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.
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic Polymer, Ink, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Latex, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
Artist Comments
A blend of soft, muted colors evokes the tranquility of a serene landscape. The composition draws the eye toward the horizon, hinting at a journey or passage of...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Joey Korom paints an abstract visualization of London's Russell Square. Three registers define the painting's major spati...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Part of Pat Forbes's ongoing "Journey" series of modern abstract paintings, evoking our colorful and complex life paths. "Life offers us many choices," she sa...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Paint, Acrylic
1970s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic, Handmade Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
Artist Comments
This abstract painting invites quiet reflection, evoking the stillness of a misty landscape mirrored in calm waters. A gentle palette of greens and blues wash...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Oil
1970s Abstract Paintings
Paper, Charcoal, Watercolor
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1960s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Linen, Ink, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1960s Abstract Paintings
Paper, Gouache
2010s Abstract Paintings
Oil
1990s Abstract Paintings
Oil, Gouache
Late 20th Century Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Plaster, Oil
Early 2000s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic, Cardboard
Artist Comments
A tonal abstract landscape rendered with an introspective approach. Artist Pat Forbes describes the scene as "the world left behind in the dreamy moments when...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
1960s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Late 20th Century Abstract Paintings
Watercolor, Gouache, Etching
2010s Abstract Paintings
Oil, Board
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Artist Comments
This abstract painting captures the striking contrast between a restless sky and the quiet strength of the land below. Storm clouds churn in layered blues and...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Mid-20th Century Abstract Paintings
Paper, Charcoal, Gouache
1960s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Wood, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Varnish, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1960s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Panel
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Bold, energetic brushwork shapes an abstract interpretation of a flower. Thick layers of paint convey spontaneity and life, while soft touches of blue add surpr...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Mixed Media, Plastic, Permanent Marker
1970s Abstract Paintings
Oil
1980s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Epoxy Resin, Foam Board
Artist Comments
Artist Lisa Nielsen displays impressionist roses gleaming from the warmth of the sun. Plump blossoms spring from effervesce...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Oil
1960s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
1970s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic, Handmade Paper
1960s Abstract Paintings
Masonite, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Organic Material, Mixed Media, Encaustic, Wood Panel
1930s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
1960s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Abstract paintings for sale on 1stDibs.
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