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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
landscape #19, Painting, Oil on Canvas
landscape #19, Painting, Oil on Canvas

landscape #19, Painting, Oil on Canvas

By Marilina Marchica

Located in Yardley, PA

landscape mixed media on canvas 80x120 cm 2021 :: Painting :: Abstract :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Hang: ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil

Surfing in the Blue Cathedral: Contemporary Figurative Painting

Surfing in the Blue Cathedral: Contemporary Figurative Painting

Located in Brecon, Powys

Walshe goes surfing! We are delighted to sell works on behalf of Walshe. Walshe is the founder of the Neo-Deco style and the motifs he uses in his art are born of his concerns for t...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Poppies. Oil on cardboard. 35x25 cm. Unsigned
Poppies. Oil on cardboard. 35x25 cm. Unsigned

Poppies. Oil on cardboard. 35x25 cm. Unsigned

Located in Riga, LV

Aleksandr Rodin (1922-2001) Painter Born in a family of farmers. Wife Rasma Lace - art scholar. Studied at the Stalingrad School of Art, Saratov Art School, graduated from the Depar...

Category

1980s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil, Cardboard

Erick Johnson "Stillgate" 2026 oil on canvas

Erick Johnson "Stillgate" 2026 oil on canvas

By Eric Johnson

Located in New York, NY

Erick Johnson Stillgate, 2026 oil on canvas 48 x 60 in. (joh065) Of his recent work, Eric Johnson states "What has long inspired me is the interplay between color and form. The exp...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Untitled 24040 (Abstract painting)
Untitled 24040 (Abstract painting)

Untitled 24040 (Abstract painting)

By Martin Reyna

Located in London, GB

Untitled 24040 (Abstract painting) Oil on canvas — Unframed. This abstract oil painting showcases a compelling investigation into the visual language of oil. The artist explores the...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Going Outside, Original Abstract Landscape Painting

Going Outside, Original Abstract Landscape Painting

Located in Boston, MA

Going Outside 48.0 x 60.0 x 1.75, 8.0 lbs Mixed Media Hand signed by artist Artist's Commentary: "'Going Outside' is a 48x60 mixed media abstract landscape painting. The colors and the composition are an emotional response to beauty and energy found in moments of reflection in the natural beauty of the landscape." About the Artist: Maggie Jones Boudreaux...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media

Structural Primitive 2

Structural Primitive 2

By Dunmade Ayegbayo

Located in Ibadan, Oyo

Painting Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, this is not a print or other type of copy. Signed on the front side and accompanied by a Certificate of Auth...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Historia - Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Abstract, 30in x 40in
Historia - Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Abstract, 30in x 40in

Historia - Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Abstract, 30in x 40in

By Mario Angel

Located in Mississauga, CA

"Historia," serves as a poignant exploration of figurative abstraction, where the artist deftly weaves together elements of memory and collective narrative. The composition is define...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Super Spatial 9, Abstract Oil on Canvas, 21st Century, Unframed
Super Spatial 9, Abstract Oil on Canvas, 21st Century, Unframed

Super Spatial 9, Abstract Oil on Canvas, 21st Century, Unframed

By Maya Kabat

Located in Lake Worth, FL

Title: Super Spatial 9 Medium: Oil on canvas on layered wood panels Size: 12x13.5x3 inches Year: 2019 Price: $2800 From Maya: “My paintings reference the urban landscape, and explo...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Textured Abstract Expressionist Composition in Plaster and Acrylic on Canvas
Textured Abstract Expressionist Composition in Plaster and Acrylic on Canvas

Textured Abstract Expressionist Composition in Plaster and Acrylic on Canvas

Located in Soquel, CA

Textured Abstract Expressionist Composition in Plaster and Acrylic on Canvas Brightly colored and deeply textured abstract composition by an unknown artist (20th century). Layers of...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Plaster, Acrylic

CLAUDE LAGOUCHE (1943-2020) ORIGINAL 1970'S FRENCH PSYCHEDELIC ABSTRACT PAINTING
CLAUDE LAGOUCHE (1943-2020) ORIGINAL 1970'S FRENCH PSYCHEDELIC ABSTRACT PAINTING

CLAUDE LAGOUCHE (1943-2020) ORIGINAL 1970'S FRENCH PSYCHEDELIC ABSTRACT PAINTING

By Claude Lagouche

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Artist: Claude Lagouche (French 1943-2020) Claude Lagouche was born January 2, 1943 in Naves, died January 16, 2020. He quickly gained recognition for his talent and his work, exh...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Paintings

Materials

Gouache

Charmion Von Wiegand - Intersecting Magic Square gouache on board, signed Framed
Charmion Von Wiegand - Intersecting Magic Square gouache on board, signed Framed

Charmion Von Wiegand - Intersecting Magic Square gouache on board, signed Framed

By Charmion von Wiegand

Located in New York, NY

Charmion von Wiegand Intersecting Magic Square, ca. 1963 Gouache on paperboard Signed and titled on the back of the artwork. The signature shown on the frame back is a photo of the a...

Category

1960s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media, Gouache, Handmade Paper, Pencil

Point of Trust II
Point of Trust II

Point of Trust II

Located in Zofingen, AG

“Point of Trust II” From the series Between States (Part II of the diptych) “Point of Trust II” continues the visual dialogue initiated in the first part of the diptych. It explores...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic

Colorful Abstract Painting on Raw Fabric, 120x160 cm, 2024 Tete Alurralde
Colorful Abstract Painting on Raw Fabric, 120x160 cm, 2024 Tete Alurralde

Colorful Abstract Painting on Raw Fabric, 120x160 cm, 2024 Tete Alurralde

By Teté Alurralde

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

Signed Castro Abstract Expressionist 1960s Latin American Oil Painting Collage
Signed Castro Abstract Expressionist 1960s Latin American Oil Painting Collage

Signed Castro Abstract Expressionist 1960s Latin American Oil Painting Collage

Located in Surfside, FL

'La Multitud Sodomita Rodea la Casa de Lot' Titled and signed in Spanish. it refers to the biblical story of Lot with the Sodomites. It is a very well executed piece signed Castro an...

Category

1960s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Mixed Media, Oil

RV Float (Abstract drawing)
RV Float (Abstract drawing)

RV Float (Abstract drawing)

By Xanda McCagg

Located in London, GB

RV Float (Abstract drawing) Watercolor on paper . Unframed. McCagg's work is informed and influenced by formal elements such as line and space, which provide an underlying aestheti...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Contemporary Minimal Abstract Diptych, Large-Scale Neutral Textured Painting
Contemporary Minimal Abstract Diptych, Large-Scale Neutral Textured Painting

Contemporary Minimal Abstract Diptych, Large-Scale Neutral Textured Painting

By Viktor Kobylianski

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, Mixed Media, Pigment

Time with Myself
Time with Myself

Time with Myself

By Olena Kishkurno

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...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

And Water Was First
And Water Was First

And Water Was First

By Olena Kishkurno

Located in Zofingen, AG

And Water Was First And Water Was First is part of Olena Kishkurno’s ongoing Inner Landscapes series - a body of work situated between abstract landscape and abstract impressionism,...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Palm Pair" Abstract Painting 14" x 20" inch by Salah Boutros

"Palm Pair" Abstract Painting 14" x 20" inch by Salah Boutros

By Salah Boutros

Located in Culver City, CA

"Palm Pair" Abstract Painting 14" x 20" inch by Salah Boutros Salah Boutros was born in 1964 in Cairo where he still lives and works. He gained a BA degree from the Faculty of Fine ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

Ruz  Vertical  Blue Black   Abstract Acrylic on paper Painting
Ruz  Vertical  Blue Black   Abstract Acrylic on paper Painting

Ruz Vertical Blue Black Abstract Acrylic on paper Painting

By Rafael Ruz

Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL

Original work of the artist RUZ Ruz. astract. Vertical. blue .black - Abstract Acrylic on paper Painting Perfect state virtual frame While contemplating the painting of Ruz, we are i...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

INK PAINTING , WHITE  BUTTERFLY WITH GOLD SPLASHES , BY SVETLANA MARTIN
INK PAINTING , WHITE  BUTTERFLY WITH GOLD SPLASHES , BY SVETLANA MARTIN

INK PAINTING , WHITE BUTTERFLY WITH GOLD SPLASHES , BY SVETLANA MARTIN

By Svetlana Martin

Located in Zofingen, AG

2023 Alcohol ink, plastic black paper One of a kind piece of art This is the original painting The grace and lightness of the butterfly are reflected in the refined lines, creating a feeling of a moment of eternal freedom and beauty. Gold splashes sparkle very beautifully when exposed to sunlight or artificial light. An emerald tint has been added to the butterfly's wings. The artist, through beautiful butterflies, wants to convey that the world is fragile and needs to be protected. The work was done with alcohol ink with the addition of special alcohol. The spread of ink is controlled by air flow...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Ink

Grotto
Grotto

Grotto

By Martha Rea Baker

Located in Santa Fe, NM

Blue white beige teal green khaki orange brown aqua Martha Rea Baker’s technique of choice is driven by her selection of mediums. She has successfully moved between the unique pro...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

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.