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.
#204, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
$3,500
In The Loop - Large Scale Color Drenched Impasto Textural Abstract Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Impasto-painted strokes of bright colors are the framework of artist Shiri Phillips’ abstract artworks. Her paintings are flooded with texture through the layering of acrylic paint i...
Canvas, Acrylic, Glitter
$5,800
Infinity Bliss - Bue Tone Abstract Atmospheric Landscape Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Mark Acetelli’s oil and mixed media paintings awaken the viewer’s sense of exploration and adventure; they demand a new discovery. His artworks exhibit a chemistry of complexity and ...
Canvas, Oil
Disciples and Sages #1 - Abstract Acrylic on Canvas, 2010+, New
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This contemporary mixed media composition was influenced by cubism. Inspired by the rich history of her Pakistani heritage, Shireen Kamran creates dynamic and enigmatic compositio...
Canvas, Acrylic
Golden Glow. Abstract expressionist, interior painting, large, gold
Located in Oslo, NO
"Golden Glow" is a painting filled with bright, warm light and abstract shapes that convey a sense of powerful energy and inner light. The painting depicts a bright sun piercing the...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,972
Gorges du Verdon Huge Abstract Bold Colours French Mid 20th Century Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Gorge du Verdon (Provence) signed by Gilbert Pelissier (French born 1924) oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas size: 36 x 29 inches inscribed verso condition: overall very good, a...
Oil
Untitled Abstract Expressionist action painting
By James Brooks
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Beautiful abstract expressionist painting Influenced by James Brooks and the New York School of Abstract Expressionism. Oil on cotton canvas, ca. 1980. Measuring 46 x 66 inches of ...
Cotton Canvas, Oil
$575Sale Price|25% Off
Contemporary abstract expressionist woman's portrait on paper "Present moment"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
“Present Moment” is a contemporary abstract portrait by French artist Natalya Mougenot, created as part of her ongoing series dedicated to women and their inner emotional landscapes....
Paper, Acrylic
$680Sale Price|20% Off
"Many For The Empath" (abstract, flora, fauna, roses, oil painting, green, pink)
Located in Paris, IDF
MANY FOR THE EMPATH 2026 Paris, France This complex and layered floral painting of an abundant, overflowing bouquet presents an energetic and mesmerizing subject. This original mixe...
Oil Crayon, Dye, Cotton Canvas, Ink, Oil, Acrylic
$398Sale Price|25% Off
Contemporary vivid expressive figurative dog's portrait on paper "Little rouge"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
"Little Rouge” is a contemporary acrylic dog painting by French artist Natalya Mougenot, created on heavyweight Italian paper as part of her expressive series dedicated to dogs. Wit...
Paper, Acrylic
#64, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
India Tantric Painting Gold Green Cosmic Egg Minimalist Mixed Media on Cloth
Located in Norfolk, GB
Rahul Kumar Untitled Mixed Media on Cloth 44cm x 27cm 2026 Rahul Kumar is from a family of traditional miniature painters working in Jaipur. The atelier where his family learnt thei...
Cotton, Mixed Media
$619Sale Price|25% Off
Modern abstract Impressionist still life floral painting on paper "Roses Trio"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
"Roses Trio” is a vibrant contemporary floral still life by French artist Natalya Mougenot, whose intuitive, spontaneous brushwork transforms everyday blooms into a burst of emotiona...
Paper, Acrylic
Axe Intérieur, Large Abstract Oil Painting, Signed, 2026, Textured
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Inner Axis (Axe intérieur) is a masterful work by contemporary French artist Sophie Dumont, exploring the delicate tension between architectural structure and painterly freedom. True...
Oil
$302Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage Abstract Impressionist French Countryside Oil Painting by Jacques Birr
Located in AIGNAN, FR
Vintage mid-century abstract impressionist oil painting on board signed at the bottom, Jacques Birr 91. With expressive cloud swirls created by a large brush, the artist has given u...
Oil
$398Sale Price|25% Off
Contemporary impressionist nature landscape painting "Tranquil Provence"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
“Tranquil Provence” is a luminous landscape by French artist Natalya Mougenot, inspired by her travels in the south of France, a region renowned for its sweeping coastal views, cypre...
Paper, Acrylic
#253, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
Tender Memories. Medium size absract painting, coral, lilac, blue, floral
Located in Oslo, NO
This abstract painting is created through layered application of paint, with a strong focus on texture and surface. Soft, muted tones interact with warmer coral and smoky lilac hues,...
Canvas, Acrylic
Marée d'emeraude, Abstract Lanscape, oil, Expressionism, Contemporary art
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Marée d’Émeraude (Emerald Tide) Size unframed: 50 x 50 cm (15.75 x 15.75 in) Size framed 57 x 57 cm or 22.44 x 22.44 in. Sophie Dumont Oil on canvas Presented in a natural wood floa...
Oil
Where Silence Rests
Located in Zofingen, AG
Oil on linen Belgian canvas. This minimalist seascape explores stillness as a spatial and perceptual experience. The horizon dissolves into a unified field where water and atmospher...
Canvas, Oil
Open Configuration – Contemporary Abstract Oil on Linen
Located in Zofingen, AG
Open Configuration This work explores structure as an evolving process rather than a fixed form. Geometric suggestions and color fields come together in an open configuration, where...
Canvas, Oil
$3,529
Strates de lecture - Modern Abstract painting, Geometric, Original Oil on Canvas
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Sophie Dumont — Strates de lecture Oil on canvas – 23.62 x 23.62 in (60 x 60 cm) Framed: 26.37 x 26.37 in (67 x 67 cm) – Choice of black or natural wood floater frame Year: 2026 – Si...
Oil
TBG Origins: You Bring Me Joy - Large Meditative Abstract Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Abstract minimalist artist Jason DeMeo presents a collection of artworks designed to engage viewers in a meditative experience, drawing them closer to the enduring ideals of truth, b...
Gold Leaf
Fallen Angel - Dramatic abstract angel painting
Located in Silverthorne, CO
There is so much I could write about this one. A painting dedicated to the soul of me before cancer, who believed in a benevolent universe, who saw signs and followed them, who someh...
Linen, Oil
“Rest”
Located in Zofingen, AG
The painting “Rest” from the series “From Simple to…” creates a sense of calm, recovery, and inner completeness. The minimalist image of the animal and the pastel, natural color pale...
Acrylic
$3,400
Fruity Ramen Alchemy: ARRIVAL - Meditative Abstract Blue Tone Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Abstract minimalist artist Jason DeMeo presents a collection of artworks designed to engage viewers in a meditative experience, drawing them closer to the enduring ideals of truth, b...
Gold Leaf
Bridge - Abstract Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, 1969, Colorful Ribbons
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This large contemporary abstract painting by Milly Ristvedt is one of her colourful ribbons series. In the late 1960s, Canadian artist Milly Ristvedt had fallen in love with using r...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,230
Modernist Curves on Mauve, Organic Forms Diptych in Cold Tones, Yellow Accent
Located in Barcelona, ES
This abstract diptych features flowing, organic forms layered in blues, soft neutrals, and warm yellow accents. The composition balances movement and structure, with interlocking sha...
Paper, Oil
$1,800Sale Price|25% Off
Coral Reef, Abstract Mixed Media Painting, Acrylic & Sand, 24x18in, 2025
By a.muse
Located in New york, NY
In the 24 x 18in abstract painting Coral Reef, 2025 a. muse uses acrylic, oil pastel, gouache, sand, and diamond dust to render colorful biomorphic forms from the sea. Warm, cool, an...
Rag Paper, Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Gouache
$3,659
Original-Constable’s Clouds, Van Gogh’s Blue-Brit Awarded Artist-oil-gold leaf
Located in London, GB
Constable’s Clouds, Van Gogh’s Blue is Shizico Yi’s latest series—an exploration of landscape reimagined through memory and material experimentation and emotional resonance. In this ...
Gold Leaf
$1,415Sale Price|20% Off
Original-Jardin d'Hiver-British Awarded Artist-Impasto, oil, goldleaf on Dahlias
Located in London, GB
Jardin d'Hiver Series is Shizico Yi's latest collection, created in her winter studio while savouring for the summer left behind. Reflecting on the vibrant days spent painting en pl...
Gold Leaf
$1,480Sale Price|20% Off
Solace (Companionship) -21st Century Contemporary Abstract Expression, Love, Dog
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
There’s a silence that speaks when words can’t; the kind of silence that feels like a hand resting gently on your heart. Solace was born from that quiet. I painted this after a long...
Canvas, Ink, Acrylic
La Materialidad del Tiempo: Abstract Geometric Triptych in Oil Crayon
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Juan Carlos Amador grounds his recent work in two essential elements: cellulose and time. Using reclaimed wooden moldings from the 1980s and ’90s-originally designed for framing artw...
Paper, Oil Crayon
$2,300
Atmospheric Balance - Contemporary Abstract Painting, Soft Blue and Neutral
Located in Cumming, GA
Atmospheric Balance original painting captures a luminous, tranquil moment inspired by light, air, and natural equilibrium. Soft layers of pale blue, warm ivory, and subtle neutral t...
Canvas, Acrylic
Confluence des formes - Large Abstract Oil Painting, Signed, 2026, French
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Artist Presentation Sophie Dumont is a French contemporary painter whose work explores abstraction through memory, architecture, and the silent presence of objects. Working primaril...
Canvas, Oil
Cafe Bougainvillea, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A sunlit cafe courtyard framed by bougainvillea in full bloom comes alive with color and movement. Expressive brushwork and thick impasto in the foliage create ...
Oil
$472Sale Price|20% Off
Sakura glamor // Blooming trees in spring / good vibes / flower oil painting /
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this artwork you can feel the vitality and mildness of spring. The blossoms emerge in dynamic strokes, merging impressionism with expressionism's spirit. This painting is ...
Canvas, Oil
$5,050
Cosmic Trigger V.2 - Large Contemporary Organic Shape Abstract Oil Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Harrison Gilman's large original artworks begin with a layer of fast-paced gestural abstraction followed by organic shapes and geometric structures. Some of his paintings remain in t...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
$1,416
"Blooming Current" impressionistic painting, colorful flowers on cotton canvas
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Look at the flowers. It is simply unbelievable how happy flowers are.” — Osho Blooming Current reflects the energy of nature through an expressive composition of blossoms and branc...
Canvas, Linen, Spray Paint, Acrylic
Resurfacing Mix Media on Canvas, Abstract, 48x48, 2025
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Resurfacing, 2025 by Murray Duncan Mixed media on canvas 48 × 48 inches Resurfacing is a quietly assertive abstract work that explores repetition, erosion, and the persistence of...
Glaze, Acrylic, Pencil
$544Sale Price|20% Off
Apotheosis of Twilight, Abstract Oil Painting on Canvas, 61x80 cm
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
Painting on canvas constructed through overlapping layers of color. The composition is organized by chromatic fields that intersect and extend in different directions. The surface pr...
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Soft Summer - Large Contemporary Abstract Textured Cool Tone Landscape Art
By Lee Herring
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Lee Herring is a contemporary painter specializing in vibrant, textured, and abstract landscapes that convey fleeting moments. Herring's energetic artworks are inspired by everyday m...
Canvas, Varnish, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$555
Moody - Color Drenched Impasto Inspired Textural Thick Paint Abstract Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Impasto-painted strokes of bright colors are the framework of artist Shiri Phillips’ abstract artworks. Her paintings are flooded with texture through the layering of acrylic paint i...
Canvas, Acrylic
$900
Sea in Orange, School of Fish in Turquoise, Abstract Patterns Seascape, Paper
Located in Barcelona, ES
This series by Enric Servera explores the relationship of humans to salt and seawater. The intention of these works is to submerge us into the sea, a salty treasure that surrounds us...
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Watercolor
$6,200
A Romantic Dance - Large Abstract Illuminous Textural Floral Acrylic Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Drawing inspiration from an immersive and impressionistic interpretation of nature, Canadian artist Vé Boisvert paints textural original artworks that capture the fleeting effects of...
Canvas, Acrylic
Secrets of the Garden
Located in Zofingen, AG
Secrets of the Garden is a contemporary figurative painting capturing a quiet summer moment of rest and intimacy. Two female figures stand together in a garden, suggesting friendship...
Canvas, Acrylic
$525
The Marigold Dress 1 - Abstract Flowy Minimalist Figurative Painting on Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Bettina Mauel expresses dynamism and sensuality in her paintings: “I paint what I experience,” she articulates. “This includes landscapes, flowers, and people in motion, capturing th...
Linen, Ink, Mixed Media, Graphite
$2,200
1983 Abstract Geometric Oil and Gouache Painting Study for Alma Robert Kelly
By Robert Kelly
Located in Surfside, FL
Robert Kelly (American, 1956-) Abstract Mixed Media on paper Study for Alma 1983 Pencil titled Hand signed lower right Dimensions: Frame: 26 X 19 Image: 24 X 17.5 Robert Kelly ...
Paper, Oil, Gouache
Red fish
Located in Zofingen, AG
The red fish is a symbol of confidence, stable good fortune, and abundance. It represents moving in one’s own rhythm, trusting intuition, and inner stability. The red color emphasize...
Watercolor, Archival Paper
Early Morning
Located in Zofingen, AG
This work is part of the Inner Landscapes series, in which the landscape becomes part of a memory, a lived state, or emotions that cannot be expressed in words and can only be felt. ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Mediterranean Garden (Under the Mandarin Trees)
Located in Zofingen, AG
This work emerges at the intersection of a personal journey through Italy and the universal image of the garden as a space of harmony and inner order. The Mediterranean garden here i...
Canvas, Acrylic
Pink peony on a golden background
Located in Zofingen, AG
A delicate close-up of a blooming pink peony, built on a subtle play of light and tonal transitions. The petals appear to glow from within, shifting from pale blush to richer raspber...
Canvas, Acrylic
$16,000
"I Dream in Flowers", Vibrant Colorful Heavily Textured Mixed Media Abstract
Located in Carmel, CA
Sveta Hessler (Russian, born 1973) "I Dream in Flowers" 2025 Oil and mixed media on stretched canvas The artist signed the back of the painting. “I Dream in Flowers” is a heavily te...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Stretcher Bars, Oil
8.19. #6 - Color Drenched Expressive Abstract Mixed Media Painting on Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Impasto-painted strokes of bright colors are the framework of artist Shiri Phillips’ abstract artworks. Her paintings are flooded with texture through the layering of acrylic paint i...
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Missing Piece, Abstract Mixed on Canvas, 2025, Framed 37.5x49
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Missing Piece, 2025 Artist: Murray Duncan Medium: Mixed media on canvas Frame: Black wood floating frame Canvas Size: 36 in × 48 in Overall Dimensions: 37.25 in × 49 in × 1.5 in Mi...
Glaze, Acrylic, Pencil
$424Sale Price|20% Off
"Rosa Pristina" (contemporary, original, abstract, floral, pink flora, natural)
Located in Paris, IDF
ROSA PRISTINA Latin for "earliest rose" or "pristine rose," captures a bloom suspended forever between full vitality and delicate decay. The painting is an abstract elegy to the rose...
Dye, Oil, Plaster, Cotton Canvas
Do Not Go Gentle Into that Good Night-Hand painted No 2 Limited Edition of Ten
Located in London, GB
This striking large hand painted limited Edition is No. 2 of only 10 in existence. 90% of the painting is hand-painted in oil and gesso on giclee by Shizico Yi, the edition featuring...
Gesso, Ink, Oil, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Giclée
"umbrella girl series" RK69DE7, Abstract, Painting, 21st Century, Acrylic
By Roger König
Located in Dessau-Rosslau, Sachsen Anhalt
Art measures 31.49 x 23,62 inches Frame measures 36.22 x 28.34 x 2.36 inches Framed in a high-quality contemporary wooden moulding. Color: antique gold Artist: Roger König b. De...
Clay, Acrylic
Inner Order: Abstract Expressionism Oil Painting, Geometric, Library
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Title: Inner Order Artist: Sophie Dumont Year: 2022 Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions (unframed): 60 × 73 cm (23.62 x 28.74 in) Dimensions (framed): 67 x 80 cm (26.37 x 31.49 in) Si...
Oil
$3,068
"Pearl Roses in Blue Silence" large impressionistic painting 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 This origi...
Canvas, Cotton, Linen, Acrylic
The Italian-American’s 2020 abstract painting “The Hoe” personifies his “art of not knowing.”
In his current show at New York's Lehmann Maupin gallery, the Puerto Rican–born talent reveals new paintings with a semiautobiographical aspect.