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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
Monumental Gold Tone Abstract Painting by MacMillan c.1970
Monumental Gold Tone Abstract Painting by MacMillan c.1970

Monumental Gold Tone Abstract Painting by MacMillan c.1970

Located in San Francisco, CA

Magnificent monumental abstract painting circa 1970s. Signed lower right "MacMillan". This painting will be the centerpiece of any interior. It's a large, and elegant painting fill...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

“Seagame”
“Seagame”

“Seagame”

By Syd Solomon

Located in Southampton, NY

0riginal acrylic on panel painting by the well known American artist, Syd Solomon. Signed Syd Solomon lower center. Signed and dated Syd Solomon 1971 and inscribed as titled on the reverse. 30 × 24 inches. Condition is very good, no issues. The painting is framed in its original wood with silver reveal floating frame. Overall framed measurements are 32.5 by 26.75 inches. Provenance: A private collector. American, 1917-2004 SYD SOLOMON BIOGRAPHY: Written by Dr. Lisa Peters/Berry Campbell Gallery Syd Solomon was born near Uniontown, Pennsylvania, in 1917. He began painting in high school in Wilkes-Barre, where he was also a star football player. After high school, he worked in advertising and took classes at the Art Institute of Chicago. Before the attack on Pearl Harbor, he joined the war effort and was assigned to the First Camouflage Battalion, the 924th Engineer Aviation Regiment of the US Army. He used his artistic skills to create camouflage instruction manuals utilized throughout the Army. He married Ann Francine Cohen in late 1941. Soon thereafter, in early 1942, the couple moved to Fort Ord in California where he was sent to camouflage the coast to protect it from possible aerial bombings. Sent overseas in 1943, Solomon did aerial reconnaissance over Holland. Solomon was sent to Normandy early in the invasion where his camouflage designs provided protective concealment for the transport of supplies for men who had broken through the enemy line. Solomon was considered one of the best camoufleurs in the Army, receiving among other commendations, five bronze stars. Solomon often remarked that his camouflage experience during World War II influenced his ideas about abstract art. At the end of the War, he attended the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Because Solomon suffered frostbite during the Battle of the Bulge, he could not live in cold climates, so he and Annie chose to settle in Sarasota, Florida, after the War. Sarasota was home to the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, and soon Solomon became friends with Arthur Everett “Chick” Austin, Jr., the museum’s first Director. In the late 1940s, Solomon experimented with new synthetic media, the precursors to acrylic paints provided to him by chemist Guy Pascal, who was developing them. Victor D’Amico, the first Director of Education for the Museum of Modern Art, recognized Solomon as the first artist to use acrylic paint. His early experimentation with this medium as well as other media put him at the forefront of technical innovations in his generation. He was also one of the first artists to use aerosol sprays and combined them with resists, an innovation influenced by his camouflage experience. Solomon’s work began to be acknowledged nationally in 1952. He was included in American Watercolors, Drawings and Prints at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. From 1952–1962, Solomon’s work was discovered by the cognoscenti of the art world, including the Museum of Modern Art Curators, Dorothy C. Miller and Peter Selz, and the Whitney Museum of American Art’s Director, John I. H. Baur. He had his first solo show in New York at the Associated American Artists Gallery in 1955 with “Chick” Austin, Jr. writing the essay for the exhibition. In the summer of 1955, the Solomons visited East Hampton, New York, for the first time at the invitation of fellow artist David Budd. There, Solomon met and befriended many of the artists of the New York School, including Jackson Pollock, Franz Kline, Willem de Kooning, James Brooks, Alfonso Ossorio, and Conrad Marca-Relli. By 1959, and for the next thirty-five years, the Solomons split the year between Sarasota (in the winter and spring) and the Hamptons (in the summer and fall). In 1959, Solomon began showing regularly in New York City at the Saidenberg Gallery with collector Joseph Hirshhorn buying three paintings from Solomon’s first show. At the same time, his works entered the collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and the Wadsworth Athenaeum in Hartford, Connecticut, among others. Solomon also began showing at Signa Gallery in East Hampton and at the James David Gallery in Miami run by the renowned art dealer, Dorothy Blau. In 1961, the Guggenheim Museum’s H. H. Arnason bestowed to him the Silvermine Award at the 13th New England Annual. Additionally, Thomas Hess of ARTnews magazine chose Solomon as one of the ten outstanding painters of the year. At the suggestion of Alfred H. Barr, Jr., the Museum of Modern Art’s Director, the John and Mable Ringling Museum in Sarasota began its contemporary collection by purchasing Solomon’s painting, Silent World, 1961. Solomon became influential in the Hamptons and in Florida during the 1960s. In late 1964, he created the Institute of Fine Art at the New College in Sarasota. He is credited with bringing many nationally known artists to Florida to teach, including Larry Rivers, Philip Guston, James Brooks, and Conrad Marca-Relli. Later Jimmy Ernst, John Chamberlain, James Rosenquist, and Robert Rauschenberg settled near Solomon in Florida. In East Hampton, the Solomon home was the epicenter of artists and writers who spent time in the Hamptons, including Alfred Leslie, Jim Dine, Ibram Lassaw, Saul Bellow, Barney Rosset, Arthur Kopit, and Harold Rosenberg. In 1970, Solomon, along with architect Gene Leedy, one of the founders of the Sarasota School of Architecture, built an award-winning precast concrete and glass house and studio on the Gulf of Mexico near Midnight Pass in Sarasota. Because of its siting, it functioned much like Monet’s home in Giverny, France. Open to the sky, sea, and shore with inside and outside studios, Solomon was able to fully solicit all the environmental forces that influenced his work. His friend, the art critic Harold Rosenberg, said Solomon’s best work was produced in the period he lived on the beach. During 1974 and 1975, a retrospective exhibition of Solomon’s work was held at the New York Cultural Center and traveled to the John and Mable Ringling Museum in Sarasota. Writer Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. conducted an important interview with Solomon for the exhibition catalogue. The artist was close to many writers, including Harold Rosenberg, Joy Williams, John D. McDonald, Budd Schulberg, Elia Kazan, Betty Friedan...

Category

1970s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Panel, Acrylic

View of planet earth-6
View of planet earth-6

View of planet earth-6

Located in Zofingen, AG

An abstract composition is presented on the canvas, created using the fluid acrylic technique. The painting is built on the flowing movement of paint, creating a sense of depth, text...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Original Diptych-Sunset Song-British Awarded Artist-Plein Air evening oil
Original Diptych-Sunset Song-British Awarded Artist-Plein Air evening oil

Original Diptych-Sunset Song-British Awarded Artist-Plein Air evening oil

Located in London, GB

Sunset Song Series was created entirely en plein air, painted directly under the dimming light of late-summer and autumn sunsets and moonlight, with no artificial light to guide her...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Gesso, Canvas, Oil, Acrylic, Wood Panel

Salar Majeed Untitled Oil on Canvas, 2016
Salar Majeed Untitled Oil on Canvas, 2016

Salar Majeed Untitled Oil on Canvas, 2016

Located in Astoria, NY

Salar Majeed (Iraqi, XX-XXI), Untitled (Abstract Composition), Oil on Canvas, 2016, signed and dated verso, unframed. 39.5" H x 47.25" W x 0.75" D. Provenance: From a Sutton Place,...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

R. Poch   Woman Blue on Sofa    acrylic painting
R. Poch   Woman Blue on Sofa    acrylic painting

R. Poch Woman Blue on Sofa acrylic painting

By Ramon Poch

Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL

37.-Woman blue on sofa 90 x 65 cm acrylic painting Born in Badalona (Barcelona). Photographer and advertising film director. Founding partner of the advertising production compan...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Large Abstract Cubist Style Multicoloured Original Oil Painting Signed
Large Abstract Cubist Style Multicoloured Original Oil Painting Signed

Large Abstract Cubist Style Multicoloured Original Oil Painting Signed

By Beatrice Werlie

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Abstract Art, Picasso Style, Multicoloured, Original Oil Painting, Signed By French artist Beatrice Werlie, early 21st Century Signed by the artist Oil painting on canvas, unframed ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil

Colorful painting on paper, Unique piece, Abstract Expressionist
Colorful painting on paper, Unique piece, Abstract Expressionist

Colorful painting on paper, Unique piece, Abstract Expressionist

Located in Carballo, ES

TUSET (1997, A Coruña, España) Mixed media painting on paper Ready to frame One-of-a-kind Signed on back Includes certificate of authenticity 2021 65 x 50 cm. It belongs to the ser...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Paper, Oil Crayon, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Pencil

Landscape #1, Abstract Painting
Landscape #1, Abstract Painting

Landscape #1, Abstract Painting

By Joey Korom

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A joyful piece based upon uplifting colors and their compositions expressed by artist Joey Korom. He suggests a cheerful spring, shown through fields of flowe...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

"Abstract 1" - Abstract Expressionist Acrylic Framed Painting 2024
"Abstract 1" - Abstract Expressionist Acrylic Framed Painting 2024

"Abstract 1" - Abstract Expressionist Acrylic Framed Painting 2024

Located in Zofingen, AG

This is a small colourful abstract painting. The painting is framed in a black wooden frame, ready to hang. (size framed: 34x34x3,5 cm) Please feel free to ask any questions if need...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

ABSTRACT Artwork Grey Dark by Artist Tycjan Knut 2023
ABSTRACT Artwork Grey Dark by Artist Tycjan Knut 2023

ABSTRACT Artwork Grey Dark by Artist Tycjan Knut 2023

Located in Barcelona, Barcelona

Colt Seager (b. 1993) is an American painter and sculptor based near Chicago, IL. Drawing inspiration from the inherent holiness and tranquility of the natural world, Seager’s work is deeply rooted in a process-based approach that reflects his reverence for the environment. The textures, layers, and expressive mark-making techniques he employs are a direct and visceral response to the landscapes of the Midwest. Through his art, he explores the dynamic interplay between process, form, and space, creating intuitive compositions that balance formal and organic elements seamlessly. Seager’s approach to art is both methodical and spontaneous, allowing his works to evolve naturally over time. He emphasizes the importance of construction and deconstruction in his creative process, believing that the true essence of his art comes to life through this duality. His works are an invitation to viewers to enter a contemplative space, where abstraction and form blend harmoniously. Seager states, "I see my work as it evolves naturally—it develops through construction but comes alive through its deconstruction. My goal is to offer an invitation into the thin place through abstraction, contemplation, exploration of form, and the rhythm of making marks—allowing one mark to carry into another—and in so doing, allow for a holy space where the divine transcends closer to earth." Through this philosophy, Seager aims to create artworks that resonate on a deeper, almost spiritual level, encouraging viewers to find their own connections to the divine and the natural world. His pieces are not just visual experiences but meditative journeys that invite introspection and a deeper appreciation of the beauty that surrounds us. Tycjan Knut...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Cotton Canvas

Her Angel (Abstract painting)
Her Angel (Abstract painting)

Her Angel (Abstract painting)

Located in London, GB

Her Angel (Abstract painting) Oil on canvas — Unframed. This artwork is exclusive to IdeelArt. German artist Petra Schott uses colour, lines, and shapes to express her everyday emot...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Indian Beaded & Embroidered Shisa Mosaic Textile Wall Hanging 8  Feet Long
Indian Beaded & Embroidered Shisa Mosaic Textile Wall Hanging 8  Feet Long

Indian Beaded & Embroidered Shisa Mosaic Textile Wall Hanging 8 Feet Long

Located in Rochester, NY

Colorful Indian metallic thread abstract wall hanging or shisha . Enormous amount of hand work. Excellent quality. Shisheh or abhla bharat embroidery (Persian شيشه, abhala bharat; ...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Paintings

Materials

Fabric

Mid Century French Black and White Geometric Abstract Composition
Mid Century French Black and White Geometric Abstract Composition

Mid Century French Black and White Geometric Abstract Composition

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Title: Mid Century French Black and White Geometric Abstract Composition by Serge Guerin (b. 1916), French Acrylic and gouache on black artists paper, unframed Size: 25.75 (height) x...

Category

20th Century Abstract Paintings

Materials

Ink, Acrylic, Gouache

Abstract Expressionist Composition in Acrylic and Pastel on Paper
Abstract Expressionist Composition in Acrylic and Pastel on Paper

Abstract Expressionist Composition in Acrylic and Pastel on Paper

Located in Soquel, CA

Abstract Expressionist Composition in Acrylic on Paper A bold abstract composition by California-based artist, Ricardo de Silva (American/Brazil, 20th C). A bold black character tak...

Category

1980s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Paper, Acrylic, Pastel

"Upper Street" Manierre Dawson, Cubism, Abstract Pastels, Cityscape
"Upper Street" Manierre Dawson, Cubism, Abstract Pastels, Cityscape

"Upper Street" Manierre Dawson, Cubism, Abstract Pastels, Cityscape

By Manierre Dawson

Located in New York, NY

Manierre Dawson Upper Street, 1912 Oil on board 10 x 15 inches Provenance: The artist Estate of the artist Private Collection (gift of Lillian Dawson, widow of the artist) Hollis Ta...

Category

1910s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Le Loubinou 1 / oil on linen
Le Loubinou 1 / oil on linen

Le Loubinou 1 / oil on linen

By Frédéric Choisel

Located in Burlingame, CA

Elegant abstract oil painting in warm yellow and gold with metallic pigments including gold and metal leaf on Belgian linen. The large scale vibrant painting shimmers and changes wit...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Metal

Blue 787
Blue 787

Blue 787

Located in Zofingen, AG

Works from the Blue series have received international recognition, including First Place in the “True Blue” Competition at Blue Koy Gallery (2025) and finalist recognition in the Sc...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Stormy Afternoon, Abstract Expressionist Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, 20x24
Stormy Afternoon, Abstract Expressionist Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, 20x24

Stormy Afternoon, Abstract Expressionist Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, 20x24

Located in Baton Rouge, LA

I intuitively paint each of my paintings based on my mood of the day or at that moment. I never know what I am going to create until I see the end result. Sometimes it is a colorful,...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Lilacs In Vase - painting #1
Lilacs In Vase - painting #1

Lilacs In Vase - painting #1

Located in Zofingen, AG

Abstract flower painting with bouquet of lilacs contains a lot of positive energy, the bright picture is a beautiful wall decor for interior and wonderful gift for your loved ones. ...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Md Tokon - Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose 1, Painting 2023

Md Tokon - Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose 1, Painting 2023

By Md Tokon

Located in Stamford, CT

Collection: Beyond the Horizon Acrylic on canvas Md Tokon's style has reflected the art of American Abstract Expressionists. Md Tokon spent his early years in Jhenidah and Dhaka. Th...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic Polymer, Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

EXPLOSION
EXPLOSION

EXPLOSION

Located in Zofingen, AG

That moment when everything inside refuses to stay quiet. Color, feeling, energy — breaking out like a flash. It’s not destruction. It’s becoming. That’s how Midnight Swim begins. ...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

R. Poch Square Big. 112. aire. 120x120. acrylic painting
R. Poch Square Big. 112. aire. 120x120. acrylic painting

R. Poch Square Big. 112. aire. 120x120. acrylic painting

By Ramon Poch

Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL

112. AIRE 120 x 120 cm acrylic painting Born in Badalona (Barcelona). Photographer and advertising film director. Founding partner of the advertising production company La Cosa de...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Magic 6 Contemporary Abstract Acrylic Painting
Magic 6 Contemporary Abstract Acrylic Painting

Magic 6 Contemporary Abstract Acrylic Painting

By Iryna Kastsova

Located in Zofingen, AG

Magic 6. It is very important to remember that there is magic in each of us. A modern, abstract, expressive, sophisticated painting that fits into a modern interior. The work was cre...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

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.