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.
Silence of the Animals, Abstract Oil Painting on Canvas, 95x80 cm
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
"The Silence of the Animals" is an original oil painting on canvas by Colombian artist Luis Xiua, known for blending figurative and abstract elements inspired by nature and pre-Hispa...
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Antique American Modernist Abstract Expressionist Framed Original Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American abstract expressionist oil painting. Oil on canvas. Framed. Measuring: 43 by 31 inches overall. In excellent original condition. Handsomely framed in a giltwood mo...
Canvas, Oil
Ray of Light 1
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Encaustic on panel. It's simple; I create art because it makes me happy. I try not to overthink the process of what I’m painting and let my intuition be my guide. I love laying do...
Encaustic
$5,387
No Chance If You're Caught In The Past, Joan Mitchell, De Kooning, Poons, red
Located in Jönköping, SE
This painting is part of the collection titled Contemplation and Introspection. In this series I am exploring the profound relationship between nature and the human experience. The c...
Acrylic
Abstract 5, Abstract Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Patches of cream, turquoise, and grey fill this abstract painting. Blue and orange accents, along with black lines, create contrast. Scratches and marks bring d...
Oil
$14,200
A834 - Original Large Scale Minimalist Contemporary Teal Tone Abstract Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Swiss-born artist Marco Schmidli creates large-scale minimalist paintings reminiscent of color field studies with a contemporary edge. Placing emphasis on process, he lets the medium...
Canvas, Acrylic
Weightless Presence, seafoam green, pink, soft, serene, atmospheric
Located in Cumming, GA
This original abstract painting evokes a sense of ethereal calm, where soft whites and pale aqua tones drift together like whispers of clouds across the sky. The delicate layers and ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Contemporary Watercolor Painting, 'Design for Light', c. 2000 by David Ruth
By David Ruth
Located in Oakland, CA
This is a contemporary abstract watercolor painting by artist David Ruth. This series of paintings often feature bright colors and vibrant layouts that draw the viewer in. They are c...
Paper, Watercolor
$2,350
Large Scale Ocean Seascape Abstract Monoprint - Acrylic and Pastel on Paper
Located in Soquel, CA
Large Scale Ocean Seascape Abstract Monoprint - Acrylic and Pastel on Paper A dynamic large-scale vintage abstracted seascape Monoprint by Dennis Frings...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Paper
$160,000
Sam Gilliam - Ab Ex painting, Ex-Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) Collection, Signed
By Sam Gilliam
Located in New York, NY
Sam Gilliam Untitled Abstract Expressionist mixed media painting on paper, Ex-Museum of Modern Art Collection, 1968 Watercolor and Aluminum Paint on Fiberglass Paper. (Framed with Mu...
Fiberglass, Paint, Watercolor
Pink Cosmos Monotype Print, Abstract Art, 2023, Hand-Pulled by the Artist
By a.muse
Located in New york, NY
In the artist's abstract print series, Cosmos, 2023 by a.muse represents an imaginary cosmos - the universe as a place of longing, dreams, wonder, and ethereal beauty. A 13.75" x 11"...
Ink, Rag Paper, Monotype, Gouache
$2,753
Monochrome Ultramarine Blue Abstract Painting on Canvas Artist Gabriela Meunie
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
At Escat Gallery we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of trust and professionalism for our collectors. Every artwork in our collection comes with a Certificate of Au...
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic, Pigment
$3,641
Remembering This Side Of You - Original Minimalist Abstract Painting on Canvas
Located in Manchester, GB
Henry Woolway, Remembering This Side of You, 2025 Overlapping acrylic dyed canvas with frayed edges 68 x 57.5 cm Artwork is hand-framed in a tray frame Hand-signed by Artist on reve...
Canvas, Acrylic
Contemporary abstract impressionist still-life painting "Table in garden"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
“Table in Garden” is a vivid contemporary still-life painting by French artist Natalya Mougenot, part of her ongoing series dedicated to floral compositions and intimate domestic sce...
Canvas, Acrylic
$800Sale Price|20% Off
"Paris Light" Abstract Figure w Gown French Haute Couture Oil Painting on Canvas
By Cindy Shaoul
Located in New York, NY
Exploring the purity of the feminine form and the drama of French haute couture, artist Cindy Shaoul creates a dialogue between the figurative and the abstract. Her spirited composit...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Emerald mosaic. 3D textured.
Located in Zofingen, AG
The composition is created on canvas using gypsum plaster and epoxy resin. The work is built on a contrast between structure and gloss, geometry and fluidity. The upper part of the ...
Mixed Media, Canvas
Abstract 2288
Located in Zofingen, AG
There’s something ethereal, almost magical, about contemporary paintings. The incredible Expressionism bleeds through the canvas, transforming any room into an entirely new experienc...
Acrylic
$2,400Sale Price|40% Off
Provincetown Beach Landscape with Lobster Traps
By Sol Wilson
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Sol Wilson (1896-1974). Provincetown Beach Landscape with Lobster Traps, ca. 1950. Oil on Masonite panel, 16 x 20 inches. Measuring 24 x 28 inches fra...
Oil
$4,600
Large painting on canvas, rose garden, flowers - Between Rain Air and Branches
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 large...
Canvas, Spray Paint, Acrylic
Fragrance of Memory, Abstract Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Sheila Grabarsky demonstrates an abstraction of interlacing colors with hints of green, blue, and white peeping from the predominantly maroon, black, and mustard yellow background. A whimsical portrayal of ever-changing moods. Sheila incorporates dried acrylic skins within the multilayered composition, creating textures, depth, and history. The expressive gestural strokes depict a sense of sinuous motion.
About the Artist
Sheila Grabarsky is known for her bold, gestural nature scenes. Her fluid paintings have been compared to those of Vasily Kandinsky...
Acrylic
$2,400
Straight Into the Middle - Lively Impasto Thick Paint Colorful 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 a...
Canvas, Glitter, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Ensign No. 3
Located in Columbia, MO
A native of Upstate New York, Matt Ballou was educated at The School of The Art Institute of Chicago (BFA 2001) and Indiana University ( MFA 2005) before coming to The University of ...
Plastic, Mixed Media, Permanent Marker
Piling In Front 2
By Ky Anderson
Located in Dallas, TX
Pigment & acrylic on paper
Paper, Acrylic, Pigment
Sense of Wonder, Abstract Painting
By Alicia Dunn
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Alicia Dunn captures an ethereal moment in time. She presents an abstract landscape in bold blue tones with orange accents. Alicia paints with heavy st...
Acrylic
Antique American Modernist Abstract Expressionist New York School Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
American modernist abstract expressionist oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed verso.
Canvas, Oil
Siesta in Santa Fe
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Lynn Sanders is an artist excited by beauty: architecture, foliage, landscapes, seascapes, interiors. She finds palettes and shapes in her environment and propels them into her work,...
Acrylic Polymer, Ink, Acrylic
The Assembled Whole. 3
Located in Zofingen, AG
This painting is done in an abstract style on canvas using various textures and geometric shapes. The composition features predominantly gray and lilac tones with touches of beige, c...
Canvas, Mixed Media
$1,005
Pink Cadillac Visit - Original L.A. Still Life Color Drenched Acrylic Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Kathleen Keifer's original artworks represent one of the most significant expressions of New California Realism. Keifer brings a fresh perspective to her colorful scenes of everyday ...
Canvas, 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
$1,350Sale Price|25% Off
New England Winter
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Gordon Ham (20th century) New England Winter, ca. 1940. Oil on unstretched canvas panel, 14 x 17 inches. Measuring 17 x 20 inches framed. Signed lower right. Vertical cracking ...
Oil
Fred Kenknight "Midday Sun" Abstract Oil Painting c.1963
Located in San Francisco, CA
Fred Kenknight Vintage 1960s "Midday Sun" Abstract Oil Painting Fantastic vintage oil painting signed by Fred Kenknight. Though untitled, we are call...
Oil, Board
$1,700
Into the Wave, Large Ocean Diptych, Abstract Fishing Net, Mixed Media on Paper
Located in Barcelona, ES
Unusual Seascape is a striking mixed-media diptych that reimagines the ocean as an abstract cartography of color, texture, and movement. Layers of vibrant blues and orange tones coll...
Paper, Acrylic, Watercolor, Monoprint
#106, 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
$882Sale Price|20% Off
Parisian Abstract Expressionist Original Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Stunning original oil painting by the French abstract artist, Yvette Dubois-Habasque (1929-2016). The painting has excellent provenance having come from the artists studio sale in Pa...
Oil
Equinox - Abstract Acrylic Painting, Nature-Inspired, 40x36 Inches
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This contemporary acrylic abstract painting was inspired by nature. This joyful mélange of colour looks and feels like a moment in early spring has been captured on canvas. Claudia ...
Canvas, Acrylic, Wood Panel
Abstract Modernist Oil Painting - noted Penn State Area Artist Ralph Dorn Hetzel
Located in Baltimore, MD
The name “Hetzel” has long been associated with Pennsylvania history. George Hetzel (1826-1899) was a French-born American painter who settled near Pitts...
Oil
$636Sale Price|20% Off
Antique American Framed Original Vintage Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American abstract expressionist painting. OIl on canvas. Framed. Finely painted with wonderful color palette.
Canvas, Oil
The Air Feels New
Located in Zofingen, AG
shipped rolled in a tube. The Air Feels New from the series “Inner Landscapes” This painting is part of the Inner Landscapes series, where landscape becomes a reflection of memory, ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,077Sale Price|50% Off
Aldo Caselli. Venice. Industries And The Dragon. Dated 1978.
Located in Firenze, IT
Aldo Caselli. Venice. Industries and the Dragon. Dated 1978. Born in Venice, in 1942 where he lives and works. The painting, at first impression abstract, with more accurate observ...
Canvas, Oil
$645
Flower Arrangement in Carved Wooden Bowl - Abstract Botanical Painting on Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Krisanne Souter weaves together elements of nature and ancient feminine archetypes, such as the Mother and the Mystic. Botanical themes, playful elements, and unexpected surprises ar...
Paper, Ink, Acrylic, Watercolor, Color Pencil
Untitled (7)
Located in Columbia, MO
Signed and dated '48 recto, signed verso. John von Wicht (German-American, 1888 - 1970) was a painter and printmaker whose abstract works evolved from European modernism to dy...
Paper, Oil
Stepping Stone, orange, expressionism, Dekooning, beige, blue, contemporary
Located in Jönköping, SE
This painting is from my series titled "Kinetic Harmony." The paintings in this series explore rhythm and movement, capturing the interplay at the water's edge and the restless motio...
Acrylic
$620Sale Price|20% Off
Mid Century Modern Abstract Expressionist Framed Original Large Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Nicely painted mid century abstract cubist oil painting. Great color and composition. Framed.
Canvas, Oil
City of Love - Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Abstract, 48in x 60in
By Mario Angel
Located in Mississauga, CA
This acrylic on canvas fine art piece by master Mario Angel is a profound example of figurative abstraction, characterized by its intricate tapestry of interconnected, biomorphic for...
Canvas, Acrylic
Red leopard on blue
Located in Zofingen, AG
This acrylic painting on canvas combines the power of imagery with the expressiveness of color. The figure of the leopard emerges through a bold contrast of vibrant red and deep blue...
Canvas, Acrylic
Bouquet, Original Oil Painting with Flowers by Andrei Belaichuk
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Bouquet" is a vivid painting inspired by bright and intense colors. In this work of art, you will see a bouquet of flowers that simply radiates with vibrant colors and dynamism. Th...
Oil
"Silhouetting ll" Acrylic on Raw Canvas, Framed
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Ali Enache (b. 1985, Washington, D.C.) is a Los Angeles-based abstract painter whose minimalist, textural works are characterized by warmth, subtle movement, and tonal depth. With a ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$645
Moon Flower Potted Plant - Lively Abstract Colorful Botanical Painting on Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Krisanne Souter weaves together elements of nature and ancient feminine archetypes, such as the Mother and the Mystic. Botanical themes, playful elements, and unexpected surprises ar...
Paper, Ink, Acrylic, Watercolor, Color Pencil
$1,600
Handmade Paper Collage Sculpture Art Assemblage with String Nancy Genn Modernist
By Nancy Genn
Located in Surfside, FL
Nancy Genn, American (b. 1929) Marshfield 25 (1977) Handmade paper collage Hand signed verso Dimensions: 20 1/8 x 22 inches Utilizing what is now known as the 'Genn Method,' Nancy Ge...
Mixed Media, Handmade Paper
$415
Memory - Muted Color 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
Cinco Mujeres, Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting, 21st Century
Located in Mexico City, MX
Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting Acrylic on canvas 150 x 100 cm Signed About the artist Enrique Pichardo (Mexico City, 1973) graduated from Escuela Nacional de Pintura, Escultur...
Canvas, Acrylic
Mountain High - Large Original Abstract Expressionism Playful Landscape Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The paintings of Bruce Rubenstein seamlessly marry sophistication with affordability. His expressive abstract landscape artwork 'Flourishing Fields' features whimsical details and vi...
Canvas, Charcoal, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Abstract Expressionist Painting American Late 1960's Mid Century New York Brown
Located in Buffalo, NY
Mid Century Modern, American Abstract Expressionist Painting on Masonite. This wonderful work in hues of blue comes house in a contemporary natural wood frame presentation.. The ar...
Masonite, Acrylic
Untitled 154_25 (Abstract Painting)
Located in London, GB
Ludovic Dervillez is a French abstract painter whose practice is a powerful interrogation of how painting can still be a living, resonant space, focusing on the vital tension between...
Canvas, Mixed Media
Where Water Holds the Evening
Located in Zofingen, AG
Where Water Holds the Evening From the series Inner Landscapes There are evenings by the water you never quite let go of. Where Water Holds the Evening is painted from exactly that ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$716Sale Price|20% Off
American Large Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Signed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage modernist abstract painting. Oil on canvas. Image size, 36L x 36H. Signed verso, "Larry Glickman".
Canvas, Oil
Emotion: Abstract Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Unframed, 70x50 cm
Located in Zofingen, AG
An abstract composition is presented on the canvas, created using the fluid acrylic technique. The work is filled with a sense of movement and layered flow, where streams of paint fo...
Canvas, Acrylic
$3,472
Fragmented Presence- Modern Abstract painting, Geometric, Original Oil on Canvas
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Sophie Dumont is a contemporary French painter whose work explores the construction of space through color and material. Painted in oil on canvas, Fragmented Presence reflects an app...
Oil
$1,532
Acrylic abstract flowers painting on canvas "Whirlwind of summer flowers"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This unique contemporary floral artwork named "Whirlwind of summer flowers" presents an abstract interpretation of floral beauty, captivating viewers with its dynamic expression and...
Canvas, Acrylic
Scavi CXLVII Triptych Large Abstract, Fresco on Linen, 2000
By Marcia Myers
Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL
Scavi CXL VII Triptych 2000 Fresco, varnish on linen Size: 85"h x 72"w x2" Titled, signed and dated on verso, made up of three panels that are all screwed together with industrial ro...
Linen, Varnish, Oil
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.