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.
$950
"Andean Jungle" Abstract Oil Painting on Canvas 28x41 inches
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
Andean jungle. This oil painting on canvas explores the relationship between landscape and abstraction through intersecting planes and fields of color. Vertical and horizontal forms ...
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$705
A Place to Breathe - Abstract Gold Leaf and Acrylic Sky Painting on Wood Panel
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Adele Webster’s contemporary landscape paintings explore atmosphere, light, and the emotional presence of open space. Working with layered acrylic washes on wood panel, Webster creat...
Gold Leaf
$3,050
Being - Framed Original Colorful Abstract Landscape Mixed Media Art on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Jane Harington is a Saskatoon-based contemporary painter whose expressive oil paintings explore landscape, florals, and place through color, memory, and emotion. Shaped by an interna...
Canvas, Oil, Mixed Media
$2,700
Becoming Two - Original Colorful Abstract Landscape Mixed Media Art on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Jane Harington is a Saskatoon-based contemporary painter whose expressive oil paintings explore landscape, florals, and place through color, memory, and emotion. Shaped by an interna...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
$1,104
White Nights. Abstract expressionist, grey, Japandi, Wabi-Sabi, Shabby Chic
Located in Oslo, NO
The viewer sees a work in which the abstract language of painting acquires poetic power. The work is made using the mixed media technique: the translucency of the epoxy resin, superi...
Canvas, Epoxy Resin, Acrylic
The Endless Summer
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 66×97 cm (stretched canvas, ready to hang) Year: 2026 Materials: Acrylic on canvas Shipping: Stretched canvas, safely packed in Styrofoam and cardboard. This painting transpo...
Canvas, Acrylic
Early 20th Century French Expressionist Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Holywell, GB
Early 20th Century Expressionist Landscape – “Le pique-nique” A vibrant landscape executed in the expressive style of early 20th-century Expressionism. Bold, confident brushstrokes ...
Oil
"Floral float" Abstract impressionist water lilies painting inspiration by Monet
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
"Floral Float" is an original expressive water lily painting by French artist Natalya Mougenot, inspired by Claude Monet, created on heavyweight professional acid-free paper and meas...
Paper, Acrylic
"umbrella girl series"Gold Edition No. 17, Abstract, 21st Century, Acrylic
By Roger König
Located in Dessau-Rosslau, Sachsen Anhalt
Rendered in an elegant slate-blue palette, this work embodies understated luxury and sophistication. The rich tonal variations create a sense of depth and tranquility, while the icon...
Clay, Acrylic
Our Own Way
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 132×142 cm (Total canvas size including stretching margins: 142×152 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled "Our Own Way" by Svetlana Brazhnikova is a pr...
Canvas, Acrylic
Kinfolk
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 110×97 cm (overall size with stretching 120×107 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled Kinfolk" is a profound visual reflection on the unconditional acce...
Canvas, Acrylic
Simple Life (Gestural Abstract, Still Life, Warm, Soft, Summer, Vibrant)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Katherine Bello Simple Life (Gestural Abstract, Still Life, Warm, Soft, Summer, Vibrant) Oil and Oil Stick on Canvas 2021 Size: 20 x 20 x 1.5 inches (50.8 × 50.8 × 3.8 cm) Signed, da...
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Oil
$1,500
"Dream of Monet Lilly Pads" Colorful Impressionistic Oil Painting on Wood Framed
By Cindy Shaoul
Located in New York, NY
This painting depicts an impressionistic scene of Monet's home Lily Pond in Giverny, a poetic piece with beautiful details. The work reminds us of Claude Monet, with impressions capt...
Wood Panel, Oil
"umbrella girl series"Gold Edition No. 18, Abstract, 21st Century, Acrylic
By Roger König
Located in Dessau-Rosslau, Sachsen Anhalt
A refined composition set against a soft French rose background. The delicate hue has long been associated with beauty, grace and quiet luxury, creating a captivating contrast with t...
Clay, Acrylic
$2,324
Suburbs of Lausanne between day and night // texture original oil impasto 3d /
Located in Zofingen, AG
This Impressionist painting conveys a meditative sense of immersion in the silence of nature. The canvas exudes coolness and sensual tenderness. This is not just a landsca...
Oil
$2,150
Au dela des champs, Contemporary Abstract Landscape Painting by Sophie Dumont
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Born in Paris in 1964, French contemporary painter Sophie Dumont creates richly layered oil paintings that explore abstraction through structure, rhythm, and memory. Her works are he...
Oil
Under the Wing
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 132×142 cm (Total canvas size including stretching margins: 142×152 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled This evocative painting immerses the viewer in...
Acrylic, Canvas
$423Sale Price|20% Off
Original-Peony Summer-Impasto-British Awarded Artist-Oil, Goldleaf-plein air
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
This Oil impasto and Goldleaf on Paper, named Peony Summer, is a part of Summer Bloom Series by Award winning British artist Shizico Yi. She created the painting in her garden paint...
Gold Leaf
Gold Abstract Paintings, Gold Modern Art, Abstract Art-Grace 4024
Located in Delaware , OH
Gold Abstract Paintings, Gold Modern Art, Abstract Art-Grace All of Addison's text in her paintings are her journal. She uses it as an artist expressions and does not read them afte...
Gold
$2,600
Under - Original Impasto Thick Paint Beige Red Pink 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
$1,325
Wild Skies 3 - Original Abstract Gold Leaf and Acrylic Painting on Wood Panel
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Adele Webster’s contemporary landscape paintings explore atmosphere, light, and the emotional presence of open space. Working with layered acrylic washes on wood panel, Webster creat...
Gold Leaf
21 (Gestural Abstract, Warm, Heart, Pink, Green)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Katherine Bello 21 Oil on Canvas 2021 Size: 40 x 30 x 1.5 inches (101.6 cm × 76.20 × 3.81 cm) Signed, dated and titled by hand COA provided *On Stretcher Frame, Gallery-wrapped - re...
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars
Girlhood Secrets
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 97×97 cm (Total canvas size including stretching margins: 107×107 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled This painting immerses the viewer into an atmos...
Canvas, Acrylic
Large French Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting Bright Orange and Pastel Colour
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Large French Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting Bright Orange and Pastel Colours Composition by Marie Deloume (French, born 1942) signed verso French abstract expressionist oil pain...
Oil, Canvas
$14,531
"umbrella girl series" Blue- Gold Edition No.14, Painting, 21st Century, Acrylic
By Roger König
Located in Dessau-Rosslau, Sachsen Anhalt
Set against a rich midnight blue background, luminous gold leaf creates a refined dialogue between elegance, depth and timeless luxury Gold Edition - with real gold leaf, 23,75 cara...
Clay, Acrylic
Original Set of 3-Primary Colour series-Awarded artist-gold leaf with oil
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
Shizico Yi's "Primary Series" is a series where she explores the relationship between colours and emotion, particularly the colour yellow ( using gold leaf as the chosen material for...
Gold Leaf
Held by Morning 1, Original abstract botanical, blue, blue gray
Located in Cumming, GA
Held by Morning 1 captures the quiet beauty of daybreak through soft botanical forms, layered texture, and a luminous palette of pale blue-gray and white. Inspired by the restorative...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,575Sale Price|43% Off
No Ulterior Motives (Gestural Abstract, Atmospheric, Blue, Cool, ~43% OFF)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Katherine Bello No Ulterior Motives Oil on Canvas 2021 Size: 40 x 30 x 1.5 inches (101.6 cm × 76.20 × 3.81 cm) Signed, dated and titled by hand COA provided *On Stretcher Frame, Gal...
Canvas, Oil
$1,054Sale Price|30% Off
Large Abstract Expressionist Mid Century Modern Oil Painting on Canvas in Frame
Located in AIGNAN, FR
Large original abstract oil painting on canvas signed in the lower left and framed. A very attractive modern vintage abstract that cascades strong colour and form. Here, the artist...
Oil
$2,150
The Shadow Within, Contemporary Abstract Geometric Painting by Sophie Dumont
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
The Shadow Within Sophie Dumont is a French contemporary painter whose work explores the dialogue between geometry, light, and material through richly layered oil paintings. Built o...
Oil
$1,342Sale Price|30% Off
Large Mid Century Modern Abstract Impressionist Landscape Oil Painting
Located in AIGNAN, FR
An original signed and dated oil painting by Alfred Levy 'Alvy' (1915-1970) depicting a harbour-side arcade scene in the artist's characteristic modern French style. It's entitled,...
Oil
$2,950
I Want That Kind of Forever That Burns Bright - Bouquet Still Life Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Inspired by paintings created by old masters and the immersive nature she experienced in the Black Forest, German artist Katharina Husslein paints in a representational hyperrealisti...
Canvas, Oil
Green Haven
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 97×110 cm (overall size with stretching 107×120 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled The painting is built on an expressive visual contrast between mon...
Canvas, Acrylic
Genèse, Contemporary Abstract Geometric Painting by Sophie Dumont
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Born in Paris in 1964, French contemporary painter Sophie Dumont creates richly layered oil paintings that explore abstraction through structure, rhythm, and memory. Her works are he...
Oil
$6,800
Leaving the Pieces Alone, 2024, Original Mixed Media Painting by Murray Duncan
Located in Toronto, Ontario
'Leaving the Pieces Alone' - is an original mixed media painting by Canadian artist Murray Duncan. Measuring 48" H × 84" W, the composition features Duncan's signature gestural lin...
Glaze, Oil Crayon, Acrylic, Pencil
Presence
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 140×97 cm (overall size with stretching 150×107 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled Painting Title: "Presence" Series Title: "The Inviolable Reserve" ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Sanctuary for Two
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 142×142 cm (overall size with stretching 152×152 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled This painting is a visual meditation on preserving one's inner wo...
Canvas, Acrylic
Hand-Painted large Canvas Limited Edition#6/10–Sunshine Factory-Awarded Artist
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
This stunning large hand-painted Limited canvas edition is created in oil by Shizico Yi and is 95% hand painted directly onto canvas. Signed on the front and signed and numbered on ...
Gesso, Canvas, Oil, Acrylic, Giclée, Archival Pigment
Quiet Hour
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 97×97 cm (overall size with stretching 107×107 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled This painting captures a moment of absolute peace and cozy domestic...
Canvas, Acrylic
Protected Serenity
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 142×142 cm (overall size with stretching 152×152 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled This evocative painting immerses the viewer into a realm of absol...
Acrylic, Canvas
Pink Summer
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 97×115 cm (Total canvas size including stretching margins: 107×125 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled This painting immerses the viewer into the lang...
Canvas, Acrylic
$3,750
Revival 20 - Original Abstract Multicolor Acrylic Painting on Canvas Framed
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rachel Taggart’s abstract paintings explore the way light passes through color and creates a sense of depth. Diluted acrylic washes settle into the raw canvas in translucent layers, ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$465
"Summer Flora" Contemporary abstract expressionist floral acrylic painting
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
"Summer Flora" is a lively floral painting by French artist Natalya Mougenot. In this piece, she captures the feeling of a summer bouquet in full bloom, using color and movement to ...
Paper, Acrylic
Enigma, Contemporary Abstract Geometric Painting by Sophie Dumont
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
French contemporary artist Sophie Dumont creates layered oil paintings that balance structure, atmosphere, and emotion. Her work is held in private and museum collections and is reco...
Oil
$558
"Pink Silence" Abstract impressionist water lilies painting inspired by Monet
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
"Above the Provence" is an original French landscape painting inspired by the summer nature of Provence, with its cypresses, rich blooming vegetation, and luminous atmosphere, as wel...
Paper, Acrylic
"umbrella girl series" Gold Edition No.13, Painting, 21st Century, Acrylic
By Roger König
Located in Dessau-Rosslau, Sachsen Anhalt
Gold Edition - with real gold leaf, 23,75 carat Art measures 7.87“ x 7.87“ inches Frame measures 13“ x 13“ x 2.36“ inches Framed in a high-quality contemporary wooden moulding. Color...
Clay, Acrylic
$5,050
The Wellspring III - Large Scale Contemporary Colorful 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, Oil
$24,000
"Stone and Sage" Massive Abstract Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Signed Original
Located in Carmel, CA
Nan Van Ryzin (American, born 1952) "Stone and Sage" 2026 Acrylic paint on canvas, stretcher bars Signed and dated on verso. "Stone and Sage" is a work of rare quiet power - an epic...
Canvas, Stretcher Bars, Acrylic
Original Diptych-Drawing Time: Garden Story-Brit Awarded Artist-Ink on paper
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
This special Diptych includes two original large ink drawings on Italian Fabriao paper, created by Shizico at the height of summer when her collection of lilies take centre stage in ...
Gold Leaf
White folds 9. 3D abstraction
Located in Zofingen, AG
The painting, created on canvas with clay, depicts soft, flowing folds that create the impression of draped fabric. The entire piece is rendered in a pure white color, giving it eleg...
Clay, Canvas, Acrylic
$3,475
Correspondances, Modern Abstract painting, Geometric, Original Oil on Canvas
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Sophie Dumont is a contemporary French painter recognized for her layered oil paintings, where structure and material create refined, architectural compositions collected internatio...
Oil
Tête-à-tête
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 132×142 cm (overall size with stretching 142×152 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled This painting captures a fragile, precious moment of genuine inti...
Acrylic, Canvas
$850
Mysterious Sea, Abstract Seascape Painting in Orange, School of Fish Patterns
Located in Barcelona, ES
“Mysterious Sea ” is a contemporary abstract painting inspired by the fluid motion of ocean currents. Layers of teal, green, and orange tones intertwine with flowing yellow lines, ev...
Paper, Acrylic, Monotype
You brought Sunshine and Summer: Original Floral Painting, Blue vase, Geese.
By Karnish Art
Located in Pretoria, Gauteng
Title: You brought Sunshine and Summer Original Floral Painting, Blue vase, Geese, Heron, Unique, One-of-a-kind. "You brought Sunshine and Summer" is a painting that portrays a dee...
Gesso, Canvas, Wood, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
$4,301
Teresa Vicens, Contemporary Minimalist Figurative Painting with Female Nude
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Contemporary figurative painting featuring a group of female nude figures in a minimalist composition. Created by Spanish artist Teresa Vicens, this large-scale work explores themes ...
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
L'equilibre des voix, Contemporary Large Abstract Oil Painting, 42x42 in
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
L’Équilibre des Voix Sophie Dumont L’Équilibre des Voix, 2026 Oil on canvas 100 x 100 cm (39.4 x 39.4 in) Framed: 107 x 107 cm (42.1 x 42.1 in) Signed by the artist Black or natural...
Canvas, Oil
$3,475
Terres de lumiere, Contemporary Abstract Landscape Painting in Earthy tones
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Terres de Lumière (Lands of Light) French contemporary painter Sophie Dumont is renowned for her richly layered oil paintings inspired by landscape, memory, and the passage of time....
Oil
$890
Trail with Path, Expressionist Diptych, Abstract Landscape, Earth Tones Painting
By Albert Ducet
Located in Barcelona, ES
In "Trail with Path" Ducet reconsiders impressionist landscape paintings through a contemporary and gestual lens. Natural elements are translated into simplified forms and energetic ...
Paper, Acrylic
The Other Side of Here. Large Abstract Painting, Blue and Earth Tones
Located in Oslo, NO
Tatiana said following about this artwork. "In this work, I explore the idea that a familiar place can suddenly feel different. The composition developed freely, through layers of c...
Canvas, Acrylic
“Set Out”
By Iryna Rets
Located in Zofingen, AG
The works from this series were exhibited at ART KYIV Fair 2026 and later presented as part of the artist’s solo exhibition “Points of View” at MODI Art & Wine Gallery, Kyiv. “Set ...
Canvas, 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.