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
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Metal
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
1960s Abstract Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel, Graphite
1970s Abstract Paintings
Linen, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Movement and texture fill this abstract composition, with swirling patterns evoking a sense of fluidity. The expressive strokes and earthy tones create an ene...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Acrylic, Cardboard
1990s Abstract Paintings
Gesso, Canvas, Cotton, Paint, Varnish, Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, ...
1970s Abstract Paintings
Watercolor, Archival Paper
2010s Abstract Paintings
Oil, Wood Panel
2010s Abstract Paintings
Silk, Dye, Acrylic, Wood Panel, Pigment
1970s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Clay, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1950s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Dorothy Gaziano explores a spectrum of hues, prominently featuring shades of blue and green, complemented by accents of ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Ink, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Enamel
2010s Abstract Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Wax, Encaustic, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
1990s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Early 20th Century Abstract Paintings
Wood, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Paper
Mid-20th Century Abstract Paintings
Oil
1960s Abstract Paintings
Oil, Canvas
1980s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Jenn Williamson is an intuitive painter. In her work, she responds to her feelings and the way she is growing or changing to become a better human being. She loves to nurture and inspire others in their journey. And creativity has been at the core of how she processes situations and experiences. "I painted this during a season where I was focused on nurturing my spiritual and emotional sides," says Jenn. "Rather than being driven to succeed and produce results to feel valued, I find great strength in meditation."
About the Artist
Jenn Williamson expertly evokes the scenery of British Columbia in her soft abstract landscapes. She utilizes defining horizontal and vertical strokes, coupled with a skillful handling of color, to create significant depth in each piece. Her paintings, though abstracted, clearly convey the atmospheric attributes of the scene–rain, wind, clouds, fog. Jenn’s muted color palette transports the viewer to the Canadian west coast...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Late 20th Century Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Pigment
1970s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
1960s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas
20th Century Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Janet Dyer captures a verdant meadow on a cloudy day in a delightful palette of varied greens interjected with bright orange. The sky is finished off w...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
1950s Abstract Paintings
Linen, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Mixed Media, Oil, Archival Paper
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Pigment, Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Glaze, Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Carbon Pencil
1940s Abstract Paintings
Oil
Early 2000s Abstract Paintings
Cardboard, Oil Pastel, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
1970s Abstract Paintings
Paper, Charcoal, Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Wood, Ink, Mixed Media, Watercolor
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Resin, Cotton Canvas, Pigment