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.
Soda Fountain Fist Fight
Located in Columbia, MO
Contact for shipping quotes Joel Sager Columbia, Missouri Signed on the side Joel Sager’s newest abstract paintings reflect his ongoing movement between representational and nonre...
Oil, Canvas
Monet's Pond at Giverny, Oil Painting
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...
Oil
Original Collage on Paper (Framed) Titled: Fs 2819 ct09 (18 x 22.5)
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Final Framed dimension: 18 x 22.5 collage art only: 9 x 12 full paper size: 15 x 19 Cecil Touchon Born 1956 Austin, Texas is a contemporary American collage artist, painter, publish...
Acrylic, Laid Paper, Magazine Paper
$3,280Sale Price|20% Off
Out of the Blue, blue abstract expressionist painting on canvas, textured
Located in New York, NY
Lisa Fellerson’s paintings provoke an interplay and tension between line, shape, and color. With no preconceived idea in mind, she begins by dripping, scrapping, and gouging acrylic ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Geometric Abstraction
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
A unique, beautifully composed, large-scale geometric abstraction encaustic, with fresh colors, on fibrous buff, wove paper; the image extending ...
Encaustic
$1,563
"Blooming Silence” Contemporary Acrylic Painting on canvas Floral Still life
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
"Blooming Silence” – Acrylic on Canvas by French Artist Natalya Mougenot Contemporary Floral Still Life (80 × 60 × 1.5 cm / 31.5" × 23.6" × 0.6") "Blooming Silence" captures a mome...
Canvas, Acrylic
Contemporary Miniature Natural Pigments Painting Cosmic Egg Minimalist orange
Located in Norfolk, GB
Rahul Kumar Untitled Natural Pigment on Paper 35.5cm x 26.5cm Rahul Kumar is from a family of traditional miniature painters working in Jaipur. The atelier where his family learnt t...
Paper, Watercolor
Surreal Octopus Painting, Oil on Canvas, Signed, 1959, 36"x24.5" NYC Artist
Located in Arp, TX
GJ Rogers Surreal Octopus 1959 Oil on Canvas 36"x24.5" Signed and dated in paint lower right George Jay Rogers was born in Yonkers, New York on June...
Canvas, Oil
Turquoise blue abstraction with gold on white background
Located in Zofingen, AG
This piece is filled with a sense of movement and crystalline depth. The liquid acrylic forms soft, wave-like layers that flow into one another, reminiscent of ocean currents. Shade...
Canvas, Acrylic
$13,250
A641 - Big Canvas Art Large Contemporary Neutral Palette Abstract Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Swiss born artist Marco Schmidli creates minimalist paintings with a contemporary edge. Placing emphasis on process, he lets the mediums naturally manifest within his artwork. “An im...
Canvas, Acrylic
AWH 338 - Abstract Minimalist Textured Layered Colorfield Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Bernhard Zimmer produces deeply layered, subtly textured abstract paintings that contain diametrically opposed elements—order and chaos, abstraction and representation, boldness and ...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
$1,165
Sunset VW Van - Colorful California Beach Still Life Acrylic Painting on Canvas
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
Boats in Harbor (French Riviera painting)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Michel Colin (b.1934). Boats in Harbor, 1969. Gouache on paper, sheet measuring 16 x 20 inches. Signed and dated lower right. Sheet is unframed. Michel Colin, born in 1934, live...
Paper, Gouache
$635
No Dogs Allowed On The Trails - Original Abstract Landscape Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Taylor Pierce is a Las Vegas-based contemporary landscape painter whose original desert paintings capture the beauty, resilience, and spiritu...
Acrylic, Canvas
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
Oil, Board
Yellow, Abstract Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Multiple layers of color characterize this abstract piece. Shades of orange, yellow, and cream are applied dynamically, creating a vibrant composition. Bold bla...
Oil
$1,960
Blossoming Into Joy - Abstract Colorful Textural Floral Acrylic Canvas Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Drawing inspiration from an immersive and impressionistic interpretation of nature, Canadian artist Vé Boisvert paints textural original artworks that capture the fleeting effects of...
Canvas, Acrylic
Tranquil Tides in Daylight
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
Feeling Pink - Lifeguard Stand on Beach Original Pop Art Oceanscape Sky Painting
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...
Canvas, Acrylic
Painting Animal Horse Modern Gold Contemporary Striking Invest Bold Peaceful
By Karnish Art
Located in Pretoria, Gauteng
Title: Blue - Peaceful Pursuit Painting Equestrian Horse Modern Gold Contemporary Striking Invest Energy Calm Blue This painting forms part of an artwork series called BLUE. I borr...
Gold
French Contemporary Abstract Art by J.-L. Veret - Nid
Located in Paris, IDF
Acrylic on canvas Jean-Luc Veret is a French artist born in 1953 who lives & works between Paris & Corancy, France. He recognizes himself as a protean artist. He is indeed g...
Canvas, Acrylic
$3,600
Large Modernist French Abstract Expressionist Colorful Bird Painting Roger Lersy
By Roger Lersy
Located in Surfside, FL
Roger Lersy, French (1920 - 2004) Oil on canvas Signed, R. Lersy, dated 1961 lower right Measuring 35 X 31 Matted and framed. sight 26 X 21.5 Roger Lersy was born in Paris, France ...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$3,655Sale Price|27% Off
Mégalithes. Large Scale Abstract Expressionist Mixed Media Wall Sculpture
Located in Cotignac, FR
Large Abstract Expressionist mixed media from the 'Megaliths' series by French artist Joseph Alessandri. Signed to the front bottom left side and dated 99 and signed with a reference...
Metal
$960Sale Price|20% Off
Down home, Contemporary abstract, teal, green, brown, white
Located in Cumming, GA
This contemporary abstract painting has a structure that is reminiscent of fencing, trees, barns and blue skies. It creates a remarkable sense of home and comfort.
Canvas, Acrylic
$20,000Sale Price|20% Off
Basket Series, Dale Chihuly
By Dale Chihuly
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Dale Chihuly (1941) Title: Basket Series Year: 2001 Medium: Acrylic on Arches Aquarelle Rag paper Size: 42 x 30 inches Inscription: Signed by the artist Notes: Hand painted b...
Acrylic
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...
Acrylic, Gesso, Canvas, Wood, Stretcher Bars
$1,250
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...
Acrylic, Gesso, Canvas, Wood, Stretcher Bars
$781
Contemporary abstract expressionist woman's portrait on paper "Her eternity"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
“Her Eternity” is a contemporary abstract portrait by French artist Natalya Mougenot, created as part of her ongoing series honoring women and their inner, timeless worlds. In this w...
Paper, Acrylic
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...
Canvas, Glitter, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$8,000
Ralph Rosenborg "Landscape: Garden of Flowers, 1973" Oil on Canvas, Signed
Located in Miami, FL
RALPH ROSENBORG – "LANDSCAPE: GARDEN OF FLOWERS, 1973" Oil on Canvas ⚜ Signed and Dated Lower Left and on Verso ⚜ Custom Conservation Frame A VIBRANT ABSTRACT LANDSCAPE BY AN AMERIC...
Oil, Canvas
$3,237
Abstract Artwork Violet Neutral Textured Abstract Composition by Blanca Nieto
By Blanca Nieto
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
At our 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 Auth...
Cotton, Silk, Cord, Pigment
$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
untitled- abstract painting red , blue and yellow dominant
By Olivier Schneider
Located in New York, NY
OLIVIER SCHNEIDER Untitled (Abstract), 1995 32.0 x 32.0 acrylic on paper, mounted on wood board ink signed and dated verso Olivier Schneider delivers a unique and colorful abstract ...
Acrylic, Archival Paper
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...
Canvas, Acrylic
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...
Paper, Crayon, Oil Crayon, Pastel
$721Sale Price|20% Off
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....
Oil, Acrylic, Board
"Geostructure XII Abstract, Colors, Geometric, Primary Shapes, Acrylic
Located in Detroit, MI
"Geostructure XII" is an intensely colorful painting of the primary shapes of the circle, square, and triangle. Though the shapes are repetitive their mixed juxtapositions and the creative use of color moves the eye around the canvas with constant interest. This painting is an extraordinary example of Franklin Jonas...
Acrylic, Linen
$6,400Sale Price|20% Off
El Gozo de la Tribu, Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting, 21st Century
Located in Mexico City, MX
Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting Acrylic on canvas 204x340cm Signed FREE SHIPPING ROLLED UP About the artist Enrique Pichardo (Mexico City, 19...
Canvas, Acrylic
$3,957
Contemporary Minimalist Green Abstract Painting Canvas by Tete Alurralde 2025
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
$22,000
"Fantastic Life" - Large Colorful Textured Oil Impasto Contemporary Abstract Art
Located in Carmel, CA
Sveta Hessler (Russian, born 1973) "Fantastic Life" 2023 Oil Paint, Canvas, Stretcher Bars The artist signed the bottom right and the back of the painting. "Fantastic Life" is an ex...
Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars
Abstract Composition - Oil On Canvas by Giorgio Lo Fermo - 2021
Located in Roma, IT
Abstract Painting is an original artwork realized by Giorgio Lo Fermo (b. 1947) in 2021. Original Oil Painting. Hand-signed, dated and titled on the back of the artwork. Hand-sign...
Canvas, Oil
"Inner Space" (FRAMED) Abstract Painting 36 x 36" inch by Yoram Katz
Located in Culver City, CA
"Inner Space" (FRAMED) Abstract Painting 36 x 36" inch by Yoram Katz Medium: Pencil on Paper Size framed: 39 x 39 inch Signed by the artist ABOUT THE ARTIST: Born in Israel. Gradua...
Paper, Pencil
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 ...
Canvas, Oil
"Divine Spontaneity II" Acrylic, Oil Pastels, Pencils Abstract Painting 48"x36"
Located in New York, NY
"Divine Spontaneity II" 2023, 48" H x 36" W. Vertical abstract painting consisting of acrylics, house paint, oil pastels, color pencils, and carbon pencils on canvas by Argentine-bo...
House Paint, Acrylic, Carbon Pencil, Oil Pastel, Color Pencil
$4,895Sale Price|44% Off
"The Power (People)" 1970 Olaf Karlsen
Located in SANTA FE, NM
"The Power (People)" 1970 Olaf Karlsen (b. 1947) Oil on canvas Signed front and back. 28 1/4 x 40 inches (frame) Olaf Karlsen has managed to remain a m...
Canvas, Oil
Veil of Dusk
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
$6,000
Red and White Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting by Nicolas Ionesco, 1958
By Nicolas Ionesco
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Nicolas Ionesco, Romanian (1919 - ) Title: Untitled Year: 1956 Medium: Oil on Canvas, signed and dated l.r. and verso Size: 23.5 x 28.5 inches (59.7 x 72.4 cm) Frame: 24.75 x...
Oil
$88,000Sale Price|20% Off
Landscape, Woodstock painting, contemporary art.
Located in La Canada Flintridge, CA
Untitled Landscape, Woodstock, 1969 Oil on canvas, signed by Arthur Pinajian on the lower right. Includes a certificate of authenticity from the Estate of Arthur Pinajian. Arthur Pin...
Oil
Spaces 9870: Abstract Landscape Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, 2010-
Located in BARCELONA, ES
I use the word landscape in a broad sense that encompasses internal and external perceptions, but not necessarily what is visible. The landscape, in a space-time context, becomes a t...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$10,200Sale Price|20% Off
Large Mid Century Modern Texas Artist Abstract Expressionist Action Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
An abstract expressionist painting by Duayne Hatchett . Oil on canvas, circa 1990. Signed verso. Framed. Image size, 60"H x 56"L. Duayne Hatchett was a visual artist whose work...
Canvas, Acrylic
$3,200
"Squares and Strokes (Cadmium_16)" 2025, gouache on handmade paper, 28 x 20 in.
Located in New York, NY
Joanne Freeman Squares and Strokes (Cadmium_16), 2025 gouache on handmade paper 28 x 20 in. image: 16 x 16 in. (freem240) My paintings and drawings incorporate elements found in arc...
Gouache, Handmade Paper
"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...
Mixed Media, Canvas
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...
Crayon
Landmark. Small abstract painting, pastel colors, sage, expressionism
Located in Oslo, NO
This contemporary abstract painting explores the idea of orientation and visual focus through a restrained palette and subtle tonal transitions. Soft layers of color and texture crea...
Canvas, Acrylic
Red Abstract OiI Compostion by Lee Reynolds
By Lee Reynolds
Located in Pasadena, CA
Modern Abstract Year: 1960-1970 Medium: Oil on Canvas, signed lower right Size: Abstract oil on canvas by Lee Reynolds was a popular artist in the 1960s known for oversized, color...
Oil
$316Sale Price|20% Off
American School Modernist Large Abstract Expressionist Original Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American modernist signed abstract oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Framed. Image size, 36L x 36H.
Canvas, Oil
$1,121Sale Price|25% Off
Vintage Signed Female Modernist Abstract Expressionist Naturescape Oil Painting
By Adele Becker
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American modernist abstract oil painting by Adele Becker (1929-2021). Oil on canvas. Framed. Signed.
Canvas, Oil
Spring Day
Located in Zofingen, AG
A tranquil rural landscape in which green grass awakens after winter and a modest rural house rests among the awakening trees surrounded by geese grazing nearby This painting reflec...
Canvas, Acrylic
"Mayan Fragments" Vintage Exhibited American Modernist Abstract Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American modernist abstract painting. Watercolor on paper. Framed. Gallery label verso. Excellent condition, ready to hang and enjoy.
Watercolor, Archival Paper
$8,754
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...
Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Pigment
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.