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.
$985Sale Price|20% Off
20th Century French Geometric Abstract Surrealist Composition Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Composition by Serge Guerin (b. 1916), French oil painting on board, framed framed: 24 x 30 inches board: 19 x 25.5 inches provenance: private collection, Paris, France con...
Oil
Chanson - large, colourful, gestural abstract, acrylic on canvas
Located in Bloomfield, ON
Harold Feist’s gloriously colorful acrylic abstract painting called Chanson radiates joy. Known for his innovative color field work, Feist has chosen a bright rainbow palette in broa...
Canvas, Acrylic
Ballet Dancers Theatre Stage Study Charcoal Drawing Mid Century Figurative
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Ballet Dancers Theatre Stage Study Charcoal Drawing Mid Century Figurative Medium: charcoal and white chalk on toned paper unframed image size: 8.75 x 11.75 inches (height x w...
Chalk, Charcoal
$15,000Sale Price|20% Off
Abstract Landscape, large mid-century green painting, COBRA art movement
Located in Beachwood, OH
Erik Ortvad (Danish, 1917 - 2008) Abstract Landscape, 1946 Oil on canvas Signed and dated lower right 32 X 37.5 inches 35 x 40.5 inches, framed Born in 1917 in Copenhagen, Erik Ortvad was a surrealist painter and a founding member of the COBRA art...
Oil
$4,200
Turnabout: Abstract Geometric 3D Wooden Wall Sculpture in Green, Grey & Beige
Located in Hudson, NY
Abstract geometric three-dimensional wood wall sculpture in bright pastel hues of sage green, light grey, and beige "Turnabout", hand-carved wooden wall sculpture by Hudson Valley ar...
Wood, Dye, Acrylic, Wood Panel
$1,880Sale Price|20% Off
Large Scale Ocean Seascape Abstract Monoprint - Acrylic and Pastel on Paper
Located in Soquel, CA
Large Scale Ocean Seascape Abstract Monoprint - Acrylic and Pastel on Paper A dynamic large-scale vintage abstracted seascape Monoprint by Dennis Frings...
Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Paper
Renaissance
By Marina Stern
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This work is part of our exhibition Marina Stern Luminary, the first retrospective of the artist since 2007. Marina Stern was a multifaceted New York-based artist whose works ranged...
Canvas, Oil
$108Sale Price|20% Off
French Expressionist Abstract Original Painting Artists Studio Provenance
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Expressionist Composition by Jacques COULAIS (1955-2011) gouache painting on paper/ card unframed: 8.5 x 5.75inches condition: excellent provenance: all the paintings we hav...
Oil
Every Which Way, Abstract Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Dorothy Gaziano builds layers of orange and cream over deep blues and black using oil paint and cold wax. The interplay of light and dark draws the viewer in,...
Oil
Going: Abstract Mixed Media on Wood Panel, Framed, 91.4x76.2 cm
Located in BARCELONA, ES
Stephen identifies the delicate texture and beauty of the natural oxidation process. Oftentimes a found object initiates his work: By incorporating an object directly, imprinting, or...
Mixed Media, Wood, Wood Panel
Mid-Century French Abstract Expressionist Oil on Canvas.
Located in Cotignac, FR
A large mid-century French abstract expressionist oil and acrylic on canvas by Jean-Louis Ladislas. Signed and dated 69 to the reverse. Presented in a slim baton wood frame. A highl...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$1,871Sale Price|20% Off
Abstract 2559
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this piece, I poured my emotions through textured acrylic strokes, blending soft pastels with bold contrasts. It captures the delicate balance between chaos and calm, inviting a c...
Oil, Acrylic
Conversation, Abstract Painting on Canvas, Contemporary, Framing Available
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
In Conversation, Sophie Dumont constructs a rhythmic composition in which elongated vertical forms, curves and circles appear to enter into a silent dialogue. The shapes evoke figure...
Oil
Original-Primary Blue-Sunlit Series-Gold Leaf-British Awarded Artist
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
Primary Colour Series- Blue is Shizico Yi's on going project, inspired by Japanese woodblock Print and the a nod to calligraphy tradition. The series is a continuation of her "Sunli...
Gold Leaf
$2,735Sale Price|20% Off
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
"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
$1,945
Pelerinage aux Sources, Abstract Impressionist Oil on Canvas, 1960s
By Jean-Theobald Jacus
Located in North Clarendon, VT
A fantastic oil on canvas by French mid century artist Jean Théobald Jacus. Pelerinage aux Sources is vivid, bold, and iconic. This painting is lik...
Oil
Collage on Canvas “PDP393ct09” 33 x 44.25
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
signed verso, custom framed and ready to hang Cecil Touchon Born 1956 Austin, Texas is a contemporary American collage artist, painter, published poet and theorist living in Pagosa ...
Acrylic
Beautiful, Wild Peace - Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Abstract, 48in x 60in
By Mario Angel
Located in Mississauga, CA
"Beautiful, Wild Peace" breaks completely away from classic representation, splitting a vibrant, natural environment into a hypnotic, dreamlike vista of fluid, organic contours and u...
Canvas, Acrylic
$481
Mid Century French Abstract Expressionist Black Ink Gestural Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Mid Century French Abstract Expressionist Black Ink Gestural Painting Medium: Black ink/ gouache painting on paper, unframed French, circa 1950's Size: 25.75 inches x 19.75 (h...
Paper, Ink, Gouache
$165Sale Price|20% Off
Exotic French Impressionist Oil Painting Bridge and Palm Trees.
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Maggy Clarysse (1931-2011) Oil on board, unframed 10.75 x 8.75 inches Signed co...
Oil
Xavi Carbonell, Untitled mixed media on canvas framed, 2025
Located in New York, NY
Vibrant, chaotic, and irresistibly fun — this piece explodes with color and imagination. Whimsical figures and spontaneous gestures fill the canvas with energy, humor, and emotion. I...
Alabaster
$108Sale Price|20% Off
French Expressionist Abstract Original Painting Artists Studio Provenance
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Expressionist Composition by Jacques COULAIS (1955-2011) gouache painting on paper/ card unframed: 19.5 x 13 inches condition: excellent provenance: all the paintings we hav...
Oil
$1,061Sale Price|50% Off
Large Vintage Abstract Oil Painting on Canvas from the 1980's
Located in AIGNAN, FR
Abstract oil painting on canvas signed on the back and dated 1988. A very attractive modern vintage abstract that is easy on the eye and yet significant to its surroundings. Here, ...
Oil
$23,600Sale Price|20% Off
Composition, Basket Series, Dale Chihuly
By Dale Chihuly
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Dale Chihuly (1941) Title: Composition, Basket Series Year: 1985 Medium: Acrylic on Arches Aquarelle paper Size: 42 x 30 inches Inscription: Signed and dated by the artist No...
Acrylic
Forgotten melody 150x200cm, Extra Large Abstract Violet Painting Interior Design
Located in Zofingen, AG
This extra-large artwork is made with acrylic on canvas. UV protection varnish. Inspired by the Very Peri color and abstract elements with fantasy lettering. The artwork and the com...
Canvas, Acrylic, Permanent Marker
Glacial Reveries
Located in Dallas, TX
encaustic on paper
Paper, Encaustic
Ruz Square Lo inefable original abstract acrylic canvas painting
By Rafael Ruz
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
original abstract acrylic canvas painting Original work by the Spanish painter Rafael RUZ. Acrylic on canvas . Perfect state RUZ, Rafael (Barcelona 1956) While contemplating the pai...
Canvas, Acrylic
$10,000
Dante's Summer - Vibrant Red Orange Atmospheric Abstract Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Mark Acetelli’s oil and mixed media paintings awaken the viewer’s sense of exploration and adventure; they demand a new discovery. His artworks exhibit a chemistry of complexity and ...
Canvas, Oil
Number 12 Acrylic on Canvas, Contemporary Abstract Expressionism
Located in Roma, IT
Alfredo Pizzi, “Number 12” Acrylic on Canvas Medium Scale Contemporary Abstract Expressionism Exploding with dynamic energy and vivid emotion, Number 12 is a striking original wor...
Acrylic
Attempt at Harmony Abstract Painting, Mixed Media, Ochre Tones, 88cm
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
"Attempt at Harmony" is an abstract painting distinguished by its texture and intertwined layers of color. Dominated by ochre tones, the piece is complemented by flashes of blue, pur...
Acrylic, Oil, Cotton Canvas
$2,146Sale Price|35% Off
Mid Century French Figurative Painting Boys in Blue Oil on Board Signed
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist: French School, mid 20th century Medium: Oil on board Size (framed): 34.5 x 23 inches Frame: Framed Signature: Signed lower right (indistinct) Condition: Good condition Descr...
Oil
The Unfurling - Abstract Colorful Landscape Ink Painting on Archival Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Max Naylor’s “The Unfurling” draws the viewer into a richly imagined botanical world, where curling ferns, glowing flowers, and layered foliage seem to open across the paper in every...
Cotton, India Ink, Archival Paper
Where Endings Begin, nature, expressionism, joan mitchell, contemporary
By Lloyd Tabing
Located in Jönköping, SE
This painting is from my series titled "The Untethered Soul." This series delves into the transformative power of nature, capturing the essence of what one feels rather than sees. In...
Acrylic
"Angela" Abstract Figure with Gown French Haute Couture Oil Painting on Paper
By Cindy Shaoul
Located in New York, NY
Exploring the purity of the feminine form and the drama of French haute couture, artist Cindy Shaoul creates a dialogue between the figurative and the abstract. Her spirited composit...
Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic, Archival Paper
Geometric Line Study C- 5 by Murray Duncan Mix Media on Paper
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Geometric Line Studies C- 5 is an original mixed-media work on paper by Toronto artist Murray Duncan, part of his ongoing exploration of gestural geometry, spatial rhythm, and atmosp...
Paint, Paper, Ink, Pencil
Untitled_2021 - painting, acrylic on canvas
Located in Bloomfield, ON
"This contemporary abstract painting by Paul Fournier captures the tropical colours of the Caribbean. For more than six decades, the brilliant, colourful artwork of Paul Fournier ha...
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
Lignes de terre, Contemporary Abstract Painting by Sophie Dumont
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Oil on Canvas 40 x 40 cm (15.7 x 15.7 in) 47 x 47 cm framed (18.5 x 18.5 in) Available with a choice of black or natural wood floating frame. Lignes de terre is an original oil on c...
Oil
$455Sale Price|30% Off
Blue Desert No. 6 - Abstract Deep Green Bronze Geometric Original Wall Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Alexander Eulert's original mixed media paintings on wood panels are abstract propositions of worlds where divergent forces coalesce into harmonious geometric interactions. He draws ...
Metal, Gold Leaf
$2,468
Ricky Lee Gordon Abstract Sea Contemporary Minimalist Ocean Horizon 2025
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, Oil, Carbon Pencil, Pigment
Evening Coffee, Joan Mitchell, Larry Poons, expressionism, contemporary
Located in Jönköping, SE
This painting belongs to my ongoing exploration of the relationship between nature and the human experience. Inspired by the natural world and influenced by the Eastern philosophy of...
Acrylic
Vintage American Geometric Abstract Signed Framed Original Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American abstract painting. Acrylic on canvas. Signed. Framed. Measuring: 31 by 41 inches overall and 30 x 40 painting alone. Framed in a wood m...
Canvas, Acrylic
"I Have Your Back", Abstract Expressionist, Portrait, Red, Blue, Oil Painting
By Sorin Bica
Located in Franklin, MA
Sorin Bica's "I Have Your Back" is a 30 x 30 x 2 inch abstract expressionist oil painting on canvas. Abstract double-faced portrait in vivid red, blue, and yellow tones, bold brushst...
Canvas, Oil
$3,996Sale Price|20% Off
Large Vintage American Modernist Framed Abstract Expressionist Signed Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Large vintage American modernist oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Framed. Provenance from a Sag Harbor, NY collection. Handsomely framed. Excellent condition, ready to hang and ...
Oil, Canvas
Birchwood Contemporary Abstract Oil Painting on Canvas, 2000s, Signed
By Gareth Edwards
Located in Brecon, Powys
Oil paint and marble dust. Signed inscribed and dated to verso Gareth Edwards is a contemporary landscape painter. He is a graduate of Goldsmiths Coll...
Marble
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
$875Sale Price|20% Off
Parisian Abstract Expressionist Original Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Stunning original oil painting by the French abstract artist, Yvette Dubois-Habasque (1929-2016). The painting has excellent provenance having come from the artists studio sale in Pa...
Oil
$2,056
Contemporary large abstract expressionist floral painting "Just flowers"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
"Just Flowers" is a modern Expressionist floral painting with Fauvist-inspired color and gestural abstraction. Three vivid red blossoms rise against a luminous turquoise backdrop, ea...
Paper, Acrylic
$3,000Sale Price|20% Off
"Présence" Collection - N°4 by Gilbert Pauli - Acrylic on Jute - 110x150 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Born in 1944 in the canton of Fribourg, Gilbert Pauli currently lives in Geneva, where he devotes himself to painting and sculpture, a passion he developed from his childhood. His fa...
Acrylic, Jute
$1,680Sale Price|20% Off
The Alchemy of Letting Go. Modern colorful abstract painting 100x100 cm
By Anna Selina
Located in Zofingen, AG
This vibrant abstract piece, titled "Alchemy of Letting Go," features energetic, sweeping brushstrokes in bold, vivid colors. The dynamic composition embodies a process of transforma...
Oil
"Chanel in Paris" Figure with Gown French Haute Couture Oil Painting on Paper
By Cindy Shaoul
Located in New York, NY
Exploring the purity of the feminine form and the drama of French haute couture, artist Cindy Shaoul creates a dialogue between the figurative and the abstract. Her spirited composit...
Paper, Oil, Acrylic
'Abstract, Ebony & Rust', San Francisco Bay Area Abstraction, Large Oil
By Eral Leek
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Signed lower right, "Eral" for Eral Leek (American, 20th century) and dated 1962. A substantial, mid-century oil abstract comprising bold, overlapping rectangular compositional elem...
Canvas, Oil
$920Sale Price|20% Off
"Relaxing at Camarillo" - Abstract Expressionism
Located in Soquel, CA
"Relaxing at Camarillo" - Abstract Expressionism A man relines in a black hat and a green shape emulating the symbol of infinity, accented in bright canary yellow and gray, by Calif...
Paper, Acrylic, Gouache, Pencil
Flourish Now! Large Abstract Floral Painting, Acrylic Oil Pastel, 101x76 cm
By Karnish Art
Located in Pretoria, Gauteng
Title: Flourish Now! Painting Floral Abstract Bold Freedom Contrast Statement Maximalism In this painting, I expressed the feeling of aliveness into vibrant pink blossoms bursting...
Gesso, Canvas, Wood, Oil Pastel, Oil, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
Eternal Abstract Expressionist Painting, XXL Oil & Acrylic on Canvas
Located in London, London
full size 211x159cm stretched size 200xx150cmx10cm All custom charges are included in the final price agreed. unframed, shipped rolled XXL, Extra-large painting, large painting, ab...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Waits River Church, Vermont, Oil Painting
By Doug Cosbie
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Waits River is a small village on Highway 25 southeast of Stowe, Vermont. "The church, buildings and barns presented an iconic view of New England...
Oil
$440Sale Price|20% Off
Gates No.1 Abstract Painting, Oil & Crayon on Paper, 1976, Unframed
Located in Bournemouth, Dorset
George Dannatt (1915-2009) 'Gates' No 1 1976 Medium: Oil & crayon on oil wash Image: 21.0 x 33.0 cm Reference no: 0450 George Dannatt’s long career as a painter and sculptor ended ...
Paper, Oil Crayon, Mixed Media, Oil
Minimal Geometric Abstract Composition in Blue and Neutrals by Blanca Nieto
By Blanca Nieto
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...
Silk, Cord, Pigment
$4,825
Ascension - Original Abstract Colorful Landscape Ink Painting on Archival Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Max Naylor’s “Ascension” rises through a richly layered garden scene, where towering trees, oversized fungi, curling plant forms, and glowing flowers create a sense of upward movemen...
Cotton, India Ink, Archival Paper
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.