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.
$767
Authorised-The Blue Dove-La colombe bleue-offset Lithography 1996-German Publish
Located in London, GB
Lithograph Unsigned and unnumbered, as issued. in Mint Condition; never framed or matted. It was acquired directly from the art publish house in Germany, Kunstverlag via Berlin Galle...
Ink, Archival Paper, Lithograph
$840Sale Price|43% Off
Concrete Geometric Abstract Composition with Blue (~44% OFF LIST PRICE)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Gottfried Honegger Concrete Geometric Abstract Composition with Blue 3D-construction, Screenprint on Hahnemuhle Velvet 2015 Size: 20.9 × 21.1 on 24.2 × 23.8 inches Edition: E.A. of 5...
Archival Paper, Screen
Alexander Calder - Our Unfinished Revolution poster Limited Edition of 250, '76
Located in New York, NY
Offset lithograph poster Printed signature and date on offset paper This poster was published in a limited edition of 250 - unnumbered - separate from the lithographic portfolio of...
Lithograph, Offset
Blue & Gray Offset Print, Abstract Style, Circa 2005, Unframed
By Mark Rothko
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This high-quality reproduction poster of Mark Rothko's Blue & Grey (1962) was published and designed by the Beyeler Foundation in Basel, Switzerland. The artwork features a subtl...
Offset
$15,000
RARE! Mark Rothko at Museo d'Arte Moderna Ca' Pesaro, Venezia hand no. 250/500
By Mark Rothko
Located in New York, NY
Mark Rothko at Museo d'Arte Moderna Ca' Pesaro, Venezia, 1970 Offset lithograph and lithograph on high quality lithographic paper Numbered in pencil 250/500 in the lower left front ...
Pencil, Lithograph, Offset
$1,500
Interaction of Color: Homage to the Square, Abstract Screenprint by Josef Albers
By Josef Albers
Located in Long Island City, NY
This "Homage to the Square" print was created by Albers for the occasion of an exhibition at Grippi Gallery in Manhattan in 1973. It is in an excellent white contemporary frame. Art...
Screen
$525
Hand-Painted Canvas Limited Edition#4/10–Sunshine Factory-British Awarded artist
Located in London, GB
This stunning large-scale hand-painted canvas edition is created in oil by Shizico Yi and is 95% hand painted directly onto canvas. Signed on the front and fully signed and numbered ...
Gesso, Canvas, Oil, Acrylic, Giclée, Archival Pigment
Joan Miró - MARAVILLAS CON VARIACIONES... Lithograph Contemporary Art Abstract
By Joan Miró
Located in Madrid, Madrid
Joan Miró - Maravillas con variaciones acrósticas en el jardín de Miró VII Date of creation: 1975 Medium: Lithograph on Gvarro paper Edition: 1500 Size: 49,5 x 71 cm Observations: Li...
Paper, Lithograph
$956Sale Price|20% Off
Ellsworth Kelly, Yellow Shape, from Derriere le Miroir, 1958
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Ellsworth Kelly (1923–2015), titled Forme Jaune (Yellow Shape), originates from the historic 1958 folio Derriere le Miroir, No. 110. Published by Maeght ...
Lithograph
Gerhard Richter -Abstract Picture, limited edition authorized reproduction print
Located in New York, NY
Gerhard Richter Untitled Abstract Picture, 2002 Offset lithograph on GardaMatt Art 250 GSM paper Not signed, edition of 3433 12 1/2 × 16 3.5 inches Unframed Printed on GardaMatt Art...
Lithograph, Offset
Hand Painted One of One Artist's Proof-Sunset Song Blue -British Awarded Artist
Located in London, GB
This one of one unique Artist's proof is 80% hand painted by artist Shizico Yi on Giclee made on Aluminium, the original paints are hand mixed by the artist. It is the only hand pai...
Metal
$2,800
CY TWOMBLY - PAINTINGS AND DRAWINGS 1954–1977 rare vintage Whitney Museum poster
By Cy Twombly
Located in New York, NY
This rare, vintage poster featuring the work on paper Untitled (1971–73) was produced in 1979, in conjunction with the exhibition Cy Twombly: Paintings and Drawings 1954–1977 at the ...
Lithograph, Offset
Plate #4 from Album 19
By Joan Miró
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Plate #4 from Album 19" 1961, is an original color lithograph on watermarked BFK Rives paper by renown artist Joan Miro 1893-1983. It is hand signed (monogramed...
Lithograph
Joan Miró - MARAVILLAS CON VARIACIONES... Lithograph Contemporary Art Abstract
By Joan Miró
Located in Madrid, Madrid
Joan Miró - Maravillas con variaciones acrósticas en el jardín de Miró VIII Date of creation: 1975 Medium: Lithograph on Gvarro paper Edition: 1500 Size: 49,5 x 35,5 cm Condition: In...
Paper, Lithograph
$15,000
Sam Francis, Karel Appel & Walasse Ting, lithographs, hand signed, 85/100 Framed
By Sam Francis
Located in New York, NY
From the rare, fully signed edition of One Cent Life - only 100 examples were hand signed by the artists. Exceptional provenance from Robert Indiana's estate. Sam Francis, Karel App...
Lithograph
$1,980
ONCE I WAS THE SUN Signed Lithograph, Abstract Face, Hot Pink Blue Yellow Red
By Karel Appel
Located in Union City, NJ
ONCE I WAS THE SUN is a limited edition lithograph by the Dutch artist Karel Appel printed using hand lithography techniques on archival printmaking paper, 100% acid free. ONCE I WAS...
Lithograph
$17,500
Sam Francis, Blue-Violet, Lithograph, Stanford University Museum, Signed, Framed
By Sam Francis
Located in New York, NY
Sam Francis Blue-Violet (Lembark, L, 32), exhibited at Stanford University Art Museum, 1963 Color lithograph on Rives BFK paper with deckled edges Lithograph in blue-violet on Rives ...
Lithograph
1990s Abstract Offset Print: Brown and Orange on Slate, Unframed
By (after) Mark Rothko
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This high-quality reproduction of Brown and Orange on Slate faithfully captures Mark Rothko’s signature exploration of color, light, and emotion. Rothko’s artistic process was deeply...
Offset
Louise Bourgeois - Horseshoe (with accompanying horseshoe), for Judith Solodkin
Located in New York, NY
Engraving by Louise Bourgeois, 2002, hand signed, numbered and inscribed to her longtime printer Judith Solodkin of Solo Impressions, accompanied by an actual horseshoe gifted by the...
Metal
$5,500
Ellsworth Kelly - Handwritten signed note on card to renowned collector, Framed
Located in New York, NY
Ellsworth Kelly Handwritten, signed note on card to CBS cameraman and collector Dan Pope Ink on offset lithograph card Handwritten note signed and inscribed to Dan Pope. It reads, "D...
Ink, Lithograph, Offset
$802
Hand painted Proof-Summer Bloom in the Night-British Awarded Artist-Goldleaf Oil
Located in London, GB
This is a large hand painted Artist's Proof, (oil and gold leaf on Giclee), it's the only one proof of this image, 90 % of the proof is hand painted by the artist, Shizico Yi; its o...
Gold Leaf
Do Not Go Gentle Into that Good Night-Hand painted No 2 Limited Edition of Ten
Located in London, GB
This striking large hand painted limited Edition is No. 2 of only 10 in existence. 90% of the painting is hand-painted in oil and gesso on giclee by Shizico Yi, the edition featuring...
Gesso, Ink, Oil, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Giclée
$716Sale Price|20% Off
Ellsworth Kelly, Red Form, from Revue Cahiers d'Art, 2012
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Ellsworth Kelly (1923–2015), titled Formulaire rouge (Red Form), originates from the 2012 publication Revue Cahiers d'Art, 2012, no. 1, Ellsworth Kelly. ...
Lithograph
Hand Painted Proof-Golden Glow Summer Night-British Awarded Artist-Gold Leaf
Located in London, GB
Golden Glow Summer Night is a large, hand-painted Artist’s Proof, uniquely finished with original oil paints and hand-applied gold leaf on premium Giclée fine art paper. This is a tr...
Gold Leaf
Arts for Act poster
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Robert Rauschenberg (1925-2008). "Arts for Act (1994)." Original offset lithograph poster created for the "Arts for Act." 1994. Signed in the plate (Bold Yellow), Additionally si...
Offset
$663
Hand-Painted Canvas Proof#2-Purple Misty Alliums-British Awarded Artist-Last One
Located in London, GB
This Artist’s Proof is approximately 90% hand-painted with original oil paint and gesso by Shizico Yi, applied directly onto a premium Giclée canvas made from her original oil painti...
Gesso, Canvas, Oil, Acrylic, Giclée
THE MILKY WAY CIRCLE (Limited Edition of Only 30 Prints)
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
**STORE CLOSURE - UP TO 80% OFF - TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT** ***EVERYTHING MUST GO BY DECEMBER 31ST!*** >>The artist is moving to a new full time venture in 2026<< _________...
Canvas
Helen Frankenthaler - A Paintings Retrospective - vintage LACMA Museum poster
Located in New York, NY
Helen Frankenthaler (after) A Paintings Retrospective: vintage LACMA Museum poster, 1990 Offset lithograph museum poster (Unsigned & U...
Lithograph, Offset
Barcelona I -1971
Located in Paris, FR
Lithograph, 1971 Edition : 75 Publisher : Sala Gaspar, Barcelone Printer : Damian Cuas, Barcelone Catalog : [Koelen 71018] 71.00 cm. x 50.00 cm. 27.95 in. x 19.69 in. (paper)...
Lithograph
Hand Painted Large-Gladiolus Glorious-British Awarded Artist-Limited Edition#7
Located in London, GB
This rare X-large Limited Edition is 80% hand painted and highlighted with original paint and brushstrokes painted by artist Shizico Yi. Only 10 Limited Edition has been made, last ...
Gesso, Archival Ink, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Giclée, Oil
$843
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Located in Firenze, IT
Artist: Anja Decker (German, 1908-1995) Medium: Felt pen on paper Period: Late 1950s Condition: Good vintage condition Notes: Mounted on original orange exhibition board, bearing per...
Mixed Media
Joan Miró - MARAVILLAS CON VARIACIONES... Lithograph Contemporary Art Abstract
By Joan Miró
Located in Madrid, Madrid
Joan Miró - Maravillas con variaciones acrósticas en el jardín de Miró XIX Date of creation: 1975 Medium: Lithograph on Gvarro paper Edition: 1500 Size: 49,5 x 35,5 cm Observations: ...
Paper, Lithograph
Spring Rain
By Manabu Mabe
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Spring Rain" 1981, Is a colors lithograph on Fabriano paper by noted Brazilian/Japanese artist Manabu Mabe, 1924-1997. It is hand signed, titled in Japanese and ...
Lithograph
Hand painted Edition#1-The Night-British Awarded Artist-Plein Air in the night
Located in London, GB
Sunset Song – The Night stands as one of the most iconic works featured in Modern Ancient – Summer Exhibition at GSY Studio Gallery, UK, 2025.—this Limited Edition ( only 5 available...
Gesso, Oil, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Giclée
$2,800
Natvar Bhavsar - 1967 Color Field silkscreen signed/N Framed famed Indian artist
By Natvar Bhavsar
Located in New York, NY
Natvar Bhavsar Untitled mid 1960s abstraction, 1967 Silkscreen Pencil signed, dated and numbered 10/30 by Natvar Bhavsar on the front Frame included: Elegantly framed in a museum qua...
Screen
$539
Hand-Painted Limited Edition #2/10-Magic Bell & Blue Rose-British Awarded Artist
Located in London, GB
This set of two are hand painted limited edition on Giclee. Each edition is 80% hand-painted with Shizico’s own oil, gesso, and acrylic—every colour hand-mixed, every surface individ...
Metal
The Open Door 1979 Signed Limited Edition Lithograph
Located in Rochester Hills, MI
Artist: Romare Bearden Title: The Open Door Year: 1979 Print: Lithograph on Somerset Paper Paper size : 22'' x 30'' Edition: Signed in pencil and marked 4/175 Romare Bearden is r...
Lithograph
$850
Color Field Triptych, Squares Coral Transitions, Geometric Minimalist, Limited
Located in Barcelona, ES
This minimalist triptych by Cyd Fontaine explores chromatic transition through a sequence of nested geometric bands that shift from deep blue to warm coral. The composition recalls a...
Photographic Paper, C Print, Giclée
$2,800
Saul Steinberg - Sam's Art New York International portfolio Signed/n lithograph
Located in New York, NY
Saul Steinberg Sam's Art, from The New York International Portfolio), 1966 Lithograph on wove paper with blind stamp Pencil signed and numbered 12/225 on the front Published by Tanglewood Press, Knickerbocker Machine and Foundry, Inc., New York Printed by Irwin Hollander with blind stamp Unframed This Steinberg lithograph is titled Sam's Art, which of course refers to Uncle Sam, the nickname for the United States government. It features his version of the motto seen on our dollar bills, "Annuit Coeptis", which is one of the mottoes found on the Great Seal of the United States. It is directly underneath the "Eye of Providence" and is translated by the US Treasury and State Department as "God (or Providence) favors our undertakings". American President Abraham Lincoln, sitting in front of an easel, is also depicted as an artist in this telling 1960s work. Commentary: "In Saul Steinberg’s lithograph ‘Sam’s Art’, Abraham Lincoln, in stove-pipe hat, poses as the artist in front of his canvas. While his attention looks fixed on rendering the slightly wobbly pyramid with an eye, the Masonic motif from the back of the one dollar bill, the line from his brush has floated off the canvas to become a cubist-futurist cloud in the sky. The American Eagle looks on, perched on a civil war cannon...
Lithograph
$537
Hand-Painted Artist Proof-Summer Night-British Awarded Artist-One Off large size
Located in London, GB
This stunning Artist's Proof is an one-off, hand-painted by the artist Shizico , signed at front and on the back label too; the proof is 90% hand painted with original oil paint by S...
Gesso, Archival Ink, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Giclée
Joan Miró - MARAVILLAS CON VARIACIONES... Lithograph Contemporary Art Abstract
By Joan Miró
Located in Madrid, Madrid
Joan Miró - Maravillas con variaciones acrósticas en el jardín de Miró III Date of creation: 1975 Medium: Lithograph Media: Gvarro paper Edition: 1500 Size: 49,5 x 35,5 cm Condition:...
Lithograph
$318
Hand painted Limited Edition#2/5-Golden Sunlit Magic Bells-British AwardedArtist
Located in London, GB
This is a one-off hand painted Limited Edition, 70% of the painting is hand painted with original paint on Giclee print on aluminium panel, with a mat finishing, signed and numbered ...
Metal
Papoose
Located in Austin, TX
Artist: Alexander Calder Title: Papoose Medium: Color Lithograph Year: 1969 Framed Dimensions: 36"h x50"w 1.5"d Print Dimensions: 28 x 43 in Framed in bespoke black frame. Signed "Ca...
Lithograph
$5,000
Arrived /// Josef Albers Abstract Geometrical Screenprint 1960's Color Theory
By Josef Albers
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Josef Albers (German-American, 1888-1976) Title: "Arrived" Portfolio: Soft Edge - Hard Edge *Unsigned edition Year: 1965 Medium: Original Screenprint on Mohawk Superfine Bris...
Screen
$945Sale Price|30% Off
Untitled (Concetto Spaziale)
Located in Washington , DC, DC
Tipped in color plate produced in 1962 for a rare official Lucio Fontana artist monograph published by famed art book publisher Harry N. Abrams, Inc. (not included), during the artis...
Paper
Lucio Fontana Untitled (Gold Concetto Spaziale)
Located in Washington , DC, DC
Exceptional gold foil Concetto Spaziale produced in 1962 for a rare official Lucio Fontana artist monograph during his lifetime, published by famed art book publisher Harry N. Abrams...
Foil
Oed de Chat, Abstract Geometric Etching with Aquatint by Jacqueline De Butler
Located in Long Island City, NY
Jacqueline De Butler, French (1928 - ) - Oed de Chat, Year: circa 1968, Medium: Etching with Aquatint on Arches, signed and numbered in pencil, ...
Etching, Aquatint
$539
Hand painted Artist Proof-Magnolias-Weaver Series-British Awarded Artist #2 of 3
Located in London, GB
This stunning Artist's Proof is an one-off, oil hand-painted and gilded by the artist , signed at front and on the back label too; each proof is 80% hand painted and gold gilded by S...
Gold Leaf
$72Sale Price|20% Off
Club Imperial Offset Print, Abstract Impressionist, 1994, Unframed
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Club Imperial by Gunter Blum showcases the artist’s talent for capturing the female form with elegance and power. In this striking photograph, the model reveals only a part of her bo...
Offset
"Dawn, " Limited Edition Giclee Print, 48" x 48"
Located in Westport, CT
This abstract, limited edition print by Elwood Howell features a predominantly green palette, with a muted yellow area at the top of the composition. Subtle circle shapes and long ve...
Digital, Giclée
Three Square Composition, 1978 Signed Limited Edition Screen Print
By Larry Zox
Located in Rochester Hills, MI
Larry Zox (1937-2006) Three Square Composition, 1978 Print, Silkscreen, on Arches archival paper - 1978 52 " x 25 " inches Signed in pencil and marked VIII/LV Unframed. Larry Zox i...
Screen
$200Sale Price|20% Off
Achille Perilli Lithograph Poster, Abstract Geometric Art, 1973
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This is an original lithograph poster created for Achille Perilli’s 1973 exhibition Works on Paper at Marlborough Galerie in Zürich. A leading figure in postwar Italian abstraction, ...
Lithograph
Signed 1983 Limited Edition J'ai retrouvé mon père sur les rives du Jourdain
Located in Rochester Hills, MI
Artist: Theo Tobiasse, French/Israeli (1927 - 2012) Title: J'ai retrouvé mon père sur les rives du Jourdain. Cat. Nahan Year: 1983 Medium: Aquatint Etching with Carborundum, signed i...
Aquatint
$72Sale Price|20% Off
Grazia Offset Print by Gunter Blum, Abstract Expressionist, 1994
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This striking photograph of Grazia by Gunter Blum exemplifies the artist’s renowned ability to capture the female form in all its unabashed beauty and power. Grazia is depicted tilti...
Offset
After Turner-One Off, Proof No 1-British Awarded Artist-Seascape-river Thames
Located in London, GB
This is a large Artist's Proof with original oil and gesso paint highlighting; it is the No 1 of the only 3 Proofs; the colours of the painting and Shizico's expressive brushstrokes ...
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Giclée, Gesso, Oil, Acrylic
L'homme à la fraise - Linocut by Pablo Picasso - 1962
Located in Roma, IT
Color linocut on strong wove paper, realized in 1962. Image dimension: 53.2x39.2; Sheet dimension 62.5x44.3 cm. One of the "épreuves de passe" remaining with the printer Arnéra in ...
Linocut
$1,495
Josef Albers Abstract Geometric Screenprint, 1977, Homage to the Square
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Josef Albers Title: Homage to the Square Medium: Screenprint Date: 1977 Edition: 1500 Image Size: 8 1/4" x 8 1/4" Sheet Size: 9" x 9 1/2" Frame Size: 14 7/8" x 14 7/8" Signat...
Screen
$956Sale Price|20% Off
Ellsworth Kelly, Orange Shape, from Derriere le Miroir, 1958
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Ellsworth Kelly (1923–2015), titled Forme Orange (Orange Shape), originates from the historic 1958 folio Derriere le Miroir, No. 110. Published by Maeght...
Lithograph
$750
Red Composition, Abstract Geometric Etching by Jacqueline De Butler
Located in Long Island City, NY
Jacqueline De Butler, French (1928 - ) - Red Composition, Year: circa 1968, Medium: Etching with Aquatint on Arches, signed and numbered in penc...
Etching, Aquatint
Pablo Picasso Abstract Etching, Unsigned, 1971, Series 156
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Pablo Picasso Title: Femme au Fauteuil et Homme Accoude Medium: Etching Portfolio: Series 156 Date: 1971 Edition: 1/50 Frame Size: 19 1/8" x 16 7/8" Sheet Size: 12 7/8" x 9 7...
Etching