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.
Recueillement, Large Geometric Abstract Oil Painting, 2026
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Recueillement is a large contemporary geometric abstract oil painting by French artist Sophie Dumont, exploring architecture, silence and human presence. The composition is structur...
Oil
Original Set of 3-Primary Colour series-Awarded artist-gold leaf with oil
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
Shizico Yi's "Primary Series" is a series where she explores the relationship between colours and emotion, particularly the colour yellow ( using gold leaf as the chosen material for...
Gold Leaf
$1,590
Placidity l by Gabriela Azar Schreiner. Contemporary abstract Painting
Located in Mentone, AU
This painting is unstretched and unframed. It will be carefully rolled and shipped in a tube. "Creating large-scale abstract paintings that evoke tranquility and presence in any spa...
Acrylic
$1,500
Abstract Shapes of School of Fish, Seascape Diptych in Vivid Tones, Organic 2026
Located in Barcelona, ES
Details: Title: Chromatic Shoal 9 & 10 Medium: Acrylic Paint on Watercolor Paper Size: 80x120 cm total ( 31.5x47.3 inches), each panel measures 80x60cm (31.5x24 inches) Year: 202...
Paper, Acrylic, Watercolor, Monoprint
Red Bloom Abstract Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, 21st Century, Signed
Located in London, London
beige, pink, orange, white, red, ochre Artist: Katarina Joys Title: Red bloom Technique: acrylic on canvas Painted in London, UK, Dimensions: 100x150x2cm Hand-signed. One-of-a-...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Path of Memories
Located in Zofingen, AG
This work explores memory as a path shaped not only by events, but also by people, encounters, and inner transformation. It speaks about how, when we look back, we begin to see a com...
Canvas, Acrylic
$3,500
Cosmic Soup - Large Scale Abstract Colorful Expressionist Textural Drip Painting
By Marc Raphael
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
$468
"Summer Flora" Contemporary abstract expressionist floral acrylic painting
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
"Summer Flora" is a lively floral painting by French artist Natalya Mougenot. In this piece, she captures the feeling of a summer bouquet in full bloom, using color and movement to ...
Paper, Acrylic
Large French Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting Bright Orange and Pastel Colour
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Large French Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting Bright Orange and Pastel Colours Composition by Marie Deloume (French, born 1942) signed verso French abstract expressionist oil pain...
Oil, Canvas
Our Own Way
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 132×142 cm (Total canvas size including stretching margins: 142×152 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled "Our Own Way" by Svetlana Brazhnikova is a pr...
Canvas, Acrylic
$7,890
Jits Do Amalfi - Large Scale Colorful Abstract Modern Mixed Media Art on Canvas
By Rue Bootay
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rue Bootay, a New York-born artist now rooted in the vibrant artistic landscape of Los Angeles, navigates the avant-garde realm of nonrepresentational surrealism with a style uniquel...
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
$6,193Sale Price|41% Off
Eternity Abstract Expressionist Painting, XXL Oil & Acrylic on Canvas
Located in London, London
full size 212x118cm full size canvas stretched size204x110x10cm All custom charges are included in the final price agreed. unframed, shipped rolled XXL, Extra-large painting, larg...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Where the Forest Glow by Gabriela Azar Schreiner.
Located in Mentone, AU
This painting is unstretched and unframed. It will be carefully rolled and shipped in a tube. "Creating large-scale abstract paintings that evoke tranquility and presence in any spa...
Acrylic
"The Comfort of Rituals", Original Abstract Painting
Located in Westport, CT
Bold yet tranquil, this original floral abstract "The Comfort of Rituals" by Sandy Palasti is an expressive exploration of color, gesture, and atmosphere. Inspired by the fleeting be...
Canvas, Acrylic, Oil
$1,960
Oser s'exprimer - Abstract Textural Black and Gold Acrylic Painting on Canvas
By Vè Boisvert
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
$260
Original Abstract Painting Serg Graff "The Primordial World" Surreal Fantasy Art
By Serg Graff
Located in Palm Coast, FL
"The Primordial World" is an original acrylic painting by contemporary American-based artist Serg Graff, whose imaginative visual language transforms abstract forms into extraordinar...
Acrylic
AWH 354 - Abstract Landscape Minimalist Textured Layered Colorfield Oil Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Bernhard Zimmer produces deeply layered, subtly textured abstract paintings that contain opposed elements—order and chaos, abstraction and representation, boldness and subtlety—in ex...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Green Freshness. Abstraction
Located in Zofingen, AG
This abstract artwork is created with alcohol inks on synthetic paper. A rich palette of fresh green tones flows across the surface, ranging from delicate translucent shades to deep,...
Ink, Synthetic Paper
Hand Painted X-Large-Gladiolus Glorious-Awarded Woman Artist-Open Edition of 60
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
This Iconic painting by Shizico Yi is in a private collection in Florida, and it was also sold out on its Limited edition of 10 and it's Artist’s Proof. 2026, we are proud to offer...
Gesso, Archival Ink, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Giclée
Under the Wing
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 132×142 cm (Total canvas size including stretching margins: 142×152 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled This evocative painting immerses the viewer in...
Canvas, Acrylic
Tête-à-tête
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 132×142 cm (overall size with stretching 142×152 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled This painting captures a fragile, precious moment of genuine inti...
Canvas, Acrylic
Wooded Canal, Original Painting, Abstract art
Located in Deddington, GB
An oil and acrylic painting on paper of a canal scene. Painted without any reference other than my memory, this is of a patch of canal called ‘The Cleaves’. It lies between Lower Hey...
Paper, Oil, Acrylic
What's Seldom Is Wonderful-Revisited, contemporary abstract, large abstract
By Lloyd Tabing
Located in Jönköping, SE
"What's Seldom Is Wonderful REVISITED" holds a distinct course in my studio practice. Initially considered complete months ago, I lived with the surface until its underlying architec...
Acrylic
Structure 203 - oil on canvas
By Kymm Swank
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Kymm Swank is a self-taught artist who works primarily in oils, acrylics and resins. Originally from Kansas City, Missouri, she received degrees in theater, psychology and communicat...
Canvas, Oil
The Axis of Presences, Large Contemporary Geometric Abstract Oil Painting
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
In The Axis of Presences, French artist Sophie Dumont constructs an abstract architecture around a dark vertical line that acts as the backbone of the composition. Geometric forms ga...
Oil
Dream Sediment. Oversized abstract painting, blue, grey, expressionism
Located in Oslo, NO
Dream Sediment invites the viewer into a space where memory and imagination quietly dissolve into one another. The painting unfolds in layered veils of blue, lilac, and muted earth t...
Canvas, Acrylic
Hand Painted #1 Edition-Jardin d'Automne-British Awarded Artist-on Aluminium
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
This is a hand painted Limited Edition by the artist Shizico Yi with her own hand-mixed original paint on premium Aluminium board. Only Ten of this edition were made, highly collecta...
Metal
$2,100
Universe is With You - Large Scale Abstract Textural Acrylic Painting on Canvas
By Vè Boisvert
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
Intervalles, Contemporary Large Abstract Geometric Oil Paint
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Intervalles is a contemporary geometric abstract painting by French artist Sophie Dumont, created in 2026. The composition is structured through an intricate arrangement of architec...
Canvas, Oil
21 (Gestural Abstract, Warm, Heart, Pink, Green)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Katherine Bello 21 Oil on Canvas 2021 Size: 40 x 30 x 1.5 inches (101.6 cm × 76.20 × 3.81 cm) Signed, dated and titled by hand COA provided *On Stretcher Frame, Gallery-wrapped - re...
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars
AWH 353 - 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 opposed elements—order and chaos, abstraction and representation, boldness and subtlety—in ex...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
$850
Mysterious Sea, Abstract Seascape Painting in Orange, School of Fish Patterns
Located in Barcelona, ES
“Mysterious Sea ” is a contemporary abstract painting inspired by the fluid motion of ocean currents. Layers of teal, green, and orange tones intertwine with flowing yellow lines, ev...
Paper, Acrylic, Monotype
Kinfolk
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 110×97 cm (overall size with stretching 120×107 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled Kinfolk" is a profound visual reflection on the unconditional acce...
Canvas, Acrylic
"Blooming Skies" Mixed Media abstract with textural blues, teal, aqua, gold
By Nancy Eckels
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
"Blooming Skies' is a beautiful luminous abstract painting by Nancy Eckels. It exhibits the bold colors and textures that her work is known for. Using sculptural texture with beauti...
Acrylic, Other Medium
Green-lilac abstraction.
Located in Zofingen, AG
This abstract composition explores the expressive nature of alcohol ink, where flowing pigments create organic forms that emerge without predetermined boundaries. Layers of deep char...
Ink
Support
Located in Zofingen, AG
Support From the series Infinity Map We all journey through our own inner world. Along the way, we encounter images that cannot be explained literally. They may evoke fear, hope, st...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
$8,500
Coast Lines, 2026, Original Mixed Media Abstract Painting by Murray Duncan
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Coast Lines, 2026 Original Mixed Media on Canvas by Murray Duncan Coast Lines is an original large-scale graphite, acrylic, and mixed media on canvas painting by Canadian artist Mu...
Glaze, Oil Crayon, Acrylic, Graphite
The Silent Sanctuary
Located in Zofingen, AG
The world does not always come at you loudly. Sometimes it is quiet and persistent — a thousand small moments of pressure, expectation, judgment. A look that says you are too much. A...
Canvas, Oil, Spray Paint
Eternal Abstract Expressionist Painting, XXL Oil & Acrylic on Canvas
Located in London, London
full size 211x159cm stretched size 200xx150cmx10cm All custom charges are included in the final price agreed. unframed, shipped rolled XXL, Extra-large painting, large painting, ab...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Mid-century American Expressionist Painting “Truck Evolution"
Located in San Francisco, CA
This vibrant and dense artwork is a mid-century American expressionist painting steeped in industrial narrative, provenance, and historical context. The painting portrays a crowded, ...
Paper, Oil Pastel
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
$1,200
Stasis 2 -21st Century Contemporary Abstract Expressionism, People, Art Deco
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
This work explores the tension between help and choice. It reflects a state of stillness, where staying becomes a choice rather than a limitation. The piece questions why we sometime...
Canvas, Ink, Acrylic
Dream Abstract Painting on Cotton Canvas, Oil & Acrylic, Signed, 2010+
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
A painting on canvas depicting an anthropomorphic bird and a female figure integrated into an abstract landscape constructed with planes of color. The composition is organized throug...
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$705
A Place to Breathe - Abstract Gold Leaf and Acrylic Sky Painting on Wood Panel
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Adele Webster’s contemporary landscape paintings explore atmosphere, light, and the emotional presence of open space. Working with layered acrylic washes on wood panel, Webster creat...
Gold Leaf
Commit, contemporary, horizontal art, Larry Poons, red, textured painting
By Lloyd Tabing
Located in Jönköping, SE
This painting is part of my newest collection titled Sovereign Solitude which marks a deliberate, structural shift in my studio practice. Following an intensive 18-month immersion in...
Linen, Acrylic
$14,631
"umbrella girl series" Blue- Gold Edition No.14, Painting, 21st Century, Acrylic
By Roger König
Located in Dessau-Rosslau, Sachsen Anhalt
Set against a rich midnight blue background, luminous gold leaf creates a refined dialogue between elegance, depth and timeless luxury Gold Edition - with real gold leaf, 23,75 cara...
Clay, Acrylic
avp_1628 - Original Abstract Red Tone Contemporary Acrylic Painting on Paper
By Alex Voinea
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The colorful abstract artworks of Romanian artist Alex Voinea are inspired by experiments with paint poured over vibrating surfaces, such as speakers at full volume. Alex Voinea coll...
Paper, Acrylic
Epicentre, Contemporary Abstract Geometric Painting by Sophie Dumont
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
In Épicentre, Sophie Dumont constructs a powerful geometric composition around a vibrant central form that acts as the visual core of the painting. A large terracotta-orange curve o...
Oil
Welcome drink
Located in Zofingen, AG
The “11 PM” series is an artistic exploration of human vulnerability and privacy through the lens of light voyeurism. What do we do when we’re left alone in the dark? While one perso...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic
$477
Original-Strawberry Moon Night-Awarded British Artist-goldleaf with oil on paper
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
This oil and gold leaf on Georgian oil paper board is a part of Summer Bloom Series, an extension of the Sunlit in primary colour project. Captured Shizu's garden in the night in th...
Gold Leaf
$4,110
Floating - Large Color Drenched Impasto Mixed Media Textural 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
Presence
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 140×97 cm (overall size with stretching 150×107 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled Painting Title: "Presence" Series Title: "The Inviolable Reserve" ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Quiet Hour
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 97×97 cm (overall size with stretching 107×107 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled This painting captures a moment of absolute peace and cozy domestic...
Canvas, Acrylic
The Companion
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 132×142 cm (overall size with stretching 142×152 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled At the heart of the canvas is a laconic yet profound scene of qui...
Canvas, Acrylic
Kacau 1 - Abstract Acrylic Painting on Panel, Contemporary
By Jay Hodgins
Located in Bloomfield, ON
These contemporary abstract mixed media paintings are inspired by nature. The evocative abstract compositions of Jay Hodgins are valued by both art critics and collectors in Canada....
Acrylic, Panel
Hand-Painted large Canvas Limited Edition#6/10–Sunshine Factory-Awarded Artist
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
This stunning large hand-painted Limited canvas edition is created in oil by Shizico Yi and is 95% hand painted directly onto canvas. Signed on the front and signed and numbered on ...
Gesso, Canvas, Oil, Acrylic, Giclée, Archival Pigment
Interwoven II, 2026 — Original Abstract Mixed Media on Paper, Murray Duncan
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Interwoven II, 2026 - mix media on paper, 32" x 44", signed Interwoven Forms is an original mixed-media work on paper by Canadian artist Murray Duncan. Layered gestural forms and fi...
Glaze, Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Pencil
Reclaiming Europa
Located in Zofingen, AG
This powerful mixed-media work, featuring a neoclassical portrait of Europa upon a dark, graffiti-covered bull against a chaotic neon background, explores the theme of The Sovereign ...
Canvas, Oil, Spray Paint
Tipping Point, Contemporary Large Abstract Oil Painting, 42x42 in
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Title: Tipping Point This original oil painting by French contemporary artist Sophie Dumont explores the fragile balance between structure, movement, and silence. Composed of interl...
Canvas, Oil
Horses and Riders in a Botanical Landscape Tapestry (Fabric Wall Panel)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Éva Németh (1930–2019) Riders in a Botanical a Landscape, ca. 1970. Dyed woven wool, panel measures 79 x 54 inches. Signed in the weave with artist's monogram, lower right. Exc...
Wool
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.