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Abstract Paintings

ABSTRACT STYLE

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.

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Style: Abstract
Untitled #112 by Murray Duncan – Original Contemporary Mixed Media on Paper
Untitled #112 by Murray Duncan – Original Contemporary Mixed Media on Paper

Untitled #112 by Murray Duncan – Original Contemporary Mixed Media on Paper

By Murray Duncan 1

Located in Toronto, Ontario

Untitled #112 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 Dunc...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Glaze, Oil Crayon, Acrylic

Words Of A Story
Words Of A Story

Words Of A Story

By Lloyd Tabing

Located in Jönköping, SE

Keeping with my passion of nature, this collection focusses on the movement and structure of nature. Primarily that from trees. I am fascinated by trees and their amazing beauty. Co...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

ABACAB - Large Original Abstract Expressionism Colorful Mixed Media Painting
ABACAB - Large Original Abstract Expressionism Colorful Mixed Media Painting

ABACAB - Large Original Abstract Expressionism Colorful Mixed Media Painting

By Bruce Rubenstein

Located in Los Angeles, CA

The paintings of Bruce Rubenstein seamlessly marry sophistication with affordability. His original art merges the creative attitudes of the two distinct art hot spots of New York and...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Charcoal, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic

Balance Prusse Ultramarine Abstract Painting on Canvas Artist Gabriela Meunie
Balance Prusse Ultramarine Abstract Painting on Canvas Artist Gabriela Meunie

Balance Prusse Ultramarine Abstract Painting on Canvas Artist Gabriela Meunie

By Gabriela Meunie

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...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic, Pigment

“Lightride”
“Lightride”

“Lightride”

By Syd Solomon

Located in Southampton, NY

Here for your consideration is a great example of the artwork of the well known American artist, Syd Solomon. Signed top left. Titled and dated verso 1978. The painting is oil and acrylic paint on mounted synthetic canvas. Condition is excellent. Overall framed measurements are 44.75 by 24.5 inches. Provenance: A Sarasota, Florida collector. SYD SOLOMON BIOGRAPHY American 1917-2004 Written by Dr. Lisa Peters/Berry Campbell Gallery “Here, in simple English, is what Syd Solomon does: He meditates. He connects his hand and paintbrush to the deeper, quieter, more mysterious parts of his mind- and he paints pictures of what he sees and feels down there.” --Kurt Vonnegut Jr. from Palm Sunday, 1981 Syd Solomon was born near Uniontown, Pennsylvania, in 1917. He began painting in high school in Wilkes-Barre, where he was also a star football player. After high school, he worked in advertising and took classes at the Art Institute of Chicago. Before the attack on Pearl Harbor, he joined the war effort and was assigned to the First Camouflage Battalion, the 924th Engineer Aviation Regiment of the US Army. He used his artistic skills to create camouflage instruction manuals utilized throughout the Army. He married Ann Francine Cohen in late 1941. Soon thereafter, in early 1942, the couple moved to Fort Ord in California where he was sent to camouflage the coast to protect it from possible aerial bombings. Sent overseas in 1943, Solomon did aerial reconnaissance over Holland. Solomon was sent to Normandy early in the invasion where his camouflage designs provided protective concealment for the transport of supplies for men who had broken through the enemy line. Solomon was considered one of the best camoufleurs in the Army, receiving among other commendations, five bronze stars. Solomon often remarked that his camouflage experience during World War II influenced his ideas about abstract art. At the end of the War, he attended the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Because Solomon suffered frostbite during the Battle of the Bulge, he could not live in cold climates, so he and Annie chose to settle in Sarasota, Florida, after the War. Sarasota was home to the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, and soon Solomon became friends with Arthur Everett “Chick” Austin, Jr., the museum’s first Director. In the late 1940s, Solomon experimented with new synthetic media, the precursors to acrylic paints provided to him by chemist Guy Pascal, who was developing them. Victor D’Amico, the first Director of Education for the Museum of Modern Art, recognized Solomon as the first artist to use acrylic paint. His early experimentation with this medium as well as other media put him at the forefront of technical innovations in his generation. He was also one of the first artists to use aerosol sprays and combined them with resists, an innovation influenced by his camouflage experience. Solomon’s work began to be acknowledged nationally in 1952. He was included in American Watercolors, Drawings and Prints at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. From 1952–1962, Solomon’s work was discovered by the cognoscenti of the art world, including the Museum of Modern Art Curators, Dorothy C. Miller and Peter Selz, and the Whitney Museum of American Art’s Director, John I. H. Baur. He had his first solo show in New York at the Associated American Artists Gallery in 1955 with “Chick” Austin, Jr. writing the essay for the exhibition. In the summer of 1955, the Solomons visited East Hampton, New York, for the first time at the invitation of fellow artist David Budd...

Category

1970s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic, Board

French Expressionist Abstract 20th Century Oil Painting Blaze of Colors
French Expressionist Abstract 20th Century Oil Painting Blaze of Colors

French Expressionist Abstract 20th Century Oil Painting Blaze of Colors

By Andre Guillou

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Abstract Expressionist composition by Andre Guillou (French 1925-2017) signed oil on board stuck on board, mounted mount: 25.5 x 19.75 inches board: 19 x 13 inches provenance: the a...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil

Graphics. Magenta-black-gold
Graphics. Magenta-black-gold

Graphics. Magenta-black-gold

By Svetlana Saratova

Located in Zofingen, AG

The painting presents a dynamic abstract composition built from intersecting geometric shapes and rhythmic graphic elements. Wide diagonal bands and angular lines create a strong sen...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Sunlit Landscape 1 - Abstract Expressive Green and Yellow Ink Painting on Paper
Sunlit Landscape 1 - Abstract Expressive Green and Yellow Ink Painting on Paper

Sunlit Landscape 1 - Abstract Expressive Green and Yellow Ink Painting on Paper

By Bettina Mauel

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Bettina Mauel expresses dynamism and sensuality in her paintings: “I paint what I experience,” she articulates. “This includes landscapes, flowers, and people in motion, capturing th...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Linen, Ink, Mixed Media, Graphite

World Between the Layers No.1
World Between the Layers No.1

World Between the Layers No.1

By Aliona Koroliova

Located in Zofingen, AG

This piece explores the subtle interplay of light and shadow emerging between layers of textured forms. Transparent washes of black, grey, and olive tones create the sense of a hidde...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media

Colorful Abstract painting by Arnold Weber 1968
Colorful Abstract painting by Arnold Weber 1968

Colorful Abstract painting by Arnold Weber 1968

By Arnold Weber

Located in Long Island City, NY

Artist: Arnold Weber, American (1931 - 2010) Title: Colorful Abstract Year: 1968 Medium: Oil on Canvas, Signed, titled and dated l.l. Size: 32 x 44 in. (81.28 x 111.76 cm)

Category

1960s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil

Star Trek  - Large Original Abstract Painting Ready to Hang
Star Trek  - Large Original Abstract Painting Ready to Hang

Star Trek - Large Original Abstract Painting Ready to Hang

By Bruce Rubenstein

Located in Los Angeles, CA

The paintings of Bruce Rubenstein seamlessly marry sophistication with affordability. His original art merges the creative attitudes of the two distinct art hot spots of New York and Los Angeles. Rubenstein's work has a rigid edge and strong composition but maintains organic shapes and soft colors as well. His works have a character that brightens a space. His paintings pull from abstract expressionism and cubism but maintain a contemporary edge that strikes the viewer. His work seems collectively new and timeless at once. This large affordable one-of-a-kind 42 inch high by 66 inch wide and 1.5 inch deep artwork is a mixed media composition on canvas. It is stretched, wired, and ready to hang. This large abstract painting is signed by the artist on the front and back of the artwork. The sides are painted and it does not require framing. Free local Los Angeles area delivery. Affordable Continental U.S. and worldwide shipping available. Provenance: Artplex Gallery. A certificate of authenticity issued by the art gallery is included. While the artist has chosen to keep the price upon request, this captivating piece embodies both sophistication and exceptional value. Bruce Rubenstein specializes in large-scale artworks, using huge canvases to tell his stories. Born and raised in New York, he moved to Los Angeles in 1985. His mixed media artworks defy categorization, blending abstract forms and organic shapes with subtle hints of figures and symbols. Adrien Brody and Mickey Rourke are among Rubenstein’s collectors. Bruce Rubenstein’s artistic influences include artists from Joan Miró and Jean Arp to Gerhard Richter and Pablo Picasso. “He is an artist, and that means someone who cannot restrain the flow of ideas,” says author David Rodgers. “He is someone who they just burst out of, who cannot help but communicate, and who sees no reason to stop. He’s a man not limited by media to communicate the stories that he needs to (and must) tell, through any medium he feels necessary.” His works are represented by Artplex Gallery Los Angeles and have been exhibited and collected worldwide, including exhibitions in Austria and Israel. REPRESENTATION Artplex Gallery, Los Angeles, USA EXHIBITIONS 2023 Artplex Gallery, Los Angeles, CA Beijing Contemporary Art Expo Crossing Art Collective Beijing, China 2022 Shenzhen Art Fair, Shenzhen, China Westbund Art Fair, Shanghai, China MAC Fine Art, Power Painters, Delray, FL Westbund Art & Design, Shanghai, China (solo) Context Art Miami, Miami, FL (solo) Crossing Art Gallery, NYC, NY (solo) 2021 “Space Time Fragments,” Artspace Warehouse, Los Angeles, CA MAC Fine Art, Fort Lauderdale, FL MAC Fine Art, Jupiter, FL MAC Fine Art, Miami, FL (solo) 2020 MAC Fine Art, Fort Lauderdale, FL Wynwood Art Festival, Miami, FL Artspace Gallery, Los Angeles, CA MAC Fine Art, Fort Lauderdale, FL (solo) Gottling Gallery, Palm Springs, CA (solo) Castelli Art Space, Culver City, CA (solo) 2019 MAC Fine Art, Jupiter, FL Artspace Gallery, Los Angeles, CA Palm Springs Art Fair, Palm Springs, CA Glenn Dallas Gallery...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Charcoal, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic

Neutral Abstract Painting Contemporary Mixed Media on Canvas Textured Modern Art
Neutral Abstract Painting Contemporary Mixed Media on Canvas Textured Modern Art

Neutral Abstract Painting Contemporary Mixed Media on Canvas Textured Modern Art

By Melissa Payne Baker

Located in Atlanta, GA

Redamancy by Melissa Payne Baker is a contemporary abstract painting featuring layered mixed media on canvas and a sophisticated, neutral palette. Soft whites, muted blues, earthy oc...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media

Painting Animal Horse Abstract Nature Floral Unique Original Figurative Invest
Painting Animal Horse Abstract Nature Floral Unique Original Figurative Invest

Painting Animal Horse Abstract Nature Floral Unique Original Figurative Invest

By Karnish Art

Located in Pretoria, Gauteng

Title: Free Spirit Painting Animal Horse Abstract Nature Floral Unique Original Bold Delight Invest Mixed Media One-of-a-kind This strikingly beautiful artwork by Karnish, depicts...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Gesso, Canvas, Wood, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars, Mixed Media

Abstract Expressionist Painting American Late 1960's Mid Century Black White
Abstract Expressionist Painting American Late 1960's Mid Century Black White

Abstract Expressionist Painting American Late 1960's Mid Century Black White

Located in Buffalo, NY

Mid Century Modern, American Abstract Expressionist Painting on artist board. This lively action painting has wonderful interjections of color within the predominantly black and whi...

Category

1960s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Masonite, Acrylic

Three Trees

Three Trees

By Elizabeth Higgins

Located in Greenwich, CT

Elizabeth Higgins Biography b. 1960 Elizabeth Higgins describes herself as an abstract figurative and landscape painter. Everything around her serves as a potential subject, an insp...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil, Board

Woman Ritual Bathing of Feet (Navaho Native American painting)
Woman Ritual Bathing of Feet (Navaho Native American painting)

Woman Ritual Bathing of Feet (Navaho Native American painting)

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Beatien Yazz (1929-20120. Navaho Woman Ritual Bathing of Feet, 1955. Gouache on paper, sheet measures 13 x 17 inches. Framed measurement: 20 x 24 inches. Signed and dated lower r...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Paintings

Materials

Paper, Gouache

Contemporary French Abstract Painting Signed Original Work
Contemporary French Abstract Painting Signed Original Work

Contemporary French Abstract Painting Signed Original Work

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

French contemporary artist, signed & inscribed verso oil painting on board, unframed board: 7 x 6 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: very good and sound condit...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil

Colourful Modern British Blue Bell Forest Landscape Symbolist Painting
Colourful Modern British Blue Bell Forest Landscape Symbolist Painting

Colourful Modern British Blue Bell Forest Landscape Symbolist Painting

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Contemporary British artist, 21st century oil on board, unframed size: 20 x 30 inches This came from a private collection of artworks by the artist, a few of which are signed 'Andrew...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil

Early Morning - Vibrant Abstract Expressionist Painting, Signed Layton
Early Morning - Vibrant Abstract Expressionist Painting, Signed Layton

Early Morning - Vibrant Abstract Expressionist Painting, Signed Layton

Located in Soquel, CA

Early Morning - Vibrant Abstract Expressionist Painting, Signed Layton Bold abstract expressionist painting by signed by unknown artist, Layton, circa 2000. Large swirling shapes b...

Category

Early 2000s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Incremental Light (Green Light) (Abstract Painting)
Incremental Light (Green Light) (Abstract Painting)

Incremental Light (Green Light) (Abstract Painting)

By Andy Harwood

Located in London, GB

This work will be shipped rolled. Andy Harwood (b. 1983) is a prominent Australian abstract artist whose work explores the intersection of mathematical precision and the sensory me...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Untitled #502, Mixed Media on Paper by Murray Duncan - Abstract Geometric Modern
Untitled #502, Mixed Media on Paper by Murray Duncan - Abstract Geometric Modern

Untitled #502, Mixed Media on Paper by Murray Duncan - Abstract Geometric Modern

By Murray Duncan 1

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...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Glaze, Oil Crayon, Acrylic

When I Dream, Abstract Oil Painting
When I Dream, Abstract Oil Painting

When I Dream, Abstract Oil Painting

By Jenn Williamson

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Artist Jenn Williamson presents an ethereal landscape that conveys a message of optimism and love. "I seek to inspire others to reflect upon the beauty that s...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil

"An Archbishop of the Cloudworks" Abstract
"An Archbishop of the Cloudworks" Abstract

"An Archbishop of the Cloudworks" Abstract

By Les Anderson

Located in Soquel, CA

Colorful abstract oil painting on canvas by Les (Leslie Luverne) Anderson (American, 1928-2009). From the estate of Les Anderson in Monterey, California. Unframed. Titled "An Archbis...

Category

1970s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil, Masonite

Articulate 6, contemporary abstract, neutral, seafoam, tan, white 24x24 inches
Articulate 6, contemporary abstract, neutral, seafoam, tan, white 24x24 inches

Articulate 6, contemporary abstract, neutral, seafoam, tan, white 24x24 inches

By Juanita Bellavance

Located in Cumming, GA

“Articulate 6” 24 x 24 inches is a one-of-a-kind original non-objective abstract painting by Juanita Bellavance. In this spontaneous expressive abstract piece, Juanita created an e...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

CINTRA. Mixed media Abstract painting on Canvas
CINTRA. Mixed media Abstract painting on Canvas

CINTRA. 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...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic

Original 1970's French Abstract Composition with Dense Geometric Patterns
Original 1970's French Abstract Composition with Dense Geometric Patterns

Original 1970's French Abstract Composition with Dense Geometric Patterns

By Claude Lagouche

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Artist: Claude Lagouche (French 1943-2020) Claude Lagouche was born January 2, 1943 in Naves, died January 16, 2020. He quickly gained recognition for his talent and his work, exh...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Paintings

Materials

Ballpoint Pen

Turquoise turtle in gold
Turquoise turtle in gold

Turquoise turtle in gold

By Svetlana Saratova

Located in Zofingen, AG

The painting is created in a mixed media technique using gold leaf. The central image of the composition is a sea turtle — a symbol of harmony, wisdom, and tranquility. The turtle’s...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Mixed Media

Geometric Abstraction
Geometric Abstraction

Geometric Abstraction

Located in Myrtle Beach, SC

A unique, beautifully composed, large-scale geometric abstraction encaustic, with fresh colors, on fibrous buff, wove paper; the image extending ...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Paintings

Materials

Encaustic

Dreamer nude
Dreamer nude

Anastasia AureumDreamer nude

$5,321Sale Price|24% Off

Dreamer nude

By Anastasia Aureum

Located in London, London

"Runing in sleep" 100x80cm acrylic on canvas by Anastasia Aureum London,UK, 2026 hand signed one of a kind certificate of authenticity About the artist: Collectors highly rega...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil, Acrylic, Canvas

Dynamic Interplay, Abstract Oil Painting
Dynamic Interplay, Abstract Oil Painting

Dynamic Interplay, Abstract Oil Painting

By Heidi Hybl

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Artist Heidi Hybl, a student of Japanese aesthetics, painted this abstract piece to create a calligraphic gesture. As with most nonrepresentational paintings, H...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil

Ann Shogren

Ann Shogren

By Ann Shogren

Located in Napa, CA

Abstract expressionist Ann Shogren depicts vivid landscapes and paints tapestries of colors that have simultaneously calming and rejuvenating effects on her audiences. Having lived i...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Consider It Done, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Consider It Done, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

Consider It Done, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

By Hal Mayforth

Located in Yardley, PA

Bold abstract brush strokes combined with hard edged abstraction. Initial brushstrokes evident through subsequent layers, giving the finished picture surface energy. Passages of unsa...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Abstract paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Abstract paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add paintings created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, purple, orange, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Giorgio Lo Fermo, Sumit Mehndiratta, Nestor Toro, and Cindy Shaoul. Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Synthetic Resin Paint and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Abstract paintings, so small editions measuring 0.1 inches across are also available.