a multi-media collage-style technique. This is a hand-signed pie...
Category

2010s Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Paper, Ink, Acrylic

CARLOS CARNERO (1922-1980) ORIGINAL DRAWING BY FERNAND LEGER STUDIO WORKER
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
"Landscape" by Carlos Carnero (Uruguay/ French 1922-1980) Pen and pencil on paper, unframed paper: 16.75 x 5.75 inches provenance: the artists estate, Paris Fine original French drawing by the important and fascinating painter, Carlos Carnero (1922-1980). The painting has excellent provenance, having come from the artists estate sale in Paris. The artists close connection to one of the 20th centuries most important artists, Fernand Leger is of important significance, with his own work being widely collected and appreciated. The artist: Carlos Carnero (1922-1980), a native of Montevideo, emigrates to Paris and joins Fernand Léger's studio workshop at the end of the 1940s. Located on the Boulevard de Clichy, the workshop-school has some seventy-five students. At the end of his life, Léger elaborates a protest against Cubism advocates the return to the human figure. The head of the workshop, Nadia Khodasievich, brilliant painter, first pupil of Malevich, then of Leger in the mid-1920s, became the assistant thenthe mistress of this one and the wife in 1952. In the workshop, Carlos Carnero, soon nicknamed "Carlos" is noted for his talent and involvement. In addition to art education, the couple Léger entrusts the task of the secretariat of the workshop: movements of the stocks, inventory paintings, material organization of exhibitions. After the death of Léger in 1955, Carlos becomes very close to Nadia, rigorous in the construction of the posterity of the master. With his new companion Georges Bauquier, they found, on their own funds, the museum Fernand Léger de Biot - Carnero gives his assistance. Carnero's style is very close to that of his master, filled with joy and colorful dynamism. At the beginning of the 50's, he tried the cubisante figuration of the portraits of Picasso then adopts the abstract balances between lines, shapes and colors of Léger. Some dates: Classical studies in Montevideo (Uruguay). 1941 to 1946 School of Fine Arts, architecture section (Montevideo). 1947 Travel grant (Italy, Spain, France). 1948 Painting workshop at André Lhote workshop. 1949 Entered the Académie Fernand Léger, first student, then 1949 to 1955 Assistant-collaborator of Fernand Léger. 1955 to 1970 Collaborator of Nadia Khodasievitch and Georges Bauquier. Exhibitions: 1950 Galerie Jeanne Bucher, Paris, Atelier Fernand Léger, Exposition collective, juillet 1950. 1951 Académie des Beaux-Arts, Paris, Atelier Fernand Léger, exposition annuelle, décembre 1951. 1953 Salon des Artistes indépendants, Paris. 1953-1954 Galerie Gentilhommière, Paris, Groupe 53. 1957-1958 Première Biennale de la “Jeune Peinture”, musée des Arts décoratifs, Paris, mai-juin 1957, Francfort, Montréal, 1958. 1959 “École de Paris” à Vienne, Linz, Gratz. Galerie de France, “Cinq peintres – Un sculpteur”. 1960 Galerie Création à Roubaix. Exposition personnelle. 1961 Galerie Pierre Weiller à Paris. Exposition personnelle. Salon des Réalités nouvelles. Palais des Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles. Exposition personnelle, mai 1961. 1962 Musée des Arts décoratifs, Paris, “Antagonismes 2 - L’objet”, juillet-octobre 1962. Galerie Pierre Weiller, Paris, “Poèmes Peints”, mars-avril 1962. Exposition personnelle. Musée d’Art moderne de la Ville de Paris : “L’art latino-américain à Paris”. 1962-1963 Exposition de peinture contemporaine, Communauté européenne, Prix Marzotto. Italie, Allemagne, Belgique, France. Exposition des Artistes latino-américains, Musée d’Art moderne de la Ville de Paris. “Expressions Nouvelles”, Antibes. 1962 à 1965 Salon “Comparaisons”. L’Oeil de Boeuf, Galerie 7...
Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Pen, Pencil

"Weeds" Colorful Abstract Expressionistic Mixed Media Painting on Canvas
Located in New York, NY
Paul Kostabi is known for his wildly fun, expressionistic, and colorful portraits. This painting is a perfect definition of his most popular works. Red, bright whites, greens, and blues disperse in a frenzy of splatters, fast brush strokes, and speckles ascending across the canvas. The exuberant, bright, and messy depictions of this piece hold much fascination in its execution. His layered approach to the paint is part of what makes his works so attractive and exciting; creating many dimensions and highlights resembling the shine and gleam of stars in the universe. Art measures 24 x 18 in Paul Kostabi (Paul Indrek Kostabi) was born in 1962 in Whittier, California. He is an American artist, musician, music producer, and audio engineer. He is the brother of artist Mark Kostabi. He became part of the CBGB Festival in 2014 exhibiting paintings alongside photographers Bob Gruen, Michael Lavine...
Category

2010s Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic

"Crunch N'Munch" Abstract Expressionistic Mixed Media Painting on Canvas
Located in New York, NY
Paul Kostabi is known for his wildly fun, expressionistic, and colorful portraits. This painting is a perfect definition of his most popular works. Red, bright whites, greens, and blues disperse in a frenzy of splatters, fast brush strokes, and speckles ascending across the canvas. Art measures 24 x 18 inches Paul Kostabi (Paul Indrek Kostabi) was born in 1962 in Whittier, California. He is an American artist, musician, music producer and audio engineer. He is the brother of artist Mark Kostabi. He became part of the CBGB Festival in 2014 exhibiting paintings alongside photographers Bob Gruen, Michael...
Category

2010s Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Canvas, Mixed Media

'Anguish' Huge French 20thC. Modernist Portrait Original Oil Painting Signed
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Anguish, Huge French Abstract Portrait, Original Oil Painting Signed By French artist Elisabeth Dujarric, b.1930-2005 Signed by the artist on the lower left hand corner Oil painting on canvas, unframed Canvas size: 67 x 24 inches Elisabeth Dujarric de la Rivière...
Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Young Man
Located in New York, NY
Oil on panel
Category

1980s Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Panel, Oil

"Surrealist Self-Portrait, " Acrylic on Canvas signed by David Barnett
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Surrealist Self-Portrait" is an original acrylic painting on canvas by David Barnett. This nearly completely abstract painting features bright oranges, reds, and yellows alongside d...
Category

1960s Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

"Pan, " a Colorful Expressionist Oil Painting signed by Matthew Schaefer
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Pan" is a fauvist-expressionist-figurative oil on canvas painting by American artist Matthew Schaefer. Primary colors of red, yellow, and blue fill the figure with brown hair and is...
Category

1990s Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Dark Picasso Style Portrait, Cubist Abstract, Original Oil Painting, Signed
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Dark Picasso Style Portrait, Cubist Abstract, Original Oil Painting, Signed By French artist Beatrice Werlie, early 21st Century Titled 'Lavande' in the lower left hand corner Oil p...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Oil

Letter to Arike (Ebony Queen series I)
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
“Black Girls… Stop settling for less than what you deserve. That’s why I stress self-love! There comes a time when you can no longer blame a man. You’ve got to hold yourself accounta...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Portrait Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Charcoal

Abstract portrait paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Abstract portrait paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add portrait paintings created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, purple, red, orange and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Beatrice Werlie, Carlos Carnero, Masri Hayssam, and Addison Jones. Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Oil Paint and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Abstract portrait paintings, so small editions measuring 1 inches across are also available. Prices for portrait paintings made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $22 and tops out at $570,000, while the average work sells for $1,960.

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