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.
$1,300Sale Price|20% Off
Name Unknown
Located in New York, NY
Stainless Steel TIG Welding Rod, Aluminum, Fishing Accessories, Wire, Paint Jeremy Bullis after David L. Bullis Edition 1/5
Stainless Steel, Wire
1978 One on the other one by G.Roland Abstract Sculpture Polished Aluminum
By G. Roland
Located in Brescia, IT
This artwork is composed by two single cubes simply juxtaposed, as the original artist project present in our Gallery Archive. One of a kind piece and it is signet by the Author.
Metal
Stream (Green Glow, Coral Bars)
By Lizzie Scott
Located in Dallas, TX
Flashe on muslin with mixed textiles
Muslin
Ceramic #2015
Located in Fairfield, CT
Alice Federico was born in Selma, Alabama in 1945. She received a BA degree in history from Hollins University (1967), an MFA in ceramics from East Carolina University (1977), as well as a BFA from Kansas City Art Institute (1983). Trained first as an historian, historical pots have always had an influence on her work. That influence includes Chinese Sung ware...
Ceramic
Red Coral Specimen on a Lucite Base
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Lofty organic red coral specimen with its ocean inspired alluring color and dramatic form. One of mother natures most iconic creations. Presented on a lucite base to enhance the scul...
Organic Material
$18,000
Duality R - dynamic, translucent, red, glass, steel, abstract wall sculpture
Located in Bloomfield, ON
Elegantly curved deep red glass pieces in twos are suspended on fine black steel cables in this dramatic new wall sculpture by Canadian artist John Paul Robinson. His glass work is i...
Metal
Balancing Block Votive Sculpture, 2020
Located in Jersey City, NJ
Hydrocal, concrete, paint and polyurethane Hand-signed by artist Frame: Not included This work includes a certificate of authenticity.
Concrete
$3,200Sale Price|20% Off
Art in motion n°6 by Gilbert Pauli - Concrete sculpture 64x96 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
"Art in motion" is a series that offers artworks working with matter; concrete, cement, plaster, mortar, and natural pigments. These works are intended to be exhibited in several way...
Concrete
$2,273
YinYang
Located in Winterswijk, NL
Imagination of the YinYang symbol in zinc The two semicircles are shown differently in this design than in the original YinYang symbol Masculinity is (also) represented in this desig...
Iron
Transition (White) Abstract Wood Sculpture, 21st Century, Hand Carved
By Greg Joubert
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Hand carved aspen wood sculpture torched burnished and painted Greg Joubert was born in 1977 and raised in the seaside New England town of Hingham, Massachusetts. Joubert gained hi...
Wood, Acrylic
"Large Vessel" - abstract sculpture - Barbara Hepworth
By Susan Hable
Located in Atlanta, GA
Susan Hable is inspired by the work of David Hockney, Milton Avery, Henri Matisse, Alex Katz, Howard Hodgkins, Hilma af Klint, Georgia O'Keeffe, Barbara Hepworth and Constantin Brâncuși. With humor and a bit of mischief, Susan Hable’s “Don't Pick The Flowers!” is a body of work that is at once a refuge and a playground. Inspired by her sumptuous garden just outside of her Athens studio, Susan flows from one medium to the next from painting to collage to sculpture. Susan sees her garden as a place for adventure and daydreaming, challenging her perceptions of what her Art can be. Even a weedy ground cover has caught Susan’s eye, an overlooked invasive is seen in a new light becoming a dreamlike fairytale path. Her work asks us to engage in life, go for a walk and play. Susan Hable Smith is the artist and designer behind the boldly colored and hand drawn patterns of Hable Construction...
Stoneware
Abstract Bronze Cube Sculpture, Geometric Form, Unique, 2005, 42x25 cm
Located in Zofingen, AG
sculpture CUBE was made in 2005. An abstract geometric form made of bronze. Interior sculpture, that may looks your place fancy and original. One of a kind art piece.
Bronze
Close to Nature Cacti by Isabel Ritter - Contemporary wood carved sculpture
Located in DE
Hand carved sculpture by artist Isabel Ritter. Beautiful blue wings are carved perfectly. Stunning on a plinth or a shelf. About the Gallery: Folly & Muse was established in 2015 in...
Wood, Acrylic
White Abstract Marble Sculpture by Ellen Brenner-Sorensen
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Ellen Brenner-Sorensen, American Year: circa 1970 Title: Abstract Medium: White Marble Sculpture Size: 24 x 18 x 18 in. (60.96 x 45.72 x 45.72 cm)
Marble
$4,750
Reset
By Eileen Braun
Located in Atlanta, GA
Eileen Braun delights in creating biomorphic or organic sculptural forms. Although they may look as though they're constructed of metal rods, they're actually created from rattan ree...
Rubber, Mixed Media
$55,000
"Saxum Velum (stone sail)", Large-Scale, Outdoor Abstract Stone Sculpture
Located in New York, NY
"Saxum Velum (stone sail)" by John Van Alstine Granite and bronze The sculpture of John Van Alstine beautifully, and powerfully, balances the union of stone and metal, while explori...
Stone, Granite, Metal, Bronze
Light Glyph VFSV
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Light-Glyphs, a range of colors illuminate the interior of translucent sculptural boxes. The color is muted and light diffused through frosted surfaces. At center, a thin blade of co...
Acrylic Polymer, Pigment
Form II by Alban Lanore - Geometric Abstract Sculpture, Charred Oak Wood
Located in Paris, FR
Forme II is a sculpture made of charred oak wood by the French artist Alban Lanore. This sculpture is divided into three geometric sections, one of which is left uncharred. The diffe...
Oak
Alexander's Inspiration (Abstract Sculpture)
Located in London, GB
Aluminum sheet, metal wire and acrylic - mobile "Limited edition of 8 1/8 Available on request — 3 week turnaround " Amaury Maillet is a self-taught artist who explored art in Pro...
Metal
$30,000
"Ascendant Isten", Minimalist Abstract, Hanging Sculpture in Cherry Wood
Located in New York, NY
"Ascendant Isten" Minimalist Abstract Wooden Sculpture by Michael Enn Sirvet Hanging indoor/outdoor sculpture in cherry wood Ascendant Isten--Sanskrit for '1'-- is made of 252 hand-...
Metal, Brass
$125,000
"Zerques", Abstract, Organic, Industrial Large-Scale Outdoor Sculpture in steel
Located in New York, NY
"Zerques" by Carole Eisner Rolled and welded steel I-beams Carole Eisner has worked with scrap and recycled metal for 40 years creating elegant, abstract forms welded in steel. The ...
Steel
No title
Located in Paris, FR
Sculpture, 1990 Handsigned by the artist in pencil Compression of capsules and wires Unique work of a series in 500 different copies Depth: 2.30 cm A modestly sized compression of ...
Iron
Chord, 2023 Colorful Abstract Collage, Fabric and Thread, Unframed
Located in New York, NY
Linda Schmidt’s fabric sculptures intertwine public and private, luxury and common. There is a sense of egalitarianism present in both the way Schmidt so...
Fabric, Thread, Plastic, Pins
Bronze, Aqua, Crimson Ellipse 7112
Located in Napa, CA
David Patchen creates vivid and luminous glass works using the time-honored techniques of cane and murrine glass blowing, originally discovered in the glass blowing studios of Venic...
Blown Glass
$8,950
3D wall sculpture / painting, contemporary abstract African mask by Black artist
By Claes Gabriel
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
"Inner Glow" is an acrylic on shaped canvas painting stretched over a wooden armature creating a 3D wall sculpture. With this majestic figure adorned in radiant color, artist Claes G...
Canvas, Acrylic
Green Feather Beads Mesa Sculpture - Abstract Powder Coated Steel
Located in Santa Fe, NM
It was the tumult of the sixties that compelled me to drop out of Swarthmore College, move “back to the land” and become an intuitive artist. I believed that if we were to survive a...
Steel
American Contemporary Sculpture by Scott Troxel - Bauhaus Mint
By Scott Troxel
Located in Paris, IDF
Artwork made with pigmented lacquer on MDF and Cherry Scott Troxel has exhibited his work at numerous fairs and exhibitions across the United States, including The Other Art Fair in...
Lacquer
$12,800
Red Queen
By Tom Nussbaum
Located in New Orleans, LA
Tom Nussbaum is known for a variety of work including drawings, paper cuts, prints, sculpture, children’s books, animations, functional design objects, and site-specific commissions....
Steel
$12,908
SCULPTURE Abstract Light Black Resine Ray Contemporay Artist Mareo Rodriguez
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...
Resin, Foam, Plexiglass, LED Light
Longnose Butterfly Fish-original bronze wildlife sculpture-artwork-contemporary
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...
Bronze
Siamese Fighting Fish II, Gold-original bronze marine animal wildlife sculpture
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...
Bronze
"Blending In" Textured Abstract Painting
Located in Westport, CT
This abstract painting by Teodora Guererra features a deep teal and pink palette. The artist layers thick strokes of paint using a palette knife in broad, horizontal sweeping strokes...
Canvas, Acrylic
"4 Large Red Boxes" 42" tall Illusion Sculpture, Aluminum and Enamel
By Sanseviero
Located in Southampton, NY
Only 4 sculptures by Sanseviero remain available for the Summer season here in the Hamptons . We have sold 40 sculptures (See the image with all 40 sold sculptures.) This is one of t...
Metal, Enamel
Bow-White
Located in Wilton, CT
"[Masakazu Kobayashi's] woven Waves in dyed threads rank[s] among the most perfect in aesthetic effectiveness ever produced by contemporary weaving….This Japanese way of conjuring up such transparency with threads, of perceiving the thread itself as something creative is highly artistic. They celebrate aesthetic beauty in a way no one can elude.” From “Textile Art and the Avant-garde,” Erika Billeter (Contemporary Textile Art: the Collection of the Pierre Pauli...
Metal
$11,000
"Solstice", Richard Heinrich, Abstract Contemporary Steel Sculpture, Metal
Located in New York, NY
"Solstice" by Richard Heinrich, 2011 Steel Contemporary Abstract Sculpture, Industrial, Modern, Indoor, Outdoor
Steel
$2,840Sale Price|20% Off
Raspberry Shimmer Pyrites (plum red cubic, tabletop sculpture, geometric, wood)
By Chloe Hedden
Located in Quebec, Quebec
This series by Chloe Hedden and Bill Hedden explores the growth forms of the mineral pyrite. Pyrite or 'fools gold' grows in organic ever expanding interconnected cubes. This father...
Wood, Alkyd
Untitled (0399) Colorful Abstract Fabric Sculpture, Acrylic, 2010-
Located in New York, NY
Linda Schmidt’s fabric sculptures intertwine public and private, luxury and common. There is a sense of egalitarianism present in both the way Schmidt sources and arranges her fabric...
Fabric, Acrylic
Steel Yellow 2
Located in Washington Depot, CT
Abstract sculpture
Stainless Steel
Steel Silver 3
Located in Washington Depot, CT
Abstract sculpture
Stainless Steel
Zig Zag 1
Located in Washington Depot, CT
Abstract sculpture
Bronze
Yellow Knot
Located in Washington Depot, CT
Abstract sculpture
Stainless Steel
Torso 20
Located in Washington Depot, CT
Abstract sculpture
Bronze
Torso 15
Located in Washington Depot, CT
Abstract sculpture
Bronze
Steel Yellow 9
Located in Washington Depot, CT
Abstract sculpture
Stainless Steel
Jose Soto, Focus, 2017, Steel, Mirror, Plexiglass, Wood, Adhesive
By Jose Soto
Located in Darien, CT
FOCUS is a public art sculpture about photographic vision and how it shapes the way we see the world. It is concerned with the viewer’s growing visual perception and bodily experienc...
Steel
"Grey Gear" Abstract, Industrial Bronze Metal Sculpture by Joel Perlman
By Joel Perlman
Located in New York, NY
"Grey Gear" by Joel Perlman Abstract sculpture in bronze Joel Perlman has been creating complex sculptures out of steel, bronze, and aluminum since the early 1970's. While minimalis...
Metal, Bronze
Bird No. 96, 1963
Located in Palo Alto, CA
Pablo Picasso Bird No. 96, 1963 Inspired during a period of great creativity with his ceramic works, Picasso looked to nature, and in particular, v...
Enamel
$2,100
Pineapple Meander Mesa Abstract Sculpture, Powder Coated Steel, 2010+
Located in Santa Fe, NM
It was the tumult of the sixties that compelled me to drop out of Swarthmore College, move “back to the land” and become an intuitive artist. I believed that if we were to survive a...
Steel
Poised 14
Located in Washington Depot, CT
Abstract sculpture
Bronze
Movement 8
Located in Washington Depot, CT
Abstract sculpture
Bronze
Miniature Healing Knot
Located in Washington Depot, CT
Abstract sculpture
Stainless Steel
Steel Blue 1 O/D
Located in Washington Depot, CT
Abstract sculpture
Stainless Steel
Steel Rust 3
Located in Washington Depot, CT
Abstract sculpture
Steel
Leap 1
Located in Washington Depot, CT
Abstract sculpture
Bronze
Steel Black
Located in Washington Depot, CT
Abstract sculpture
Steel
$49,000
Poised 17
Located in Washington Depot, CT
Abstract sculpture
Stainless Steel
"Two Note Swivel", Large-Scale Abstract Metal Sculpture, Red, Outdoor
By Alex Barrett
Located in New York, NY
"Two Note Swivel" by Alex Barrett Large-scale, organic abstract metal sculpture in powder-coated aluminum Alex Barrett's monumental abstract sculptures are built with aluminum, and ...
Metal
$5,000
Helix
Located in Washington Depot, CT
Abstract sculpture
Stainless Steel
Gesture 24
Located in Washington Depot, CT
Abstract sculpture
Stainless Steel
Movement 9
Located in Washington Depot, CT
Abstract sculpture
Bronze