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.
$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
$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
Mid Century French Black and White Geometric Abstract Composition
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Mid Century French Black and White Geometric Abstract Composition by Serge Guerin (b. 1916), French Acrylic and gouache on black artists paper, unframed Size: 25.75 (height) x...
Ink, Acrylic, Gouache
Graphics. Magenta-black-gold
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...
Canvas, Acrylic
Abstract Expressionist Gouache Oil Painting on Paper John Von Wicht WPA Artist
Located in Surfside, FL
John von Wicht (German American, 1888-1970) Hand signed lower right Oil and media painting on Japan paper Dimensions: 17 X 24 inches Johannes Von Wicht was born in Holstein, Germa...
Oil, Gouache, Archival Paper
Untitled #SP-207, Mixed Media on Paper by Murray Duncan - Abstract Geometric
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Untitled #SP-207 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
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
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
$2,256Sale Price|20% Off
White Landscape Unique Abstract Landscape, Marilina Marchica 2025 Made in Italy
Located in Agrigento, AG
White Landscape is an original artwork by Marilina Marchica, created in 2025. This abstract and minimalist landscape evokes a silent and contemplative horizon, blending the painterly...
Canvas, Oil
$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
Zachary
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Prolific and polemic, William Ronald (1926-1998) is one of the most accomplished and collected artists associated with the Painters Eleven group. Frustrated by the lack of represen...
Oil, Acrylic
“Autumn Garden”
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Autumn Garden” Presence gives way to tone. Space is condensed into an inner sensation. Color retains warmth, depth, and emotion. This is a garden distilled to its essence, a quiet ...
Canvas, Oil
$872Sale Price|20% Off
Original-Jardin d'Hiver-Cloud Dahlias in Blue-British Awarded Artist-Impasto
Located in London, GB
Jardin d'Hiver Series is Shizico Yi's latest collection, created in her winter studio with an expensive window view to the winter clouds while longing for the summer left behind. Ref...
Gesso, Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$1,318Sale 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
Fils I Colors DCXX - Colorful Abstract Contemporary Art on Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Barcelona native artist Raul de la Torre's vibrant abstract mixed media artworks pay homage to textiles. De La Torre allows the materials to take over during the process and collabor...
Thread, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Paper
$1,350
"Once Verdant" (flora, abstract, roses, blush, pink, green, dye, antique linen)
Located in Paris, IDF
ONCE VERDANT 2024 Paris, France This enchanting painting portrays the artist's vision of an abstracted, organic floral pattern. The floral shapes and shadows allude to traces of a ...
Linen, Dye, Oil
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
Surreal Octopus Painting, Oil on Canvas, Signed, 1959, 36"x24.5" NYC Artist
Located in Arp, TX
GJ Rogers Surreal Octopus 1959 Oil on Canvas 36"x24.5" Signed and dated in paint lower right George Jay Rogers was born in Yonkers, New York on June...
Canvas, 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
Helter Skelter - Large Contemporary Cubist Terracotta Orange Oil Painting Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Harrison Gilman graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. In 2018 his artworks were exhibited at the We Rise Art Fair in Los Angeles alongside Shepard Fairey ...
Canvas, 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
Capriccio #2 - painting, acrylic on panel
Located in Bloomfield, ON
In this expressive work by modernist Burton Kramer multi-coloured geometric shapes appear to dance rhythmically across the canvas. A capriccio is a short, lively, free-form piece of ...
Acrylic, Wood Panel
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
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
$529
Contemporary abstract expressionist human portrait on canvas "Identity within"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
“Identity Within” – a metamodern reflection on inner truth, duality, and the human journey toward authentic selfhood “Identity Within” is a powerful and introspective portrait in wh...
Canvas, Acrylic
Écru Oil Painting on Canvas, Textured Abstract Library Scene, Signed
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Écru Oil on canvas 19.7 × 19.7 in — unframed 22.4 × 22.4 in — framed American-style floating frame, available in natural wood or black In Écru, Sophie Dumont presents a pared-down ...
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
$3,884
Contemporary Minimalist Earth Tones Abstract Painting Canvas Tete Alurralde
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, Acrylic, Pigment
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
$613Sale 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
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
$11,500
Golden Moments - Large Original Abstract Expressionism Painting on Canvas
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...
Canvas, Charcoal, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, 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
Bronze Table II
Located in Dallas, TX
Bronze & Steel Table
Bronze, Steel
$8,945
Atmospheric Landscape Abstraction Nature — Federica Furbelli, Oil on Canvas
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
$1,167Sale 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
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
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
$4,943
Untitled XXV (Abstract, medium size) by Ferle - Abstract painting, lines, brown
By Elvire Ferle
Located in Paris, FR
Untitled XXV (Abstract, medium size) 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 sig...
Canvas, Oil
Gold in magenta. Abstraction
Located in Zofingen, AG
The work is created in the fluid art technique using acrylic on canvas. The composition is built on the intense interaction of saturated pink, coral, and crimson tones, complemented ...
Canvas, 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
8.19 #4 - Impasto Expressive Muted Color Abstract Acrylic Painting 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
Systems #3 - modern, contemporary, abstract, acrylic on canvas
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This contemporary abstract painting by Milly Ristvedt is expressed in geometric form. The power of pure colour and minimal form is masterfully displayed in this abstract painting by...
Canvas, Acrylic
$645
Plants in Pottery Pots - Original Abstract Colorful 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
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
$14,006
Rose Madone — Large Neutral Abstract Minimal Earth Diptych on Canvas (Set of 2)
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Onirisme organique (Diptych), 146 × 114 cm each panel, Acrylic on raw canvas. Total size of the two panels: 146 × 228 cm. At Escat Gallery, we are committed to maintaining the highe...
Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Pigment
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
Impressionist seascape nature painting paper "Dreaming of the south of France"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This contemporary seaside landscape, infused with the spirit of Impressionism and a hint of Expressionism, is part of my ongoing series celebrating the essence of summer. Titled "Dre...
Paper, Oil
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
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
Spring. Awakening
Located in Zofingen, AG
shipped in roll “Spring. Awakening” reflects the first quiet shift of the season — a moment when light, color, and space begin to open. Soft layers of pale tones, subtle pinks, and g...
Canvas, Acrylic
Abstract Expressionist impressionist portrait of a woman on paper "Unbreakable"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This contemporary abstract expressive portrait, Unbreakable, was created in 2025 by French artist Natalya Mougenot in her studio in Lyon, France. It presents a faceless woman rendere...
Paper, Acrylic
Holy Split II Mixed Media Painting on Canvas, Abstract Landscape, 2026
Located in Paris, IDF
HOLY SPLIT II 2026 Paris, France HOLY SPLIT II is an ethereal mixed medium painting on canvas depicting a surreal dreamlike rift in a serene landscape. Abstract fuchsia forms sugges...
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic, Pencil
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
Modern Abstract Black White Nature Oil Painting on Paper "Under the Maltese sun"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This painting "Under the Maltese sun" , created by French artist Natalya Mougenot, is part of her Nature series. Completed in the summer of 2023, it reflects the artist’s desire to c...
Oil, Paper
$22,500
Saturday on Wednesday, Large Abstract Expressionist Acrylic Painting, 20th C.
Located in Beachwood, OH
Richard Andres (American, 1927–2013) Saturday on Wednesday, c. 1975 acrylic on canvas signed lower right, signed and titled verso 48.5 x 62.5 inches Richard Andres was born in Buff...
Acrylic
Abstract 2562
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this piece, I let emotions flow freely through sweeping layers of soft blues and warm beiges, blending impressionistic textures with abstract forms. The contrasts evoke a serene y...
Oil, Acrylic
Mid Century French Geometric Abstract in Multicolour Gouache on Paper
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Mid Century French Geometric Abstract in Multicolour Gouache on Paper by Serge Guerin (b. 1916), French Signed with initials bottom right and name stamped verso Gouache and in...
Ink, Gouache
Sunsets on the Hudson (Abstract Painting in Blue, Pink and Metallic Gold)
By Bruce Murphy
Located in Hudson, NY
Sunsets on the Hudson (Abstract Painting in Blue, Pink and Metallic Gold), 2019 by Bruce Murphy 38 x 42 inches, unframed, enamel paint on archival paper Signed, verso This gestural ...
Enamel
$185Sale Price|28% Off
Shoreline No 2 - Abstract Oil on Paper, Framed, Circa 1975
Located in Bournemouth, Dorset
George Dannatt (1915-2009) Shoreline No 2 - White, Grey, Pink 1975 Oil on paper Image: 7.60 x 22.5 cm Frame: 31.7 x 36.2 cm Provenance: The George and Ann Dannatt Estate, Th...
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.