Abstract Still-life 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 CĂŠzanne challenged traditional expectations of perspective in the 1890s.
Some of the earliest abstract artists â Wassily Kandinsky and Hilma af Klint â 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 âfrom the dead weight of the real world,â as he later wrote.
Surrealism in the 1920s, led by artists such as Salvador DalĂ, 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 Frankenthalerâs expressive âsoak-stainâ technique, Jackson Pollockâs drips of paint, and Mark Rothkoâs 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 Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil Pastel, Oil, Acrylic, Watercolor, Gouache
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil
1980s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil, Cardboard
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Acrylic, Archival Paper
Artist Comments
An abstract meadow unfurls with a striking balance of various shades of blue. Pops of orange complement the scene. The interplay of colors creates a dynamic s...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Watercolor
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Mixed Media, Handmade Paper, Pastel, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Acrylic, Rag Paper
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Cardboard
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Nicole Lamothe captures bright and vibrant daisies on a green bowl. "These are the first buds from the garden, ushering i...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Epoxy Resin, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Charcoal, Oil Crayon, Oil, Acrylic, Watercolor, Archival Paper
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
20th Century Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1990s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Charcoal, Pastel, Mixed Media, Gouache
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Wood, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
Inspired by nature's blooms, artist Lisa Elley rendered this piece solely with the use of a palette knife. She creates thick tangible textures, leaping off th...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Pat Doherty displays colorful macarons on a pedestal plate next to an arrangement of pink and orange roses. A dainty blue st...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil
1980s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil, Cardboard
Artist Comments
"Last spring, I picked up a little collection of succulents from the grocery store," says artist Tara Zalewsky-Nease. "I hesitated to buy them at first, as Iâ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
Every spring, artist Melissa Gannon looks for the first blooming roses. She paints a joyful response to the wonders of the sprin...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil
1970s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1990s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1990s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1960s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil, Board
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Acrylic, Paper
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil, Board
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Oil
Mid-20th Century Abstract Still-life Paintings
Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Abstract Still-life Paintings
Board, Oil Pastel
2010s Abstract Still-life Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic