Skip to main content

Abstract 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.

to
21
139
43
29
32
71
67
50
49
18
17
32
84
Overall Height
to
Overall Width
to
295
200
56
24
14
12
9
3
3
2
2
3
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
15
185
1
6
2
12
10
7
6
5
182
174
165
158
102
Style: Abstract
Color:  Gold
Kate Playboy #5S
Located in Brecon, Powys
Matt Emulsion, Gloss Varnish, 24 carat Gold Leaf on Aluminium
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Aluminum, Gold Leaf

Departure 2
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Alexander Eulert's original mixed media paintings on wood panels are abstract propositions of worlds where divergent forces coalesce into harmonious geometric interactions. He draws ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Metal, Gold Leaf

"Viva la France!" Contemporary Pop Art Modern Flag Minimal 23k Gold Oil Painting
Located in Wellesley, MA
"Viva La France!," 23 Karat Gold Leaf and Oil on Canvas, 32 x 48 Inches, is inspired by the French flag, elegant and whimsical, however it can also be viewed as a pure geometric abs...
Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

Gold Morning
Located in Greenwich, CT
Abstract landscape painting
Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Fan Abstract
Located in Soquel, CA
Dramatic and compelling mixed media, collotype by Patricia A. Pearce (American, b. 1948). A mixed media artist test project painting using brown wash, gold leaf, silver leaf, and co...
Category

1980s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

Split Green Shape - fun, colourful, gold leaf edge, acrylic on shaped panel
Located in Bloomfield, ON
Lively and colourful, Aron Hill’s abstract paintings explore colour and form. This fun graphic piece in Kelly green is rendered as a shield-like shape on a white shaped panel. A blac...
Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

Round Yellow With 2 Lines - colourful, gold leaf edge, tondo acrylic on panel
Located in Bloomfield, ON
Aron Hill is attracted to colour and shape. The Calgary artist explores these concepts with every brush stroke. In this bold work, Hill has rendered a polygon in bright yellow encirc...
Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

Round Magenta with Two Lines - colourful, gold leaf edge, acrylic tondo on panel
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This lively painting is by Calgary’s Aron Hill. Known for bright colours and bold form, Hill has rendered a polygon in deep magenta on a white tondo (circle) rimmed with glowing gold...
Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

Round Violet with 1 Line - colourful, gold leaf edge, tondo acrylic on panel
Located in Bloomfield, ON
In this dynamic work by Aron Hill, a deep violet geometric shape sits against a white tondo (circle) framed by a black canvas. The round panel is rimmed in gold leaf which casts a h...
Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

Green & Yellow Shape - fun, colourful, gold leaf edge, acrylic on shaped panel
Located in Bloomfield, ON
On a shaped white panel, Aron Hill plays with geometric form and bright colours—a lime green fan shape, a lemon-yellow gum drop shape, grounding angular line...
Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

Hidden Benefits
Located in New York, NY
This vibrant piece by Petrov brings to the viewer a magical abstract landscape where tridimensional shapes at times come to the surface like opening flowers to get lost again in a lu...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Untitled
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Acrylic on canvas embedded with glitter and gold leaf Unsigned, as per usual Provenance: Estate of the artist Sheet: 14 x 17" Peter Marks (1935 -2010...
Category

Early 2000s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

Veil No. 12 (Abstract Cameraless Photograph with Earth Tone Palette on White)
Located in Hudson, NY
Abstract chromoskedasic monoprint on black and white photo paper mounted on aluminum 40 x 18 x 1.5 inches framed This contemporary, abstract style chromoskedasic monoprint was creat...
Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Photographic Paper, Monoprint

Udo Haderlein Abstract Paint "V 3 Experiment" 2015
Located in Berlin, DE
Udo Haderlein was born in Bamberg, Germany in 1976. He lives and works as an artist in Berlin. This is a very fine example of his abstract art done on board with acrylic paint, gold ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Gold

"Flame Angel" Abstract mixed media reverse triptych painting behind glass
Located in Edgartown, MA
"I throw myself into the water almost every day- it grounds me, the body floats and the mind drifts. The "Swimmer series" has followed me over the years, resurfacing and evolving. Presently I'm working on wood, I'm intrigued by wood grain swirling like water and how that ground moves through the swimmer's form”. Carol graduated from the Art Center College of Design in painting. For some 20 years she split her time between her loft in downtown LA and a beach bungalow in Hawaii- satisfying a passion for culture and the ocean's pull. In LA she painted backdrops...
Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

Leone - AP 3/3
Located in Miami, FL
Hand-embellished photograph with gold leaf and diamond dust. Born in Paris, Arno Elias is a French American artist, Photographer, Musician and Activist. He is best known for his ha...
Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

"Circle No. 170" Round Neutral Mixed Media Artwork with Texture and Metal Leaf
Located in Baltimore, MD
This piece is round and 36 inches in diameter. Takefumi Hori was born in 1978 in Tokyo, Japan. Takefumi studied Japanese calligraphy before moving to New York in 2004. Once in New York, he started painting abstract paintings with acrylic on canvas. Since 2009, Takefumi has been creating abstract paintings using gold leaf...
Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

Abstract #617 - Metal Wall Sculpture
Located in Blowing Rock, NC
Aged bronze and brass, stainless steel. 65"x40"x3" Search "Kue King" to see entire collection of 30+ sculptures. Kue King created this wire sculpture using pure metals manufactur...
Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Metal, Brass, Bronze, Stainless Steel, Wire

Abstract #618 - Metal Wall Sculpture
Located in Blowing Rock, NC
Aged bronze and brass, stainless steel. 54"x29"x3" Search "Kue King" to see entire collection of 30+ sculptures. Kue King created this wire sculpture using pure metals manufactur...
Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Metal, Brass, Bronze, Stainless Steel, Wire

Tembo 4 - 2/9
Located in Miami, FL
Hand-embellished photography with acrylic paint, diamond dust, and gold leaf. Limited and signed edition, number 2 of 9. Born in Paris, Arno Elias is a French American artist, Photographer, Musician and Activist. He is best known for his hand-painted, hand-embellished photographs of endangered species and indigenous peoples, both of whom have been devastated by the impacts of industrialization. In 2016, Arno Elias founded I'm Not A Trophy, an organization dedicated to creating greater awareness for the rapid extinction of endangered species around the world. Featuring Supermodel and Actress Cara Delevingne as the first-ever Brand Ambassador, the organization's awareness initiative achieved world-wide recognition. In September 2019, Elias was invited to the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly...
Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

Luluka 1/9
Located in Miami, FL
Hand-embellished photograph with gold leaf and diamond dust. Limited and signed edition, number 1 of 9. Born in Paris, Arno Elias is a French American artist, Photographer, Musician and Activist. He is best known for his hand-painted, hand-embellished photographs of endangered species and indigenous peoples, both of whom have been devastated by the impacts of industrialization. In 2016, Arno Elias founded I'm Not A Trophy, an organization dedicated to creating greater awareness for the rapid extinction of endangered species around the world. Featuring Supermodel and Actress Cara Delevingne as the first-ever Brand Ambassador, the organization's awareness initiative achieved world-wide recognition. In September 2019, Elias was invited to the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on the topic of animal welfare and sustainable development. Elias is also a music composer...
Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

Tete
Located in Miami, FL
Hand-painted with gold leaf and embellished with diamond dust. Limited and signed edition number 1 of 17. Born in Paris, Arno Elias is a French American artist, Photographer, Musician and Activist. He is best known for his hand-painted, hand-embellished photographs of endangered species and indigenous peoples, both of whom have been devastated by the impacts of industrialization. In 2016, Arno Elias founded I'm Not A Trophy, an organization dedicated to creating greater awareness for the rapid extinction of endangered species around the world. Featuring Supermodel and Actress Cara Delevingne as the first-ever Brand Ambassador, the organization's awareness initiative achieved world-wide recognition. In September 2019, Elias was invited to the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly...
Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

"Cycle, " Acrylic, Gold and Silver Leaf on Canvas - Minimalist
Located in Houston, TX
Ever-turning, life's inevitable cycle of birth and death, reminds us of the rising and falling of all things. Artwork Details: Parinya Tantisuk "Cycle" 1996 Acrylic, Gold and Silv...
Category

1990s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

Fruity Ramen: Ghosted
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Abstract minimalist artist Jason DeMeo creates artworks that work to serve as a meditation for the viewer, drawing them toward the timeless concepts of truth, beauty, and goodness. His original paintings accentuate the ultimate appreciation of medium and form, inspired by everlasting principles of simplicity, balance, symmetry, order, and harmony. DeMeo created this one-of-a-kind 42-inch square painting using acrylic paint and gold leaf on a recycled fiber blanket which creates unique textures throughout the artwork. It is signed on the front and the back. It is stretched, wired, and ready to hang. Framing is not required. Free local Los Angeles delivery. Affordable U.S. and global shipping available. A certificate of authenticity issued by the art gallery is included. Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, DeMeo is now based in Central Florida. Through his work, he seeks to express universal themes by bringing his eclectic personal experiences, philosophies, and emotions to the forefront. He has a deep belief in the power of art to bring transformation to both spaces and people. DeMeo’s artworks, packed with positive affirmations, have been collected across the United States. DeMeo focuses on exploring a concept that he has coined Synthesism™. It stems from the definition of the word synthesis: “the combining of often diverse elements into a coherent whole.” This theme of blending, combining, and remixing in many disciplines, especially music, architecture, and even culture leading to the growth of community is captured in his work. Modernism constructs, Post-modernism deconstructs, and Synthesism combines. Each of DeMeo’s artworks includes elements of precision and organic creation. The sharp lines offer a balancing contrast to details of drips, splashes, or scrapings that bring life to his work. DeMeo carefully layers each color while keeping attention to the relationships between them and the weight of each brushstroke. Every artwork offers intrinsic details and textures at a closer glance. Current movement influences include Abstract Expressionism, Bauhaus, Conceptualism, Gestalt, Human Centered Design, Wabi-Sabi, Black Mountain College. Current artistic influences include Helen Frankenthaler, Joan Mitchell, Robert Rauschenberg, Franz Kline, Cy Twombly, Pierre Soulages, Tomie Ohtake, Clyfford Still, Morris Louis, Terrence Conran...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

TRINITY
Located in New York, NY
triptych of 6 x 6 inch panels abstract oil painting with gold on edges
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Gold

TIME IN MOTION
Located in New York, NY
5 panels. abstract oil paintings with gold on edge. can be hung vertically or horizontally
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Gold

Abstract paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Abstract 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 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, orange, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Giorgio Lo Fermo, Sumit Mehndiratta, Nestor Toro, and Cindy Shaoul. Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Synthetic Resin 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 paintings, so small editions measuring 0.1 inches across are also available.

Recently Viewed

View All