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.
$2,500
Mid-Century Modern American Oil Painting Abstract Female artist Museum red pink
Located in Buffalo, NY
Anita Johnson Untitled (Red Theater), c. late 1960s Oil on canvas Framed dimensions: 21 in. H × 41 in. W Contemporary black floater frame With its cinematic horizontality and comman...
Canvas, Oil
$2,000
"Dream Until Your Dream Come True" Abstract Oil and Mixed Media Painting Canvas
By Cindy Shaoul
Located in New York, NY
With layers of bright oils, whisking brush strokes, and thrown paint, Shaoul captures a love story through her paint pallet and abstract expression. The artist explores something new...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
$1,200Sale Price|51% Off
Vrontsky
Located in Kansas City, MO
Katherine Bello Title: Vrontsky Oil and Oil stick on canvas Year: 2021 Dimensions: 24"x24"x1.5" Signed by hand Canvas on stretcher frame - ready to hang COA provided ---------------------------------- Katherine Bello's aim as an artist is to capture a sense of place, a moment of time, or a feeling - to evoke a sense of wonder. Bello loves paint and paint brushes; bold, gestural mark-making and the interplay of color. She is influenced by light and landscape, poetry, history and science. Formerly educated in Chemical Engineering and Interior Design, Bello is drawn to the process of creating Something out of Nothing. Abstract, abstract art, contemporary art, Contemporary Fine Art, Fine Art, Painting, acrylic, Jackson Pollack, Mark Rothko, Kandinsky, Franz Kline, Lee Krasner, Helen Frankenthaler, Robert Motherwell, Mark Rothko, Amy Sillman...
Oil, Canvas, Oil Pastel
"Shadows" (2024) By Danny McCaw, Original Abstract Portrait Oil Painting
By Danny McCaw
Located in Denver, CO
Danny McCaw's (US based) "Shadows" is an original, handmade oil painting with impasto brushstrokes that depicts an ambiguous human figure on a black, grey, red, and yellow background...
Oil, Board
Antique American School Mid Century Modern Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American school abstract expressionist painting. Oil on board. Signed. In excellent original condition. Nicely framed in a period wood molding. Excellent condition, read...
Oil
Best Rooster Costume, Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting, 21st Century
Located in Mexico City, MX
Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting Mixed Media on Canvas 50 x 60 cm Signed About the artist Manu Jorquera (1986) is a Chilean visual artist whose work explores the mestizo popular ...
Canvas, Mixed Media
$245
Pastel Study 1 - Original Architecture Landscape Oil Based Artwork on Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Kathleen Keifer's original artworks represent one of the most significant expressions of New California Realism. Keifer brings a fresh perspective to her colorful scenes of everyday ...
Paper, Oil Pastel
$1,500
Gestual Abstraction, Colorful Seascape Diptych, Fish Patterns in Vivid Tones
Located in Barcelona, ES
Details: Title: Chromatic Shoal 7 & 8 Medium: Acrylic Paint on Watercolor Paper Size: 80x120 cm total ( 31.5x47.3 inches), each panel measures 80x60cm (31.5x24 inches) Year: 2026...
Paper, Acrylic, Watercolor, Monoprint
$455
Contemporary abstract figurative woman's portrait on paper "Emergent self"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
"Emergent Self" is a captivating contemporary female portrait by French artist Natalya Mougenot, exploring themes of identity, self-discovery, and personal transformation. This expre...
Paper, Acrylic
At The Bus Stop - Pink Abstract Figurative Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Valerie Etitinwo's unique approach to abstract figurative painting celebrates the unconventional beauty found in imperfection and awkwardness. The Nigerian-Swiss artist uses bold col...
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$1,800
Potentiality: Large Original Abstract Painting of Rhino on Canvas - Maximalism
By Karnish Art
Located in Pretoria, Gauteng
Title: Potentiality Africa Sunshine Rhino Power Colorful Exclusive Investment Modern Contemporary Figurative Karnish created this breathtaking contemporary work playing with symbol...
Pastel, Oil, Acrylic, Gesso, Wood, Stretcher Bars
River Seine in Paris, Fall, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Suren Nersisyan depicts the romantic cityscape of Paris. "I love the bridges of this city connecting the banks of the Seine river," shares Suren. He ca...
Oil
Beacon Within the Storm
Located in Zofingen, AG
This piece doesn't depict a place the artist ever knew growing up — there was no sea where she came from. Instead, it captures a memory built from emotion rather than geography: her ...
Canvas, Oil, Spray Paint
Forms on Canvas, Abstract Acrylic Painting, Unframed 29.5 x 39.3
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The process of creating a painting leaves behind a series of elements that become the starting point for a new piece. A mark, a line, color and shape become elements of a new paintin...
Canvas, Acrylic
Angelo (male portrait)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Patrick Terenchin (b.1970). Face Pic 34 (Angelo), 2025 Oil, acrylic, color pencil on wood panel. Image measuring 12 x 12 inches; measuring 13 x 13 inches framed. Signed, titled...
Mixed Media
$512
Contemporary abstract figurative woman's portrait on paper "Silent beauty"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
“Silent Beauty” is a contemporary figurative portrait by French artist Natalya Mougenot, exploring feminine identity, vulnerability, and inner strength through expressive color and i...
Paper, Acrylic
$100Sale Price|20% Off
Serg Graff Original “Brigel” Acrylic Ship Painting Gold Leaf Frame Nautical
By Serg Graff
Located in Palm Coast, FL
This striking original acrylic painting by Serg Graff, titled “Brigel” , captures the luminous power of the open sea and the symbolic voyage of human spirit. Painted in 2025, the wor...
Acrylic
$1,240Sale Price|20% Off
White Lotus Lithograph, Abstract Expressionist, Signed, 1970s, Framed
By Hoi Lebadang
Located in Soquel, CA
White Lotus Lithograph A limited edition lithograph by listed artist Hoi Lebadang, (Vietnamese/French, 1922 – 2015). This print displays an ethereal lotus flower to center, known to ...
Lithograph, Ink, Paper
$8,500
Fils I Colors DCXCIV - Large Colorful Abstract Contemporary Art on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Barcelona native artist Raul de la Torre's vibrant abstract mixed media artworks pay homage to material. De La Torre allows the materials to take over during the process and collabor...
Thread, Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Untitled 120 - Contemporary abstract graphical painting by Rikke Bjørn
By Rikke Bjørn
Located in DE
Rikke Bjørn As a Danish artist based in Copenhagen, Rikke’s work revolves around the exploration of geometric compositions, where colour, shape, and surface converge. Through non-ob...
Canvas, Acrylic
The Colour Within: Impasto Abstract Acrylic Painting, 100cm x 100cm
Located in Zofingen, AG
This vibrant artwork captures the essence of a flourishing garden through its bold and expressive brushwork. Dominated by vivid pinks and deep blues, the painting uses a dynamic pale...
Oil, Acrylic
$5,000
"Goldschlager" - Vivid Textured Abstract Expressionism with Gold and Warm Colors
By Thomas Whent
Located in Carmel, CA
Thomas Whent (Canadian-American, born 1949) "Goldschlager" 2025 Acrylic Paint, Canvas, Stretcher Bars The artist signed the back of the painting. "Goldschlager" by Thomas Whent radi...
Canvas, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
"Abstract Black vs Red ", K65TR, Abstract, 21st Century, Acrylic, Clay
By Roger König
Located in Dessau-Rosslau, Sachsen Anhalt
Artist: Roger König b. Dessau, Germany (1968) Master student of Kurt Schönburg, HWK Halle, Germany. The works are developed through a historically informed, proprietary material pra...
Clay, Acrylic
$5,000
All That Lipstick Won't Save You /// Jack Graves Huge Abstract Painting Canvas
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Jack Graves III (American, 1988-) Title: "All That Lipstick Won't Save You" Series: Abstract *Signed by Graves lower right. It is also signed, dated, and titled on verso Year...
Canvas, Paint, Acrylic
Blueism
Located in San Francisco, CA
Javier Manrique Blueism, 2021 Acrylic on canvas 36 x 36 inches This is an abstract landscape painting created by Javier Manrique in 2021. This one-of-a-kind painting on canvas is st...
Canvas, Acrylic
After the rain
Located in Zofingen, AG
This work continues the exploration of silence as an inner space — a state in which perception softens and boundaries dissolve. “After the rain” is not a clearly defined landscape, b...
Canvas, Mixed Media
Paul Manes - Untitled Drawing II, Painting 2024
By Paul Manes
Located in Greenwich, CT
Paul Manes was born May 4, 1948, in Austin, Texas. He began his professional career in New York City in the early 1980s. His art has been widely exhibited in America and Europe and h...
Canvas, Paint, Oil
Autumn impressions
Located in Zofingen, AG
Autumn impressions. In this piece, I poured my passion for vibrant color and movement into every brushstroke. The rich reds and purples evoke the fiery heart of autumn, while the su...
Canvas, Oil
"Days of the week"
By Elina Bilous
Located in Edinburgh, GB
This series of works was born in one breath from the heaviness of the day and became a breath of hope of tenderness and love. Everyone deserves love, that's what this series is calle...
Oil
Untitled Yam Painting, Abstract Style, 1996, Synthetic Polymer
Located in Miami, FL
EMILY KAM KNGWARRAY 1916 - 1996 Country: Central/Eastern Desert, NT Language: Anmatjerre Community : Utopia, Soakage Bore/ Alhalkere Octogenarian Emily Kam Kngwarray painted for jus...
Linen, Polymer
$15,000
Josef Zenk - Concentric Squares painting, Geometric Abstraction, Signed, Framed
By Josef Zenk
Located in New York, NY
Josef Zenk Untitled Concentric Squares (Mid Century Modern Geometric Abstraction), ca. 1960 Oil on canvas painting Boldly signed by Josef Zenk on the lower right front Frame included...
Canvas, Oil
$2,200
"It Comes While Sleeping" (Abstract, Dream, Deep Red, Green, Text, Type, French)
Located in Paris, IDF
IT COMES WHILE SLEEPING 2018 An abstract, ominous, deep red shape hangs over handwritten, disconnected verbiage, in a mix of French and English, with a series of numbers and dates. ...
Canvas, Dye, Ink
Abstract Oil Painting by Mirko Baricchi – Minimal Contemporary Composition
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Mirko Baricchi (born 1970) is an accomplished Italian painter who currently lives and works between Vicenza and La Spezia, regions located in Veneto and Liguria, Italy, respectively....
Cotton Canvas, Oil
$3,000Sale Price|25% Off
Untitled (Abstract Expressionist)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Murray Hantman (1904-1999). Untitled, ca. 1950-55. Oil on canvas measures 20 x 26 inches, 26 x 32 inches in silver leaf vintage frame.. Signed lower right. Excellent condition with ...
Canvas, Oil
$12,000
Western Sky Emma Lake (Diptych) - contemporary, abstract, acrylic on paper
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This large acrylic abstract painting is a diptych by Milly Ristvedt. The beauty of a vast prairie sky is suggested by the grand gestural brushstrokes of brilliant colour in this dip...
Acrylic, Archival Paper
Symmetry: Abstract Landscape Painting, Acrylic, Panel, Resin
Located in Atlanta, GA
This painting has only been shown in a gallery setting. All images have light and shadow reflections due to the reflective nature of the resin finish. Yury was born in Belarus and...
Resin, Acrylic, Panel
$1,500
A Chance Encounter. Large abstract painting, violet, ochre, lilac, expressionism
Located in Oslo, NO
A spontaneous meeting of colors and forms — A Chance Encounter captures the fleeting moment when two movements cross and create something unexpected. Layers of ochre, violet, and ind...
Canvas, Acrylic
Black lacqured foldes
Located in Zofingen, AG
An original textured artwork, handcrafted on canvas using clay, acrylic, and a high-gloss finish. The flowing sculptural forms and deep black tones create a sense of movement and ele...
Canvas, Acrylic, Clay
Where the Light Touch my Soul: Original Landscape Painting, Floral, Unique
By Karnish Art
Located in Pretoria, Gauteng
Title: Where the Light Touch my Soul Original Landscape Painting, Floral, Unique, Large Painting, Abundance, Freedom, Floral, Original, Modern, Rich cotton canvas. "WHERE THE LIGHT...
Gold
Swirl It Around - Original Colorful Thick Swirls Abstract Acrylic 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
$27,000
"Orange Colors" by Rehfeld - Large Abstract Geometric in Orange and Yellow
Located in Carmel, CA
Steven H. Rehfeld (American, born 1954) "Orange Colors" 2018 Oil paint, Paper, Glue, Canvas, Stretcher bars The artist signed the back of the painting. In "Orange Colors," Rehfeld o...
Canvas, Oil, Paper, Glue, Stretcher Bars
$6,000
"Brainiac II" Abstract Painting, Oil on Canvas, 21st Century, Unframed
Located in Soquel, CA
Large-scale abstract of multicolor brains by Bay Area artist Michael Pauker (American, b.1957). Unsigned, but was acquired with a collection of his work. Unframed. Image size: 60"H x...
Canvas, Oil
Starry starry night: Portrait, Painting, Abstract, Intense, Muse, Van Gogh
By Karnish Art
Located in Pretoria, Gauteng
Title: Starry starry night Portrait, Painting, Abstract, Intense, Muse, Contemporary, Invest, Van Gogh STARRY NIGHT - Van Gogh's Muse? This soulful artwork reflecting Van Gogh's S...
Acrylic, Gesso, Canvas, Wood, Stretcher Bars
Do You See What I See, Abstract Painting
By Robin Okun
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
An adult and a youth share a moment of unmistakable contact across a whimsical, stylized tree of life. Even without defined facial features, a deep psychologica...
Acrylic
Fragments Monument V Absence, Abstract Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The minimalist oil painting features a single curved form, with only part of it visible, suggesting a larger presence that remains unseen. The restrained compos...
Oil
$10,005
ABSTRACT Mirko Baricchi Oil Gestural Landscapes Flora Earth Tones Mixed media
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Mirko Baricchi (born 1970) is an accomplished Italian painter who currently lives and works between Vicenza and La Spezia, regions located in Veneto and Liguria, Italy, respectively....
Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Topology of Space
By Kseniya Rai
Located in Zofingen, AG
The composition exists between abstraction and recognizability, inviting the viewer to enter a space that is both boundless and intimate. The work is based on the state of zero thin...
Canvas, Oil
$4,894
Contemporary Minimalist Blue Tones Abstract Painting Canvas Tete 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...
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic, Pigment
$1,081
Gorge. Abstract expressionist, acrylic, Japandi, Wabi-Sabi, Shabby Chic
Located in Oslo, NO
The painting "Gorge" is an expressive abstract reading of a natural landscape, a mountain gorge. The artist uses a complex multi-layered approach: a combination of acrylic and epoxy ...
Canvas, Epoxy Resin, Acrylic
$2,456
The Silent Awakening: Abstract Expressionist impasto Acrylic Painting, 120x100cm
Located in Zofingen, AG
This artwork is a vivid explosion of color and movement, capturing a sense of vibrant energy and celebration. Dominating the scene are dynamic brushstrokes in shades of pink, blue, a...
Oil, Acrylic
Yellow Edge - Circus. Contemporary Abstract Oil painting
Located in Brecon, Powys
Abstract expressionist recollection of a acrobat at a circus
Oil
"Gray" (2022) by Jennifer Bobola, Mixed Media Abstract Painting
Located in Denver, CO
"Gray" is an original, handmade mixed media painting, by Jennifer Bobola, that presents colorful abstract expressionism. Artist Statement: Let’s be honest, understanding abstract ar...
Mixed Media
Promises, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Promises is a bold, surreal exploration of fractured communication and emotional duality. On one side, a blue figure with exposed gears in its head suggests mechanical logic or the m...
Acrylic
ABSTRACT Contemporary Earth Flora Oil Painting Emma Labattaglia 2025
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Due to its large dimensions, this artwork would be shipped rolled in a tube free of charge. If you prefer to receive it stretched on its stretcher, please let us know and we’ll be ha...
Cotton Canvas, Oil
Subtle balance
Located in Zofingen, AG
This work continues an exploration of silence as an inner space — a state where perception slows down and the boundaries between forms become soft and unstable. It is built on a bala...
Canvas, Mixed Media
$1,900
"Landscape B/W" Minimalist Art ready to hang - Large size Made in Italy
Located in Agrigento, AG
Artist: Marilina Marchica (b. 1984, Italy) Title: Landscape BW Year: 2023 Medium: Pure pigment powder on Fabriano Rosaspina paper Image size: 55 × 75 cm Framed size: 88 × 66 × 4 cm F...
Paper, Pigment
$174Sale Price|36% Off
Abstract Oil Painting, Framed, Signed, Circa 2004, 17.5x11.5 cm
Located in Bournemouth, Dorset
George Dannatt (1915-2009) Untitled, 2004 Image: 17.5 x 11.5 cm Frame: 30 x 24.8 cm Signature bottom left George Dannatt’s long career as a painter and sculptor ended with the artis...
Oil
Alicia Gimeno Tall Calligraphic Abstract Painting, Earth and Black, 2026
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
A vertical contemporary abstract painting by Alicia Gimeno, created in 2026 with ink and pigment on cotton canvas. Black linear forms and an earth-toned ground establish a measured r...
Cotton Canvas, Ink, Pigment
Water, Ice + Hotspot - modern, contemporary, abstract, acrylic on canvas
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This contemporary colourful abstract painting is by Milly Ristvedt. Signed on verso, bottom right "Water, Ice + Hotspot © Ristvedt / 24" Highly regarded for her intuitive, almost vi...
Canvas, Acrylic
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.