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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
The Stand at Indian Wells

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,...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic Polymer, Ink, Acrylic

'Darnaud Abstract' by Maxime Darnaud, Oil on Canvas
'Darnaud Abstract' by Maxime Darnaud, Oil on Canvas

'Darnaud Abstract' by Maxime Darnaud, Oil on Canvas

Located in Oklahoma City, OK

This 26" x 34.5" oil on canvas painting was done in 1958 by French Postwar & Contemporary artist, Maxime Darnaud. Darnaud was born in 1931 and died in 2015. This painting is a modern...

Category

1950s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

SILENCIO #1 and #2 Diptych. Abstract painting on Canvas
SILENCIO #1 and #2 Diptych. Abstract painting on Canvas

SILENCIO #1 and #2 Diptych. Abstract painting on Canvas

By Alec Franco

Located in Miami Beach, FL

DNA is genetic information, hidden and encrypted in body fluids. Veiled data that we load, that we do not know and that someone knows how to decipher. Such specifications characteriz...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Charcoal, Acrylic, Oil Pastel

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

Erie Shore, Large Abstract Expressionist Mid-Century Modern geometric work
Erie Shore, Large Abstract Expressionist Mid-Century Modern geometric work

Erie Shore, Large Abstract Expressionist Mid-Century Modern geometric work

By Richard Andres

Located in Beachwood, OH

Richard Andres (American, 1927-2013) Erie Shore, c. 1975 acrylic on canvas signed lower right, signed and titled verso 50 x 72 inches Richard Andres was born in Buffalo, New York in 1927. A graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art in 1950, he was immediately drafted and served for two years in the army as a mural painter. He received his Master of Arts from Kent State in 1961. A frequent exhibitor at galleries and museums and winner of multiple May Show prizes, Andres taught art in the Cleveland Public Schools for 28 years, as well as teaching the University of Buffalo, the Cleveland Institute of Art and the Western Reserve University. Very little in Richard Andres’ childhood would have predicted his love of classical music, mid-century-modern architecture and certainly not his lifelong passion for art and in particular abstract art. Richard’s father, Raymond, had no more than a third-grade education, and his mother, Clara, was one of thirteen children – only three of whom lived into adulthood and none of whom attended high school. They lived, when Richard was a boy, in a dingy area of Buffalo, NY in a walk-up apartment situated above a tavern. Raymond and Clara supplemented the income from their factory jobs in the bar downstairs with Raymond playing ragtime on the piano and Clara serving drinks. This often left Richard and his two older brothers at home alone to fend for themselves. The two older boys, Raymond and Russell, were - unlike Richard- rather rough and tumble and entertained themselves with stickball, boxing and the like. Richard, on the other hand, from a very young age liked to draw, or better yet even, to paint with the small set of watercolors he received for Christmas one year. Paper, however, at the height of the depression, was hard to come by. Luckily, Clara used paper doilies as decoration for the apartment and Richard would contentedly paint and then cut up doilies, gluing the pieces together to create collages. At eight-years-old, he discovered the Albright-Knox Museum (then known as the Albright Art Gallery) and spent several hours a week there studying the paintings. He was particularly fond of Charles Burchfield‘s landscapes, enamored with their ‘messiness’ and thinking that they somehow captured more ‘feeling’ than works he was previously familiar with. For his tenth Christmas, he asked for and received a ‘how-to’ paint book by Elliot O’Hare. Through this self-teaching, he assembled the portfolio needed for acceptance to Buffalo Technical High School where he studied Advertising Arts. In his Junior year, he was encouraged to enter a watercolor painting, “Two Barns,” in the national 1944-45 Ingersoll Art Award Contest and was one of twelve grand prize winners – each one winning one hundred dollars. More importantly the painting was exhibited at the Carnegie Institute Galleries, which resulted in his winning a national scholarship to the Cleveland School of Art (The Cleveland Art Institute). He flourished at the art school under the tutelage of faculty members such as Carl Gaertner, as well as that of visiting artists such as William Sommer and Henry George Keller. He would say in later years that Gaertner, in particular, influenced his attitude toward life as well as art. “Gaertner,” Andres said, “believed that there was no need to be a ‘tortured artist’, that an artist should rather enjoy beauty, family, and life in general.” Free to spend his days as he chose, he wandered the Cleveland Art Museum for most of the hours he was not attending classes or painting; the remaining time was spent drinking coffee at a local hangout with art school friends – which is where he met fellow Henry Keller scholarship winner, Avis Johnson. Richard was immediately smitten with Avis, but being rather shy, it took him the entire summer of 1948 to build up his courage to ask her out. Over that summer he ‘thought about Avis’ and worked in a diner to save money. He also used the hundred-dollar prize money won in High School to visit the first Max Beckmann retrospective in the United States at the City Art Museum in St. Louis. Over a half century later he spoke of that exhibit with a reverence usually reserved for spiritual matters, “I walked in and it was like nothing I had ever seen before... the color...It just glowed.” Returning to campus in the Fall, the first thing he did was go to the coffee shop in hopes of finding Avis. He did, and she, upon seeing him, realized that she was also smitten with him. They quickly became known as ‘the couple’ on campus, and a year later, with Richard being drafted for the Korean war, they were quickly married by a Justice of the Peace, celebrating after with family at Avis’s Cleveland home. As a gift, faculty member John Paul Miller...

Category

1970s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Whisper
Whisper

Whisper

Located in Zofingen, AG

shipped in roll size of artwork 150x120 + 10 cm This work is about tenderness and strength, about the path, choice and movement. The river gently unfolds its flow through fields o...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Good Company: Mixed Media Painting, Maximalism, Colorful, 76x101 cm
Good Company: Mixed Media Painting, Maximalism, Colorful, 76x101 cm

Good Company: Mixed Media Painting, Maximalism, Colorful, 76x101 cm

By Karnish Art

Located in Pretoria, Gauteng

Title: Good Company - Amicus Maximalism Colorful Authentic Original Contemporary Intense Striking Love Friendship One-of-a-kind Amīcus - The Latin word meaning to befriend. To be ...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Charcoal, Oil, Acrylic, Gesso, Stretcher Bars, Spray Paint

Reef Dive, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Reef Dive, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

Reef Dive, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

By Jill English

Located in Yardley, PA

SIX PANELS: 20 X 20 inches X .25 inches deep per panel. Acrylic on low profile gallery wrapped canvas. The set looks great both vertically and horizontally. With 2 inches between pa...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Stories Uncovered (6)
Stories Uncovered (6)

Stories Uncovered (6)

Located in Columbia, MO

Stephen Gammell St. Paul, Minnesota Signed and dated recto. Stephen Gammell’s studio practice is rooted in an intuitive and deeply personal approach to mark-making. In Stories Unc...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Paper, Archival Ink, Watercolor, Panel

Other Realms- acrylic on canvas
Other Realms- acrylic on canvas

Other Realms- acrylic on canvas

Located in West Hollywood, CA

Nina is an artist, ceramist and colorist with 20 years of professional experience and a lifetime of art appreciation. Originally from Virginia and having traveled and lived extensive...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Abstract Surrealist Composition
Abstract Surrealist Composition

Abstract Surrealist Composition

Located in Astoria, NY

Domenick Capobianco (American, b. 1928), Abstract Surrealist Composition, Oil on Canvas, geometric rainbow motif and ball on string on a white ground, silhouette of a zoomorphic figu...

Category

Late 20th Century Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Untitled
Untitled

Erez YardeniUntitled, 2018

$4,450Sale Price|20% Off

Untitled

By Erez Yardeni

Located in London, GB

'Untitled' abstract composition, mixed media on soft board, Japanese ink, oil, pencil and gouache by Erez Yardeni (2018). Beautifully balanced, stunningly...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Ink, Oil, Gouache, Board, Pencil

“The Flower That Nourishes” Series: Flowers That Feed Us
“The Flower That Nourishes” Series: Flowers That Feed Us

“The Flower That Nourishes” Series: Flowers That Feed Us

Located in Zofingen, AG

The Flower That Nourishes” explores the connection between beauty and usefulness — the wisdom of nature we often forget. Nasturtium is a plant that nourishes and heals, yet remains a...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Ruz INDULGENCIA acrylic canvas painting
Ruz INDULGENCIA acrylic canvas painting

Ruz INDULGENCIA acrylic canvas painting

By Rafael Ruz

Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL

. Ruz. acrylic canvas painting Original artwork by Spanish artist Rafael Ruz. Acrylic on canvas in perfect condition. While contemplating the painting of Ruz, we are inclined to tal...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Green and pink by Olga Reiwald - Watercolor
Green and pink by Olga Reiwald - Watercolor

Green and pink by Olga Reiwald - Watercolor

Located in Geneva, CH

Work on paper White wooden frame with glass pane 44,5 x 52,7 x 1,5 cm

Category

Late 20th Century Abstract Paintings

Materials

Gouache

Northeast 88, abstract landscape oil painting with vibrant color
Northeast 88, abstract landscape oil painting with vibrant color

Northeast 88, abstract landscape oil painting with vibrant color

Located in Rockport, MA

Northeast 88 is a wonderful abstract landscape by Alison Cooley who was born in Washington, DC and studied at Sarah Lawrence College. Cooley’s atmospheric abstraction is simply beaut...

Category

Early 2000s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil, Panel

Square in square 6
Square in square 6

Square in square 6

Located in Zofingen, AG

An abstract canvas created with fluid acrylics, built around the rhythm of spirals and circular currents. Against a warm sand-gold ground, large swirling forms unfold in layers of tu...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

The Game, Abstract Expressionist, Blue Figural Work
The Game, Abstract Expressionist, Blue Figural Work

The Game, Abstract Expressionist, Blue Figural Work

By Joseph Glasco

Located in Beachwood, OH

Joseph Glasco (American, 1925–1996) The Game, 1961 Watercolor, gouache and colored ink impasto on board Signed and dated ’61 lower right 10.75 x 13.75 inches 14 x 17 inches, framed ...

Category

1960s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Ink, Watercolor, Gouache

Celadon Daydream - Framed Sculptural Abstract 3D Minimalist Landscape Painting
Celadon Daydream - Framed Sculptural Abstract 3D Minimalist Landscape Painting

Celadon Daydream - Framed Sculptural Abstract 3D Minimalist Landscape Painting

By Paul Kirley

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Abstract artist Paul Kirley crafts visual journeys that seamlessly intertwine individuals with their surroundings, evoking the ethereal nature of dreams. Blurring the boundaries betw...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Mixed Media, Acrylic

White Lotus Lithograph
White Lotus Lithograph

White Lotus Lithograph

By Hoi Lebadang

Located in Soquel, CA

White Lotus Lithograph A limited edition lithograph by listed artist Hoi Lebadang, (Vietnamese/French, 1922 – 2015). This print displays an ethereal lotus flower to center, known to ...

Category

1970s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Paper, Ink, Lithograph

A Landscape's Plan II, Abstract Oil Painting
A Landscape's Plan II, Abstract Oil Painting

A Landscape's Plan II, Abstract Oil Painting

By Ronda Waiksnis

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
With this painting, Ronda returned to the same composition as her piece "A Landscape's Plan," however, she mirrored the scene to study the changing lighting c...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil

"Flowers explosion"
"Flowers explosion"

"Flowers explosion"

Located in Edinburgh, GB

The series of flowers shows a classical motif with a subtle attention to the subtle movement and rhythm of the flora, with the help of paint, abstract vision and expressive handwriti...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Wood, Oil

signs, Painting, Oil on Canvas
signs, Painting, Oil on Canvas

signs, Painting, Oil on Canvas

By Marilina Marchica

Located in Yardley, PA

signs mixed media on canvas 50x50 cm 2019 :: Painting :: Abstract :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Hang: Yes :: ...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil

Aleksandar Bezinovic Geometric Abstraction Contemporary Black Green Minimalist
Aleksandar Bezinovic Geometric Abstraction Contemporary Black Green Minimalist

Aleksandar Bezinovic Geometric Abstraction Contemporary Black Green Minimalist

By Aleksandar Bezinovic

Located in Barcelona, Barcelona

The piece is signed by the artist on the reverse and includes a Certificate of Authenticity officially stamped by the gallery. Our gallery is committed to maintaining the highest standards of trust and professionalism for our collectors. Every artwork in our collection comes with a Certificate of Authenticity, guaranteeing its originality and provenance. We offer secure worldwide delivery to any address you specify, ensuring that your purchase arrives in pristine condition. If you require additional shipping options or a bespoke quote from our trusted network of carriers, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our team is here to help you find the best solutions for a smooth and secure delivery experience. Aleksandar...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic

Emerald Whispers - Art Deco Geometric Painting
Emerald Whispers - Art Deco Geometric Painting

Emerald Whispers - Art Deco Geometric Painting

Located in Boston, MA

Emerald Whispers 24.0 × 36.0 × 0.75, 5.0 lbs Acrylic paint Hand signed by the artist Artist's Commentary: ""Emerald Whispers" - A contemporary abstract that commands attention thr...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

Those Curves - Impasto Thick Paint Layered Texture Colorful Abstract Painting
Those Curves - Impasto Thick Paint Layered Texture Colorful Abstract Painting

Those Curves - Impasto Thick Paint Layered Texture Colorful 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...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Glitter, Mixed Media

Modern British 20th Century Colourful Abstract Painting - Geometric shapes
Modern British 20th Century Colourful Abstract Painting - Geometric shapes

Modern British 20th Century Colourful Abstract Painting - Geometric shapes

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Abstract Composition British School, monogrammed/ dated lower corner gouache painting on paper laid over card, unframed actual painting: 22 x 15.5 inches Superb - bold - and very co...

Category

Late 20th Century Abstract Paintings

Materials

Gouache

Vintage American Impressionist Signed Beach Scene Framed Original Oil Painting
Vintage American Impressionist Signed Beach Scene Framed Original Oil Painting

Vintage American Impressionist Signed Beach Scene Framed Original Oil Painting

Located in Buffalo, NY

Very nicely painted American impressionist beach scene. A nice summer view with a figure walking along the shore. Signed lower right illegibly. Framed handsomely in a wide gold gi...

Category

1960s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Fruity Ramen: Yang II - White on White Graffiti Textural Painting on Canvas
Fruity Ramen: Yang II - White on White Graffiti Textural Painting on Canvas

Fruity Ramen: Yang II - White on White Graffiti Textural Painting on Canvas

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Abstract minimalist artist Jason DeMeo creates artworks that work to serve as a meditation for the viewer, drawing them toward the timeless concepts of truth, beauty, and goodness. H...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic

Earthen Embrace
Earthen Embrace

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...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil, Acrylic, Watercolor

Large French Contemporary Modernist Abstract City Scape Futurist Oil Painting
Large French Contemporary Modernist Abstract City Scape Futurist Oil Painting

Large French Contemporary Modernist Abstract City Scape Futurist Oil Painting

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Abstract Composition signed by Jacqueline VERDET (French, 1931-2023) oil painting on canvas, framed framed: 20 x 20 inches canvas: 19.5 x 19.5 inches condition: the work is in overal...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Best Rooster Costume, Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting, 21st Century
Best Rooster Costume, Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting, 21st Century

Best Rooster Costume, Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting, 21st Century

Located in Mexico City, MX

Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting Mixed Media on Canvas 50 x 60 cm Signed About the artist Manu Jorquera (1986) is a Chilean visual artist whose work explores the mestizo popular ...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media

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.