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.
Reg Butler Bronze Sculpture Musee Imaginaire Abstract Brutalist Female Figure
By Reg Butler
Located in Surfside, FL
Reg Cotterell Butler (1913 - 1981) Bronze Musée Imaginaire Conceived 1961-62, cast 1963 Stamp signed and impressed with monogram Initials © RB Numbered 9/9, Cast by Valsuani Fou...
Bronze
Reclining Female Nude / - Original body landscape -
Located in Berlin, DE
Karl Josef Dierkes (1924 Dalhausen - 2008 ibid.), Reclining Female Nude, circa 1960. Bronze 26.5 cm (length), x 11 cm (height) x 7 cm (depth), signed “K.[arl] J.[osef] Dierkes” on th...
Bronze
Woman Stainless Steel Sculpture, Figurative, Late 20th Century, 15x8.5
Located in Chesterfield, MI
“Woman” is a Stainless Steel Sculpture by the artist Marian Owczarski. It measures approximately 15 x 8.5 x 6 inches. The date of creation is unknown,...
Stainless Steel
Metamorphosis abstract nude 1960s sculpture by John Robert Murray McCheyne
Located in London, GB
To see our other Modern British Art, scroll down to "More from this Seller" and below it click on "See all from this Seller" - or send us a message if you cannot find the artist you ...
Wood
African Hand-carved Wooden Female Figure
Located in San Francisco, CA
This sculpture is a standing female figure from West Africa. As standalone wooden figures are relatively rare compared to masks, this is quite a notable traditional piece. The head ...
Wood
Brutalist Ceramic Sculpture Vase Bronze Lustre FInish California Expressionist
By Jenik Cook
Located in Surfside, FL
Jenik Cook Handmade ceramic vase or pot sculpture Hand signed by the artist. Fired clay with a luster bronze painted finish Jenik Esterm Simonian Cook is a painter and ceramicist ...
Ceramic, Luster, Paint
African Carved Wood Male Sculpture
Located in San Francisco, CA
This African carved wood figure represents a male ancestor or spirit spouse statue. Standing at an impressive 26.5 inches tall, figures of this size and posture typically serve as fo...
Wood
Central African Carved Wood Ritual Male Figure
Located in San Francisco, CA
This standing male figure is a traditional African power or ancestral sculpture. The bared, pointed teeth and stylized open mouth are classic indicators of power or protection, expre...
Wood
$6,499
L'Eclatée (The Fragmented One), an abstract bronze sculpture by Lili Mirante
By Lili Mirante
Located in PARIS, FR
Lili Mirante (Paris, 1966 – last picture in the gallery) is a woman artist who lives and works in Paris. Born into a family of artists (her father was a renowned watercolorist), she ...
Bronze
Lovers
Located in Milford, NH
A fine abstract marble sculpture of two lovers, unsigned, in the manner of Lithuanian American artist William Zorach (1887-1966). Zorach was born in Eurberg, Lithuania, was brought t...
Marble
Mid-Century Nude Male Acephale Sang de Boeuf Ceramic Sculpture with Marble Base.
By Franta (Frantisek Merte)
Located in Cotignac, FR
French Mid 20th Century ceramic figure of a man in Sang de Boeuf, oxblood red, glaze presented on a metal 'tige' and marble base. The sculpture is not signed but was purchased from ...
Marble
Josie - Elegant Original Figurative Bronze Sculpture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
German sculptor Nando Kallweit produces figurative bronze sculptures and reliefs with aquiline and a graceful modern appeal. Kallweit is inspired by seemingly disparate cultures; the...
Metal, Bronze
$2,100
Susi Con Cavallo - Horse and Female Figure One-of-a-kind Cubist Bronze Sculpture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
German sculptor Nando Kallweit produces figurative bronze sculptures and reliefs with aquiline and a graceful modern appeal. Kallweit is inspired by seemingly disparate cultures; the...
Metal, Bronze
$17,500
'Early Childhood, ' 35" x 9" x 6" Sculpture by ArmanH, Bronze on Wood Base
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
This 35.43" x 9.84" bronze sculpture by Armenian artist, Arman Hambardzumyan, features a faceless figural form with long legs and a short torso. Th...
Bronze
$45,095
Bronze Relief Sculpture Statue Of Man And Eagle Maquette Mid-20th Century
Located in Sutton Poyntz, Dorset
Dame Elisabeth Frink. English ( b.1930 - d.1993 ). Maquette For Man And Eagle. Bronze With Gold Brown Patina. Signed And Numbered 1/7 Lower Left. Size 8.7 inches x 10.2 inches ( 22cm x 26cm ). Depth 2.8 inches ( 7cm ). Weight 7.1lb ( 3.24KG). Available for sale; this original bronze plaque with raised relief is by Dame Elisabeth Frink and was conceived and cast in 1967. The maquette is presented and supplied unmounted. There is the option to hang the plaque from 2 rings applied to the rear when in previous ownership. This vintage bronze plaque...
Bronze
$560Sale Price|20% Off
"Victim of War (WWII)" Signed, Stainless Steel Sculpture
Located in Chesterfield, MI
This dramatic stainless steel sculpture titled "Victim of War" by Marian Owczarski depicts a falling figure reaching towards the sky. The figure is suspended by a single leg which Ow...
Stainless Steel
Female Torso
By Shaun Gagg
Located in Nottingham, GB
Original Penny Sculpture. This incredible sculpture has been created using 10p pieces, intricately welded together. The sculpture sits on a slate base ...
Metal, Steel
Figurative Grey Stone Sculpture of a Female
Located in Houston, TX
Figurative sculpture of a nude female figure. The stone is a grey tone with speckling. The artist signed and dated the piece in the crevice on the bottom. Jose Zacarias is known for ...
Stone
$5,318
Humeur Vagabonde (Wandering Mood) a geometrical bronze sculpture by Lili Mirante
By Lili Mirante
Located in PARIS, FR
Lili Mirante (born in Paris, 1966 - last picture in the gallery) is a woman artist who lives and works in Paris. Born into a family of artists (her father was a renowned watercoloris...
Bronze
Female Torso
By Shaun Gagg
Located in Nottingham, GB
Original Penny Sculpture. This incredible sculpture has been created using 10p pieces, intricately welded together. The sculpture sits on a slate base ...
Metal, Steel
$7,950
H 24 in W 20 in
Nude Bronze Figurative Sculpture 'Morning Glory' by Carl Payne
By Carl Payne
Located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire
'Morning Glory' by Carl Payne is a beautiful Nude Bronze Figurative Sculpture - part of a series of works based on Greek Myths. Continuing a successful career in England and Ireland, Carl joined Callaghan Fine Paintings and Works of Art at the beginning of 2004 in order to dedicate his time to create and develop stunning individual contemporary sculpture. Carl is a Staffordshire based sculptor for whom art has played a large part in his academic work taking him through the Burslem School of Art, the Henry Doulton School of Sculpture and then to Stafford College. After qualifying in Figurative Sculpture he launched his career with commission after commission which has now secured his reputation for fine quality workmanship both in life-size format and smaller decorative pieces. The list of his completed commissioned work is extensive, including many ‘house-hold’ names from the sporting world, commerce and the past. The following are just some of the private and publicly commissioned completed works that form Carl’s prestigious portfolio:- King George 5th and Queen Mary – life size portrait buste commissioned by Cunards Cruise Ships and located in the ballroom of the Queen Mary 2...
Bronze
$25,000
H 18 in W 14 in D 10.5 in
Cubist Nude Bronze Sculpture, Patinated, Signed 2/4, 1999, 18x14 in"
Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL
Cubist Nude Patinated Bronze Sculpture. Dominique Polles' bronze sculptures of female nude edition 2/4 patinated bronze signed and dated 1999. Born in Paris in 1945, young Pollès of...
Bronze
$32,618
H 79.53 in W 17.72 in D 17.72 in
Breach by Tom Price - Large-scale sculpture, mixed technique, vertical
By Tom Price
Located in Paris, FR
Breach is a unique resin sculpture by contemporary artist Tom Price, dimensions are 202 × 45 × 45 cm (79.5 × 17.7 × 17.7 in). The sculpture is signed and comes with a certificate of...
Concrete
$709
H 5.91 in W 2.76 in D 3.15 in
Mom Rat With Babies - Unique Handmade Glazed Ceramics Sculpture, Animals
Located in Salzburg, AT
The sculpture is signed below. Monika Zadurska-Bielak, Graduated from the studio of Prof. Franciszek Duszeńko at the Faculty of Sculpture of the Acade...
Ceramic
$2,451
H 6.11 in W 2.76 in D 2.17 in
1980 Italy Late 20th Century Bronze Multiple Male Nude Bust by Roberto Nanut
Located in Brescia, IT
This engaging bronze sculpture on black wooden base, well represents a human bust, but for its expressive force, the bust turns into an abstract shape of it. The artist who created t...
Bronze
$2,718
H 27.56 in W 23.63 in D 13.78 in
Wall sculpture, hand-carved cow, eucalyptus and chainsaw, natural wood
Located in Carballo, ES
Hand-carved eucalyptus wood sculpture by the artist Álvaro de la Vega (1954, Lugo, Spain) in 20006. It is part of a series of sculptures of bodies and animals made with chisel and ha...
Stainless Steel
$23,931Sale Price|22% Off
H 22.84 in W 13 in D 10.24 in
Modern Pop Art Dita Mel Ramos Stainless Steel Nude Sculpture
By Mel Ramos
Located in Zug, CH
MEL RAMOS (1935-2018) Dita 2017 Cast and polished stainless steel 58 x 33 x 26 cm 22.83 x 12.99 x 10.24 inches Number 29 of 60, Edition of 60 + 6 A.P. Cast signature and number on b...
Stainless Steel
African Carved Wood Male Sculpture
Located in San Francisco, CA
This African carved wood figure represents a male ancestor or spirit spouse statue. Standing at an impressive 26.5 inches tall, figures of this size and posture typically serve as fo...
Wood
$32,499
H 66.93 in W 19.69 in D 19.69 in
The Presence of Absence – Female (II) by Tom Price - Coal sculpture, nude body
By Tom Price
Located in Paris, FR
The Presence of Absence – Female (II) is a unique coal, stainless steel and epoxy resin sculpture by contemporary artist Tom Price, dimensions are 170 × 50 × 50 cm (66.9 × 19.7 × 19....
Stainless Steel
$3,486
H 41.34 in W 7.88 in D 7.88 in
George by Nando Kallweit. Elegant bronze sculpture of a nude male human figure.
Located in Coltishall, GB
George is an elegant figurative bronze sculpture by Nando Kallweit. This striking sculpture features a slender, elongated nude female figure, exuding elegance and introspection. The...
Bronze
$2,400
H 9 in W 7.5 in D 3.5 in
Chaim Gross Mid Century Mod Bronze Sculpture Mother and Baby Playing WPA Artist
By Chaim Gross
Located in Surfside, FL
Chaim Gross (American, 1904-1991) Cast bronze sculpture Caring (or Mother and Child) signed Mounted on wooden plinth Featuring a mother raising her child up in superb high relied i...
Bronze
Nude Torso
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A tall dynamic chipped wood standing nude torso mounted on a stone base. Great form and patina. Stone, wood and ceramics sculptor Lorrie Goulet, who also makes drawings and lithograp...
Stone
Nude Torso
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A tall dynamic chipped wood standing nude torso mounted on a stone base. Great form and patina. Stone, wood and ceramics sculptor Lorrie Goulet, who also makes drawings and lithograp...
Stone
Lucas - One-of-a-kind Bronze Sculpture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
German sculptor Nando Kallweit produces figurative bronze sculptures and reliefs with aquiline and a graceful modern appeal. Kallweit is inspired by seemingly disparate cultures; the...
Metal, Bronze
Emilio - One-of-a-kind Bronze Sculpture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
German sculptor Nando Kallweit produces figurative bronze sculptures and reliefs with aquiline and a graceful modern appeal. Kallweit is inspired by seemingly disparate cultures; the strength of ancient Egyptian sculptures...
Metal, Bronze
Sold
H 7 in W 3 in D 2 in
José - One-of-a-kind Male Cubist Sitting Figure Original Bronze Sculpture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
German sculptor Nando Kallweit produces figurative bronze sculptures and reliefs with aquiline and a graceful modern appeal. Kallweit is inspired by seemingly disparate cultures; the...
Metal, Bronze
Sold
H 12 in W 6 in D 2 in
Neile - Graceful Female Figure Modern Cubist Solid Bronze Sculpture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
German sculptor Nando Kallweit produces figurative bronze sculptures and reliefs with aquiline and a graceful modern appeal. Kallweit is inspired by seemingly disparate cultures; the...
Metal, Bronze
Two Figurative Bronze Sculptures - Dean and Mareike
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Two Figurative Bronze Sculptures For Sale: Dean (4x3x3 inches) and Mareike (9x2x2 inches) German sculptor Nando Kallweit produces figurative bronze sculptures and reliefs with aquiline and a graceful modern appeal. Kallweit is inspired by seemingly disparate cultures; the strength of ancient Egyptian...
Metal, Bronze
Terracotta bozzetto, dancing woman nude
Located in Greding, DE
Terracotta bozzetto of a dancing female nude with scarf in mannerist style, on square base.
Terracotta
Sold
H 34.26 in W 11.82 in D 8.67 in
Leap of Faith - Wall mount abstract figure Nude Male bronze sculpture modern art
By Ian Edwards
Located in London, Chelsea
In the expression of our heart’s desires, we take the Leap of Faith. A powerful figurative Nude bronze sculpture, signed , Ed of 12. Edwards’ practice expresses the power and deter...
Bronze
Contemporary Abstract Figurative Sculpture, "3 Torsos"
Located in San Diego, CA
This is a one of a kind original figurative sculpture by San Diego artist, Susan Hawkins. Its dimensions are 9x8.5x.2.25. It is made of bronze. A certificate of authenticity will fol...
Metal
Lea - One-of-a-kind Bronze Sculpture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
German sculptor Nando Kallweit produces figurative bronze sculptures and reliefs with aquiline and a graceful modern appeal. Kallweit is inspired by seemingly disparate cultures; the...
Metal, Bronze
Davide - One-of-a-kind Bronze Sculpture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
German sculptor Nando Kallweit produces figurative bronze sculptures and reliefs with aquiline and a graceful modern appeal. Kallweit is inspired by seemingly disparate cultures; the...
Metal, Bronze