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.
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Item Ships From: USA
Style: Abstract
"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
Red Chair, Oil Painting by Jan De Ruth 1964
By Jan De Ruth
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Jan De Ruth, Czech (1922 - 1991)
Title: Red Chair
Year: 1964
Medium: Oil on Canvas, signed l.l.
Size: 36 in. x 24 in. (91.44 cm x 60.96 cm)
Frame Size: 44 x 32 inches
Category
1960s Abstract Portrait Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Lipstick
Located in New York, NY
Eric Friedmann
Lipstick, 2018
Acrylic polymer and pigment on canvas
80 x 74 cm
International Fine Arts Consortium and IFAC Athina present Eric Friedmann in his premier solo
exhibiti...
Category
2010s Abstract Portrait Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic Polymer, Pigment
"Caroline #2"
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Ashley John is proud to offer this artwork by:
Gershon Benjamin (1899 - 1985)
Gershon Benjamin is a painter of portraits, landscapes, still lives, and the urban scene. He had a pro...
Category
20th Century Abstract Portrait Paintings
Materials
Masonite, Oil
R
Located in Aventura, FL
Original acrylic on canvas. Hand signed, titled and dated on verso by the artist. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of authenticity included. All reasonable offers will ...
Category
1980s Abstract Portrait Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
"Retired Ballerina" Great Mid Century Modern Portrait.
By Clarice Akin Holloway
Located in San Antonio, TX
Clarice Akin Holloway (1905-1989) Port Arthur Artist Image Size: 20 x 16 Frame Size: 28 x 24 Medium: Oil Circa 1960s "Retired Ballerina"
Biography
Clarice Akin Holloway (1905-1989)
Mrs. Richard B. Dell Holloway Port Arthur Painter, teacher. A native of Port Arthur, Holloway graduated from nearby Lamar College, Beaumont, with honors. She received instruction or criticism on various occasions from Otis Dozier, Frederic Taubes, Elliott O'hara, Henri Gasser, Ted Schuyler, Fred Samuelson, Boardman Robinson, Morris Davidson...
Category
1960s Abstract Portrait Paintings
Materials
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
"Hey Sinatra" Abstract Oil Painting on Canvas Portrait of Iconic Frank Sinatra
By Cindy Shaoul
Located in New York, NY
This painting is from the artist's Hollywood abstract series, where she instills the character on the lower half of the composition and depicts abstract colors and movements around t...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Portrait Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
"Nature and Human Relationships – Embrace 3 – 50F" Portrait of Princess Diana
By Suki Maguire
Located in New York, NY
Unorthodox; yet effective, Suki treats us to a series of works that tantalizes the imagination with bold strokes of dark and light, hinting at shapes both human and ethereal and pull...
Category
2010s Abstract Portrait Paintings
Materials
Linen, Mixed Media
Late 20th century colorful close up face portrait oil painting red and green
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
Young Man
Located in New York, NY
Oil on panel
Category
1980s Abstract Portrait Paintings
Materials
Panel, Oil
"Nature and Human Relationships – Embrace 2 – 50F" Portrait of Princess Diana
By Suki Maguire
Located in New York, NY
Unorthodox; yet effective, Suki treats us to a series of works that tantalizes the imagination with bold strokes of dark and light, hinting at shapes both human and ethereal and pull...
Category
2010s Abstract Portrait Paintings
Materials
Linen, Mixed Media
The Bouquet Figurative
Located in Soquel, CA
Portrait of a woman holding a bouquet of flowers by Helen Enoch Gleiforst (American, 1903-1997). Signed "Gleiforst" lower right. Unframed. From the Estate of Helen Gleiforst.
Helen...
Category
1940s Abstract Portrait Paintings
Materials
Linen, Oil
"Classic Maiden"
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Signed & Dated LR
Vaclav Vytlacil (Vas-lav Vit-la-chil) was born in New York City in 1892 to Czech parents, but was raised in Chicago. He was an artist since boyhood, becoming the y...
Category
20th Century Abstract Portrait Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Heritage Vermell
Located in New York, NY
Angels Grau is a Catalan artist who spends her time between Barcelona, New York, and a small village located in the breathtaking Priorat, one of the most notorious wine regions in Eu...
Category
2010s Abstract Portrait Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Invisible Woman Groga
Located in New York, NY
Angels Grau is a Catalan artist who spends her time between Barcelona, New York, and a small village located in the breathtaking Priorat, one of the most notorious wine regions in Eu...
Category
2010s Abstract Portrait Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Terracotta
Located in New York, NY
Angels Grau is a Catalan artist who spends her time between Barcelona, New York, and a small village located in the breathtaking Priorat, one of the most notorious wine regions in Eu...
Category
2010s Abstract Portrait Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Turquoise
Located in New York, NY
Angels Grau is a Catalan artist who spends her time between Barcelona, New York, and a small village located in the breathtaking Priorat, one of the most notorious wine regions in Eu...
Category
2010s Abstract Portrait Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Three Figures - Black and White Illustration in Ink on Paper
Located in Soquel, CA
Three Figures - Black and White Illustration in Ink on Paper
Bold illustration of three people by an unknown artist (20th Century). The figures are depicted in a tight cluster, as i...
Category
1980s Abstract Portrait Paintings
Materials
Paper, Sumi Ink
"Lady with Cigarette" Red-Toned Abstract Figurative Painting
Located in Houston, TX
Red-toned abstract figurative portrait painting by Houston, TX artist David Adickes. The painting depicts a woman smoking and drinking wine by a small side table. Unsigned. Framed in...
Category
2010s Abstract Portrait Paintings
Materials
Acrylic
Peter Robert Keil Acrylic on Canvas Colorful Portrait
By Peter Keil
Located in Hudson, NY
Peter Robert Keil painting on stretched thick canvas. Lovely colorful portrait.
Category
Mid-20th Century Abstract Portrait Paintings
Materials
Paint, Canvas
“Blooming Joy” Large Abstract Pastel Floral Portrait of Bride in White Dress
Located in Houston, TX
Abstract pastel toned portrait painting that incorporates blue, white, and peach tones. The piece depicts a female dressed in a bright white dress surrounded by beautiful flowers. Si...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Portrait Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
“Sweet Quiet” Large Abstract Pastel Floral Portrait of Female in White Dress
Located in Houston, TX
Abstract pastel toned portrait painting that incorporates blue, white, and peach tones. The piece depicts a female dressed in a bright white dress surrounded by beautiful flowers. Signed by the artist in the bottom right corner and currently displayed in a light wood floating frame.
Dimensions Without Frame: H 51 in. x W 39 in.
Artist Biography:
Peter Wu has been engaged in artistic creation for more than 30 years. He has held solo and group art
shows around the world and many of his art works have been collected by collectors in different
countries. Especially in 2003, when his artwork was collected by the municipal government of Lille Mons
of France.
The style of Mr. Wu’s works is lyrical and poetic. His works have shown solid foundation of traditional
painting skills. At the same time, the background of oriental culture has deeply influenced the form and
style of his works. He skillfully uses the rules of oriental composition in his works. Elements of eastern
and western aesthetics can be found in his elegant and colorful abstract paintings and some of his
figurative works. The perfect combination of light, texture, and sense of volume, which are the basic
aesthetic demands of visual art, has provided the viewers with pleasant artistic enjoyment, and also
enable viewers to explore the meaning of living and life.
During the past decades, Mr. Wu has explored and experimented different artistic styles that evolved
gradually from the traditional western art. As you can see from his art works, he is an artist that can do
different styles. He has a good performance in all fields of fine art. In other words, he has a perfect
artistic control over various styles and materials in art.
Mr. Wu has received many honors during years of artistic practice. In 2003, due to his excellent
performance in the Sino-French Cultural Year, Mr. Wu was awarded the Medal of Honor France-China
(Medaille D`Honneur France-Chine ) by the Association D`Echanges Artistiques Universels, and was
invited to become the honorary member of the Association of the Universal Artist Exchange (Association
D`Echanges Artistiques Universels) in France.
After coming to the United States in 2016, his art activities is concentrated in the USA. In recent years,
he has been actively participating in various art events in different states of the United States. For
example, as one of the seven invited Chinese...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Portrait Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Large Silver, Black, and Red Portrait Abstract Splatter Painting on Canvas
Located in Houston, TX
Large scale black, red, and silver splatter portrait of a man painted in the style of Jackson Pollock/Abstract Expressionism. Signed by artist in lower right corner. Currently unfram...
Category
Late 20th Century Abstract Portrait Paintings
Materials
Oil
"Break Out", acrylic, oil paint, charcoal, portrait, abstract, collage, cubism
Located in Toronto, Ontario
"Break Out" is oil paint, acrylic paint and charcoal on canvas measuring 54" tall by 54" wide, and addresses conditions that continue to fascinate Peter Schenck...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Portrait Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil, Charcoal, Acrylic
"Red Eye", oil painting, portrait, artist, palette, art history, performance
Located in Toronto, Ontario
"Red Eye" is oil paint on canvas measuring 48" tall by 48" wide, and a key artwork among Peter Schenck's many remarkable paintings addressing conditions ...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Portrait Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Untitled (Self Portrait #3)
Located in New York, NY
Untitled (Self Portrait #3)
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Portrait Paintings
Materials
Acrylic Polymer
Unttled (Portrait #1)
Located in New York, NY
Unttled (Portrait #1)
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Portrait Paintings
Materials
Acrylic Polymer
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.