Abstract Paintings
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.
2010s Abstract Paintings
Spray Paint, Acrylic
Late 20th Century Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1960s Abstract Paintings
Oil, Panel
2010s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Doug Cosbie paints a summer pastoral scene with barns and farmhouses in the distance. "There are many old family farms west of Washington DC in the county of Fauquier," says Doug. He includes the Stars and Stripes barn found near Delaplane, VA. Vivid hues of blue and green color the breezy natural landscape.
About the Artist
Artist Doug Cosbie presents the vibrancy found in nature with his impressionist, rural architecture centered artwork. Longing to create something that connects with people, Cosbie spent countless years perfecting how he portrays the world on canvas. Within his journey, he studied as an apprentice in the studios of Sam Black and Jack Shadbolt. As a plein air artist, Doug's studio is a portable pochade box. He begins by finding a location that speaks to him, makes a sketch, and continues to add depth and dimension with oil on canvas. "Creativity when making art is not about interpreting exactly as you see it. New ideas are formed by interesting contrasts, and interesting paintings happen when things are out of place." In the rare cases when he is not painting, you can find him reading, traveling, sailing, and spending quality time with his family. Cosbie's creations have been showcased at galleries in Canada. He is an alumnus of Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Words that describe this painting: barns, farm, landscape, Virginia, USA, United States, summer, hills, structures, buildings, architecture, pastoral, rural, town, sky, oilpaint, travel, impressionism, architecture, impressionism, travel, oil painting, blue
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic, Ink, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Paintings
Oil, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Linen, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Oil, Acrylic
1980s Abstract Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Board, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Lisa Carney expresses a lush open field blanketed with blue and green flowers in this abstract composition. She uses a drip painting technique that con...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Abstract Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1940s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Linen, Spray Paint, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Ink, Paper
2010s Abstract Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Early 2000s Abstract Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
A man casts off from a dock in morning sunshine, his reflection softly distorted in the lapping water below. "The fisherman prefers catching fish early in the...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Oil
1960s Abstract Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Late 20th Century Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Paper, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Bronze
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
20th Century Abstract Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Early 2000s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic, Laid Paper
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1960s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1980s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Pastel, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Oil, Rag Paper
Late 20th Century Abstract Paintings
Oil
1960s Abstract Paintings
Ink
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Archival Pigment
1990s Abstract Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Charcoal, Cotton Canvas, Oil, Pencil, Pigment
2010s Abstract Paintings
Chalk, Acrylic, Carbon Pencil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1960s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Ink, Spray Paint, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic, Oil, Wood Panel
2010s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
20th Century Abstract Paintings
Oil
Abstract paintings for sale on 1stDibs.
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