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.
Poppy Bird - Color Photograph, Abstract Expression, Signed Edition of 10
By Ugne Pouwell
Located in London, GB
Poppy Bird explores how quickly we categorise the world through familiar symbols and associations. Naming helps us recognise, but it can also limit what we are able to see. Here, the...
Giclée
Poppy Bird - Color Photograph, Abstract Expression, Signed Edition of 20
By Ugne Pouwell
Located in London, GB
Poppy Bird explores how quickly we categorise the world through familiar symbols and associations. Naming helps us recognise, but it can also limit what we are able to see. Here, the...
Giclée
$1,800
Burst II - large scale abstract photograph of caleidoscopic color explosions
Located in San Francisco, CA
From Christian Stoll's body of works BURST (2015), an abstract exploration of high speed photographs capturing mesmerizing explosions of caleidoscopic color 27 x 40 inches (68 x 102...
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Giclée
Vestige - Color Photograph, Abstract Expression, Signed Edition of 10
By Ugne Pouwell
Located in London, GB
A botanical form appears as both presence and disappearance, its outline softened, interrupted and partially absorbed into the surface. The scratches, shifts of tone and uncertain ed...
Giclée
$730
Calm Water Blue Tones Diptych of Japanese Zen Pond Ripples, Feng Shui Cyanotype
By Kind of Cyan
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype. This diptych is titled "Japanese Zen Pond Ripples", and shows ripples of water from a calming pond. Details: + Title: Ja...
Photographic Film, Emulsion, Watercolor, C Print, Color, Engraving, Lith...
$1,575
Abstract Color Photography by Geoffrey Baris, Expressionist, Contemporary, Water
Located in New York, NY
Abstract Color Photography by Geoffrey Baris Archival pigment print on museum fine art paper Edition of 7 Includes certificate of authenticity. Signed and numbered by artist. Custom...
Color, Archival Pigment
Set of 9 unique photographs altered by the artist. Mixed media portrait
Located in Miami Beach, FL
This artwork was created by the artistic duo Hunter & Gatti (2010–2023). These works are part of the archive managed and exhibited by Cristian Hunter. The artist's technique cons...
Wax, Oil, Acrylic, Archival Paper
Blue Horizons
By Gary Mankus
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This unframed, signed, limited edition pigment print by artist Gary Mankus exists in an edition of 40. Paper size is 24"h x 48"w with an image size of 18.5"h x 41"w. Gary Mankus was...
Photographic Paper, Digital, Pigment, Archival Pigment, Digital Pigment
$580
The Sun, Golden Colors, Warm Tones Diptych, Space Age, Abstract Geometry Hue
Located in Barcelona, ES
Cyd Fontaine (Lausanne, 1992) is a contemporary artist renowned for her captivating use of dreamy atmospheric gradients, which has helped her carve a distinctive niche in the world o...
Archival Ink, Photographic Paper, C Print, Giclée, Archival Pigment
Fairy, 2025. Cyanotype photograph
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The photos from the series Let Me Tell You a Story show, each one individually, certain themes through strongly narrative visual units. Each photograph is dedicated to a specific rep...
Archival Paper
Abstract Landscape #
Located in New York City, NY
Daniel Mansur Abstract Landscape #22 Canvas Fine Art - Framed Archival Pigment Print
Canvas, Archival Pigment
Anemorphose Cabo Verde #4
Located in New York City, NY
27 x 44 in Edition of 9 EUR 3.500 35 x 57 in Edition of 9 EUR 5.500 48 x 71 in Edition of 9 EUR 7.100 Dye Sublimation on Aluminum 48 x 77 in Edition of 9 EUR 9.100 Dye Sublimation...
Dye Transfer
Untitled X. From LenkPlay Series. Limited edition color photograph
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The exploration of the concept of play as an artistic impulse presents playful, almost "baroque-written"photographs that are the result of a repeated (recycled) notion of play. Start...
Archival Paper, Archival Pigment
Levels. From The Lavori in Corso series
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Eduardo Rezende’s 2024 series Lavori in Corso revisits one of the artist’s most enduring themes: the urban and architectural landscape — this time focused on construction sites, scaf...
Canvas
Seascape XIII - large scale abstract photograph of monochrome seascape
By Frank Schott
Located in San Francisco, CA
Mesmerizing large scale photograph from the artist's Seascape series, a body of works capturing the tactile surfaces and monochromatic nature of oceanic water and cloudscapes Seasca...
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Black and White, Giclée, Archival Pi...
The Streets of Kowloon (gold), Hong Kong - Abstract color photography
Located in Cambridge, GB
Streets of Kowloon Gold, part of Richard Heeps series photographing on the streets of Hong Kong in Kowloon in 2016 this stunning abstract piece is so striking in a room. The whole 20...
Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Silver Gelatin
Retaining Wall II, Rockingham - Abstract Blue Color Photograph
Located in Cambridge, GB
Blue abstract photograph from Richard Heeps' series Trading Paint. Richard Heeps has a history of photographing Drag Racing in the UK, America and Europe. Trading Paint is a term tha...
Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Silver Gelatin
Tones. From The Lavori in Corso series
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Eduardo Rezende’s 2024 series Lavori in Corso revisits one of the artist’s most enduring themes: the urban and architectural landscape — this time focused on construction sites, scaf...
Canvas, Archival Pigment
$6,078
Italia 4- Limited edition pigment print, Gold light, Sculpture, Greek Mythology
Located in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona
Italia 4 - Large scale photograph by Michael Banks Archival Pigment print on fiber based paper ( Hahnemühle Photo RAG Baryta 315 gsm ) Limited Editio...
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Color, Pigment, Archival Pigment, Di...
$2,200
Aspen Study I - large scale photograph of Indian summer autumnal color palette
By Frank Schott
Located in San Francisco, CA
Aspen Study I by Frank Schott a series of images capturing the yellow golden Indian summer foliage palette of aspen trees in California's Sierra Nevada ...
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Archival Ink, Giclée
$4,800
Hemisphere II - large format photograph of abstract liquid cloudscape in water
Located in San Francisco, CA
large scale photography of mesmerizing color compositions of liquid cloudscape painting in water, hypnotizing abstract liquidscapes from the body o...
Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Archival Paper, Giclée
Algas 45-XIX. From the series Mareas. Cyanotype photograhs
By Paola Davila
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Water is constant in the artist's visual investigation, for her water is no longer the stage in which the body's memory bursts, but rather the environment and protagonist, constant o...
Archival Pigment
$3,000
Y, From the series Lous and The Yakuza. Mixed media fashion color photography
Located in Miami Beach, FL
This artwork was created by the artistic duo Hunter & Gatti (2010–2023). These works are part of the archive managed and exhibited by Cristian Hunter. The artist's technique consists...
Wax, Oil, Acrylic, Archival Paper
Waves. From the Trama series
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The interlacing of what sustains In the series Trama, Eduardo Rezende turns his gaze to the hidden structures of the built environment — the elements usually concealed beneath the po...
Canvas, Archival Pigment
Leveza. From The Lavori in Corso series
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Eduardo Rezende’s 2024 series Lavori in Corso revisits one of the artist’s most enduring themes: the urban and architectural landscape — this time focused on construction sites, scaf...
Canvas, Archival Pigment
$196Sale Price|84% Off
Green Abstract Photography Print, Signed Limited Edition of 15
Located in Slovak Republic, SK
Print, limited edition of 15. Signed by the author.
Photographic Paper, Color, Archival Pigment, Digital Pigment
$4,400
Blender 01 and I Got Your Back 01, Diptych. Abstract color photographs
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The artist's computer-generated paintings merge craftsmanship and technology, creating an eclectic and unique style. Through her art, she aims to illuminate the world. Tcherassi's w...
Archival Pigment
A New Life 02 and Below 02, Diptych. Abstract color photographs
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The artists computer-generated paintings merge craftsmanship and technology, creating an eclectic and unique style. Through her art, she aims to illuminate the world. Tcherassi's wo...
Archival Pigment
Holding Light In Darkness #5
Located in Los Angeles, CA
THE COLOR OF WATER Lake Michigan blue sits at the pastel confluence of green, grey and cyan on the nearby shoreline. In truth, the color of the lake is as transitory as Chicago weather. The shade of blue is widely determined by the reflection of the sky above and the organic material and sediment carried below. I recently learned that invasive mussel species have slowly transformed the lake from green to bluer over the past two decades. I often return to the water’s edge to document the color of a given day. Susan Isaacson...
Archival Paper
A New Life 01 and Below 01, Diptych. Abstract color photographs
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The artists computer-generated paintings merge craftsmanship and technology, creating an eclectic and unique style. Through her art, she aims to illuminate the world. Tcherassi's wo...
Archival Pigment
Blender 02 and CoCreate 02, Diptych. Abstract color photographs
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The artist's computer-generated paintings merge craftsmanship and technology, creating an eclectic and unique style. Through her art, she aims to illuminate the world. Tcherassi's w...
Archival Pigment
On Distant Shores #3
Located in Los Angeles, CA
THE COLOR OF WATER Lake Michigan blue sits at the pastel confluence of green, grey and cyan on the nearby shoreline. In truth, the color of the lake is as transitory as Chicago weather. The shade of blue is widely determined by the reflection of the sky above and the organic material and sediment carried below. I recently learned that invasive mussel species have slowly transformed the lake from green to bluer over the past two decades. I often return to the water’s edge to document the color of a given day. Susan Isaacson...
Archival Paper
$1,360Sale Price|20% Off
Torquidos
Located in Plano, TX
"Torquidos" is a painting of light 'unseen.' When light travels, the human eye doesn't see its trails, but the camera does. My usual version of light painting involves leaving the li...
Metal
$1,227
Rhododendron Denny Hybrid - Archival Pigment Print, Limited Edition of 25 Prints
By Giles Revell
Located in Brighton, GB
Rhododendron Denny Hybrid by Giles Revell This is an Archival Pigment Print available in this size of 50cm x 50cm in a limited edition of 25 prints. In Cartographic Colour, Giles ...
Color, Archival Pigment, Photographic Paper, Pigment
Hampton Fields
Located in New York, NY
Michael Williams, Untitled Landscape 4, Color Photograph on Paper, 22 x 32, 2010 - Colors: Blue, Gold, Brown, Green
Photographic Paper
Holding Light In Darkness #3
Located in Los Angeles, CA
THE COLOR OF WATER Lake Michigan blue sits at the pastel confluence of green, grey and cyan on the nearby shoreline. In truth, the color of the lake is as transitory as Chicago weather. The shade of blue is widely determined by the reflection of the sky above and the organic material and sediment carried below. I recently learned that invasive mussel species have slowly transformed the lake from green to bluer over the past two decades. I often return to the water’s edge to document the color of a given day. Susan Isaacson...
Archival Paper
L, From the series Opposed Tendencies. Mixed media fashion portrait
Located in Miami Beach, FL
This artwork was created by the artistic duo Hunter & Gatti (2010–2023). These works are part of the archive managed and exhibited by Cristian Hunter. The artist's technique consists...
Wax, Oil, Acrylic, Archival Paper
The Streets of Kowloon (navy), Hong Kong - Abstract color photography
Located in Cambridge, GB
Streets of Kowloon Navy, part of Richard Heeps series photographing on the streets of Hong Kong in Kowloon in 2016 this stunning abstract piece is so striking in a room. The whole 20...
Photographic Paper, C Print, Color, Silver Gelatin
Untitled 27 NY, From The Series Of Public On Paper. Color Photograph
By Arslan Sükan
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Sukan has set out to identify alternative sites of public display and common space within the banal recesses of the everyday world. Collecting and adopting the sketch pads and papers...
Archival Paper, Archival Pigment, Color
$600
Manhattan photograph 'New York Walk' 1984 (1980s New York street photography)
Located in NEW YORK, NY
"New York Walk " by Fernando Natalici: Manhattan 1984. The simplicity & grace of the anonymous passer-by rendered timeless by the snap of the camera. A window into a street photogra...
Silver Gelatin
$1,200
Anesthesia - underwater photograph - series REFLECTIONS - archival print 35x52"
By Alex Sher
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Lost in a sea of rich saturation of dark and light blue colors, a feminine form gracefully traverses the expanse of the water. Alex Sher’s “Anesthesia” invites us into an abstracted ...
Archival Pigment, Archival Paper
Alice - photograph of an underwater reflection - archival print 35" x 49"
By Alex Sher
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
“Alice” is a part of Alex Sher’s popular series Reflections - underwater photographs that could be almost mistaken for abstract paintings as they bring up recollections of masterpiec...
Archival Paper, Archival Pigment
Papel Corten. From the Trama series
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The interlacing of what sustains In the series Trama, Eduardo Rezende turns his gaze to the hidden structures of the built environment — the elements usually concealed beneath the po...
Canvas, Archival Pigment
Vestige - Color Photograph, Abstract Expression, Signed Edition of 20
By Ugne Pouwell
Located in London, GB
A botanical form appears as both presence and disappearance, its outline softened, interrupted and partially absorbed into the surface. The scratches, shifts of tone and uncertain ed...
Giclée
$14,500
"Modernismo M48" Abstract Photography 48"x48" in Ed. of 12 by Giuliano Bekor
Located in Culver City, CA
"Modernismo M48" Abstract Photography 48"x48" in Ed. of 12 by Giuliano Bekor Title of artwork: M48 Year: 2012 Printed on a high-quality museum-grade archival photo paper. Not framed...
Archival Pigment
Lights in Motion Photograph Chromo Photo Kodak Professional Endura
Located in Surfside, FL
Artist Unknown. From Muse X Editions. An (now defunct) LA based innovative publisher of limited-edition prints, Muse X has launched its first group of prints and is just beginning to make itself known to artists, curators, dealers and collectors. Among works just off the press are otherworldly landscapes by Barbara Kasten and Oliver Wasow, a sizzling sunset by Peter Alexander, abstract compositions by Pauline Stella Sanchez and Jennifer Steinkamp...
Photographic Paper, C Print
Bling 15 - FRee delivery- Yellow print, Color abstract, Square brown photo
Located in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona
'Bling 15' - Limited edition pigment print Limited Editions of 5 Signed + numbered by artist, with certificate of authenticity This is an Archival Pigment print on fiber based pape...
Archival Paper, Color, Archival Pigment, Digital Pigment
Finding the Universe in Oaxaca, Bizalu (Eye)
Located in San Francisco, CA
Gary Goldberg Finding the Universe in Oaxaca, Bizalu (Eye), 2018 Archival pigmented print 19 x 13 in Edition of 10 Gary Goldberg has been photographing the unique qualities of Oaxac...
Archival Pigment
$4,092Sale Price|20% Off
Florist, Mandala - Collage of Dead Flowers - Colour Print with Black Background
Located in London, GB
‘Florist’ originally called ‘dead flowers’, was created using the flowers from my girlfriends ‘Zoom’ backgrounds over the space of several months. Usually scanned the moment she considered them to be wilted. About the series: " 'Detritus' series was born from the twin frustrations of lockdown halting all planned projects, yet litter still somehow being dropped in abundance on my street. With no idea of the final output, or indeed the hygiene implications, I started to collect, scan, and record what I found. When I realised these colourful misshapen objects could be turned into something beautiful, the frustrations left me and I began looking for other sources of Detritus. Florist, 2020 Series: Detritus Archival Pigment Print, Mounted on Dibond in custom made Frame; with Black Stained Oak and antireflective UV protective museum standard Art Glass Print 45 x 45 cm / Framed: 50 x 50 cm/ 19.6 x 19.6 inches approx. Edition of 8 + 2AP About the Artist George McLeod...
Archival Ink, Photographic Paper, Color, Archival Pigment
$2,200
It All Moves 03, From the Universe Within series. Abstract color photograph
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The artists computer-generated paintings merge craftsmanship and technology, creating an eclectic and unique style. Through her art, she aims to illuminate the world. Tcherassi's wo...
Archival Pigment
Blue on Light Blue with Dancing Angels
Located in San Francisco, CA
Gary Goldberg Blue on Light Blue with Dancing Angels, 2021 Archival pigmented print 19 x 13 in Edition of 10 Gary Goldberg has been photographing the unique qualities of Oaxaca City...
Archival Pigment
Golden Flame. Landscape architectural color limited edition photograph
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The artist's photographs capture the transformation of everyday life into another reality. Images that explore what the future will be like. Industrial, eccentric and progressive, Ca...
Photographic Paper, C Print, Color
The Block 03, From the series The Journey. Abstract color photograph
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The artists computer-generated paintings merge craftsmanship and technology, creating an eclectic and unique style. Through her art, she aims to illuminate the world. Tcherassi's wo...
Archival Pigment
Untitled 28 NY, From The Series Of Public On Paper. Color Photograph
By Arslan Sükan
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Sukan has set out to identify alternative sites of public display and common space within the banal recesses of the everyday world. Collecting and adopting the sketch pads and papers...
Archival Paper, Archival Pigment, Color
$2,922
Ink 1 - Signed limited edition abstract art print, Large format contemporary
Located in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona
Ink 1 - Large scale photograph by Michael Banks Archival Pigment print on fiber based paper ( Hahnemühle Photo RAG Baryta 315 gsm ) Limited Editions of 5 , signed + numbered by ar...
Archival Paper, Color, Archival Pigment, Digital Pigment, Photographic P...
Architectonic 4 - Signed limited edition pigment print by Michael Banks
Located in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona
Architectonic 4 Large scale photograph by Michael Banks - Archival Pigment print on fiber based paper ( Hahnemühle Photo RAG Baryta 315 gsm ) Limited Edi...
Archival Paper, Black and White, Pigment, Archival Pigment, Digital Pigm...
$1,262Sale Price|20% Off
Land II - Landscape Art Photography
Located in Zürich, CH
Hailing from the picturesque city of Zaragoza, nestled near the Pyrenees, Carlos Blanchard's journey into the realm of photography was influenced by the rich tapestry of his upbringi...
Color
$5,500
Chrysler Building Art Deco Spire, Fine Art Color Photography Print, Signed, 3/15
Located in Miami, FL
Chrysler Building upward view in detail with golden light at sunrise. The work is signed, dated, and numbered 3/15 in the lower right recto corner, with other sizes available. It i...
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment
$4,500
"On the edge of nothingness, n4" Giclee Print, Abstract Photography, Limited Ed.
By Hatice Besun
Located in Brooklyn, NY
On the edge of nothingness / n°4 / Photograph Creator: Hatice Besun Creation year: 2024 Dimension: 40 x 60” External Dimension( with white border) Height:40.8 in.( 103.63 cm) Width:...
Archival Paper, Archival Ink, Archival Pigment, Giclée
$3,506
Dan 1 -Signed limited edition abstract pigment print, Contemporary square photo
Located in Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona
Dan 1 - Limited edition pigment print of 5 This is an Archival Pigment print on fiber based paper ( Hahnemühle Photo RAG Baryta 315 gsm ). The inks used are known for their longevi...
Archival Paper, Color, Archival Pigment, Digital Pigment