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.
Mid Century French Geometric Abstract in Black White and Navy Signed SG
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Mid Century French Geometric Abstract in Black White and Navy Signed SG by Serge Guerin (b. 1916), French signed lower right “SG”, name stamped verso Acrylic and gouache on ar...
Ink, Acrylic, Gouache
$3,900Sale Price|56% Off
Light Thoughts, 2024 Mixed Media on Artist Board, Abstract Geometric Art
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Light Thoughts, 2024 Mix Media on artist board Size - 72" height x 84" width x 1.75" depth Signed Murray Duncan is a self-taught creative visionary. Know for his large-scale, expres...
Glaze, Oil Crayon, Acrylic
$3,876
Contemporary Minimalist Diptych Blue Abstract Painting Canvas by Tete Alurralde
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
The artwork is conceived as a diptych. The total dimensions of the two pieces together are 80 × 180 cm, with each individual work measuring 80 × 90 cm. The overall dimensions are cal...
Acrylic, Cotton Canvas
Vintage American Modernist Abstract Expressionist Large Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American modernist abstract oil painting. Oil on canvas. Provenance from a Sag Harbor, NY collection. Measuring: 24 by 36 inches overall. Excellent condition, ready to hang ...
Oil, Canvas
Venus - Ethereal Abstract Textural Floral Painting in Blush, Coral and Gold
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Drawing inspiration from an immersive and impressionistic interpretation of nature, Canadian artist Vé Boisvert paints textural original artworks that capture the fleeting effects of...
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,800Sale Price|20% Off
Figural Abstract Painting w/ Gears of an Engine, Ohio Artist
Located in Beachwood, OH
James Massena March (American, 1953-2021) Untitled Oil on canvas 30 x 48 inches "My paintings are about space, form and energy. I generally start ...
Oil
$3,100
Suluk/Wanderings No 48 - gestural, abstract, acrylic and pigment on canvas
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This gestural, abstract, acrylic and pigment on canvas is by Montreal-based artist Shireen Kamran. Early in her career, Shireen Kamran’s enigmatic artwork was influenced by famed ab...
Acrylic, Pigment
Abstract 1, Abstract Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Green, blue, and orange with black accents create a dynamic abstract composition. Scratches and marks add texture and energy. Artist Dorothy Gaziano used oil pa...
Oil
$610Sale Price|20% Off
Contemporary abstract expressionist woman's portrait on paper "Her eternity"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
“Her Eternity” is a contemporary abstract portrait by French artist Natalya Mougenot, created as part of her ongoing series honoring women and their inner, timeless worlds. In this w...
Paper, Acrylic
Vintage American Framed Abstract Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American abstract painting. Gouache on board. Measuring: 18 by 22 inches overall and 12 by 16 artwork alone. Framed in antique gilt wood frame. Excellent condition, ready to...
Board, Gouache
Muted Woodland Soft Abstract Landscape Painting Earth Tones by Federica Furbelli
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Federica Furbelli (1988, Varese, Italy) is a visual artist based in Mallorca whose practice centers on psychogeography, exploring drift, movement, and the relationship between nature...
Cotton Canvas, Oil
Enchanted - Meadow of Abundance, Abstract Floral Painting on Canvas, Unique
By Karnish Art
Located in Pretoria, Gauteng
Title: Enchanted - Meadow of Abundance and Stillness - In Pink Floral Flowers Abstract Unique Exclusive One-of-a-kind Striking Abundant Meadow Landscape Nature We all need to feel...
Acrylic
Abstract 2, Abstract Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Layers of colors and gestures define this abstract piece. Soft green, orange, and blue contrast with touches of black. Expressive scratches and marks bring text...
Oil
$3,406
l'Atelier en suspens, Abstract, Textured, Geometric, Contemporary, French art
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
In The Studio in Suspension, Sophie Dumont reimagines the atmosphere of a working artist’s studio, where canvases, color fields, and subtle objects appear to hover in a poised, quiet...
Oil
Untitled #542 by Murray Duncan - Contemporary Mixed Media on Paper
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Untitled #542 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...
Paper, Glaze, Oil Pastel, Acrylic
Still Life Interior
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Frederick Serger (1889-1965). Still Life, ca. 1950. Oil on gessoed paper mounted to illustration board. Image measures 16 x 17 inches. Framed measurement: 25.5 x 25.5 inches. ...
Paper, Oil
Mystique 7, blue, earthy, green, white, calm, atmospheric
Located in Cumming, GA
This abstract landscape radiates a sense of calm and renewal through its layered, atmospheric composition. A soft wash of aqua blue drifts across the canvas, suggesting open sky or...
Canvas, Acrylic
Golden Country: Abstract Impressionist Landscape
Located in Atlanta, GA
Georgia based artist Niyati Jiwani creates works that aim to fuse abstraction and themes of nature utilizing color, gesture, and light. Born in India, Niyati grew up with a flair an...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Ruz Gray and Black Diptych Very Big original abstract canvas acrylic
By Rafael Ruz
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
El brote- original abstract canvas diptic acrylic painting. virtual frame , Rafael (Barcelona 1956) While contemplating the painting of Ruz, we are inclined to talk about real ‘psyc...
Canvas, Acrylic
State of Blue
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Encaustic on panel. blue teal aqua white yellow orange navy Red green chartreuse It's simple; I create art because it makes me happy. I try not to overthink the process of what I...
Encaustic
$1,760Sale Price|20% Off
Zig Zag 16-3-1 - Original Colorful Oil Painting Patterned Stripes with Texture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
In Petra Rös-Nickel’s oil paintings playful, free forms along with compositional constructions develop into textures, referencing popular European design of the fifties and sixties, ...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
$12,500
"Pond With Lotus Flowers" Monet's Water Garden in Giverny Painting on Canvas
Located in New York, NY
From Monet's sanctuary in Giverny, we are transported effortlessly through bold brushwork and impasto paint. Alfaro diligently layers the canvas with acrylic paint creating a truly b...
Canvas, Acrylic
Abstract Oil Painting by Mirko Baricchi – Contemporary Color Field Composition
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Mirko Baricchi (born 1970) is an accomplished Italian painter who currently lives and works between Vicenza and La Spezia, regions located in Veneto and Liguria, Italy, respectively....
Cotton Canvas, Oil
Untitled (5)
Located in Columbia, MO
John von Wicht (German-American, 1888 - 1970) was a painter and printmaker whose abstract works evolved from European modernism to dynamic, expressionistic forms. Born in Holstein, G...
Paper, Oil
$415
Memory - Muted Color Impasto Inspired Textural Thick Paint 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, Acrylic
Self Heal - Original Framed Floral Artwork on Antique Botanical Book Page
By Lee Herring
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Lee Herring focuses his contemporary paintings on vibrant, textured, and abstract landscapes that convey fleeting moments. Herring's energetic artworks are inspired by everyday momen...
Paper, Mixed Media
Silence of the Animals, Abstract Oil Painting on Canvas, 95x80 cm
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
"The Silence of the Animals" is an original oil painting on canvas by Colombian artist Luis Xiua, known for blending figurative and abstract elements inspired by nature and pre-Hispa...
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Emotion: Abstract Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Unframed, 70x50 cm
Located in Zofingen, AG
An abstract composition is presented on the canvas, created using the fluid acrylic technique. The work is filled with a sense of movement and layered flow, where streams of paint fo...
Canvas, Acrylic
Internal Mythologies
Located in Dallas, TX
encaustic on paper
Paper, Encaustic
My Joyful Heart - Lively Colorful Abstract 3-D Painted Weaving
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...
Wire
Memory of blooming
Located in Zofingen, AG
This work appears as a fragment of a future archive, where not events are preserved, but states — tenderness, tension, and the fragility of life. The tulip petals unfold like layers ...
Canvas, Oil
Fountain of Life // Interior Water Abstract / blue ocean / sea, waves.
Located in Zofingen, AG
Water is a symbol of the fundamental principle of everything, it is the element from which everything on the Earth was born. Using the ThetaHealing technique The painting is fi...
Acrylic
$1,315Sale Price|30% Off
Large Geometric Abstract. 'Traces No.9 Pour une Archéologie du Présent.'
Located in Cotignac, FR
Large 1970s abstract geometric acrylic and oil on plywood panel signed Rivel and dated 1977 to the bottom left. The painting is titled to the rear of the panel. Numbers of colour fields in muted shades jostle against one another. It is the shapes and the space between them which give energy to the painting whilst the colour palette restrains. The painting is highly textured as the artist has applied the paint thickly and energetically with both palette knife and large brushstrokes. At times layers of paint reveal underlying colours. This painting fits perfectly into the abstract genre with its focus on its formal qualities over and above its subject matter. Furthermore the artist experiments with reconstructing shapes and rejecting three dimensional perspective. A fine example of non objective art...
Acrylic, Board
"Idelic Summer" Friedel Dzubas, Abstract Expressionist, Color Field, Orange
Located in New York, NY
Friedel Dzubas Idelic Summer, circa 1975 Signed, titled, and dated on the reverse Magna on canvas 31 x 72 inches Provenance The artist Andre Emmerich Gallery, New York Private Colle...
Canvas, Acrylic
The Guardians of Energy: Large Abstract Painting, Oil and Acrylic on Canvas
By Karnish Art
Located in Pretoria, Gauteng
Title: The Guardians of Energy (Abundant Energy) Energy Painting Abstract Abundant Contemporary Maximalism Bold Unique Contrast Fresh Revival Renewal Texture The Guardians of Ener...
Gesso, Wood, Pastel, Oil, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
Untitled (Abstract Expressionist Painting)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Jesse Redwin Bardin (1923-1997). Untitled, ca. 1960. Oil on canvas, 18 x 31 inches; 21.5 x 36.5 inches framed. Signed lower right. Provenance: Private collection, Philadelphia; F...
Canvas, Oil
Abstract Figures in Purple and Green - Original Mixed Media Piece
Located in Soquel, CA
Abstract Figures in Purple and Green - Original Mixed Media Piece Bright and colorful abstract by Jennie T. Rafton (American, b. 1925). Two figurative shapes stand in front of a blu...
Paper, Oil, Mixed Media
#269, 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
$6,700
Inscape 1 - Original Expressionist Mixed Media Cool Tone Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The paintings of Bruce Rubenstein seamlessly marry sophistication with affordability. His expressive abstract landscape artwork 'Inscape 1' features whimsical details and vibrant org...
Enamel
Love and Rage /// Contemporary Female Woman Abstract Expressionist Painting Art
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Margaux Halloran (American, 1999-) Title: "Love and Rage" *Monogram signed by Halloran lower right. It is also signed, dated, and titled on verso Year: 2021 Medium: Original ...
Canvas, Paint, Oil
Vintage American Modernist Framed Abstract Painting in Antique Italian Frame
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American modernist painting. Gouache on board. Signed. Framed. Measuring: 20 by 15 inches overall. Handsomely framed in an antique Italian frame. Excellent condition, read...
Oil, Gouache, Board
Reconstruction, Abstract Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Several shades of blue sweep across a lightly textured background. Bits of orange highlight the focal point, adding warmth to the composition. Sections of gray ...
Acrylic
$352
Floral painting "Summer Blooming Flowers in a Blue Vase" Mixed Media on Paper
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
Contemporary Floral Artwork – "Summer Blooming Flowers in a Blue Vase" – Mixed Media on Heavy-Weight Acid-Free Paper (21 × 29.5 cm / 8.3 × 11.6 in), Unframed “Summer Blooming Flowers in a Blue Vase” is a contemporary floral artwork by French artist Natalya Mougenot, created with a vibrant mix of watercolor and acrylic paints on heavy-weight professional acid-free paper. Measuring 21 × 29.5 cm (8.3 × 11.6 in), this one-of-a-kind original painting is sold unframed, giving you the freedom to frame it according to your taste and interior. The composition captures a lively bouquet bursting with color and texture. Flowers in shades of pink, purple, and luminous white are rendered with bold, gestural brushstrokes, creating movement, depth, and vibrancy. The blue-checkered vase...
Acrylic, Watercolor, Paper
French Impressionist Oil Painting Bright and Colourful Pansies
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Maggy Clarysse (1931-2011) Oil on board, unframed 8.75 x 10.75 inches Signed Initials ...
Oil
$1,790
Evening's Warmth by Gabriela Azar Schreiner. Contemporary abstract Painting
Located in Mentone, AU
This painting is unstretched and unframed. It will be carefully rolled and shipped in a tube. "Creating large-scale abstract paintings that evoke tranquility and presence in any spac...
Acrylic
Quiet Beauty in Nature, Abstract Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
This abstract painting invites quiet reflection, evoking the stillness of a misty landscape mirrored in calm waters. A gentle palette of greens and blues wash...
Oil
Abstract 5, Abstract Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Patches of cream, turquoise, and grey fill this abstract painting. Blue and orange accents, along with black lines, create contrast. Scratches and marks bring d...
Oil
Hidden Portraits I
Located in London, GB
'Hidden Portraits I', acrylic on canvas mounted on board, Florentine School (circa 1980s-90s). This gallery has acquired a number of paintings through an intermediary of an ageing ar...
Canvas, Acrylic
Self-Love is Luxury - Soft Abstract Floral Landscape Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Drawing inspiration from an immersive and impressionistic interpretation of nature, Canadian artist Vé Boisvert paints textural original artworks that capture the fleeting effects of...
Canvas, Acrylic
Midnight Blue Forest Landscape 20th Century British Abstract Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Midnight Blue Abstract by John Horwill, ARCA (British, 1927-1997) signed oil on canvas, framed framed: 15 x 19 inches canvas : 12 x 16 inches Provenance: private collection, the Cots...
Oil
"Wine-Tasting Holiday in Provence" Contemporary Expressionism Nature Leisure
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
Contemporary Oil Painting – Original Artwork on Stretched Canvas, Ready to Hang (60 × 50 × 1.5 cm / 23.6 × 19.7 × 0.6 in) – "Wine-Tasting Holiday in Provence" “Wine-Tasting Holiday ...
Canvas, Oil
Open Spaces, Abstract Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Soft whites and cool blues create a tranquil, expansive space. Accents of orange and fine linework bring contrast and gentle energy. Minimalist abstract forms i...
Acrylic
$185
3.8 #3 - Original Impasto Color Drenched Textured Paint Abstract 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
$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
French 20th Century Dual Bright Abstract Kitchen Scene Large Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Expressionist Composition by Gilbert Pelissier (French born 1924) signed oil painting on canvas, unframed inscribed verso canvas size: 35 x 46 inches condition: overall very...
Canvas, Oil
$450
"Doves for the Dorians I" (pink, green, white, Greek warrior. sword, painting)
Located in Paris, IDF
The Dorians played a significant role in the development of the Greek city-states during the Bronze Age -- and Doves are widely recognized as symbols of peace, primarily in the bibli...
Canvas, Dye, Oil, Acrylic
Bronze Table II
Located in Dallas, TX
Bronze & Steel Table
Bronze, Steel
Pink Cosmos Monotype Print, Abstract Art, 2023, Hand-Pulled by the Artist
By a.muse
Located in New york, NY
In the artist's abstract print series, Cosmos, 2023 by a.muse represents an imaginary cosmos - the universe as a place of longing, dreams, wonder, and ethereal beauty. A 13.75" x 11"...
Ink, Rag Paper, Monotype, Gouache
Paramount Ranch Oaks
Located in Pasadena, CA
Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist UNFRAMED: 14" x 18" FRAMED: 20.25" x 24.25" x 1.5" Signed "K Dempwolf" on lower right Artist Statement "This is a movie ranch whe...
Canvas, Oil, Board
$1,165Sale Price|20% Off
Textural Seascape Mixed-Media Wall Sculpture in Modeling Clay and Acrylic Blue
By Vera Vizzi
Located in FISTERRA, ES
Mixed-media wall sculpture in modeling clay and acrylic on wood, a textural seascape in intense blue tones where layered bas-relief waves open a perceptual passage across a circular ...
Enamel
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.