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.
Pink Fantasy. Abstraction.
Located in Zofingen, AG
The work is created in the fluid art technique using acrylic on canvas. The composition is built on the soft, flowing interweaving of pink, coral, and milky white tones, creating a s...
Canvas, Acrylic
$18,000
Black - large, yellow, green, blue, geometric abstraction, acrylic on canvas
Located in Bloomfield, ON
A narrative of hard edged orthogonal shapes in sapphire blue, bright yellow and crimson unfolds across a background grid of washed charcoal black rectangles. The black ground is made more powerful by the size of the six foot tall canvas...
Canvas, Acrylic
Florence Graziano 1960s Abstract Expressionist Primary Colors Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
This original 1960s oil painting by American modernist Florence Graziano is a vibrant example of mid-century Abstract Expressionism. Bold, energetic, and emotionally charged, the com...
Oil
"Blue Moon Landing" Mixed Media Painting
Located in Chicago, IL
This mixed-media painting by contemporary artist Patrick Burns is a departure from his "Concrete Gardens" flower paintings, yet continues his use of heavy texture and reverberating, ...
Concrete
$10,880Sale Price|20% Off
Caja Negra: Improvisación 6, Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting, 21st Century
Located in Mexico City, MX
Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting Acrylic on canvas 330 x 220 cm Signed FREE SHIPPING ROLLED UP About the artist Enrique Pichardo (Mexico City, 1973) graduated from Escuela Naci...
Canvas, Acrylic
Mid Century Modern Abstract Expressionist Earth Tone Abstract
Located in Soquel, CA
Mid century modern abstract expressionist oil on canvas in rusty earth tones blending with subdued dark blues and whites by S. Palmer (American, 20th Century), c.1960. Signed lower r...
Canvas, Oil
$450
Les Baigneuses Lithograph, Abstract Style, Mid-20th Century, Signed
Located in Belgrade, MT
This piece is part of my private collection of the School of Paris era. It is pencil signed in the lower left corner by the artist and numbered . I have several of these lithographs ...
Oil, Lithograph
$6,500
Interconnections - colorful, contemporary, geometric abstract, paper collage
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This bold contemporary composition by Yvonne Lammerich is an intriguing exploration of colour and form. Origami-like folded shapes inter-connected by fine lines dance across this col...
Mixed Media, Archival Paper, Gouache, Color Pencil
POCH 176 Portrait Acrylic Painting, framed, 120x120 cm
By Ramon Poch
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
21 Couple with Cats 115 x 90 cm-96. acrylic painting Born in Badalona (Barcelona). Photographer and advertising film director. Founding partner of the advertising production company...
Acrylic
Fibrosa (Abstract Encaustic, Fabric and Collage Painting on Linen)
Located in Hudson, NY
"Fibrosa" made by Hudson Valley artist, Alaina Enslen, in 2025 Encaustic, dyed fabrics, and paper mounted on panel 20 x 16 x 2 inches unframed, sides reveal raw panel and wrapped fab...
Fabric, Linen, Encaustic, Monotype
Energized, Abstract Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Dorothy Gaziano presents an abstract painting in various shades of blue, ranging from light turquoise to deep navy. The composition features layered, tex...
Acrylic
Cubist Cityscape (Abstract Expressionist painting)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Anne Farber (American) Abstract Cityscape, ca. 1955/ Oil on canvas, 25 x 30 inches. Measuring 33 x 38 inches in periof wormy chestnut frame. Signed by artist on back of canvas an...
Canvas, Oil
$1,747Sale Price|20% Off
Abstract 2262
Located in Zofingen, AG
Abstract 2262 - painting is a powerful vision of Love’s vibration, Compassion’s strength, and Hope’s vitality. Woosh away your worries! Feel the exhilarating and mighty presence of W...
Acrylic
$8,000Sale Price|20% Off
Ecos de la Ciudad, Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting, 21st Century
Located in Mexico City, MX
Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting Acrylic on canvas 200x340cm Signed FREE SHIPPING ROLLED UP About the artist Enrique Pichardo (Mexico City, 1973) graduated from Escuela Nacional de Pintura, Escultura y Grabado (ENPEG) “La Esmeralda”. As a Mexican Contemporary Expressionism artist...
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,402Sale Price|20% Off
Large French 1970's Geometric Abstract Painting Brown Beige Yellow Green Colors
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: French School, 1970's, inscribed verso Title: Geometric abstract composition Medium: signed oil painting on canvas, framed framed: 30.5 x 39.5 inches canvas: 29...
Canvas, Oil
"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
American Abstract Expressionist Framed Mid Century New York School Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American school abstract oil painting. Oil on board. Signed verso. Framed. Measuring: 31 by 34 inches overall, and 26.5 by 29.5 painting alone. Excellent condition, ready to...
Canvas, Oil
$650
Russian Ukrainian Abstract Oil Painting Alexander Pavlov Vilnius Landscape
Located in Surfside, FL
Alexander Pavlov Alexander Pavlov - artist. Born in 1939 in the city Kiev, Ukraine. Master of non-figurative art. His formalistic conception ґruntuye brightest achievements in the ...
Canvas, Oil
Christina Gschwantner New Strokes Contemporary Abstract Painting Bright 2025
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
KOKON - Contemporary Modern Abstract Painting, Warm Colors
Located in Hallein, AT
Agata Czeremuszkin-Chrut was born in 1983 in Czestochowa, Poland. She graduated from the Academy of the Fine Arts in Wroclaw (2008) with the Master degree in Painting. In 2007 she st...
Canvas, Acrylic
$12,700
Crossing California - Original Atmospheric Oceanscape Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Phoebe Brunner’s original oil paintings transform the American West and the California coast into luminous landscapes shaped by memory, atmosphere, and imagination. Her works draw fr...
Canvas, Oil
$494Sale Price|29% Off
To Be Or Not To Be II (Abstract, Expressive, Minimal, White, Blue, ~29% OFF)
Located in Kansas City, MO
To Be Or Not To Be II Mixed Media on Board 2023 Size: 12x12x1in Framed: 13x13x1.25in Signed, dated and titled by hand COA provided Ref.: 924802-1886 *framed in a black wooden floate...
Oil, Board
Where the Light Falls, Elaine Fox, Contemporary Landscape Painting
Located in Deddington, GB
Where the Light Falls [2022] Signed by the artist oil and oil pastel on canvas Image size: H:50 cm x W:50 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:50 cm x W:50 cm x D:4cm Frame Size: H:54 cm x W:54 cm x D:5.5cm Please note that insitu images are purely an indication of how a piece may look A painting completed in the studio after a visit to the Outer Hebrides, the unpredictable weather patterns and light played an important role in creating this piece. The weather on Skye is forever changing and the dramatic and mystical landscapes are what inspires me to try to capture the feeling of energy and atmosphere. This painting is framed in a white tray frame to fit with any decor. laine Fox - Artist - Painter Elaine Fox...
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Oil
$760Sale Price|31% Off
Large Abstract Expressionist Female Figure in Blue, Purple and Turquoise oil art
By Nerea Caos
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Large Abstract Expressionist Female Figure in Blue, Purple and Turquoise Artist: Nerea Caos Title: El nacimiento de Nereida Year: 2023 Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 90 × 66 cm /...
Canvas, Oil
$7,800
Delta (Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting on Canvas in Teal, Aqua Blue & Green)
By Jenny Nelson
Located in Hudson, NY
Square, abstract expressionist oil painting on canvas in aqua, teal, blue, and green against pale grey with accents of yellow, peach, and mauve 'Delta' by Jenny Nelson Oil on linen, ...
Canvas, Oil
$1,480Sale Price|20% Off
"Application of the Laws" Chine Colle Watercolor with Found Object Collage
Located in Soquel, CA
Beautiful abstract expressionist collage by Bay Area artist Michael Pauker (American, b.1957). Composed of two contrasting sections of teal and yellow-brown, this piece has layers of...
Paper, Watercolor
Paths 5 - abstract geometric brown, beige, black, gold painting on linen
Located in New York, NY
Marie Laforey is a self-taught artist based in New York, US who maintains a sustainable art practice using primarily organic material. Laforey enjoys the tactility of working with or...
Linen, Acrylic
$2,760Sale Price|20% Off
Violet in Violet, purple and lilac abstract expressionist painting
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
Mid-20th Century Abstract Painting: Oil Pastel & Oil on Paper 1965
Located in Arp, TX
Martin Rosenthal "Crossed Lines" 1965 Pastel & Oil paint on paper 19.25"x13" unframed Signed and dated in ink lower right Martin Rosenthal 1899-1974 Artist Martin Rosenthal was bor...
Paper, Encaustic, Oil
Red II, Expanded Metal Pigment Painting
By Clemens Wolf
Located in Miami Beach, FL
For these paintings, Wolf uses expanded metal as a brush and thus creates abstract paintings. The irretrievable moment is found here in the expressive painting process. Also, he adds...
Oil, Pigment, Canvas
$1,856Sale Price|20% Off
Abstract 23105, Impasto Acrylic Painting, 120x100cm, Ready to Hang
Located in Zofingen, AG
Dive into a world of vibrant artistry with "Abstract 23105," an abstract painting that is an explosion of bright and bold colors. This masterpiece is crafted with a rich impasto tech...
Acrylic
You brought Sunshine and Summer: Original Floral Painting, Blue vase, Geese.
By Karnish Art
Located in Pretoria, Gauteng
Title: You brought Sunshine and Summer Original Floral Painting, Blue vase, Geese, Heron, Unique, One-of-a-kind. "You brought Sunshine and Summer" is a painting that portrays a dee...
Gesso, Canvas, Wood, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
Abstract II. Contemporary Abstract Oil Painting
Located in Brecon, Powys
Oil on board, well framed Signed Image 16" x 20" Framed 20" x 24"
Oil
A Large, Dynamic 1960s Mid-Century Modern Abstract Expressionist Painting
By George Waite
Located in Chicago, IL
A Large, Dynamic 1960s Mid-Century Modern Abstract Expressionist Painting by Notable Chicago Artist, George Waite (Am. 1935-1994). Executed in the artist's signature palette of brig...
Canvas, Oil
$3,150Sale Price|25% Off
Midday in Lombardy, 100x170 cm, acrylic on canvas
Located in Yerevan, AM
Midday in Lombardy, 100x170 cm, acrylic on canvas
Canvas, Acrylic
Untitled 2 . From Ritmos abstractos (Abstract Rhythms) Series
Located in Miami Beach, FL
"Abstract Rhythms" invites us to explore the visual universe of the artist Juan Carlos Amador, who, through his unique perspective, translates the pulsations of space and the invisi...
Canvas, Spray Paint, Acrylic
Teal Lace Collotype Lithograph
Located in Soquel, CA
Delicate layered collotype on heavy bond paper by Patricia A. Pearce (American, b. 1948). This piece is unsigned, but was acquired with a collection of other Pearce work. No frame. I...
Paper, Ink, Lithograph
Vintage American Modernist Signed Abstract Expressionist Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
This mid-century abstract composition employs a dynamic interplay of geometric planes and gestural brushwork, rendered in a vibrant yet balanced palette of pastel pinks, acid yellow...
Canvas, Oil
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
Fils I Colors DCCI - Colorful Abstract Contemporary Art on Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Barcelona native artist Raul de la Torre's vibrant abstract mixed media artworks pay homage to textiles. De La Torre allows the materials to take over during the process and collabor...
Thread, Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$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
Petals in Light - original impressionistic floral art on linen canvas
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Look at a tree, a flower, a plant. Let your awareness rest upon it. How still they are, how deeply rooted in Being. Allow nature to teach you stillness." — Eckhart Tolle Dimensions...
Canvas, Linen, Spray Paint, Acrylic
Abstract Late 20th-Century Painting, “Mystic Fires", Signed by Swift
Located in San Francisco, CA
On offer is an abstract mid-century oil painting titled “Mystic Fires.” It was created in 1973 by an artist signing as Swift. COMPOSITION: The artwork is a vertical composition char...
Canvas, Oil
Til We Meet Again
Located in Kansas City, MO
Katherine Bello Title : Til We Meet Again Materials : Oil on birch panel Date : 12/2020 Dimensions : 12x12x1.5 Description : Flat birch panel framed in white floater frame. Signed CO...
Birch, Paint, Oil
Viktor Kobylianski Abstract Composition Rose Tones Mixed Media on Canvas Large
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
$1,528Sale Price|20% Off
20th Century French Geometric Abstract Surrealist Composition Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Composition signed by Serge Guerin (b. 1916), French oil painting on canvas, unframed size: 22 x 29.5 inches provenance: private collection, Paris, France condition: overall...
Oil
"Summer Storm" Small Abstract Colorful Landscape, Oil and Acrylic on Wood
Located in Sofia, BG
"Summer Storm" is a colorful abstract landscape painting created with oil, acrylic and pastel on wood panel. Inspired by the atmosphere of a summer storm moving across a blooming la...
Wood, Oil Pastel, Oil, Acrylic, Wood Panel
$596Sale Price|25% Off
Antique American Abstract Expressionist Signed Large Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American modernist abstract oil painting. Oil on canvas, circa 1950. Signed. Image size 46L x 36H. Framing is available!
Canvas, Oil
Bold Contemporary - Abstract Painting, Colorful Texture, Large, Dream
By Karnish Art
Located in Pretoria, Gauteng
Title: Interconnected Dream Bold Abstract Contemporary Colorful Masculine Investment Red Yellow Grey Blue Orange Texture Detail This series expresses our unity and our interconnect...
Pastel, Oil, Acrylic, Pencil, Color Pencil, Gesso, Canvas, Stretcher Bars
Black and Pink Without a Yellow Sun - colorful, abstract, acrylic on canvas
By Aron Hill
Located in Bloomfield, ON
Fresh and modern, Aron Hill embraces colour and bold, simple shapes to create dynamic paintings. Curves, lines and half-circles in hot pink, bright yellow, deep blue, green, red and ...
Canvas, Ink, Acrylic
$1,560Sale Price|20% Off
Transigent (Abstract Contemporary Painting, Framed)
Located in New Orleans, LA
(Comes professionally framed in a solid maple floater frame, ready to hang) Artist's Statement "This series of intensely colorful paintings was begun a couple of years back in reaction to the gray oppressive weight that had descended like a pall on the American scene. I wanted to make paintings about nothing but pure delight, in honor of the fact that beneath the fog of germs and political antagonism, we still eat, laugh, love and if we're wise, acknowledge how spectacularly fortunate we are -- at least for now, in this time and place, despite the problems. For me, the colors, forms and brushstrokes here feel exuberant without suggesting an unnerving chaos. I have purposely used unlikely color combinations that despite their dissonance seem to work together. I don't feel this is a time to be making brooding works that reflect the problems we are working our way through; we all know about this. On the contrary, I think it's a time for art...
Lacquer, Charcoal, House Paint, Oil, Acrylic
$786Sale Price|20% Off
Mid Century French Geometric Abstract in Black White and Navy Signed SG
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Mid Century French Geometric Abstract in Black White and Navy Signed SG by Serge Guerin (b. 1916), French signed lower right “SG”, name stamped verso Acrylic and gouache on ar...
Ink, Acrylic, Gouache
"Tovah" Abstract Figure with Gown French Haute Couture Oil Painting on Paper
By Cindy Shaoul
Located in New York, NY
Exploring the purity of the feminine form and the drama of French haute couture, artist Cindy Shaoul creates a dialogue between the figurative and the abstract. Her spirited composit...
Paper, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic
My Inner Child Garden - Large Soft Abstract Floral Painting
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
Untitled Abstract
Located in New York, NY
Oil on yellow paper mounted on board. No visible signature but numbered "414" in pencil on reverse. Overall dimension of board is 15 x 16.75 inches.
Oil
Round Multicolor Relief Wall Sculpture in Clay Fake Gum Abstract Candy Mosaic
Located in FISTERRA, ES
"Fake Gum" is a captivating circular wall sculpture by Elizabeth Art Candy that explores the seductive tension between softness and artifice. Composed of hundreds of hand-molded clay...
Clay, Spray Paint, Board
$977Sale Price|20% Off
20th Century French Geometric Abstract Surrealist Composition Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Composition by Serge Guerin (b. 1916), French oil painting on board, framed framed: 24 x 30 inches board: 19 x 25.5 inches provenance: private collection, Paris, France con...
Oil
Attempt at Harmony Abstract Painting, Mixed Media, Ochre Tones, 88cm
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
"Attempt at Harmony" is an abstract painting distinguished by its texture and intertwined layers of color. Dominated by ochre tones, the piece is complemented by flashes of blue, pur...
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Abstraction Pink
Located in Buffalo, NY
An original oil on linen mounted to board by American modern female artist Harriet Holden Nash. The piece will come with custom framing either black or natural wood based on the buy...
Linen, Oil, Board
$1,980Sale Price|20% Off
Large Antique American Abstract Expressionist Modernist Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Large American modernist abstract oil painting. Framed. Oil on canvas. Signed. Image size, 50H by 40L.
Canvas, Oil
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.