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.
#266, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Pigment
Abstract Dancers White 2 - Limited Edition Color Archival Pigment Print
By Giles Revell
Located in Brighton, GB
Abstract Dancers White 2 by Giles Revell is a Limited Edition Archival Pigment Print Limited Edition Archival Pigment Print in this size of 50cm x 50cm in a limited edition of 15 ...
Photographic Paper, Color, Pigment, Archival Pigment
Peony No.14 - still life abstract floral photogrpahy, limited edition 20
By Ugne Pouwell
Located in London, GB
Peony No.14 Printed on museum-grade Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta paper, each print is hand-signed by the artist on both the front and back, numbered as part of a limited edition of 2...
Archival Paper
Peony No.14 - still life abstract floral photogrpahy, limited edition 10
By Ugne Pouwell
Located in London, GB
Peony No.14 Printed on museum-grade Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta paper, each print is hand-signed by the artist on both the front and back, numbered as part of a limited edition of 2...
Archival Paper
Water Reflection of Fish Under Water, Pool Monotype Cyanotype in Blue Tones
By Kind of Cyan
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted unique cyanotype that takes its inspiration from the mid-century modern shapes. It's made by layering paper cutouts and different exposures using uv-...
Photographic Film, Emulsion, Watercolor, Photographic Paper, C Print, Co...
#206, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
#264, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
#203, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
#145, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
#250, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
#137, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
#268, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Pigment
$10,000
Split Weeds
By Chris Leidy
Located in Fairfield, CT
Palm Beach native and grandson of iconic fashion designer Lilly Pulitzer, Chris Leidy grew up with a deep admiration for the ocean and aquatic life and has made his mark as a world-r...
C Print
Koi carp and Blossom - Abstract Print on Glass with Gold leaf and Copper
By Valda Bailey
Located in London, GB
"The bottomless depths of a private koi pond in a Sussex garden. Dancing light, rhythmic flow and a scattering of flowers on the surface, all help to convey the dark mystery of a life below the surface." - Valda Bailey...
Copper, Gold Leaf
#94, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
Karl Lagerfeld
Located in New York, NY
Lucille Khornak (American), "Karl Lagerfeld", Black and White Screen print on Harmon paper, 20 x 16, Late 20th Century Hand signed by Lucille Khornak Available sizes: 14 x 11, 24 x ...
Photographic Film
$570
Dripping Paint, Graffiti Forms in Blue Tones, Floating Abstract Shapes on Paper
By Kind of Cyan
Located in Barcelona, ES
This unique monotype cyanotype, rendered in rich blue tones, invites the viewer into a dreamlike rhythm of interwoven shapes. Created using the cyanotype process, this one-of-a-kind ...
Paper, Watercolor, Lithograph, Monotype
Black and White Photography, Limited Edition Figurative Photograph
By Alain Pino
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Black and White Photography, Limited Edition Figurative Photograph Alain Pino’s new works continue his exploration on the intersection between identity and industrial design. In a h...
Archival Ink, Photographic Paper, Inkjet
#96, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
A Fairy and Rabbits. 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
Water Reflection of Fish Under Water, Pool Monotype Cyanotype in Blue Tones
By Kind of Cyan
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted unique cyanotype that takes its inspiration from the mid-century modern shapes. It's made by layering paper cutouts and different exposures using uv-...
Emulsion, C Print, Monotype, Photogram, Lithograph
#89, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
ID No. 14, 11, 6 and 16. Limited edition photograph
Located in Miami Beach, FL
In this early photographic series, Dubravka Lazić turns her lens toward a subject rarely treated with such a quiet dignity: domestic cats. Shot in 2005, these portraits mimic the for...
Archival Paper, Archival Pigment
$900
Abstract Dancers Light Blue 2 - Limited Edition Archival Pigment Print in Color
By Giles Revell
Located in Brighton, GB
Abstract Dancers Light Blue 2 by Giles Revell is a Limited Edition Archival Pigment Print Limited Edition Archival Pigment Print in this size of 50cm x 50cm in a limited edition of...
Photographic Paper, Color, Pigment, Archival Pigment
Dealer - large format art photograph of contemporary Americana
By Frank Schott
Located in San Francisco, CA
Dealer by Frank Schott 27 x 40 inches / 67cm x 102cm edition of 25 signed 48 x 72 inches / 122cm x 183cm edition of 7 signed archival fine art pigment print signed & numbered by a...
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Giclée
Colméia. 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
#221, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
Tree Trunk
By Wynn Bullock
Located in Pacific Grove, CA
This vintage print is signed in pencil on the front of the mount with a title and negative number in pencil on the back of the mount. What is likely Wynn Bullock's most renowned neg...
Silver Gelatin
Winter Swells
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Edition 2/15 Archival pigment print “Water's Edge” a collection of photos by Marian Crostic defines the power of the ocean and the land which borders it. Having spent much of her l...
Archival Pigment
#46, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Pigment
$1,046
Selassie IX by Luca Marziale - volcanic landscape photography, purple, Ethiopia
Located in Paris, FR
Selassie IX is a photograph from the Testament series by contemporary photographer Luca Marziale. Dimensions : * 30 x 30 inches (76.2 x 76.2 cm), edition of 10 * 45 x 45 inches (11...
Photographic Paper
$450
Caribbean Sandy Shore, Black and White Abstract Seascape, Sunny Waves, Limited
By Kind of Cyan
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive limited edition black and white giclée print, on 100% cotton Hahnemühle Photo Rag Fine Art matte paper. This series of black and white photographs captures the ...
Emulsion, Photographic Paper, C Print, Giclée
Agave No.2 - monochrome abstraction, from limited edition of 20
By Ugne Pouwell
Located in London, GB
Black and white fine art photograph capturing the sculptural elegance of an agave plant. The interplay of light and shadow emphasizes the organic geometry of the plant’s serrated edg...
Giclée
#262, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Pigment
#95, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
$2,880Sale Price|20% Off
"Chrysler Building" Abstract Expressionist, Photography, Giclee Print, Ltd.Ed.
By Hatice Besun
Located in Brooklyn, NY
"Chrysler Building" Abstract, Expressionist, Photography, Giclee Print, Ltd.Ed. Creator: Hatice Besun Creation year: 2025 Dimension: 42x28" External Dimension( with white border) He...
Archival Pigment, Giclée, Archival Paper, Archival Ink
Manifest 01, From the series Power. 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
30x30 in. Aerial Photography of Earth, Land, Sea - large photography
By MAE Curates
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This is a new series of photography of land art depicting Earth and its land forms taken from the air. This series of aerial photography captures Earth's beauty taken in remote lands...
C Print
#45, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
#50, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
Fern - black and white landscape photography Limited edition of 20
By Ugne Pouwell
Located in London, GB
'Fern' London, United Kingdom 2024. It is a still life black and white film photograph, made with a large format 4x5 Linhof camera. The photograph is signed front and back and co...
Film, Photographic Film, Giclée
"FS30B" Abstract Photography 40" x 40" inch Ed. 1/10 by Giuliano Bekor
Located in Culver City, CA
"FS30B" Abstract Photography 40" x 40" inch Ed. 1/10 by Giuliano Bekor Facescape Series Title of artwork: FS30B Year: 2014 Printed on a high-quality museum-grade archival photo pape...
Archival Pigment
Degradê. 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
$9,400
Eugene 7 - Floral landscape white dominant contemporary abstract color photo
Located in New York, NY
Belgian photographer Isabelle Menin creates portraits of flowers that are not only gorgeous in form and color, but also uniquely expressive. Fresh blossoms and withering blooms melt ...
Photographic Paper
Unfold - black and white abstract flower photograph, limited edition of 10
By Ugne Pouwell
Located in London, GB
Unfold is a black-and-white abstract botanical photograph by Ugnė Pouwell, exploring form, shadow, and layered texture. A sculptural floral presence emerges from soft, drifting silho...
Photographic Film, Photographic Paper
#123, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
#228, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
Golf. 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
Savanna Games. From LenkPlay Series. Limited edition color photograph
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The polyptich comprise four digital photograph and presents a series of photographs that reimagine play with children’s toys by placing them in real world settings. Savanna Games pr...
Archival Paper, Archival Pigment
$5,500
Brooklyn Bridge Looking Through The Bars, Fine Art Print Hahnemuhle Paper Baryta
Located in Miami, FL
Abstract View Of The Brooklyn Bridge. The work is signed, dated, and numbered 3/15 in the lower right recto corner, with other sizes available. It is unframed and printed later. Pr...
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment
Set of 4 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
#270, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Pigment
#267, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
#271, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
#268, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
#266, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
Pink Cherry Blossoms Central Park
Located in Miami, FL
Signed, Dated, number Lower left 3/15 recto, unframed, another size available, printed later, Printed on Hahnemühle Fine Art paper Mitchell Funk is a pioneer of "Color Photography...
Photographic Paper
ID No. 11, 5, 1 and 15. Limited edition photograph
Located in Miami Beach, FL
"In this early photographic series, Dubravka Lazić turns her lens toward a subject rarely treated with such a quiet dignity: domestic cats. Shot in 2005, these portraits mimic the fo...
Archival Paper, Archival Pigment
Woodland Game 1. From LenkPlay Series. Limited edition color photograph
Located in Miami Beach, FL
"The triptychs comprise three digital photograph and presents a series of photographs that reimagine play with children’s toys by placing them in real-world settings. This transforma...
Archival Paper, Archival Pigment
Blooms in Red - abstract analog colour photography, limited edition of 20
By Ugne Pouwell
Located in London, GB
This analogue colour photograph was created using a traditional film process, allowing the material qualities of colour and grain to remain present and tactile. The composition is pr...
Photographic Paper