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.
Antique American Abstract Expressionist Large Colorful Original Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American abstract expressionist oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Measuring 16 by 36 inches.
Canvas, Oil
$13,940
Constructed Memory-Abstract oil painting, stylized bookshelf with warm tones
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Sophie Dumont (b. 1964, Paris) French contemporary painter Sophie Dumont has developed a distinctive body of work over the past two decades, exploring the intersection of memory, str...
Oil
"How Did It Do That" - pink, abstract, whimsical, pattern, botanical
By Susan Hable
Located in Atlanta, GA
This abstract painting features hues of pink, green and blue. Susan Hable is inspired by the work of David Hockney, Milton Avery, Henri Matisse, Alex Katz, Howard Hodgkins, Hilma af...
Canvas, Oil
Himalayas: (SPACES Series) Canvas, Oil, Acrylic, 60x120 cm
Located in Zofingen, AG
A masterpiece exploring ethereal heights, natural majesty, and the infinite. This panoramic 60x120cm oil, acrylic canvas captures a sublime transition from rugged earth into absolute...
Oil, Acrylic
Painting of the Winter Sunshine with Mountain Lake by 20th Century Dutch Artist
By Joop Smits
Located in Preston, GB
Oil Painting of the Winter Sunshine with Mountain Lake by 20th Century Dutch Artist, Joop Smits (1938-2014) Art measures 16 x 12 inches Fr...
Oil, Board
Huge French Contemporary Modernist Abstract Oil Painting Blue White Sails Wind
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Composition of Blue/ White Sailing Boats in the Wind signed by Jacqueline VERDET (French, 1931-2023) oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas: 45.5 x 35 inches condition: the...
Canvas, Oil
$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
$850
Joyous Turquoise Sea, Abstract Fish Patterns, Mediterranean Seascape on Paper
Located in Barcelona, ES
This series by Enric Servera explores the relationship of humans to salt and seawater. The intention of these works is to submerge us into the sea, a salty treasure that surrounds us...
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Watercolor
Memory of a landscape - abstract painting, landscape painting
Located in New York, NY
Memory of a Landscape Acrylic on canvas 100/70 2026 "Memory of a Landscape" is a captivating abstract expressionist painting that explores how our minds store the places we love -...
Canvas, Acrylic
Belond time, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
By Emily STARCK
Located in Yardley, PA
Large work of abstraction. Worked in several layers with raw emotions expressed by colors and gesture. Edges are painted in the continuity of the work. Dimensions are for stretched...
Acrylic
$515Sale Price|20% Off
Italian Abstract Cityscape with Towers. Circa 1970
Located in Firenze, IT
Cityscape with skyscrapers. Stylized and almost abstract representation of a city with skyscrapers, some of which have the shape of a sail. Oil on canvas. In a 1970´s aluminium / wood period frame. Signed lower right: Raimondo. Landscape appears at first glance as a series of abstract, geometric, very bright objects. Very good condition. Painting comes from a collection in Turin, Italy which had numerous signed works...
Canvas, Oil
Eco Feminist Mixed Media Botanic Painting Mira Lehr Miami Abstract Expressionist
By Mira Lehr
Located in Surfside, FL
Mira Tager Lehr (American, 1936-2023), Acrylic on canvas painting Interrupted Cell Formation series Circa 2008-2009. Mixed media technique incorporating organic forms, floral motifs...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
And It Felt Like We Could Fly - Original Abstract Colorful Nature Still Life
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Kimberly Blackstock’s “And It Felt Like We Could Fly” opens into a luminous garden-like scene filled with movement, softness, and dimensional texture. The artwork has the feeling of ...
Acrylic, Resin, Mixed Media, Wood Panel
Blue Wonder, Abstract Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Deep blue and navy tones define this acrylic pour painting. White negative space emphasizes the fluid movement and texture of the paint. The poured layers creat...
Acrylic
$4,298
ABSTRACT Black Bamboo Painting Texture Italian Artist Silvia De Marchi Minimal
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...
Gesso, Ink, Handmade Paper, Bamboo Paper
$7,500
"The Last Waltz", Abstract Expressionist, Figures, White, Yellow, Oil Painting
By Sorin Bica
Located in Franklin, MA
Sorin Bica's "The Last Waltz", a 41 x 82 inch oil painting, shows an abstract, highly stylized composition filled with clustered human figures rendered in a bold, graphic manner. The...
Canvas, Oil
$420
Serene Cove Waters, Feng Shui Seascape, Blue and White Ripples, Horizontal Print
By Kind of Cyan
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype. "Serene Cove Waters" is a handmade cyanotype print portraying fresh ripples movements in a Greek Islands cove...
Emulsion, Mixed Media, Watercolor, Photographic Paper, Lithograph, Monop...
$22,000
Nocturne
By Marina Stern
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This work is part of our exhibition Marina Stern Luminary, the first retrospective of the artist since 2007. Marina Stern was a multifaceted New York-based artist whose works range...
Canvas, Oil
Original-Sunset Song-British Awarded Artist-Impressionism-Plein Air evening oil
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
Sunset Song Series stands as one of the most iconic works featured in the upcoming Summer Exhibition UK, 2025—a rare and luminous collection of latest artworks we’re thrilled to pres...
Gesso, Canvas, Oil, Acrylic, Wood Panel
$4,400Sale Price|20% Off
Antique American Modernist Abstract Expressionist Period New York Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Very impressive and amazing mid 1900s abstract expressionist oil painting. Oil on canvas. No signature found. Framed.
Canvas, Oil
So British Oil Painting of Bulldog on Mini Car, Signed, 60x60 cm
By Fabriano
Located in London, Chelsea
This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet Contemporary Art Gallery and online. "So British" by Fabriano is a delightful portrayal of quintesse...
Canvas, Oil
$2,500
Mid Century Abstract Expressionist Painting-- "An Oblation to Shells"
Located in Soquel, CA
A dymanic mid century abstract expressionist painiting with geometric shapes in cool tones and two figures by Leslie Luverne Anderson (American, 1928-2009). Oil on masonite. Titled "...
Masonite, Oil
Mid-Century French Abstract Expressionist Oil on Canvas.
Located in Cotignac, FR
A large mid-century French abstract expressionist oil and acrylic on canvas by Jean-Louis Ladislas. Signed and dated 69 to the reverse. Presented in a slim baton wood frame. A highl...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$450
"Doves for the Dorians I" (pink, green, white, Greek warrior. sword, painting)
Located in Paris, IDF
The Dorians played a significant role in the development of the Greek city-states during the Bronze Age -- and Doves are widely recognized as symbols of peace, primarily in the bibli...
Canvas, Dye, Oil, Acrylic
$4,500
Happiest Place on Earth - Large Monochrome Contemporary Abstract 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, Charcoal, Mixed Media
$5,400
"Out to Sea", Abstract, Expressionist, Red, Blue, White, Oil Painting
Located in Franklin, MA
Katherine Borkowski-Byrne’s “Out to Sea” is a colorful abstract oil painting, 36 x 60 x 1.5 inch, on canvas with very thick texture and spontaneous brushwork in saturated reds and bl...
Canvas, 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
$9,293
The studio, Large Textured Abstract, Geometric, Oil painting, Contemporary Art
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Sophie Dumont, French contemporary painter whose works are held in private and museum collections, created The Studio in 2018. This large oil on canvas belongs to her celebrated “ate...
Oil
Le Secret
Located in Zofingen, AG
(Series: Le Jardin Privé / Your Private Paradise) “Some doors lead not to rooms, but to states of grace — hidden havens where the soul finally feels at home.” This contemporary paint...
Canvas, Oil Crayon, Acrylic
$460Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage Mid Century Abstract Expressionist Silver Framed Modern Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Nicely painted mid century abstract oil painting. Great color and composition. Framed.
Canvas, Oil
$871
Blue Lagoon of Miyako Island // Japan / Abstract Sea Water / good positive vibes
Located in Zofingen, AG
Blue Lagoon of Miyako Island lies 300 km west of Okinawa and is known for its beaches, which are considered the best in Japan. The blue water shines like a polished emerald. The...
Resin, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$578
Original-Night Roses-Rosarian Series 2026 -Awarded Artist-Impasto with Gold Leaf
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
Night Roses-Rosarian, 2026 is Shizico Yi's latest work, inspired by her new rose garden with a nod to the visual language of Japanese woodblock print. In this series, Yi further ex...
Gold Leaf
Lineto I (Abstract Encaustic and Collage Painting on Linen)
Located in Hudson, NY
"Lineto I" made by Hudson Valley artist, Alaina Enslen, in 2025 Encaustic, dyed fabrics, and paper mounted on panel 36 x 48 x 2 inches unframed, sides reveal raw panel and wrapped fa...
Fabric, Encaustic, Linen, Monotype
$4,240
Fear and Compliance, contemporary, expressionism, Joan Mitchell, Larry Poons
Located in Jönköping, SE
This painting is part of a series titled Contemplation and Introspection. In this series I am exploring the profound relationship between nature and the human experience. The collect...
Acrylic
$6,800
Lighthearted, 2024, by Murray Duncan, Mix Media on Canvas, Geometric Abstract
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Lighthearted By Murray Duncan Lighthearted is a large-scale abstract composition defined by gestural movement, architectural line-work, and a warm, luminous ground. Working in layer...
Glaze, Oil Crayon, Acrylic, Pencil
$10,920
Untitled LX by Ferle - Large abstract painting, vivid tones, spiritual, green
By Elvire Ferle
Located in Paris, FR
Untitled LX is a unique oil on free-standing canvas painting by contemporary artist Ferle, dimensions are 200 cm × 140 cm (78.7 × 55.1 in). The artwork is signed, sold unframed and c...
Canvas, Oil
$2,400
Shady Spot, Guatemala - Cool Tone Abstract Landscape Textural Impasto Painting
By Dana Cowie
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Using an impasto, painterly technique Dana Cowie creates cubist-inspired farm and rural landscapes. Working within controlled color schemes, her artworks appear abstract up close and...
Canvas, Oil
$6,500
Sitting with the Shadows: Mixed Media Painting by Black African-American Artist
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
This is a large, framed acrylic painting with collaged photographs, gold leaf, metallic paint, burn marks, and other mixed media. Is it by artist Lavett Ballard, who is the first Bla...
Gold Leaf
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
"Ranunculus II" Large Acrylic, Oil Pastels, Pencils Blush Rose Abstract 84"x60"
Located in New York, NY
"Ranunculus II", 2024, 84" H x 60" W. Large-scale abstract painting in hues of blush crimson consisting of acrylic, pencils, and oil pastels on canvas by Argentine-born artist Karina...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Carbon Pencil, Color Pencil
$8,712
Geometric Resonance — Contemporary Geometric Abstract Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
French contemporary artist Sophie Dumont presents in Geometric Resonance a refined geometric abstraction structured through a subtle dialogue between curved forms, architectural line...
Canvas, Oil
Debra Smith "Shifting Vision #5" -- Abstract Vintage Silk Collage
By Debra Smith
Located in New York, NY
Debra Smith Shifting Vision #5, 2017 pieced vintage silk 18 x 15 in. This original textile collage by Debra Smith features graphic shapes crafted with layers of vintage silk in vari...
Silk, Found Objects, Mixed Media
$1,045Sale 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
Pajaro de Fuego, Colorful Abstract Painting by Leonardo Nierman
Located in Long Island City, NY
Original oil painting on masonite by noted Mexican abstract artist Leonardo Nierman (1932 - ), signed lower right. In its original gilt wood frame measuring 38.5 x 30.5 inches. Ar...
Oil, Masonite
Guy Harloff Signed and Dated Large Abstract Painting
By Guy Harloff
Located in Roma, IT
Guy Harloff Signed and Dated Large Abstract Painting Wonderful Guy Harloff large abstract painting Titled “Composition” 1954 Mixed media on paper applied to masonite. Inscription G...
Paper, Pastel, Watercolor
$3,737Sale Price|20% Off
Huge Contemporary Spanish Signed Oil Painting Picasso Style Horse Abstract Paint
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Horses Spanish School, signed 'Santos' early 21st century acrylic painting on canvas, unframed canvas: 32 x 48 inches condition: very good provenance: private collection, So...
Acrylic, Canvas
Red on Yellow - Abstract Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, 1970s, Large Scale
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This large-scale contemporary painting by Milly Ristvedt explores colour in abstract form. A masterful, award-winning colourist, Milly Ristvedt’s elegant abstract paintings hang on...
Canvas, Acrylic
$5,576Sale Price|25% Off
"A suspended moment" abstract acrylic vegetable wood panel 100x210cm 2019
Located in Saint Pol de Léon, Bretagne
A calm weather, a time to relax, to rejuvenate like a walk along the beach of sand and granite
Glue, Acrylic
Bronze Table II
Located in Dallas, TX
Bronze & Steel Table
Bronze, Steel
Capulin Volcano
By Lynn Sanders
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
Mid Century Abstract Painting by Chamlin Oil Paint on Canvas
Located in San Francisco, CA
Mid-century Abstract Painting by Chamlin Oil Paint on Canvas
Oil
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
White Series n2 and n3 Diptych. Abstract Painting
Located in Miami Beach, FL
In this series the artist represent the force of white that invades with its free forms, strongly over the structure of black. White is the absolute color, the purest, the most perfe...
Canvas, Lacquer, India Ink, Watercolor, Pigment
$750
Message of Eternity Abstract Painting, 2010s, New, 77x61 cm
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
Painting with a composition of overlapping planes and figures. The scene presents a space constructed through geometric and organic forms in relationships of crossing and continuity....
Canvas, Oil
#232, 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
$11,200
Golden Hour (Light Pink, Grey, and Yellow Abstract Expressionist Painting)
Located in Hudson, NY
Golden Hour (Brightly Colored Square Abstract Expressionist Painting in Light Pink, Grey, and Yellow) by Ragellah Rourke made in 2024 oil on panel 60 x 60 inches, unframed The sides ...
Oil, Wood Panel
Daydreaming - Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Abstract, 36in x 36in
By Mario Angel
Located in Mississauga, CA
This striking acrylic on canvas by Mario Angel, titled "Daydreaming," presents a fascinating immersion into figurative abstraction. The composition centers around a labyrinth of inte...
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
Field Study — Group of Four Mixed Media Works on Paper by Murray Duncan
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Field Study is a group of four mixed-media works on archival cold-press watercolor paper by Toronto artist Murray Duncan, each measuring 18 × 24 inches. Part of his ongoing Untitled ...
Paint, Paper, Ink, Pencil
A little bird on a lettuce background.
Located in Zofingen, AG
An exotic bird is depicted on a 40×40 cm canvas, painted with acrylics. Its plumage shimmers with vibrant shades of green, blue, turquoise, and yellow, creating a sense of living ra...
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.