Abstract Paintings
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.
1990s Abstract Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Onelio Marrero captures this scene of a sunset's effects on a snow-covered trail near his home in northern New Jersey. The rich colors and textures of this painting, rendered in sensitive yet bold strokes, reflect the fleeting light filtering through the trees. Onelio works from a small oil study and paints the rest from memory.
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: woods, forest, trees, leaves, snow, winter, season, trail, shadow, impressionism, sunset, oilpaint, nature, impressionism, nature, oil painting, purple
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Spray Paint, Acrylic
1990s Abstract Paintings
Mixed Media, Laid Paper, Acrylic
1960s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Ink, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1990s Abstract Paintings
Oil, Board
2010s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic, Archival Paper
Early 2000s Abstract Paintings
Gesso, Acrylic, Mixed Media, Cotton Canvas, Paint, Cotton, Canvas
2010s Abstract Paintings
Paper, Varnish, Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Oil, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Spray Paint, Plywood
2010s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Gold Leaf
1970s Abstract Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
1960s Abstract Paintings
Oil, Canvas
Mid-20th Century Abstract Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Charcoal, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Newsprint
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Oil, Tempera
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1970s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1960s Abstract Paintings
Paper, Oil
Artist Comments
Rustic grasses and a tranquil lakeside, set against distant skies, inspire this painting. Earthy browns, deep greens, and soft blues blend with warm golds to ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Charcoal, Acrylic, Graphite
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Charcoal
2010s Abstract Paintings
Pigment
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Paper, Charcoal, Oil Pastel, Oil, Graphite
Artist Comments
Inspired by the views of her annual trips to Northern New Mexico, artist Heather Foster recreates this scene on canvas. She displays an ethereal sky with lila...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
20th Century Abstract Paintings
Watercolor, Rag Paper
2010s Abstract Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Varnish, Mixed Media, Synthetic Resin
2010s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
Early 2000s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic, Cardboard
2010s Abstract Paintings
Paper, Oil
Late 20th Century Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic, Watercolor, Monoprint
1950s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Clay, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Jenn Williamson demonstrates a misty marshland in this contemplative scene. The rhythmic rise and fall of tonal colors break into vaporous clouds hovering over the sky, setting a calming and ethereal ambiance. Jenn paints intuitively but finds herself exploring the new process of basing the piece on an earlier sketch. Her desire to grow as an artist leads her down many new avenues.
About the Artist
Jenn Williamson expertly evokes the scenery of British Columbia in her soft abstract landscapes. She utilizes defining horizontal and vertical strokes, coupled with a skillful handling of color, to create significant depth in each piece. Her paintings, though abstracted, clearly convey the atmospheric attributes of the scene–rain, wind, clouds, fog. Jenn’s muted color palette transports the viewer to the Canadian west coast...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic