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.
$2,843
Teresa Vicens - Contemporary Minimalist Figurative Triptych with Female Figures
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Please note that the frame is intentionally presented without glass. The raw linen is left directly exposed, as conceived by the artist, allowing the materiality, texture, and tactil...
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
Contemporary French Abstract Expressionist Acrylic on Paper.
Located in Cotignac, FR
Contemporary Abstract Expressionist acrylic on paper by French artist Christian Manoury. Signed to the front and to the reverse and presented in a custom made white case frame. A be...
Paper, Acrylic
Reality Large Geometric Abstract Oil Paining
Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL
Reality Artist signed lower right corner and back, canvas 43"x95"x1.5 Maximo Caminero Born in the Dominican Republic in 1962. Artist, self-taught formation. He made his first...
Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
ORÍ GUERREIRA TAMOYA, 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
Jam Spread
By Ella Freire
Located in Deddington, GB
Jam Spread [2021] original Acrylic on board Image size: H:40cm cm x W:40cm cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:2cm cm x W:40cm cm x D:2cmcm Sold Unframed Please note that insitu images are purely an indication of how a piece may look Warm pinks and orange with a shot of blue, evocative of my sunny morning walks along my favourite beach in Santa Teresa...
Acrylic, Board
$320
On Rock N' Roll - Original Abstract Colorful Geometric Mixed Media Art 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
Allowance (abstract, spray paint, post graffiti, street art, mixed media)
By JB Nearsy
Located in Kansas City, MO
JB Nearsy Allowance 2020 Mixed Media on paper Size: 30x24in Signed by hand COA provided Ref.: 924802-1778 -------------- Tags: abstract, spray paint, post graffiti, street art, mix...
Paper, Mixed Media
$10,650
"1252 antique gold horizon", Abstract, Landscape Painting, 21st Century, Acrylic
By Roger König
Located in Dessau-Rosslau, Sachsen Anhalt
Artist: Roger König b. Dessau, Germany (1968) Master student of Kurt Schönburg, HWK Halle, Germany. König combines modern painting with acrylic with old techniques and in this way, h...
Clay, Acrylic
$960Sale Price|20% Off
Nunc (For No Special Reason) - 21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract Expression
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
I painted this from a place of realization and regret, from watching myself and so many of us postpone our own lives. I have waited for the "right" moment. I have saved the good clot...
Canvas, Ink, Acrylic
"1312 green/grey elegance Part2" Abstract, Painting, 21st Century, Acrylic
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
Dreamer In Pink. Abstract Expressionist Figurative Oil Painting
Located in Brecon, Powys
Who is the dreamer and what is the dream. Dreamer in Pink is a lovely, romantic painting from Francesca Owen and adds to the range of her work. It’s a s...
Canvas, Oil
$12,000
Turning Point
Located in Burlingame, CA
Eleanor Rahim’s work explores the emotional and perceptual power of water through painting and drawing. Her images do not describe a specific place so much as a state of being, where...
Canvas, Acrylic
"VOP #3" Gertrude Greene
Located in New York, NY
Gertrude Greene VOP #3, 1952 Signed and dated lower left Oil on paper 10 1/2 x 8 3/4 inches Gertrude Glass Greene was a pioneering American abstract artist, sculptor, designer, and...
Paper, Oil
$10,000
Evolut
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Born in 1991, Arthur Hoffmann is a French artist who lives and works in Paris. He creates vibrant abstract works. His artistic practice was developed from a young age through his con...
Canvas, Acrylic
The Hundred Acre Wood - Contemporary Acrylic Abstract Painting, 40x30 Inches
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This contemporary acrylic abstract painting was inspired by nature. Expressive brushstrokes and veils of colour dance across this canvas, painted by Claudia McCabe. This painting ex...
Canvas, Acrylic, Wood Panel
Proffering Their Perfume / oil and gold leaf on linen
Located in Burlingame, CA
Golden metallic abstract painting with multicolor in floral references that bridge nature and expressive abstraction, in blue, red, purple. Oil on Belgian linen with metal leaf — bot...
Metal, Gold Leaf
$680Sale Price|20% Off
Structural Primitive 2
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
Painting Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, this is not a print or other type of copy. Signed on the front side and accompanied by a Certificate of Auth...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,425
Eternal Sunsets Sacred Feminine - Meditative Abstract Pink Geometric Painting
By Jason DeMeo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Abstract minimalist artist Jason DeMeo presents a collection of artworks designed to engage viewers in a meditative experience, drawing them closer to the enduring ideals of truth, b...
Gold Leaf
Hath a Future - Original Minimalist Abstract Textured Painting on Canvas
Located in Manchester, GB
Henry Woolway, Hath a Future, 2025 Acrylic on canvas board 80.5 x 120.5 cm (31.7 x 47.44 in) Artwork is hand-framed in dyed and waxed oak with a 2mm shadow gap around painting Hand-...
Canvas, Acrylic
Intro, Mixed media Abstract painting on Canvas
By Alec Franco
Located in Miami Beach, FL
DNA is genetic information, hidden and encrypted in body fluids. Veiled data that we load, that we do not know and that someone knows how to decipher. Such specifications characteriz...
Canvas, Acrylic
$450
Les Baigneuses Lithograph, Abstract Style, Mid-20th Century, Signed
Located in Belgrade, MT
This piece is part of my private collection of the School of Paris era. It is pencil signed in the lower left corner by the artist and numbered . I have several of these lithographs ...
Oil, Lithograph
#232, 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
Colorful Fantasy Abstract Oil Painting on Canvas, Signed, 2010
Located in Roma, IT
Fantasy is an original artwork realized by Giorgio Lo Fermo in 2010. Oil on canvas. Hand signed and dated by the artist on lower left. This contemporary artwork is a very colorful...
Oil
$645
Mystic Rhizome - Original Colorful Organic Abstract Botanical Painting on Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Krisanne Souter weaves together elements of nature and ancient feminine archetypes, such as the Mother and the Mystic. Botanical themes, playful elements, and unexpected surprises ar...
Paper, Ink, Acrylic, Watercolor, Color Pencil
Calming Blue - Modern Color Field Abstract, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Calming Blue is an original abstract color field painting on canvas by Suzanne Vaughan. An abstract expressionist style painting with thick layers of p...
Acrylic
Abstract Composition S5, 1963 - oil paint, 82x65 cm
Located in Nice, FR
Oil on canvas, signed lower left Gérard Souzay (né Gérard Marcel Tisserand le 8 décembre 1918 à Angers, Maine-et-Loire, et mort le 17 août 2004 à Antibe...
Oil
"From the Inside" (Contemporary, Abstract, Original, Dark, Textured, Black)
Located in Paris, IDF
From The Inside 2025 Paris, France This abstract oil painting features a textured surface with deep black tones and natural cracks spreading across the canvas. The fissures expose a...
Oil, Linen
Them Blues, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
This captivating composition masterfully explores the interplay of tranquil blues with vibrant peach, yellow, and soft green accents. The artist’s use of diverse textures and layer...
Acrylic
$3,695Sale Price|20% Off
The Desert Shall Rejoice, Abstract Colour Field Landscape Painting, Desert Art
By Jon Rowland
Located in Deddington, GB
The Desert Shall Rejoice – Jon Rowland – Abstract Expressionism [2020] Please note that insitu images are purely an indication of how a piece may look During this year it was difficult to travel. So I looked through some of the images I had photographed from an earlier trip to the desert with its wide views, amazing colours and BIG sky; somewhere warm and interesting. This is one of a series of paintings influenced by the visit to the deserts of Jordan and Israel. After the fascination of Petra, hewn out of rock, it was the sense of freedom in its immensity, the natural forms of craters and wadis at different times that stimulated me; gold in the morning, purple and orange at dusk. Discover new paintings by Jon Rowland and his abstract expressionism with Wychwood Art. Each work has been carefully selected by Deborah Allan our Chief Art Curator. Wychwood Art have exhibited Jon Rowland in London during a pop-up exhibition of theirs at the Darren Baker Gallery. His paintings have been displayed at the Royal Academy and at the Berthold and Darren Baker Gallery in London. He has also exhibited in group exhibitions at Linacre and Green Colleges, at Swann Gallery in Woodstock, and with Wychwood Art at Battersea Art Fair. He was one of six contemporary artists who took part in an exhibition of views of Blenheim Palace, juxtaposing the original visions with today's, as part of the celebration of the 300th anniversary of Capability Brown...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
FortWorth, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Original oil on canvas on wooden stretchers, signed on the front. Certificate of authenticity included. :: Painting :: Abstract Expressionism :: This piece comes with an official cer...
Oil
"Kimonoesque (Metal & Remnants)" Abstract Metallic Painting
Located in Westport, CT
This abstract painting features cool grey background and layers of metallic gold throughout. The central abstract form is composed of imperfect shapes placed side by side. The painti...
Gold Leaf
Bouquet, Original Oil Painting with Flowers by Andrei Belaichuk
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Bouquet" is a vivid painting inspired by bright and intense colors. In this work of art, you will see a bouquet of flowers that simply radiates with vibrant colors and dynamism. Th...
Oil
"1311 green/grey elegance Part1" Abstract, Painting, 21st Century, Acrylic
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
$1,307Sale Price|20% Off
French 20th Century Abstract Nude Portrait of Lady Picasso Style Work & Period
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Expressionist Portrait of Nude Lady by Gilbert Pelissier (French born 1924) signed, circa 1960's-1970 period oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas size: 20 x 24 inches con...
Canvas, Oil
Triptych "Gerhard Richter"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Triptych. Consists of three parts. Canvas, acrylic, 50-105 cm. Each part is 50-35 centimeters. This painting is inspired by spring rain and blossoming trees. I really like to pai...
Canvas, Acrylic
Birth of a Star in Daylight
Located in San Francisco, CA
Someone had Coltrane on the HiFi as they channeled Jackson Pollock. There’s a dark Gauloise going—a habit picked up in those student years in Paris—with smoke emitting from the chrom...
Oil, Board
Le Promenade
Located in Zofingen, AG
La Promenade shipped in roll (Series: Le Jardin Privé / Your Private Paradise) “Some paths are not meant to lead us somewhere, but to bring us back to ourselves.” This work, titled ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Abstract Composition XVII, Painting by Jenik Cook
By Jenik Cook
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Jenik Cook, American (1940 - ) Title: Untitled XVII Year: 2010 Medium: Acrylic on Paper, signed and dated Size: 22 in. x 28 in. (55.88 cm x 71.12 cm)
Acrylic, Archival Paper
Garden
By Oksana Reva
Located in Zofingen, AG
Oil painting on Belgian linen canvas, created using a multilayered glazing technique in which translucent layers of paint are delicately built upon one another, allowing the color to...
Linen, Oil
$1,960Sale Price|30% Off
'Abstract, Indigo and Ivory', Large SF Bay Area Modernist oil, Legion of Honor
By Fenton Kastner
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Signed verso "F. Kastner" for Fenton Kastner (American, 1915-2008), dated 1955, and titled "Waterfront-IV". Old label verso inscribed with artist's name and title. A dynamic, mid-...
Canvas, Oil
$525
The Cyan Dress 2 - Minimalist Feminine Figurative Original Ink Painting on Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Bettina Mauel expresses vitality and sensuality in her abstract and figurative paintings. “I paint what I experience,” she articulates. “This includes landscapes, dancers and people ...
Linen, Ink, Mixed Media, Graphite
Phenomena Rights of King, Gouache on Paper, Framed, Signed, 1976
By Paul Jenkins
Located in New York, NY
“Phenomena Rights of King", 1976. Gouache on Paper Framed: 43 ½ x 35 ½ inches Signed bottom center The Phenomena series is a celebrated body of abstract expressionist paintings and ...
Paper, Gouache
Abstract with Green, Orange, and Red
By Meredith Pardue
Located in New Orleans, LA
Beautiful muted tone abstract by a highly sought after artist Meredith Pardue’s abstract, botanic forms are based on images she finds in nature, but, according to Pardue, are ultima...
Canvas, Oil
New Blossoms
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This original abstract acrylic work on canvas is inspired by the mid-century masters. A lovely floral bouquet is framed in a vintage gold frame, ready to hang, 18 in. wide x 22 in. high
Acrylic
Soaring Through the Dreams. Oversized abstract painting, purple, violet
Located in Oslo, NO
Soaring Through the Dreams invites the viewer into a realm where imagination and reality flow together in vibrant motion. Layers of translucent color — from deep turquoise and violet...
Canvas, Acrylic
$5,800
Curves I (Frank Stella Inspired Abstract Line Painting in Encaustic on Panel)
By Clark Derbes
Located in Hudson, NY
Colorful, abstract painting inspired by Frank Stella in rainbow and pastel encaustic "Curves I", made by VT based artist, Clark Derbes, in 2024 36 x 48 x 2 inches with walnut stripin...
Encaustic
Anywhwew, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
In this expressionist oil painting, I've delved into the abstract play of colors and forms to evoke a sense of mystery and motion. The cool blues and tranquil greens merge with burst...
Oil
"Calypso III" Abstract Painting 83" x 83" inch by Carole Baines
Located in Culver City, CA
"Calypso III" Abstract Painting 83" x 83" inch by Carole Baines Carole Baines is a self-taught, London-born artist based between Townsville and Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Caro...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$1,996Sale Price|20% Off
Large Scale Antique American Abstract Expressionist Signed Original Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American modernist abstract oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed.
Canvas, Oil
Large Orange and Lavender - Abstract Acrylic Painting on Archival Paper
By Aron Hill
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This contemporary acrylic landscape painting is rendered in orange and lavender. Bold contemporary form and striking bright colours defines the unique artistic style of Aron Hill. A...
Acrylic, Archival Paper
$21,500
Cubist Abstract Still Life painting of glass goblet, yellow, blue, playing cards
Located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Framed Size: 21" x 24" Circa 1972 Provenance: Felix Vercel, New York circa 1970. Private Collection, New Jersey. This remarkable still life by Claude Venard is distinguished by it...
Canvas, Oil
6/11. Mixed media Abstract painting on Canvas
By Alec Franco
Located in Miami Beach, FL
" The work resists framing in concepts, it overflows the contours and borders of the rational. It is through the presence of color, combined with an abstraction at times with express...
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Let the Light Shine Through: Floral, Abstract, Still-life, Painting, Bold
By Karnish Art
Located in Pretoria, Gauteng
Title: Let the Light Shine Through Floral Abstract Still-life Painting Contemporary Expressionist Invest Abundance Flowers Vase In this piece, I captured abundance and an experienc...
Gesso, Canvas, Wood, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
$5,752Sale Price|20% Off
Mosaico de Ajedrez, Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting, 21st Century
Located in Mexico City, MX
Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting Acrylic on canvas 210 x 215 cm Signed FREE SHIPPING ROLLED UP About the artist Enrique Pichardo (Mexico City, 1973) graduated from Escuela Naci...
Canvas, Acrylic
20 mars 2023, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
By Emily STARCK
Located in Yardley, PA
Large abstract expressionism artwork in a palette of blue, orange and pink. Worked in several layers with professional and high quality...
Acrylic
Desert Light No. 3
Located in Columbia, MO
Using cold wax medium with oil paint, powdered pigments, and pigment stick, Rebecca Crowell builds up layered surfaces as she also scratches, scrapes, and dissolves her layers, selec...
Wax, Pigment
Trevor Bell, Large Abstract Mixed Media on Paper, 1978
By Trevor Bell
Located in London, GB
A striking large-scale work on paper by British abstract painter Trevor Bell (1930–2017), signed and dated 1978 lower right. Executed in mixed media on paper, the composition is dom...
Mixed Media
Sailing, Large Abstract Expressionist Mid-Century Oil, Cleveland Artist
Located in Beachwood, OH
Richard Andres (American, 1927–2013) Sailing, 1973 oil on canvas signed lower right, signed and titled verso 58 x 72 inches Exhibited: Cleveland Museum of Art, May Show 1973 Richard...
Oil
Fanum
Located in Dallas, TX
Oil on paper
Paper, Oil
$165Sale Price|20% Off
Bright & Colorful French Impressionist Oil Painting Foliage and Yellow Mountains
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Maggy Clarysse (1931-2011) Oil on thick card, unframed, 7 x 9.75 inches Signed Initials ...
Oil
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.