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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
SAT-NAM
SAT-NAM

SAT-NAM

Located in Zofingen, AG

“This work is a visual mantra — an invitation to stillness. With no defined forms, only texture and vibration, the painting dissolves the boundary between the outer and inner world.”

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Untitled Seahorse Abstract Space Watercolor Painting
Untitled Seahorse Abstract Space Watercolor Painting

Untitled Seahorse Abstract Space Watercolor Painting

By Gustave Alhadeff

Located in Houston, TX

Untitled watercolor surrealist painting with a sea horse and planets. The work is done using bright warm colors and is signed by the artist in the bottom corner. The painting is not currently framed. Artist Biography: Born in the Belgian Congo in 1940, Gustave Alhadeff won his first award at the annual art show in Elisabethville, at age 13. His formal art education began with Mr. Marcel Pire (Prix de Rome). He continued his studies at the Michaelis School of Fine Art, with Mr. Van Nesche in Cape Town, South Africa from 1956 to 1957. He was awarded a scholarship from the Art Academy to continue his studies with Mr.Creytens at the "Institute National Superieur des Beaux Arts" in Anvers, Belgium. The following year he entered the class of Mr. Leon Devos...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Watercolor

Spring Bloom II
Spring Bloom II

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...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Greens' On Top, Abstract Painting
Greens' On Top, Abstract Painting

Greens' On Top, Abstract Painting

By Joey Korom

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Artist Joey Korom paints a green abstract composition. He combines unconventional shapes to give the work multiple layers. "Subtle collisions suggest parts of...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Resonance des contrastes- Textured Oil Painting, Geometric, Abstract composition
Resonance des contrastes- Textured Oil Painting, Geometric, Abstract composition

Resonance des contrastes- Textured Oil Painting, Geometric, Abstract composition

By SOPHIE DUMONT

Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR

Resonance of Contrasts is a powerful abstract oil painting by French contemporary artist Sophie Dumont, known for her layered textures and architectural compositions. This 80 × 80 cm...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil

Tropic Celebration - painting, acrylic on canvas
Tropic Celebration - painting, acrylic on canvas

Tropic Celebration - painting, acrylic on canvas

By Paul Fournier

Located in Bloomfield, ON

"This contemporary abstract painting by Paul Fournier captures the turquoise-colored waters of the Caribbean. Paul Fournier is among the most significant painters in the Canadian ar...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Sincroplastia. Mixed media Abstract painting on Canvas
Sincroplastia. Mixed media Abstract painting on Canvas

Sincroplastia. Mixed media Abstract painting on Canvas

By Alec Franco

Located in Miami Beach, FL

The paintings resists framing in concepts, it overflows the contours and borders of rationality. It is through the presence of color, combined with an abstraction at times with expre...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic

Richard Anuszkiewicz - Near and Far Acuity, Signed Mid Century Modern painting
Richard Anuszkiewicz - Near and Far Acuity, Signed Mid Century Modern painting

Richard Anuszkiewicz - Near and Far Acuity, Signed Mid Century Modern painting

By Richard Anuszkiewicz

Located in New York, NY

Richard Anuszkiewicz Near and Far Acuity, 1957 Gouache and watercolor painting on board Hand signed and dated 1957 by Richard Anuszkiewicz on the right front Frame included Anuszkie...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media, Watercolor, Gouache

"Sorbet" Abstract Watercolor Painting
"Sorbet" Abstract Watercolor Painting

"Sorbet" Abstract Watercolor Painting

Located in Westport, CT

This original abstract watercolor painting by Nealy Hauschildt features a warm pink, orange, and lavender palette, with three large organic planes of washy color layered over one ano...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Cotton, Paper, Watercolor

Vintage American School Signed Modernist Minimalist Abstract Framed Oil Painting
Vintage American School Signed Modernist Minimalist Abstract Framed Oil Painting

Vintage American School Signed Modernist Minimalist Abstract Framed Oil Painting

Located in Buffalo, NY

Step into the serene world of American minimalism with this exquisite 1980 signed original oil painting. Created by a talented American artist, this work invites you to explore the c...

Category

1980s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Charles Ragland Bunnell 1928–29 Manitou Colorado Oil Pikes Peak Landscape
Charles Ragland Bunnell 1928–29 Manitou Colorado Oil Pikes Peak Landscape

Charles Ragland Bunnell 1928–29 Manitou Colorado Oil Pikes Peak Landscape

By Charles Ragland Bunnell

Located in Denver, CO

A highly desirable early Colorado landscape by Charles Ragland Bunnell, this circa 1928–1929 oil on canvas captures the dramatic terrain of Manitou Springs with sweeping views of Pik...

Category

1920s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil

Diptych: Khloris 007 and 002. Abstract Painting. From The Khloris Series
Diptych: Khloris 007 and 002. Abstract Painting. From The Khloris Series

Diptych: Khloris 007 and 002. Abstract Painting. From The Khloris Series

By Francisco Larios

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...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Lacquer, Pastel, Automotive Paint, Acrylic

A dynamic futurist inspired painting with a color-filled pallet
A dynamic futurist inspired painting with a color-filled pallet

A dynamic futurist inspired painting with a color-filled pallet

Located in Colfax, CA

A dynamic abstract painting from the 1950s. The work appears to be signed, Nicotine, Nicotina, or Vicotina? The artist was clearly influenced by earlier styles of abstraction, includ...

Category

1950s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil

Raventos Vertical Big original abstract mixed media painting
Raventos Vertical Big original abstract mixed media painting

Raventos Vertical Big original abstract mixed media painting

By Maria Asuncion Raventos

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 ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media

Monochrome Ultramarine Blue Abstract Painting on Canvas by Gabriela Meunie
Monochrome Ultramarine Blue Abstract Painting on Canvas by Gabriela Meunie

Monochrome Ultramarine Blue Abstract Painting on Canvas by Gabriela Meunie

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, Acrylic, Pigment

Interlocking Gouache Forms on Ochre Paper by Serge Guerin French b1916
Interlocking Gouache Forms on Ochre Paper by Serge Guerin French b1916

Interlocking Gouache Forms on Ochre Paper by Serge Guerin French b1916

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Title: Interlocking Gouache Forms on Ochre Paper by Serge Guerin French b1916 by Serge Guerin (b. 1916), French inscribed verso: indistinct handwritten note including “69” (likely th...

Category

20th Century Abstract Paintings

Materials

Ink, Gouache

Untitled #504, Mixed Media on Paper by Murray Duncan - Abstract Geometric Modern
Untitled #504, Mixed Media on Paper by Murray Duncan - Abstract Geometric Modern

Untitled #504, Mixed Media on Paper by Murray Duncan - Abstract Geometric Modern

Located in Toronto, Ontario

Untitled #504 by Murray Duncan, 2024 Mix media on paper Unframed Size: 32" x 40" Murray Duncan Studio: Murray Duncan, born in 1966, is a self-taught creative visionary celebrated f...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Glaze, Oil Crayon, Acrylic

Untitled
Untitled

Untitled

By Frank Stella

Located in New York, NY

Oil with paper collage on found card stock board, with vintage reproduction on reverse, 1956. Signed by the artist and dated in oil, lower right. Stella (1936-2024) made this work ...

Category

1950s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil

Bistro du Midi, Oil Painting
Bistro du Midi, Oil Painting

Bistro du Midi, Oil Painting

By Onelio Marrero

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
In his distinct style of impressionism, artist Onelio Marrero displays a man in a suit reading the news as he sits by an empty dining hall. He bases the piece on sketches of a Back Bay, Boston restaurant named Bistro du Midi. He creates a narrative of an imaginary proprietor perusing a newspaper before the establishment opens and the clients fill the place. Onelio gives the viewer a sense of the décor and light streaming through the windows - beyond it, a hint of the Boston Public Garden.


About the Artist
Artist Onelio Marrero paints impressionist city scenes of everyday life. He captures the romanticism of New York City, from the picturesque fountains in Central Park to a glistening city street on a rainy afternoon. He creates a sense of nostalgia and intimacy with his work, offering the feeling that you have visited this particular scene before. “Each play of light, each texture, and each movement of a figure can have a captivating effect on me,” says Onelio. He studied at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art where he mastered discerning color and values, giving his work a more spontaneous appearance. Onelio’s work is an appreciation for beauty in all of its greatest forms; nature, art, and people.


Words that describe this painting: restaurant, newspaper, bistro, cafe, table, Boston, Public Garden, Boston Common...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil

When Dreams Dance - Abstract Stylized Still Life
When Dreams Dance - Abstract Stylized Still Life

When Dreams Dance - Abstract Stylized Still Life

Located in Westport, CT

Born in Hawaii to a Japanese mother and a military aviator father, Sali Swalla’s early years were spent living in various US States, as well as Japan and Korea. After attending Uni...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil

Minimalist Abstract Painting with Black Linear Forms by Alicia Gimeno 2025
Minimalist Abstract Painting with Black Linear Forms by Alicia Gimeno 2025

Minimalist Abstract Painting with Black Linear Forms by Alicia Gimeno 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...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Ink, Acrylic

August flowers, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
August flowers, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

August flowers, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

By Emily STARCK

Located in Yardley, PA

Floral abstract expressionism artwork worked in several layers of gestural brush strokes. The palette is bright and colorful. Inspired by the summer flowers in France. Professiona...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Silver Skull.  Contemporary Neo-Expressionist Painting
Silver Skull.  Contemporary Neo-Expressionist Painting

Silver Skull. Contemporary Neo-Expressionist Painting

By Sax Berlin

Located in Brecon, Powys

Sax Berlin's Skull series form part of his Neo-Expressionist works. Berlin works with speed on these pieces, gives them a sense of urgency. In "person" they are electric and magnetic...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Silver

Magenta pink abstraction
Magenta pink abstraction

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...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Mangent white abstraction
Mangent white abstraction

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...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Mid Century Modern Pacific Northwest Rain Forest, Earthtone Abstract Landscape
Mid Century Modern Pacific Northwest Rain Forest, Earthtone Abstract Landscape

Mid Century Modern Pacific Northwest Rain Forest, Earthtone Abstract Landscape

By Hilda Davidson Kaster

Located in Soquel, CA

Wonderful mid century modern mixed media abstracted Northern California landscape by Hilda Davidson Kaster (American, 1912-2008), circa 1950. The artist uses layers of mixed media earth tones and natural textures such as leaves and bark to create the aesthetic of the deep forest of Sebastopol, California. Signed lower left corner, on verso with exhibition and gallery labels. Unframed: Image 18"H x 24"W. Hilda Davidson Kaster was born in Oakland, California in 1912 to Russian Jewish immigrant parents. She went to New York in the early 1930s to study art. At the Traphagen School of Design, she was a student of Moses Soyer and William Gropper, who were founders of the Ashcan School. Later in the 1930s she worked as a commercial artist and designer for I. Miller Shoes...

Category

1950s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

Sem Titulo
Sem Titulo

Sem Titulo

Located in Wiscasett, ME

"Sem Titulo" gouache on paper. Illustrated in Barsotti's book page 146. The full sheet size listed in the catalogue is 21cm x 30cm. The specialty frame incorporates a mat cut up t...

Category

1970s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Gouache

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.