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.
Mini Token, Acrylic, Gouache, and Graphite on Wood Panel, 2018
Located in Jersey City, NJ
"Mini Token" (2018) by Catherine Hart Acrylic, gouache, and graphite on wood panel; pink and purple palette with text Framing available COA included
Acrylic, Gouache, Wood Panel, Graphite
No title 2 and 3, Diptych. Abstract Watercolor
Located in Miami Beach, FL
In this series, water and pigments dance in a liquid choreography, intertwining and painting their own destinies. Each brushstroke traces ephemeral paths that are born, intersect and...
Paper, Ink
$27,000
Tingari Abstract Geometric Painting, Acrylic on Cotton Canvas, 2010+
Located in Miami, FL
Ronnie Tjampitjinpa was born around 1943 at Tjiturrunya, about 100km west of the Kintore ranges in Western Australia. Following an extended drought in the 1950s, Ronnie's family move...
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
"Ectype" (abstract, movement, dye, oil, red, pink, brown, antique linen)
Located in Paris, IDF
ECTYPE 2024 Paris, France The painting features a textured, abstract composition on a brown canvas. The central area is dominated by a vibrant, chaotic mix of colors, including reds...
Linen, Dye, Oil, Acrylic
Blue and Green Summer Abstract
By Carl Holty
Located in New York, NY
A fresh and intriguing composition that keeps you looking at it. The composition is composed of summer greens, whites, blues and lavenders and also conveys figures and movement. Ho...
Canvas, Oil
Quiet Elegance
Located in Zofingen, AG
Quiet Elegance from the series Reflections Quiet Elegance is a visual hymn to womanhood — to feminine beauty understood as inner balance, dignity, and calm self-confidence. As part o...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,526Sale Price|20% Off
Very Large Colorful French Oil Painting Group of Figures Chatting in Cafe Park
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Figures Chatting by Younnes Bouhabi (French contemporary) signed oil on canvas fabric pinned on board, unframed board: 31.5 x 39.5 inches Provenance: private collection, Paris Condit...
Oil
Astra, abstract.
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Astra” is created on a round canvas using the acrylic pouring technique. The composition is built on the interplay of deep black, white, blue, and brown tones, enriched by two shad...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,350
Zig Zag 16-3-2 - Original Modern Oil Painting Geometric Stripes with Texture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Petra Rös-Nickel’s original paintings merge playful forms, bright colors and architectural compositions in oil and mixed media on canvas. Her contemporary artworks contain rich textu...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
#115, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Pigment
$680
Untitled #502, Mixed Media on Paper by Murray Duncan - Abstract Geometric Modern
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Untitled #502 by Murray Duncan, 2024 Mix media on paper Unframed Size: 32" x 40" Murray Duncan Studio: Murray Duncan, born in 1966, is a self-taught creative visionary celebrated f...
Glaze, Oil Crayon, Acrylic
$18,000
DYSF
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Chris Trueman has exhibited his work in numerous exhibitions in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington DC, Portland and internationally in Milan, Paris, Berlin, Beijing and Brisbane ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Gold - Impasto Thick Paint Earth Tone Neutral 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, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Large Abstract Expressive Floral Acrylic Painting On Canvas "Floral Exploration"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This contemporary abstract floral artwork created by French artist Natalya Mougenot, is part of her Floral series. The piece, titled “Floral Exploration,” is a dynamic and expressive...
Acrylic, Canvas
Red abstract flower
Located in Zofingen, AG
This expressive abstract floral painting explores movement, emotion, and inner energy through a rich red and pink colour palette. At the heart of the composition, a stylised flower e...
Canvas, Acrylic
$773
Contemporary abstract figurative woman's portrait on paper "Woman Flowered"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
"Woman Flowered," a striking contemporary figurative–abstract painting by French artist Natalya Mougenot, continues her four-year exploration of the feminine experience — resilience,...
Paper, Acrylic
$12,000Sale Price|20% Off
Plant-like
By James Brooks
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
James Brooks (1906-1992). Plantlike, c.1945. Oil on canvas measures 18 x 24 inches; 24 x 30 inches in a painted wood frame of the period. Signed "J. David Brooks" lower right, Signed...
Cotton Canvas, Oil
French Marsh Abstract Landscape Painting, Oil on Canvas, Framed, 2010+
Located in Douglas Manor, NY
6059 Marshes,a contemporary abstract painting, oil on canvas displayed in a gilt wood frame,signed by P.Russo.Image size 20 H x 24 w
Oil
$3,680Sale Price|28% Off
Allure, bright purple abstract painting on canvas
Located in New York, NY
Lisa Fellerson’s paintings provoke an interplay and tension between line, shape, and color. With no preconceived idea in mind, she begins by dripping, scrapping, and gouging acrylic ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Contemporary Abstract Diptych Painting in Soft Grey and Neutral Tones, Minimal
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, Mixed Media, Pigment
$475
Contemporary expressionist woman's portrait painting "Hope in her ocean eyes"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This contemporary abstract expressionist woman's portrait was created by French artist Natalya Mougenot, and belongs to her ongoing series dedicated to women — a series that explores...
Acrylic, Paper
$819Sale Price|20% Off
Mid Century French Black and White Geometric Abstract Drawing Signed SG
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Mid Century French Black and White Geometric Abstract Drawing Signed SG by Serge Guerin (b. 1916), French signed lower right “SG”, name stamped verso Ink on artists paper, unf...
Ink
$636Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage Mid Century Modern Abstract Expressionist Ethereal Organic Oil Painting
By Piry Rame
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage abstract expressionist etherial oil painting by Piry Rame (1921 - 2001). Oil on canvas, circa 1960. Signed on verso. Image size, 21L x 16H. Housed in a period frame.
Canvas, Oil
$1,996Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage American School Signed Modernist Minimalist Abstract Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Step into the serene world of American minimalism with this exquisite 1980 signed original oil painting. Created by a talented American artist, this work invites you to explore the c...
Canvas, Oil
$75,800Sale Price|20% Off
Large Antique French Avante Garde Abstract Expressionist Surreal Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Rare and finely painted French modernist abstract painting by Jacques Doucet (1924 - 1994) . Framed. Oil on canvas. Signed. Artist Bio: Jacques Doucet's work is inextricably bo...
Canvas, Oil
Untitled XXIII by Ferle - Abstract painting, lines, deep colours, red, blue
By Elvire Ferle
Located in Paris, FR
Untitled XXIII is a unique oil on free-standing canvas painting by contemporary artist Ferle, dimensions are 100 cm x 70 cm (39.4 × 27.6 in). The artwork is signed, sold unframed and...
Oil
Over the Rainbow Bridge
Located in Carmel, CA
Lesley Anne Spowart, an abstract artist hailing from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, is renowned for her transformative creations that blur the boundaries of mediums and styles. With a dive...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Abstract 2463
Located in Zofingen, AG
In creating this piece, I channeled deep emotions, letting splashes of color collide in a dance of dream and reality. I poured my heart into layering acrylics, letting the interplay ...
Acrylic
Untitled (Abstraction)
By Jack Roth
Located in Astoria, NY
Jack Roth (American, 1927-2004), Untitled, Acrylic on Canvas, 1978, signed and dated "Roth 78" verso with two "Jack Roth Estate" stamps, unframed. 42.25" H x 32" W x 1.75" D. Prove...
Canvas, Acrylic
$390
"For Granted II." (flora, quiet, soft, natural, abstract, antique French linen)
Located in Paris, IDF
"For Granted II.", 2024, Paris, France "For Granted II." is a quiet, rich and cerebral abstract painting using a subtle but powerful color palette of brown, magenta, purple, green a...
Oil, Acrylic, Canvas
"Juliet" Abstract Figurative Oil Painting 59 x 33.5" in by Anastasiia Danilenko
Located in Culver City, CA
"Juliet" Abstract Figurative Oil Painting 59 x 33.5" in by Anastasiia Danilenko Ships rolled in a tube Anastasiia Danilenko is an artist and graphic designer. But the area of he...
Canvas, Oil
Sphere Definition 15 Abstract Artwork Original Painting Ready to Hang
Located in Granada Hills, CA
Artist: Vahe Yeremyan Title: Sphere Definition 15 Medium: Acrylic on Canvas Year: 2025 Style: Abstract Art Dimensions: 37" x 68.5" x 2" inch (94 x 174 x 5cm) Presentation: Framed, R...
Canvas, Oil
$4,500
A Primitive Pictograph (Abstract Painting in Metallic Gold & Splashed of Color)
By Bruce Murphy
Located in Hudson, NY
A Primitive Pictograph (Abstract Painting in Metallic Gold & Splashed of Color), 2021 by Bruce Murphy 38 x 38 inches, unframed, enamel paint on archival paper Signed, verso This ges...
Enamel
#71, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Pigment
$1,148Sale 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
$3,829Sale Price|20% Off
Untitled. Contemporary oil abstract painting by Polish Young Artist, Big format
By Klaudia Lata
Located in Warsaw, PL
Big scale abstract oil painting by Polish artist Klaudia Lata. Painting can be paired as a dyptich with another Untitled painting from ''transFORMATIONS" cycle. KLAUDIA LATA (born ...
Canvas, Oil
Just Be Happy
Located in Zofingen, AG
Just Be Happy This painting is a warm and sincere wish from the artist — a visual expression of joy, lightness, and inner freedom. It is created not for analysis, but for feeling: a...
Canvas, Oil
The Stand at Indian Wells
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Lynn Sanders is an artist excited by beauty: architecture, foliage, landscapes, seascapes, interiors. She finds palettes and shapes in her environment and propels them into her work,...
Canvas, Acrylic Polymer, Ink, Acrylic
$976Sale Price|20% Off
Mid Century French Geometric Abstract in Black White and Blue Signed SG
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Mid Century French Geometric Abstract in Black White and Blue Signed SG by Serge Guerin (b. 1916), French signed lower right “SG”, name stamped verso Acrylic and gouache on ar...
Ink, Acrylic, Gouache
$1,010Sale Price|20% Off
20th Century French Geometric Abstract Geometry in a Cosmic Green and Blue
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Composition signed by Serge Guerin (b. 1916), French oil painting on canvas, unframed size: 26 x 20 inches provenance: private collection, Paris, France condition: overall g...
Oil
Summer Showers, Abstract Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Shades of blue and turquoise create an impression of pelting rain and splashing puddles on a summer's day. Subtle accents of orange add warmth to the scene, whi...
Oil
5844 - Tall Original Figurative Abstract Artwork
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Blurring the distinction between figure and abstract settings, Swiss artist Edith Konrad’s spectral forms—human in shape—inhabit muted abstract environm...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
$478
Contemporary Abstract Impressionist Painting Small Format Art "Nature's echo"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
“Nature’s Echo” is a small-format abstract figurative contemporary landscape — but despite its intimate size, it immediately becomes a focal point in any space. Its vibrant colours a...
Canvas, Acrylic
$900
Catalyst for Consciousness - Flow Contemporary Abstract Showpiece Detail Lively
By Karnish Art
Located in Pretoria, Gauteng
Title: Catalyst for Consciousness Flow Contemporary Abstract Showpiece Bright Lively This series expresses our unity and our interconnectedness. We are dancing to a traverse tune ...
Oil, Acrylic
$6,000Sale Price|20% Off
Important and Large Antique American Abstract Expressionist Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Nicely painted mid century abstract oil painting by Ken Munowitz. Oil on canvas. Framed.
Canvas, Oil
Vintage American Thick Impasto Framed Abstract Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American abstract oil painting. Oil on board. Measuring: 14 by 15 inches overall and 12 x 13 inches painting alone. Framed in a white molding. Excellent condition, ready to...
Oil, Board
Colorful Hard Edge abstract painting from circa 1960
Located in Colfax, CA
A great hard edge abstract painting, possibly by Michiel Gloeckner. This work was purchased from Trinity Auctions. Trinity Auctions have handled many works by the artist, and some a...
Oil
Untitled #SP-206, Mixed Media on Paper by Murray Duncan - Abstract Geometric
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Untitled #SP-206 by Murray Duncan Mixed media on paper Size: 32" x 40” Unframed, signed A bold mixed-media work with dynamic lines and textures. This captivating piece by Murray D...
Paper, Oil Crayon, Acrylic
French Abstract Expressionist Oil on Canvas, Les Alliance au Crepuscule
Located in Cotignac, FR
French late 20th Century Abstract Expressionist oil on canvas by Abstrus. The painting is signed bottom right and signed titled and dated to the rear stretcher. Presented in a fine b...
Canvas, Oil
$24,000
"Challenge 16" - Energetic Abstract Expressionist in Blue, Red, Black, and White
Located in Carmel, CA
Masri Hayssam (Lebanese, born 1965) "Challenge 16" 2019 Oil paint, Acrylic paint, Mixed Media, Canvas, Stretcher Bars The artist signed the bottom right and the back of the painting....
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
$2,393Sale Price|20% Off
Unawarness. Gestural Abstraction, Purple, Oil painting, Polish artist
Located in Warsaw, PL
Contemporary purple abstract oil on canvas painting by Polish artist Piotr Butkiewicz. Composition consists of dynamic rounded shapes. Title of this painting is 'Unawareness'. Artwor...
Canvas, Oil
Earthen Embrace
Located in Zofingen, AG
This abstract artwork captivates with its dynamic interplay of colors and textures. Dominated by rich emerald greens, the painting features vibrant layers of azure, blush pink, and g...
Oil, Acrylic, Watercolor
diptych olive pink
By Vicki Sher
Located in Dallas, TX
acrylic on paper
Paper, Acrylic
$525
The Green Dress 19 - Minimalist Figurative Original Ink Painting on French Linen
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
$1,820Sale Price|20% Off
Antique American Modernist New England Maine Coastal Seascape Beach Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American modernist abstract oil painting of coastal New England. Oil on canvas. Signed. Framed.
Canvas, Oil
$16,500
"Abare" Jules Olitski, Color-Field, Abstract Expressionist, Gestural Painting
Located in New York, NY
Jules Olitski Abare, 1987 Signed and dated on the reverse Oil-based acrylic and water-based acrylic on plexiglass 44 3/4 x 23 5/8 inches Provenance The artist Andre Emmerich Gallery...
Plexiglass, Oil, Acrylic
$6,126Sale Price|20% Off
"A suspended moment" abstract acrylic vegetable wood panel 100x210cm 2019
Located in Saint Pol de Léon, Bretagne
abstract "A suspended moment" triptych acrylic vegetable wood panel 100x210cm a calm weather, a time to relax, to rejuvenate like a walk along the beach of sand and granite
Glue, Acrylic
$6,461
TN696-D by Hachiro Kanno - Calligraphy-based abstract diptych painting, red, ink
Located in Paris, FR
TN696-D is a unique diptych painting by Japanese contemporary artist Hachiro Kanno. The painting is made with ink and acrylic on canvas, dimensions are 70 × 100 cm (27.6 × 39.4 in). ...
Canvas, Ink, Acrylic
Five Lines With Dots
Located in Dallas, TX
ink & graphite on mulberry paper
Ink, Mulberry Paper, Graphite
$1,680Sale Price|20% Off
Birds flying high. Modern colorful abstract painting 100x100 cm
Located in Zofingen, AG
This abstract canvas unfolds as a kinetic reverberation of color, where swirling ribbons of violet, blue, and lavender spiral outward from a luminous center. The composition evokes b...
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.