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.
#265 Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
$5,130
Grammaire des livres, Contemporary textured Oil on Canvas, Abstract library
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Oil on canvas – 31.9 x 25.6 in (81 x 65 cm) Framed dimensions: 34.6 x 28.3 in (88 x 72 cm) Black or light wood floater frame (collector's choice) – Signed by the artist – Certificate...
Oil
Anja Decker, Abstract Informal Painting on Paper, Munich, Late 1950s
By Anja Decker
Located in Firenze, IT
Artist: Anja Decker (German, 1908-1995) Period: Late 1950s Painting size: 29.5 x 21 cm With frame: 63 x 53 cm. Condition: Good vintage condition. This work was exhibited in 2024 a...
Tempera, Felt Pen
"It's the Rest of the World That is Moving" (2024) by Amy Hutcheson
Located in Denver, CO
"He Opened His Hand And I Put My Stories Into It" (2024) is an original, handmade oil painting on canvas, by Amy Hutcheson, that depicts an abstract painting with colorful geometric ...
Canvas, Oil
"Magnetic Personality" Abstract Composition in Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Soquel, CA
"Magnetic Personality" Abstract Galactic Composition in Acrylic on Canvas Textured abstract composition by California artist Charles "Dave" Francis (American, 1951-2018). Blended co...
Canvas, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
$4,900
Mid-Century "The Horse Race" Pierre Bosco #50 B (Italy/France, 1909-1993)
By Pierre Bosco
Located in SANTA FE, NM
Mid-Century "The Horse Race" #50 B Pierre Bosco (Italy/France, 1909-1993) Oil on canvas Signed lower right. 15 x 12 inches, frame size “The savage art of Bosco bears its rudeness a...
Canvas, Oil
$7,000
Summer Mountains Wyoming Gold Diggins Abstract Landscape by Erle Loran, Berkeley
By Erle Loran
Located in Soquel, CA
Bright and vibrant abstracted landscape depicting the Wyoming mountains on a summer day by Erle Loran (American, 1905-1999). From a collection of his works. Estate stamp on verso. Un...
Canvas, Acrylic
$3,000
Ospedale III (Contemporary Abstract Geometric Painting in Yellow and Black)
Located in Hudson, NY
Contemporary Abstract geometric painting in vivid shades of yellow, greys, white, and black "Ospedale III" painted by Hudson Valley, NY based painter, Anthony Finta, in 2019 36 x 24...
Enamel
$1,900
"Rich to Grey" (2024) By Danny McCaw, Original Abstract Portrait Oil Painting
By Danny McCaw
Located in Denver, CO
Danny McCaw's (US based) "Rich to Grey" is an original, handmade oil painting with impasto brushstrokes that depicts an ambiguous human figure. Bio/artist statement: Danny McCaw is ...
Oil, Board
$874
"Fragment of a Garden I" impasto painting, colorful flowers on linen canvas
Located in Zofingen, AG
This original painting by Anastassia Skopp is part of a series exploring fragmented floral compositions and spatial movement. Executed in acrylic and...
Canvas, Linen, Spray Paint, Acrylic
$1,585Sale Price|20% Off
"Tree" Original abstract painting . Large .Abstract expressionist works
Located in Oslo, NO
In crafting this painting, I've melded acrylics, oils, and ink to capture the complexity of nature and the interconnectedness of life. My brushstrokes dance between fine art and abst...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Dream Sediment. Oversized abstract painting, blue, grey, expressionism
Located in Oslo, NO
Dream Sediment invites the viewer into a space where memory and imagination quietly dissolve into one another. The painting unfolds in layered veils of blue, lilac, and muted earth t...
Canvas, Acrylic
Dreamtime: Portrait Abstract Contemporary Butterfly Soft Warm Freedom Invest
By Karnish Art
Located in Pretoria, Gauteng
Title: Dreamtime Dreamtime Portrait Abstract Contemporary Butterfly Soft Warm Freedom Portraits through the eyes of Karnish. "DREAMTIME Follow her to a world of play and abundan...
Gesso, Canvas, Acrylic, Pastel, Wood, Stretcher Bars
$1,959Sale Price|20% Off
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
Cool Birches
By Harold Nickerson
Located in New York, NY
Harold Nickerson "Cool Birches", Abstract/Landscape Oil on Canvas, 28 x 36, Mid 20th Century, 1958 Colors: Green, Yellow, Blue, White, Brown, Black
Canvas, Oil
$18,000
Large Oil Painting Color field, Minimalist, Abstract Expressionist John Zinsser
By John Zinsser
Located in Surfside, FL
John Zinsser (American, b. 1961) Iron City, 1997 oil on canvas signed John Zinsser, titled and dated (verso) 72 x 60 inches Done in bright vibrant shades of red. American artist John Zinsser was born in New York City in 1961 and studied art, art history and literature at Yale University (where he did his senior thesis on Andy Warhol). He co-founded Journal of Contemporary Art in 1987 and lectures at The New School. He has had over 40 solo shows in the U.S. and Europe, and is known in Europe for his association with monochrome painters of a previous generation. Zinsser has been a devotee of postwar Abstract Expressionism and Minimalism for decades. A native New Yorker, he came of age as an artist during the late 1980s and early 1990s alongside other now established abstract painters, including Richmond Burton, Gail Fitzgerald, Daniel Levine, Carl Ostendarp, Kate Shepherd, Cary Smith, Dan Walsh, Mary...
Canvas, Oil
Dye Painting #1
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Interested in communicating ideas of history, place and nature in her painting practice, Jennifer Wolf utilizes natural dyes and minerals to feature a historically significant palett...
Copper
Fragment. Contemporary Abstract Mixed Media on Canvas Painting
Located in Brecon, Powys
Patricia McParlin, is an award winning British artist who lives and works in Wales. She studied at The University of Wales and The West Wales School of the Arts. She has recently b...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Wild Flower
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This black and white botanical abstract painting is inspired by the mid-century masters. Wired and ready to hang, 12 in. wide x 18 in. high
Acrylic
$2,670Sale Price|20% Off
Huge French 20th Century Blue & Purple Abstract Expressionist Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Expressionist Composition by Marie Deloume (French born 1942) signed on back, inscribed verso oil on card stuck on canvas, unframed canvas size: 46 x 35 inches condition: ov...
Canvas, Paper, Oil
$2,912Sale Price|20% Off
Abstract Composition by Albert Deman - Oil on Canvas - 97x130 cm
By Albert Deman
Located in Geneva, CH
Albert Deman (15 January 1929 – 22 December 1996) was a French painter and sculptor known for his diverse body of work and evolving artistic styles throughout the mid-20th century. ...
Canvas, Oil
$6,080Sale Price|20% Off
Atlas
Located in Three Oaks, MI
Valerie Beller’s abstract paintings encourage visual exploration. Organic forms are both revealed and concealed amidst layers of paint. The streaked and stained surfaces of the canva...
Canvas, Oil
$1,035Sale Price|89% Off
Huge French Abstract Composition Painting Cubist Shapes, Muted Color Palette
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: French School, mid/late 20th century Title: Abstract composition Medium: oil on canvas, unframed Size: canvas: 36 x 25.5 inches Provenance: private collection, ...
Oil
Next Generation 3 - Abstract Painting, Gray, Black, Oil Painting, 21st Century
Located in Baden-Baden, DE
Next Generation 3, 2013 Mixed technique: oil on canvas (Signed on reverse) 39.37 H x 47.24 W in 100 H x 120 W cm MASCH's work describes a discursive rebellion of continuous civiliz...
Canvas, Oil
$408
Contemporary impressionist expressive floral painting on canvas "Pink Bloom"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This contemporary vivid expressive still life painting, depicting pink flowers and executed with the touch of Expressionism and the heritage of Post-Impressionism, was created by Fre...
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
Beach mediterranean seascape oil on canvas painting
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Frameless
Canvas, Oil
#173, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
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
Les Falaises Grises, Large Abstract Oil Painting on Canvas, 2015
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Original oil painting by French artist Sophie Dumont. Expressive abstract landscape of coastal cliffs in layered greys, whites, and earth tones. This large-scale oil painting on canv...
Oil
$480
Jouska -21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract, Miniature, Emotions, Africa Colors
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Jouska is an introspective artwork that explores the universal experience of replaying and reimagining past conversations, searching for control over moments that are inherently unco...
Canvas, Ink, Acrylic
$69,000
Increments - colourful large scale arrangement, small squares, acrylic on panels
Located in Bloomfield, ON
A monumental work, comprised of 66 small square panels, each painted with a single orthogonal, are installed in a precise grid: six high and ten across. The orthogonal panels are pai...
Acrylic, Wood Panel
$524
Contemporary abstract floral painting purple flowers paper "Trinity of petals"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
“Blooming in Purple” is a contemporary abstract floral painting by French artist Natalya Mougenot, created as part of her ongoing series dedicated to floral compositions. The work ca...
Paper, Acrylic
#262 Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
$480
Ephemeral - 21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract, Miniature, Emotions, Colors
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
"Nothing lasts forever, even our pains too" Ephemeral is a captivating piece from the Life in Circles series that explores the transient nature of existence. The artwork evokes the i...
Canvas, Ink, Acrylic
Tondo Arboretum II - Circular Contemporary Abstract Warm Tone Botanical Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Harrison Gilman's large original artworks begin with a layer of fast-paced gestural abstraction followed by organic shapes and geometric structures. Some of his paintings remain in t...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$25,000
'An Insistence Upon Being' - colorful abstract painting, layered, impasto
Located in Atlanta, GA
This highly textured abstract painting features black, purple, red and blue. Khalilah is inspired by the works of Jack Whitten, Alfred Leslie, Joan Mitchell, Jean-Paul Riopelle, Ed ...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
May #2 - contemporary, minimalist, abstract, acrylic on archival paper
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This abstract painting on paper by Milly Ritsvedt features spring-like colours. The provocative power of colour is fully evident in the vivid hues of this painting by master colouri...
Acrylic, Archival Paper
$583
Contemporary impressionist still life floral painting on canvas "Blue Room"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
“The Blue Room” by French artist Natalya Mougenot is a contemporary still life that radiates serenity, sincerity, and the quiet brilliance of color as emotion.Centered on a transluce...
Canvas, Acrylic
Not This Not That
By Leslie Price
Located in Dallas, TX
acrylic on birch panel
Birch, Acrylic, Panel
$18,000
Ron Gorchov - signed and inscribed watercolor, to designer Robert Vogele, Framed
By Ron Gorchov
Located in New York, NY
Ron Gorchov Untitled, inscribed to Robert Vogele, 1978 Watercolor and etching on paper with 2 deckled edges. Hand signed in pencil and inscribed on lower front. Inscription reads as ...
Mixed Media, Watercolor, Etching
$2,177Sale Price|20% Off
Huge French Abstract Painting Brown Beige Yellow Ochre colors, signed
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist/ School: French abstract School, late 20th century/ early 21st century, inscribed initials MD Title: Brown, yellow, beige abstract composition painted on a very large scale. ...
Oil, Canvas
$3,975
What Remains - Original Sublime Abstract Blue Coastline Seascape Oil Painting
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 ...
Canvas, Oil
$950
Heartsease - 21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract, Pop Culture, People, Peace
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Good people close inside when they're broken, but those who look from the outside think they're clever." People will use your prejudice when they can't figure you out. Cause ain't no...
Canvas, Ink, Acrylic
$1,119Sale Price|20% Off
All Is Complicated: Original Abstract Painting in Oil and Acrylic
Located in Oslo, NO
Human relations are described in the language of abstraction .Working on abstraction is often very intuitive and sometimes the artist has to rein in this "beast" to achieve the desir...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$3,818
Home, Green, Nature, Joan Mitchell, Larry Poons, Contemporary Art, expressionism
By Lloyd Tabing
Located in Jönköping, SE
This painting belongs to my ongoing exploration of the relationship between nature and the human experience. Inspired by the natural world and influenced by the Eastern philosophy of...
Acrylic
The Assembled Whole. 5
Located in Zofingen, AG
The painting from The Assembled Whole series is created using mixed media, including artificial leather and texture paste. The composition combines geometric planes with softened, ir...
Canvas, Mixed Media
$304Sale Price|20% Off
My wave - abstract painting, made in ultramarine blue color
By Mila Akopova
Located in Fort Lee, NJ
Interior design paintings. The work was done with alcohol ink in ultramarine blue color on Yupo paper. The work is 11 by 14 inches in size, framed (gold or black) with a styrene face...
Paper, Ink
ORÍ GUERREIRO TAMOYO, Painting. From the Series Figures
Located in Miami Beach, FL
For Jose Ignacio Suarez an abyss of time and space distances him from those who were the first inhabitants of the Brazilian coasts and of this vast American continent. His initial la...
Canvas, Acrylic
$3,000
"E.S.H. IV" (animalia, fauna, figurative, horse sculpture, historical, abstract)
Located in Paris, IDF
E.S.H. IV PARIS, France 2023 Inspired by sculptures and statues of Europe, a horse and rider are depicted as a black silhouetted abstraction. White and grey acrylic paint over text...
Canvas, Dye, Acrylic
"Untitled" Calvert Coggeshall, Abstract Expressionism Hard-edge Stripes
Located in New York, NY
Calvert Coggeshall Untitled, circa 1975 Oil on canvas 50 x 40 inches Calvert Coggeshall worked as an abstract painter and interior designer primari...
Canvas, Acrylic
Micro Mini Token I, Acrylic and Gouache on Canvas Painting, 2018
Located in Jersey City, NJ
"Micro Mini Token I" (2018) by Catherine Hart Acrylic and gouache on canvas; abstract miniature painting, pastels and bold saturated palette Framing available COA included
Canvas, Acrylic, Gouache
"Dynamic abstraction"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
This work captures the energy of motion through an expressive dialogue of lines and shapes, where the circle expands beyond its boundaries. It conveys both balance and turbulence, re...
Oil, Plywood
Ruz 6416 original abstract acrylic canvas painting
By Rafael Ruz
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Red original abstract acrylic canvas painting Original work by the Spanish painter Rafael RUZ. Acrylic on canvas . Perfect state RUZ, Rafael (Barcelona 1956) While contemplating the ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$14,500
Crusader, Large Abstract Expressionist Painting, Cleveland School Artist
Located in Beachwood, OH
Richard Andres (American, 1927-2013) Crusader, c. 1969 acrylic on canvas signed and titled verso 48.5 X 62.5 inches Richard Andres was born in Buffalo, New York in 1927. A graduate ...
Acrylic
Morning Magic, Abstract Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Artist Dorothy Gaziano layers orange and light blue with oil paint and cold wax. Using black to enhance details, she applies marks and scratches, adding contr...
Oil
A432 - Minimalist Abstract Original Red and Black Textural Artwork
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Swiss born artist Marco Schmidli creates minimalist paintings with a contemporary edge. Placing emphasis on process, he lets the mediums naturally manifest within his artwork. “An im...
Acrylic, Canvas
Coastal Fog, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Coastal Fog 30" x 30" x 1.5" Acrylic painting on gallery-wrap canvas This evocative abstract landscape captures the serene beauty of a coastal wetland beneath a dynamic, expres...
Acrylic
![City in Autumn [Diptych]](https://a.1stdibscdn.com/javier-manrique-paintings-city-in-autumn-diptych-for-sale/a_27562/a_175072621768773737917/f74a4ft44aqvcd19zw5z_master.jpg?width=240)
City in Autumn [Diptych]
Located in San Francisco, CA
Javier Manrique City in Autumn [Diptych], 2016 Acrylic on canvas 60 x 96 inches This is an abstract landscape painting created by Javier Manrique in 2016. This one-of-a-kind paintin...
Canvas, Acrylic
Mangent white abstraction
Located in Zofingen, AG
The work is created in the fluid art technique using acrylic on canvas. The composition is built on smooth, flowing movements of paint, forming multilayered transitions of pink, mage...
Canvas, Acrylic
$480
Luminous - 21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract, Miniature, Emotions, Art Brut
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
I don’t want my relationship with anyone to be defined just by my decline. I wanna do more than just living, and maybe I wanna be Luminous, always radiating my inner light and warmth...
Canvas, Ink, 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.