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.
Untitled 01 - 21st Century, Abstract, Black, Contemporary Art
Located in Baden-Baden, DE
Untitled 01, 2015 - 2016 Mixed technique: oil paint, adhesive on OSB (Signed on reverse) 8 15/32 H x 5.9 W in 21 H x 15 W cm Zsolt Berszán’s work speaks of repulsion and fascination...
Adhesive, Oil, Wood Panel
"Umbrella - Silent Rain No.1, Abstract Painting, 21st Century, Acryl
By Roger König
Located in Dessau-Rosslau, Sachsen Anhalt
Part of Roger König's iconic Umbrella Series, this original mixed media artwork explores themes of protection, memory, resilience and human presence. The umbrella is not a symbol of ...
Clay, Acrylic
$12,000
"Serene Fields" Oil on Canvas Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Landscape
Located in Carmel, CA
This 28" x 20" oil on canvas by Masri represents an abstract landscape that plays with texture and color to evoke the essence of a natural scene. The painting features a deep, earthy...
Canvas, Oil
Restless Spring, Original painting, Landscape, Abstract, Abstract art
Located in Deddington, GB
'Restless Spring' is inspired by the mist laden spring mornings in the hills of Scotland and uses lush colour and expressive marks to draw you in to explore more. The painting is the...
Canvas, Acrylic
Abstract Color Field Female Artist Bright Signed Post-Painterly Abstraction 1960
By Faith Taylor
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Orange Composition" is a painting with stain acrylic dye by Faith Taylor-Lund. The painting is orange with a fluid pink stain on the left. Artwork Size: 72" x 66" Artist's Statem...
Acrylic, Canvas
Floral Still Life
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Stefanos Sideris (1921-2014). Floral Still Life, ca. 1980. Oil on panel measuring 11 x 14 inches; 19 x 22 inches framed. Signed lower left.
Oil, Fiberboard
$107Sale Price|20% Off
French Expressionist Abstract Original Painting Artists Studio Provenance
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Expressionist Composition by Jacques COULAIS (1955-2011) gouache painting on paper/ card unframed: 19.5 x 13 inches condition: excellent provenance: all the paintings we hav...
Oil
$1,760Sale Price|20% Off
Zig Zag 16-3-1 - Original Colorful Oil Painting Patterned Stripes with Texture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
In Petra Rös-Nickel’s oil paintings playful, free forms along with compositional constructions develop into textures, referencing popular European design of the fifties and sixties, ...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
“Chasing Picasso” Mixed Media Painting ( 36 x 48 )
By Scott Harper
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
BORN JULY 31, 1979 IN NEW JERSEY, USA CURRENTLY LIVES AND WORKS IN WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA BIO: As an artist based in the vibrant community of West Palm Beach, my work is an explor...
Oil, Acrylic
The Inner Circle
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 97×120 cm (overall size with stretching 107×130 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled the series "The Inviolable Reserve" "The Inner Circle" (The Invio...
Canvas, Acrylic
$15,140Sale Price|20% Off
Scottish Abstract - Exhibited 1965 Abstract Expressionist art oil painting
Located in Hagley, England
This very striking exhibited Scottish Abstract oil painting is by influential Scottish artist Jack Knox. Painted in 1964, it is a vivid mix of autumnal colours, textures and brushwork that work perfectly. A brilliant example of his work from the early sixties and which was exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy in 1965. Unsigned. Dated 21.2.64 lower right. Provenance. Exhibited Royal Scottish Academy, Exhibition 1965, Edinburgh, label verso. Condition. Oil on canvas, 51 inches by 36 inches unframed and in good condition. Frame. Housed in a gilt sixties surround frame, 53 inches by 38 inches framed and in good condition. Jack Knox RSA (1936-2015) was one of the most influential artists to work in Scotland in the second half of the twentieth century. Born John Knox to a family of tailors in Kirkintilloch, Knox studied at the Glasgow School of Art (1953-57) where his drawings were noted for their mature draughtsmanship. After graduating, Knox went to Paris to attend the atelier of Cubist artist, André L’Hȏte. During his time in Europe Knox digested the various art movements of the moment, including Surrealism, Tachisme, Colour Field and Pop Art. Visiting the great museums, he was particularly interested in Analytic Cubism and Georges Braque’s intimation, rather than description, of object. He also went to Brussels to visit the first major show of American Abstract Expressionism in Europe. He returned to Scotland eager to establish his own style, drawing on everything he had seen in Europe. In 1960 the Glasgow Herald presented an exhibition during the Edinburgh Festival of young artists from the west of Scotland. Knox was selected to show alongside George Devlin, Carole Gibbons, Anda Patterson, Douglas Abercrombie and Duncan...
Oil
"Nude show"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
A composition titled Nude Show unfolds across a deep brown background, where the warmth of the surface grounds the visual tension. Female figures emerge not as literal bodies, but as...
Plywood, Oil
Grape Mist - Original Colorful Impasto Acrylic Textural Abstract 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, Glitter, Acrylic
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...
Acrylic
The Colour of Spring - Original Abstract Colorful Mixed Media Landscape Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Chinese-Canadian artist Kai Liu creates semi-abstract landscape paintings that examine nature, place, and perception through color, atmosphere, and layered form. Born and raised in C...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$2,011Sale Price|67% Off
Fragment Of Silence — Large Minimalist Textile-Inspired Abstract Painting
Located in Helsinki, Helsinki
“Fragment of Silence” is a large-scale minimalist work by Finnish multidisciplinary artist Emmi Iida, measuring 100 x 80 cm. The piece features a soft, arch-like textile form embedd...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Spray Paint, Acrylic
Momentous - Original Colorful Vibrant Abstract Mixed Media Artwork on Paper
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...
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Original Collage on Paper (Framed) Titled: Fs 2819 ct09 (18 x 22.5)
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Final Framed dimension: 18 x 22.5 collage art only: 9 x 12 full paper size: 15 x 19 Cecil Touchon Born 1956 Austin, Texas is a contemporary American collage artist, painter, publish...
Acrylic, Laid Paper, Magazine Paper
$412Sale Price|20% Off
Contemporary abstract expressionist nature sea painting "Coastal silence"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This contemporary abstract expressionist painting, "Coastal Silence", was created by French artist Natalya Mougenot. Bathed in the muted stillness of Mediterranean light, the piece c...
Paper, Acrylic
$1,293Sale Price|36% Off
Dominican Republic Abstract Figurative Market Scene Oil Painting Colourful
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title Dominican Republic Abstract Figurative Market Scene Oil Painting Colourful Key Details Artist: Dominican Republic School, circa 2000 Subject: Abstract figures, market scene and...
Oil
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....
Oil, Wood Panel
$1,832Sale Price|20% Off
Huge French Contemporary Modernist Abstract Oil Painting Exotic Blue Green Birds
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Composition signed by Jacqueline VERDET (French, 1931-2023) oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas: 46 x 35 inches condition: the work is in overall very sound and good con...
Canvas, Oil
Power of Dreaming - Large Moody Abstract Textural Acrylic Painting on Canvas
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
Whispers of Spring among us by Gaetan de Seguin Figurative contemporary Painting
Located in DE
Contemporary figurative painting with lots of details and movement. Beautiful statement piece for any art collection. Combining a lot of different colors in any interiors and setting...
Canvas, Acrylic
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
Rotor IV, Large Geometric Abstract Painting by Todd Boppel
By Todd Boppel
Located in Long Island City, NY
Rotor IV Todd Boppel, American (1934–2000) Date: 1990 Oil on Canvas, signed verso Size: 60 x 44 in. (152.4 x 111.76 cm) Frame Size: 61 x 45 inches
Canvas, Oil
Abstract Female Nude Woman Interior
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Joseph Kardonne (1911-1985). Nude Woman, 1945. Gouache on paper, sheet measures 12.5 x 16 inches. Image measures 11.5 x 15 inches. Signed, dated and titled lower left. Unframed. ...
Paper, Gouache
National Parks, Contemporary Abstract Painting
Located in Brecon, Powys
Abstract definitions of familiar landscapes feature in Lorraine Benton's colourful and modish paintings. They offer work that sits well in modern and traditional environments and a...
Acrylic
Archaic Fluxations: Abstract Oil Painting on Linen, 2010s, New, 40x30
Located in SEATTLE, WA
"Archaic Fluxations" by Rya Wu carries a playful yet tentative energy, alive with motion and curiosity. It draws on a sense of whimsy and quiet structure, where intuitive forms feel ...
Linen, Oil
Set of 9 unique photographs altered by the artist. Mixed media portrait
Located in Miami Beach, FL
This artwork was created by the artistic duo Hunter & Gatti (2010–2023). These works are part of the archive managed and exhibited by Cristian Hunter. The artist's technique cons...
Wax, Oil, Acrylic, Archival Paper
$2,799Sale Price|30% Off
Spanish skies - Warm, dramatic abstract landscape sunset painting
Located in Silverthorne, CO
"Spanish skies" is a dramatic, warm abstract sunset and landscape painting. It is inspired by the majestic skies over a small Spanish island in the Atlantic Ocean, a place of space a...
Oil
$411Sale Price|20% Off
"Apples and Roses" Contemporary Abstract Acrylic Still Life Painting on Paper
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
Original still life painting, contemporary floral and fruit artwork, expressive acrylic wall art, “Apples and Roses,” by Natalya Mougenot invites the viewer into a world of expressiv...
Paper, Acrylic
The Unspoken Covenant
Located in Zofingen, AG
"The Unspoken Covenant" Series III: The Sovereign Self She does not flinch. The octopus rests in her lap like a secret she has long stopped hiding. Between the woman and the creature...
Canvas, Oil, Spray Paint
Textural Minimalist Abstract Wall Relief in Handmade Paper, Plaster and Natural
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...
Gesso, Ink, Handmade Paper, Bamboo Paper
Celia Lees — Large Atmospheric Abstract Painting in Coral, Blush and Burgundy
By Celia Lees
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...
Ink, Oil, Acrylic
Sunshine Fields by Katharina Husslein large contemporary abstract oil painting
Located in DE
This beautiful landscape painting is full of pastel greens and soft pinks depicts workers in the field. The oil color creates a heavy impasto texture and looks as rich as the fields ...
Canvas, Oil
Love Loves Silence - Abstract Figurative Blue Tone Textured Impasto Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Ekaterina Ermilkina’s original, abstract fine art paintings are created using a skillful combination of applying and removing oil paint with a palette knife on canvas. Her inspiratio...
Canvas, Oil
$2,400
Shady Spot, Guatemala - Cool Tone Abstract Landscape Textural Impasto Painting
By Dana Cowie
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Using an impasto, painterly technique Dana Cowie creates cubist-inspired farm and rural landscapes. Working within controlled color schemes, her artworks appear abstract up close and...
Canvas, Oil
$2,063
Warm Evening. Semi-abstract floral painting, warm color, large, horizontal
Located in Oslo, NO
What we see here is not an ordinary floral landscape, but a state of time, that brief moment between day and night, when the air still retains warmth, but the light has already becom...
Canvas, Acrylic
$3,555Sale Price|35% Off
Ice (Abstract, Acrylic, Gestural Abstraction, Blue, Dark Blue, Navy Blue)
By Ted Hinrichs
Located in Kansas City, MO
Ted Hinrichs Ice Acrylic on Canvas Year: 2022 Size: 60x30x1.5in Signed by hand COA provided Ref.: 24802-1722 *on Stretcher Frame ready to hang Tags: A...
Canvas, Acrylic
Such, Alike - Original Minimalist Textured Abstract Painting on Canvas
Located in Manchester, GB
Henry Woolway, Such, Alike, 2025 Overlapping acrylic dyed canvas with frayed edges 64 x 94.5 cm (25.19 x 37.2 in) Artwork is hand-framed in a tray frame Hand-signed by the artist on...
Canvas, Acrylic
Inner Light
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This abstract acrylic portrait painting is inspired by the mid-century masters. Framed in a vintage black wood frame, wired and ready to hang, 11 in. wide x 14 in. high
Acrylic
$106Sale Price|20% Off
French Expressionist Abstract Original Painting Artists Studio Provenance
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Expressionist Composition by Jacques COULAIS (1955-2011) gouache painting on paper/ card unframed: 10.75 x 8.5 inches condition: excellent provenance: all the paintings we h...
Oil
Floral Study 13, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Valerie Berkely presents a floral still life in expressive and fluid paintwork. She executes the piece with wet-on-wet f...
Oil
"The Game"
Located in Zofingen, AG
«The Game», 2026 Stretched (on stretcher bars): 120х100x2cm Materials: acrylic\oil pastel on canvas\metal leaf Shipping: rolled In the painting "The Game", I explore social interact...
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Acrylic
Entre el odio y el amor, Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting, 21st Century
Located in Mexico City, MX
Entre el odio y el amor, 2022 Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting Acrylic on canvas 115x100cm Signed and dated on the back About the artist Alexa Perez Rea...
Canvas, Acrylic
Poch 148 Tertulia Acrylic Painting, Abstract Expressionist, Unframed, 2010+
By Ramon Poch
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
R. Poch. original acrylic painting Born in Badalona (Barcelona). Photographer and advertising film director. Founding partner of the advertising production company La Cosa de las P...
Acrylic
White folds 11. 3D abstraction
Located in Zofingen, AG
The painting, created on canvas with clay, depicts soft, flowing folds that create the impression of draped fabric. The entire piece is rendered in a pure white color, giving it eleg...
Clay, Canvas, Acrylic
$1,996Sale Price|20% Off
Antique American School Large Great Color Abstract Modernist Original Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American school modernist abstract oil painting. Oil on canvas, circa 1950. Unsgned. Image size 36L x 60H.
Canvas, Oil
$6,000Sale Price|50% Off
Provincetown Beach (abstract seascape painting)
By Byron Browne
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Byron Browne (1907-1961). Provincetown Beach, 1957. Oil on canvas, 24 x 30 inches, 30 x 36 inches in vintage solid chestnut frame. Signed lower righ...
Linen, Oil
$788
Cityscape Original Painting Abstract Industrial Horizon Wall Art Dark Skyline Go
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Cityscape Original Painting Abstract Industrial Horizon Wall Art Dark Skyline Golden Light” is a powerful Original Painting that explores the atmosphere of a modern city through abs...
Canvas, Oil
Blue January, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
By Emily STARCK
Located in Yardley, PA
Blue work of abstraction with many touches of colors. Edges are painted in the continuity of the work. Handly signed. Professional and high quality painting with anti UV protectio...
Acrylic
BEYOND THE BLUE SEA NO. 3424, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
„The sea! the sea! The endless sea! The deep, the wild, the eternally free!“ As viewers looks at my work, I hope they can’t help but be transported into my world, sailing ar...
Acrylic
$964Sale 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
$3,428
ABSTRACT Colors Yellow Red Water Artwork Contemporary Artist Tete Alurralde 2025
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
Yellow Bushes by Lake, Original Painting
By Janet Dyer
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Janet Dyer shares an impressionist perspective of a still lake on a quiet spring day. She paints pristine waters reflecting the lively trees in complem...
Acrylic
"By Itself, " an Oil on Canvas signed by Deidre Schanen
Located in Milwaukee, WI
Deirdre Schanen's "By Itself" abstract oil on canvas features a meditative blue, yellow, and orange composition reminiscent of the color field paintings of artists like Mark Rothko, ...
Oil
"I Have Your Back", Abstract Expressionist, Portrait, Red, Blue, Oil Painting
By Sorin Bica
Located in Franklin, MA
Sorin Bica's "I Have Your Back" is a 30 x 30 x 2 inch abstract expressionist oil painting on canvas. Abstract double-faced portrait in vivid red, blue, and yellow tones, bold brushst...
Canvas, Oil
Flow of Light
By Anna Selina
Located in Zofingen, AG
"This painting is a pure expression of movement and energy. It was created in a state of flow, without a pre-planned sketch — just the impulse of color and the rhythm of the brush. ...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$1,100Sale Price|20% Off
Contemporary French Abstract Expressionist Acrylic on Canvas.
Located in Cotignac, FR
Contemporary Abstract Expressionist acrylic on canvas by French artist Christian Manoury. Signed to the reverse and dated 2019. A beautifully ethereal painting which catches the lig...
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.