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.
Abstract Landscape "Storm" Oil Painting British Artist David Leverett
Located in Surfside, FL
David Leverett (British, B. 1938) Storm. signed lower right. Provenance: Merrill Chase Galleries, Chicago 22" x 29.5" Frame: 28.25" x 35.5" DAVID LEVERETT British, born 1938 Known...
Paper, Oil, Board
Cheers to Life! - Silver Gold Abstract Textural Acrylic Painting on Canvas
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
Original Painting on Canvas Titled: "PDP 1147” 48 x 60
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Painting on Panel signed verso Cecil Touchon Born 1956 Austin, Texas is a contemporary American collage artist, painter, published poet and theorist living in Pagosa Springs, Colora...
Acrylic
Abstract 22143
Located in Zofingen, AG
Title : Abstract 22143 Technique: Acrylic & structure on canvas 80cm. x 60cm. 4cm Deep Professional Gallery Stretched Canvas Ready to hang 2022 ---------------------------...
Acrylic
$4,475
Golden Hour - Modern Warm Tone Atmospheric Landscape Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Mark Acetelli’s oil and mixed media paintings awaken the viewer’s sense of exploration and adventure; they demand a new discovery. His artworks exhibit a chemistry of complexity and ...
Canvas, Oil
$1,430
"Pink Buds in Blue Air" impressionistic painting flowers on linen canvas
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Look at the flowers. It is simply unbelievable how happy flowers are.” — Osho This painting captures a moment of quiet movement, where delicate pink buds drift across a soft blue f...
Canvas, Linen, Spray Paint, Acrylic
Colorful Abstract Acrylic Painting by Michel Picotte
Located in Long Island City, NY
Black and Red Abstract Michel Picotte, Canadian (1947) Date: 1984 Acrylic on paper, signed and dated in pen Image Size: 28.25 x 21 inches Size: 30 x 22 ...
Acrylic
$1,200
Low Fog
By Ruth Armer
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Low Fog" 1939 is an oil painting on canvas board by noted California artist Ruth Armer, 1896-1977. It is signed at the lower right corn...
Oil
"Das modell"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
The task was to write in a semi-abstract style about one’s impressions and observations of a nude model.
Canvas, Oil
"Moment of the Past 2", Abstract Oil Painting on Canvas, Framed, 2010+
Located in San Diego, CA
This is an original abstract oil on canvas painting by San Diego artist, Khalid Alkaaby. It's framed dimensions are 13.5"x13.5"x2". It comes framed. A certificate of authenticity wil...
Canvas, Oil
Triptych: Khloris 007, 003 and 002. From The Series Khloris
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The central concept of Larios painting series KHLORIS is based on the idea of the garden as a metaphorical space. Larios seeks to find a certain romantic beauty in the details of n...
Canvas, Lacquer, Pastel, Automotive Paint, Acrylic
Aura IV /// Abstract Geometric Contemporary Painting Circles Pattern Striped Art
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Jack Graves III (American, 1988-) Title: "Aura IV" Series: Aura *Signed by Graves lower left. It is also signed, dated, and titled on verso Year: 2022 Medium: Original Acryli...
Canvas, Paint, Acrylic
$5,000
"Goldschlager" - Vivid Textured Abstract Expressionism with Gold and Warm Colors
Located in Carmel, CA
Thomas Whent (Canadian-American, born 1949) "Goldschlager" 2025 Acrylic Paint, Canvas, Stretcher Bars The artist signed the back of the painting. "Goldschlager" by Thomas Whent radi...
Canvas, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
$6,554
Emma Labattaglia Abstract Large Contemporary Grid Painting in Earth Tones
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
At Escat Gallery, we are committed to upholding the highest standards of trust and professionalism for our collectors. Every artwork in our collection includes a Certificate of Authe...
Cotton Canvas, Oil
$6,000
"Tempole" Seymour Franks, Bright Red and Yellow, Abstract Mid-Century Painting
Located in New York, NY
Seymour Franks Tempole, 1948 Signed lower right; signed, dated, titled on verso Oil on canvas 35 x 42 inches American painter and designer, Seymour Franks, was born in New York Ci...
Canvas, Oil
$2,850
The Mood is Set - Contemporary Original Abstract Expressionist Large Artwork
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Amber Goldhammer’s The Mood is Set, a bold and dynamic 36-inch tall by 60-inch wide graffiti-inspired abstract painting, showcases her signature layering of soothing tones and urban ...
Canvas, Latex, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
Multitud, Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting, 21st Century
Located in Mexico City, MX
Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting Acrylic on canvas 150 x 200 cm Signed FREE SHIPPING ROLLED UP About the artist Enrique Pichardo (Mexico City, 1973) graduated from Escuela Nacio...
Canvas, Acrylic
Untitled (2)
Located in Columbia, MO
Signed and dated '52 recto. John von Wicht (German-American, 1888 - 1970) was a painter and printmaker whose abstract works evolved from European modernism to dynamic, expressionisti...
Paper, Oil
$1,345
New York Taxi - Abstract Textural Colorful Layered Action Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Marc Raphael's abstract expressionism paintings are influenced by New York's abstract expressionist movement. After encountering Jackson Pollock’s work for the fir...
Canvas, Acrylic
Spring Bloom II
Located in Zofingen, AG
shipped in roll “Spring Bloom II” captures a quiet moment of connection between two young women surrounded by blooming spring trees. Soft dresses, fresh greens, and gentle light crea...
Canvas, Acrylic
Echoes (14/13) by James Lumsden - abstract painting, pastel blue and pink
Located in Paris, FR
Echoes (14/13) is a painting by Scottish artist James Lumsden created with acrylic on canvas (gloss finish) and focusing on shades of blue and pink. Dimensions: 23.6 x 19.7 inches (6...
Canvas, Acrylic
Crossing Stripes - Colorful Abstract Geometric Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Petra Rös-Nickel’s original paintings merge playful forms, bright colors and architectural compositions in oil and mixed media on canvas. Her contemporary artworks contain rich textu...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Abstract Landscape Painting: Acrylic on Canvas, 21st Century
Located in London, London
extra large scale abstract painting artist: Katarina joys 110x210cm abstract painting, landscape, The item is located in central London, United Kingdom. The painting will be shippe...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Children fishing in a Creek (PA Impressionist landscape painting)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Roy Nuse (1885-1975) Children Fishing by a Creek, 1923 Oil on panel measuring 12 x 16 inches. Overall measurement with frame 17.5 x 21.5 inches. Signed and dated with monogram low...
Oil
Magenta pink abstraction
Located in Zofingen, AG
The work is created in the fluid art technique using acrylic on canvas. The composition is built on a harmonious combination of pink, fuchsia, and powdery tones, softly transitioning...
Canvas, Acrylic
Mangent white abstraction
Located in Zofingen, AG
The work is created in the fluid art technique using acrylic on canvas. The composition is built on smooth, flowing movements of paint, forming multilayered transitions of pink, mage...
Canvas, Acrylic
Best Laid Plan (Mixed Media Collage on Board in Bright Colors)
Located in Hudson, NY
Best Laid Plan (Mixed Media Collage on Board in Bright Colors), made by Hudson Valley based artist, Donise English, in 2025 mixed media collage on board, framed Image size: 20.50 x 2...
Wood, Paper, Acrylic, Gouache, Pencil, Color Pencil
Christina Gschwantner – Contemporary Abstract Multicolor Line Painting Canvas
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
The work reflects the artist’s mastery of gesture and emotion, where each mark becomes a visual language. A striking piece that brings movement, depth, and intensity to any collectio...
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$29,500
"Seduction Series" 4SF9 Abstract, Figurative Painting, 21st Century, Acrylic
By Roger König
Located in Dessau-Rosslau, Sachsen Anhalt
Artist: Roger König b. Dessau, Germany (1968) Master student of Kurt Schönburg, HWK Halle, Germany. König combines modern painting with acrylic with old techniques and in this way, h...
Clay, Acrylic
A Beautiful Story - Original Impasto 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
$10,487
ABSTRACT Mirko Baricchi Oil Gestural Landscapes Flora Earth Tones Mixed media
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Mirko Baricchi (born 1970) is an accomplished Italian painter who currently lives and works between Vicenza and La Spezia, regions located in Veneto and Liguria, Italy, respectively....
Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
"Exist"
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Exist” 2026 Series “From Simple to…” This work addresses simple things that lie in the basic settings of life. Repetitive, almost unnoticed actions that over time create a sense of ...
Acrylic
$22,000
Joyce Kozloff - Tepoztlan II unique, signed gouache & pencil, coveted 1970s work
Located in New York, NY
Joyce Kozloff Tepoztlan II, 1973 Gouache and colored pencil on paper Signed, dated and titled twice: once on the back of the work (shown) and once on the original board which has bee...
Gouache, Color Pencil
Untitled 145_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
Vintage American Modernist Signed Abstract Expressionist Figural Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American modernist abstract expressionist figural painting. Oil on canvas. Framed. Signed.
Canvas, Oil
$15,016
Rose Madone Large Abstract Diptych with Bold Black Gestural Forms on Raw Canvas
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Onirisme organique (Diptych), 146 × 114 cm each panel, Acrylic on raw canvas. Total size of the two panels: 146 × 228 cm. At Escat Gallery, we are committed to maintaining the highe...
Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Pigment
$1,400Sale Price|20% Off
Original Color Field Oil Painting Multi-Color Geometric Abstract - "Commute"
Located in Soquel, CA
Original Color Field Oil Painting Multi-Color Geometric Abstract - "Commute" Dramatic multi-color geometric abstract painting by Virginia Sevier Rogers (American, 1917-2015). Vivid ...
Canvas, Oil
Hushed Moment 5
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
"Dusk", Abstract Oil Painting on Canvas, Framed, 21.25x21.25, 2010+
Located in San Diego, CA
This is an original abstract oil on canvas painting by San Diego artist, Khalid Alkaaby. It's framed dimensions are 21.25x21.25x2. It comes framed. A certificate of authenticity will...
Canvas, Oil
$375
Juicy Marks - Colorful Impasto Textural Thick Paint Framed 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, Glitter, Acrylic
Gold Spot Vines#1, Original Painting, Abstract art
Located in Deddington, GB
This one has super amounts of texture with many gold rings around my spot flowers in relief Pings of grey and blue and burgundy and green Additional information: Acrylic paint, Gold...
Canvas, Acrylic
Pocket Gala Apple with Oil Paint on Canvas, Painting by Dani Humberstone
Located in Deddington, GB
Pocket Gala Apple [2023] Pocket Tangerine is an original oil painting by Dani Humberstone as part of her Pocket Painting series featuring small scale realistic oil paintings, with a...
Canvas, Oil
An Abstract Geometric "Men of Matthew"
Located in San Francisco, CA
It’s time to bury the so-last-century idea that folks are either "right-brained,” i.e., naturally creative, or (boringly) "left-brained," always operating logically. And here’s just ...
Masonite, Oil
$993Sale Price|20% Off
French Expressionist Abstract Original Yellow Blue Colours
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Expressionist Composition by Jacques COULAIS (1955-2011) watercolour painting on thick card unframed: 25.5 x 19.5 inches condition: excellent provenance: all the paintings ...
Watercolor
$590
Alena Kalen Modern Geometric Original Abstract Oil Painting Cubist Reverie” COA
Located in Palm Coast, FL
“Cubist Reverie” is an original abstract composition by contemporary American artist Alena Kalen, executed in oil and mixed media on canvas. The work explores the relationship betwee...
Mixed Media, Oil
Time with Myself
Located in Zofingen, AG
This artwork is part of the series Return to Herself, dedicated to a woman and her body as a place of return to oneself, to an inner rhythm, rest, and silence. It explores a state in...
Canvas, Acrylic
"Wabi-Sabi Fragments" colorful impressionistic art with flowers on linen canvas
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Wabi-Sabi Fragments” holds a moment that feels unfinished, yet complete in its own way. «Wabi-Sabi Fragments» is built on a single idea: that beauty lives precisely where things ar...
Canvas, Linen, Spray Paint, Acrylic
$1,191
Abstract composition
Located in Genève, GE
Work on canvas Golden wooden frame 63 x 72 x 5 cm
Oil
"Golden Nectar". Abstract large expressionist, Japandi, Wabi-Sabi, Shabby Chic
Located in Oslo, NO
The large, horizontal format abstraction "Golden Nectar" has a deep philosophical meaning. If a person is surrounded by not the most pleasant people, when various difficult events ha...
Acrylic
Raventos Vertical Big original abstract mixed media painting
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
El dia que es va crema el Liceo original abstract mixed media painting RAVENTÓS Mª Assumpció – (San Sadurní d’Anoia, Barcelona 1930). Raventos trained at the elite Sant Jordi School ...
Canvas, Mixed Media
$1,430
Partition coloree, Abstract Library, oil paint, Expressionism, Contemporary art
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Partition colorée Oil on canvas, 2026 Unframed: 40 x 40 cm (15.7 x 15.7 in) Framed: 47 x 47 cm (18.5 x 18.5 in) Floater frame available in natural wood or oak or black Signed lower ...
Oil
Le Bouquet, 1955 - oil paint, 110x83 cm, framed
Located in Nice, FR
Oil on canvas, signed lower left. Gérard Altmann, né à Paris le 23 septembre 1923 et mort à Paris le 19 avril 2012, est un peintre français. Il est le ...
Oil
Large Abstract Expressionist Taiwanese Painting Chihung Yang Chinese Art
Located in Surfside, FL
Chihung Yang American (b. 1947) Untitled (Black and Brown Composition) (1986) Mixed media (acrylic, pastel) on paper Hand signed lower right Sheet 38 x 50 inches, frame dimensions: 4...
Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Archival Paper
$429Sale Price|20% Off
Tranquil 23 XL 80x80x2 cm Big Colorful Painting, Large Vivid Abstract Painting
Located in Zofingen, AG
A stunning ready to hang vibrating bold painting. READY TO HANG with the edges painted. Dimensions: 80x80X2 cm, 31.5x31.5x0.8 inches. The technique I used: gallery stretched canva...
Acrylic
#45, 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
New Dawn, original painting, abstract art, landscape painting
Located in Deddington, GB
New Dawn by Claire Chandler [2020-21] original oil on canvas Image size: H:40 cm x W:40 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:40 cm x W:40 cm x D:4cm Sold Unframed Please note that i...
Oil
"Toucan" Edward Zutrau, 1949 Abstracted Bird by Abstract Expressionist Artist
Located in New York, NY
Edward Zutrau Toucan, 7/29/1949 Dated on verso Oil on linen 30 x 23 inches Edward Zutrau (1922–1993) was an American painter whose career spanned from the 1940s through the early 1...
Canvas, Oil
$4,647
A Touch of Green - contemporary, acrylic painting of gracious creative source
Located in Hamburg, DE
"A Touch of Green", is a unique acrylic on canvas work by German artist Horst Güntheroth. It depicts in wonderful, gentle colors the source of creation. 100 x 120 cm, certificate o...
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
#176 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
$14,500
Crusader, Large Abstract Expressionist Painting, Cleveland School Artist
Located in Beachwood, OH
Richard Andres (American, 1927-2013) Crusader, c. 1969 acrylic on canvas signed and titled verso 48.5 X 62.5 inches Richard Andres was born in Buffalo, New York in 1927. A graduate ...
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.