Abstract 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 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.
Artist Comments
"A bold and bright abstract inspired by positive thoughts and happy feelings," shares artist Janet Hamilton. Using expressive color and texture, Janet arrange...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Oil
1960s Abstract Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Paper, Ink
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Charcoal, Oil, Graphite
1960s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Inspired by one of my favorite views after climbing a challenging peak in the northeast Muddy Mountains. There were dramatic storm clouds swirling about and w...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Samuel Pretorius paints a bright sunny day at Shark Fin Cove near Santa Cruz in impressionism. A breathtaking cove stre...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
1980s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1960s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
![[Abstract Geometric Building]](https://a.1stdibscdn.com/jason-berger-paintings-abstract-geometric-building-for-sale/a_3973/1656703517283/12_15_168_web_master.jpg?width=240 "Jason Berger - [Abstract Geometric Building]")
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Charcoal, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Oil, Board, Mixed Media
20th Century Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Spray Paint, Acrylic, Felt Pen, Color Pencil
Artist Comments
Artist Janet Dyer exhibits a picturesque view of a summer sunset in Provence. Groves of trees flourish in the evergreen landscape. She captures the distinct f...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Paper, Acrylic, Pen, Black and White
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1990s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Gesso, Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
"Derived from a personal photo, this semi-abstract work attempts to recreate a sunlit autumn stream in Fauvist color and exuberant paint handling," says artis...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
1990s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Mary Pratt paints a surreal expressionist habitat surrounding a brightly colored bird perched on a branch. She believes birds are earthly showstoppers and captures them as such. These animals enhance our lives by encouraging us to pause and observe. "Oh look, there goes a beautiful bird—I always stop to look," says Mary.
About the Artist
Mary Pratt, a Georgia...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Oil
1980s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Late 20th Century Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Oil, Board
2010s Abstract Paintings
Paper, Oil
1970s Abstract Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
20th Century Abstract Paintings
Paper, Watercolor, Gouache
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Burlap, Cotton Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1950s Abstract Paintings
Gouache, Archival Paper
1960s Abstract Paintings
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Wood, Ink, Mixed Media, Watercolor
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
20th Century Abstract Paintings
Giclée
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Oil Crayon, Cotton Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Janet Dyer pictures an expressionist sun setting behind lakeside mountains. She captures the warm orange glow of the last moments of its descent. "Softly the evening came with the sunset," quotes Janet. In her trademark style of minimalist strokes, she envisions Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's iconic poetry.
About the Artist
Janet Dyer doesn’t like to spend too much time talking about her art, as she’d rather be creating it. She doesn’t have an artist statement, the traditional statement of purpose crafted by visual artists to explain their method. On becoming an artist, Janet simply states, “I picked up some crayons and pencils and brushes and kept using them.†She believes the process of creating art is equal in importance to the final product. The artist enjoys relinquishing control of her paintings to find delightful surprises in her so-called “mistakes.†Janet's expressively gestural yet bucolic landscapes are a testament to the success of her method.
Words that describe this painting: nature, spring, forsythia, yellow, river, water, trees, reflection, abstract, acrylicpaint, sunset, expressionism, expressionism, nature, acrylic painting, green
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Paper, India Ink
2010s Abstract Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
1960s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Mid-20th Century Abstract Paintings
Paper, Crayon
Abstract paintings for sale on 1stDibs.
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