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.
1950s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Latex, Oil, Panel
20th Century Abstract Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
Fascinated by the birds that soar over her Big Sur home, artist Heidi Hybl paints an abstract depiction of their migration. Their bold forms contrast the soft...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic, Rag Paper
2010s Abstract Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Spray Paint, Acrylic
Late 20th Century Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
"The artwork is from my cityscapes of Paris," shares artist Suren Nersisyan. "I love the bridges of this city connecting the banks of the Seine river. The sof...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Janet Dyer displays a sunny landscape of Provence, France. A scenic woodland stretches toward a grove of trees flourishing over the terrain. "This fiel...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Gouache, Archival Paper, Color Pencil, Graphite
1940s Abstract Paintings
Oil
1960s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1990s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1990s Abstract Paintings
Paper, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
This piece reimagines autumn in a forest with expressive strokes and shapes, leaning toward an abstract interpretation. Bold colors convey the vibrant spirit ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
1960s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Paper, Acrylic, Wood Panel
Late 20th Century Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic, Cardboard
Mid-20th Century Abstract Paintings
Oil
Mid-20th Century Abstract Paintings
Masonite, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Gold Leaf
2010s Abstract Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Gold Leaf
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Early 20th Century Abstract Paintings
Watercolor, Rag Paper, Pencil
Artist Comments
Part of artist Onelio Marrero's ongoing series exploring scenes from the world of ballet. Two ballerinas prepare their costumes on stage during a rehearsal an...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic, Archival Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Giclée
1940s Abstract Paintings
Oil
1990s Abstract Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Spray Paint, Acrylic
1960s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Metal, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Late 20th Century Abstract Paintings
Wax, Acrylic, Wood Panel
2010s Abstract Paintings
Spray Paint, Wood Panel
1930s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Ink, Oil, Gouache, Board, Pencil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Linen, Oil, Panel
Artist Comments
Simple, organic shapes define this abstract work, with irregular circles and squares forming a fragmented grid-like pattern. Muted tones pulse within the bifu...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic, Board
Late 20th Century Abstract Paintings
Oil