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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.

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Style: Abstract
Abstract Expressionist Still Life Oil Painting
Abstract Expressionist Still Life Oil Painting

Abstract Expressionist Still Life Oil Painting

Located in Buffalo, NY

Mid Century Modern abstract expressionist oil painting. Oil on canvas, circa 1960. Unsigned. Unframed.

Category

1960s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Abstract Action Painting in Vibrant Colors
Abstract Action Painting in Vibrant Colors

Abstract Action Painting in Vibrant Colors

Located in San Francisco, CA

This abstract painting is a work by Joan Miller Linsley (1922–2000), an American artist recognized for her contributions to the Washington, D.C. art scene and her powerful social com...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

French Expressionist Abstract Original Painting Artists Studio Provenance
French Expressionist Abstract Original Painting Artists Studio Provenance

French Expressionist Abstract Original Painting Artists Studio Provenance

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Abstract Expressionist Composition by Jacques COULAIS (1955-2011) gouache painting on paper/ card unframed: 12.75 x 9.75 inches condition: excellent provenance: all the paintings we ...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil

Feeling Pink - Lifeguard Stand on Beach Original Pop Art Oceanscape Sky Painting
Feeling Pink - Lifeguard Stand on Beach Original Pop Art Oceanscape Sky Painting

Feeling Pink - Lifeguard Stand on Beach Original Pop Art Oceanscape Sky Painting

By Kathleen Keifer

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Kathleen Keifer is a California-based internationally collected artist. She is a leading force of the New California Realism. With a high level of technical virtuosity Keifer creates...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Monet's Pond at Giverny, Oil Painting
Monet's Pond at Giverny, Oil Painting

Monet's Pond at Giverny, Oil Painting

By Onelio Marrero

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Reflections on the water in Monet's pond at Giverny. Onelio spent some time there taking in the splendor of the setting. "Each view of the place was a paintin...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil

The Awakening: Colorful Floral Landscape Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
The Awakening: Colorful Floral Landscape Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

The Awakening: Colorful Floral Landscape Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

By Karnish Art

Located in Pretoria, Gauteng

Title: The Awakening 2 Floral Landscape Nature Colorful Vibrant Flowers Joy Delight Texture Layers Little Gem In creating this painting, I portrayed the vibrant dance of nature and...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Gesso, Canvas, Wood, Stretcher Bars

Floral Fantasy: Nature Abstract Bold Statement Colorful Invest Striking Delight
Floral Fantasy: Nature Abstract Bold Statement Colorful Invest Striking Delight

Floral Fantasy: Nature Abstract Bold Statement Colorful Invest Striking Delight

By Karnish Art

Located in Pretoria, Gauteng

Title: Floral Fantasy Nature, Abstract, Bold, Statement, Colorful, Invest, Striking, Delight, Modern, Landscape. In this work, I've poured my heart into a vivid garden of dreams, u...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Gesso, Canvas, Wood, Stretcher Bars

The Painted Lady - Large Impasto Thick Paint Colorful Abstract Painting
The Painted Lady - Large Impasto Thick Paint Colorful Abstract Painting

The Painted Lady - Large 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...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Glitter, Mixed Media, Acrylic

Landscape - XXI century, Contemporary Oil & Acrylic Painting, Abstraction
Landscape - XXI century, Contemporary Oil & Acrylic Painting, Abstraction

Landscape - XXI century, Contemporary Oil & Acrylic Painting, Abstraction

By Monika Rossa

Located in Warsaw, PL

MONIKA ROSSA studied painting at the University of Arizona, in the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris and at the Escuela de Diseno in Barcelona. She practices drawing and easel painting....

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil, Acrylic, Board

Unfolding
Unfolding

Unfolding

Located in Zofingen, AG

This work embodies the state of opening oneself to new experience. “Unfolding” is the moment of meeting your own strength and vulnerability at once — where chaos transforms into harm...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Las Mascaras XI. From Las Mascaras (The masks) Series
Las Mascaras XI. From Las Mascaras (The masks) Series

Las Mascaras XI. From Las Mascaras (The masks) Series

Located in Miami Beach, FL

This series draws inspiration from Hatillo’s Fiesta de los Santos Inocentes, translating the festival’s vibrant movement and collective energy into a refined abstract vocabulary. Thr...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Paper, Crayon, Oil Crayon, Pastel

Power Grab in Primary Colors
Power Grab in Primary Colors

Power Grab in Primary Colors

Located in San Francisco, CA

Locked in an embrace, two of the three primary colors set against a yellow background might represent the contentment of enduring intimacy, or the grip technology has on all of us, o...

Category

1960s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Sunset VW Van - Colorful California Beach Still Life Acrylic Painting on Canvas
Sunset VW Van - Colorful California Beach Still Life Acrylic Painting on Canvas

Sunset VW Van - Colorful California Beach Still Life Acrylic Painting on Canvas

By Kathleen Keifer

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 ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Veil of Dusk
Veil of Dusk

Veil of Dusk

By Amy Van Winkle

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...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Encaustic

Memory of blooming
Memory of blooming

Memory of blooming

Located in Zofingen, AG

This work appears as a fragment of a future archive, where not events are preserved, but states — tenderness, tension, and the fragility of life. The tulip petals unfold like layers ...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Morning Magic, Abstract Oil Painting
Morning Magic, Abstract Oil Painting

Morning Magic, Abstract Oil Painting

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Artist Dorothy Gaziano layers orange and light blue with oil paint and cold wax. Using black to enhance details, she applies marks and scratches, adding contr...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil

Lineto I (Abstract Encaustic and Collage Painting on Linen)
Lineto I (Abstract Encaustic and Collage Painting on Linen)

Lineto I (Abstract Encaustic and Collage Painting on Linen)

By Alaina Enslen

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...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Fabric, Encaustic, Linen, Monotype

Summer Sheep By Natalie Bird
Summer Sheep By Natalie Bird

Summer Sheep By Natalie Bird

Located in Deddington, GB

original Oil on board Image size: H:14 cm x W:18 cm Sold Unframed Please note that insitu images are purely an indication of how a piece may look Oil on board

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Rosaile Gossamer-original modern geometrical abstract artwork- contemporary Art
Rosaile Gossamer-original modern geometrical abstract artwork- contemporary Art

Rosaile Gossamer-original modern geometrical abstract artwork- contemporary Art

By Antoinette Ferwerda

Located in London, Chelsea

We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

An American Farm at Sunset by S. Salomon
An American Farm at Sunset by S. Salomon

An American Farm at Sunset by S. Salomon

Located in San Francisco, CA

On offer is an American Impressionist landscape painting featuring a vibrant sunset casting a glow over a farm setting. The work depicts a figure walking down a dirt path through a m...

Category

Early 20th Century Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Miro  original  painting.
Miro  original  painting.

Miro original painting.

By Joan Miró

Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL

Original drawing painted in wax by Joan Miro. Certified by Jacques Dupin, official certifier of the artist's work. The work is a wax painted on two continuous pages of a book publish...

Category

1960s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Crayon

Contemporary Minimal Abstract, Large-Scale Neutral Earth Tones Painting
Contemporary Minimal Abstract, Large-Scale Neutral Earth Tones Painting

Contemporary Minimal Abstract, Large-Scale Neutral Earth Tones Painting

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...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Pigment

"Everyone deserves happiness"
"Everyone deserves happiness"

"Everyone deserves happiness"

Located in Edinburgh, GB

Everyone deserves tenderness and love Coziness. The warmth of childhood, spring warmth, the first sip of morning coffee, hugs Spring is always about tenderness, fragility, elusivenes...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Huge French Contemporary Modernist Abstract Oil Painting Futurist Fantasy Scene
Huge French Contemporary Modernist Abstract Oil Painting Futurist Fantasy Scene

Huge French Contemporary Modernist Abstract Oil Painting Futurist Fantasy Scene

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Abstract Composition signed by Jacqueline VERDET (French, 1931-2023) oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas: 51 x 38 inches inscribed verso condition: the work is in overall very so...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Fifteen on the Farm", Abstract Collage painting
"Fifteen on the Farm", Abstract Collage painting

"Fifteen on the Farm", Abstract Collage painting

Located in Westport, CT

In Fifteen on the Farm, Jill Haas arranges florals into a richly layered composition alive with warmth, movement, and graphic clarity. Creamy white blossoms, soft pink forms, and dee...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media, Canvas

Into the Wave, Large Ocean Diptych, Abstract Fishing Net, Mixed Media on Paper
Into the Wave, Large Ocean Diptych, Abstract Fishing Net, Mixed Media on Paper

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...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Paper, Acrylic, Watercolor, Monoprint

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.