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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
May I have this dance?, Contemporary, emerald, monochromatic, dramatic painting
May I have this dance?, Contemporary, emerald, monochromatic, dramatic painting

May I have this dance?, Contemporary, emerald, monochromatic, dramatic painting

By Juanita Bellavance

Located in Cumming, GA

“May I have this dance?” 24 x 24 inches is a one-of-a-kind original non-objective abstract painting by Juanita Bellavance. In this spontaneous expressive abstract piece, Juanita cre...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Love (Peonies)
Love (Peonies)

Love (Peonies)

Located in Zofingen, AG

Two delicate peonies on a deep navy-blue background. It feels as if these two flowers have merged into one — this is love! The painting is created with acrylic on canvas: layered br...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Turning Point
Turning Point

Turning Point

Located in Burlingame, CA

Eleanor Rahim’s work explores the emotional and perceptual power of water through painting and drawing. Her images do not describe a specific place so much as a state of being, where...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Vintage American Modernist Signed Abstract Expressionist Framed Oil Painting
Vintage American Modernist Signed Abstract Expressionist Framed Oil Painting

Vintage American Modernist Signed Abstract Expressionist Framed Oil Painting

Located in Buffalo, NY

This mid-century abstract composition employs a dynamic interplay of geometric planes and gestural brushwork, rendered in a vibrant yet balanced palette of pastel pinks, acid yellow...

Category

1970s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Vibrant Modernist Abstraction by Claire Burch
Vibrant Modernist Abstraction by Claire Burch

Vibrant Modernist Abstraction by Claire Burch

Located in New York, NY

Claire Burch (American, 1925-2009) Untitled, 20th century Oil on canvas 24 x 30 in. Framed: 31 2/3 x 37 3/4 x 1 1/2 in. Signed lower right: Claire Burch After attending grade school in Brooklyn, Burch completed a commercial art course at Washington Irving High School in Manhattan and received her B.A. in English from NYU. In the suburbs of Great Neck, New York, she first began writing poetry and articles which were published in Life magazine, The New Republic, Mademoiselle, McCall's, Saturday Review, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, and numerous literary quarterlies and anthologies.[1] Burch also developed a career as a psychiatric writer, publishing two books on the subject: Careers in Psychiatry and Stranger in the Family. In the early 1970s Burch became a playwright and painter. Her play Ten Cents a Dance was optioned to be directed by José Quintero, the famous O'Neill interpreter. Burch wrote a total of seven plays and several folk operas, but eventually moved on to filmmaking and video anthropology—she was an early adapter of video as a medium. In 1978, Burch moved to California with her longtime companion Mark Weiman, publisher and owner of Berkeley's Regent Press. She had endured a series of illnesses and wanted to escape the harsh climate of Manhattan. Burch gained insight and inspiration from insanity and the often unexpected behavior associated with it. She would often videotape homeless people in People's Park and Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley, which were collected in her film People's Park in Berkeley: Then and Now. The film documented the dispute between homeless activists and the University of California from the riots of 1969 through 1996 by interviewing park "regulars," and profiling the events surrounding the deaths of park supporters James Rector and Rosebud Denovo.[2] She also produced documentaries on noted cultural figures such as James Baldwin (whom she knew as a teenager), Timothy Leary and Country Joe McDonald. Also of note was Oracle Rising, a film about the legendary psychedelic newspaper The SF Oracle published in the Haight-Ashbury district during the Summer of Love. Her last completed film was Elegy for the Naked Guy...

Category

20th Century Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Abstract 5, Abstract Oil Painting
Abstract 5, Abstract Oil Painting

Abstract 5, Abstract Oil Painting

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Patches of cream, turquoise, and grey fill this abstract painting. Blue and orange accents, along with black lines, create contrast. Scratches and marks bring d...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil

Siesta in Santa Fe
Siesta in Santa Fe

Siesta in Santa Fe

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

Acrylic Polymer, Ink, Acrylic

Mosaic like - abstract painting, landscape painting
Mosaic like - abstract painting, landscape painting

Mosaic like - abstract painting, landscape painting

Located in New York, NY

The painting is in a special format - horizontal, wide, and elongated. This artwork was created using a technique reminiscent of pointillism; the painting evokes a colorful mosaic, w...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Mountain High - Large Original Abstract Expressionism Playful Landscape Painting
Mountain High - Large Original Abstract Expressionism Playful Landscape Painting

Mountain High - Large Original Abstract Expressionism Playful Landscape Painting

By Bruce Rubenstein

Located in Los Angeles, CA

The paintings of Bruce Rubenstein seamlessly marry sophistication with affordability. His expressive abstract landscape artwork 'Flourishing Fields' features whimsical details and vi...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Charcoal, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic

Capulin Volcano
Capulin Volcano

Capulin Volcano

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

Acrylic Polymer, Ink, Acrylic

Untitled #SP-207, Mixed Media on Paper by Murray Duncan - Abstract Geometric
Untitled #SP-207, Mixed Media on Paper by Murray Duncan - Abstract Geometric

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...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Paper, Oil Crayon, Acrylic

May 29 (Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting in Earth Tones of Green & Blue)
May 29 (Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting in Earth Tones of Green & Blue)

May 29 (Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting in Earth Tones of Green & Blue)

By James O'Shea

Located in Hudson, NY

Gestural, abstract expressionist oil painting on canvas in earth tones of blue and green, with accents of burgundy and pale yellow "May 29", Painted by Hudson Valley based artist, James O'Shea in 2021 Oil on canvas, 26 x 26 inches unframed, raw canvas sides Wire backing, ready to hang Signed verso James O’Shea’s deeply pigmented abstractions are grounded in the landscape. Taking his cues from the bare winter months in the Northeast when the horizon is stripped of its foliage, he suggests that “So much of life’s structure reveals itself when it goes into hibernation”. The architecture in O’Shea’s compositions takes form with expressive gestures using...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Serene Scape - Large Original Minimalist Contemporary Green Abstract Painting
Serene Scape - Large Original Minimalist Contemporary Green Abstract Painting

Serene Scape - Large Original Minimalist Contemporary Green Abstract Painting

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Clara Berta’s acrylic and mixed-media paintings blend texture and color to create harmony, mystery, and depth on the painted surface. Her paintings transform spaces into Zen environm...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Test Color - Color Drenched Impasto Textural Thick Paint Abstract Painting
Test Color - Color Drenched Impasto Textural Thick Paint Abstract Painting

Test Color - Color Drenched Impasto 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...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Glitter, Board

Déchiré 03: Mixed Media Painting: Floral Motif & Feminist Discourse
Déchiré 03: Mixed Media Painting: Floral Motif & Feminist Discourse

Déchiré 03: Mixed Media Painting: Floral Motif & Feminist Discourse

Located in BARCELONA, ES

The work of Gloria Segura Jordá transcends mere aesthetics to constitute a feminist discourse deeply anchored in the pictorial. Her production challenges the passive gaze, inviting a...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Panel, Color Pencil

20th Century Original French Expressionist Oil Painting Abstract Face
20th Century Original French Expressionist Oil Painting Abstract Face

20th Century Original French Expressionist Oil Painting Abstract Face

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Original oil painting by P. Valetti (French, second half 20th century) oil on canvas, unframed size: 24 x 19.75 inches condition: very good provenance: from the artists estate, Franc...

Category

20th Century Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Ocean's Jewels, Abstract Oil Painting
Ocean's Jewels, Abstract Oil Painting

Ocean's Jewels, Abstract Oil Painting

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A layer of emerald green rests atop a base of purple, pale blue, and white, creating a striking contrast of light and dark. Scratches and marks added while the ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Oil

Abstract 2297
Abstract 2297

Alex SenchenkoAbstract 2297, 2022

$2,099Sale Price|20% Off

Abstract 2297

Located in Zofingen, AG

This high quality acrylic painting is done on gallery wrapped canvas, with no need for framing, as the edges are painted. You will receive it "ready to hang", with a hook on the back...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

ABSTRACT Contemporary Artwork White Brown Earth Minimal Texture On Hansen
ABSTRACT Contemporary Artwork White Brown Earth Minimal Texture On Hansen

ABSTRACT Contemporary Artwork White Brown Earth Minimal Texture On Hansen

By On Hansen

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...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Ink, Acrylic, Handmade Paper

Untitled AP-120 — Mixed Media Work on Paper by Murray Duncan
Untitled AP-120 — Mixed Media Work on Paper by Murray Duncan

Untitled AP-120 — Mixed Media Work on Paper by Murray Duncan

Located in Toronto, Ontario

Untitled AP-120 is an expressive mixed-media work on paper by Toronto artist Murray Duncan, measuring 18 x 24 inches. In this composition, Duncan builds a dynamic interplay of bold b...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Paint, Paper, Ink, Pencil

Huge French Contemporary Modernist Abstract Oil Painting Cafe Chairs Bistro
Huge French Contemporary Modernist Abstract Oil Painting Cafe Chairs Bistro

Huge French Contemporary Modernist Abstract Oil Painting Cafe Chairs Bistro

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Abstract Composition signed by Jacqueline VERDET (French, 1931-2023) oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas: 36 x 29 inches condition: the work is in overall very sound and good con...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Grapefruit & Honey", Abstract Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, 30"x70".
"Grapefruit & Honey", Abstract Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, 30"x70".

"Grapefruit & Honey", Abstract Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, 30"x70".

Located in Westport, CT

This large abstract painting by California artist Kristen Guest features a colorful palette with warm sienna, pink, and yellow tones contrasted by white negative space. The artist co...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Sweet Grass-original modern abstract floral oil painting - contemporary Art
Sweet Grass-original modern abstract floral oil painting - contemporary Art

Sweet Grass-original modern abstract floral oil painting - contemporary Art

By Antoinette Ferwerda

Located in London, Chelsea

We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings

Materials

Copper

Original Drawing on Wood-Breakfast with Cat-British Awarded Artist-Large panel
Original Drawing on Wood-Breakfast with Cat-British Awarded Artist-Large panel

Original Drawing on Wood-Breakfast with Cat-British Awarded Artist-Large panel

Located in London, GB

This special large drawing on wood board (ready to hang) created by Shizico in early autumn where her Cat and the garden take centre stage. The pictorial language in this series pays...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Wood Panel, Charcoal, Carbon Pencil

" I think I Missed Something "  Acrylic on Raw Canvas, Framed
" I think I Missed Something "  Acrylic on Raw Canvas, Framed

" I think I Missed Something " Acrylic on Raw Canvas, Framed

Located in West Hollywood, CA

Ali Enache (b. 1985, Washington, D.C.) is a Los Angeles-based abstract painter whose minimalist, textural works are characterized by warmth, subtle movement, and tonal depth. With a ...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Self-Love is Luxury - Soft Abstract Floral Landscape Painting
Self-Love is Luxury - Soft Abstract Floral Landscape Painting

Self-Love is Luxury - Soft Abstract Floral Landscape Painting

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Drawing inspiration from an immersive and impressionistic interpretation of nature, Canadian artist Vé Boisvert paints textural original artworks that capture the fleeting effects of...

Category

2010s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

War Night (abstract expressionist painting)
War Night (abstract expressionist painting)

War Night (abstract expressionist painting)

By John Hultberg

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Stunning surrealist painting by Bay Area Figurative artist, John Hultberg (1922-2005). War Night, 1956. Gouache on illustration board measures an impressive 30 x 40 inches; 34 x 44...

Category

1950s Abstract Paintings

Materials

Gouache

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.