Abstract Art
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.
2010s Abstract Art
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
20th Century Abstract Art
Lithograph
Early 2000s Abstract Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Oil
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Oil
1970s Abstract Art
Paper, Lithograph
1960s Abstract Art
Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Oil
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Oil
2010s Abstract Art
Cotton Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Art
Resin, Pigment
2010s Abstract Art
Epoxy Resin
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Archival Pigment
2010s Abstract Art
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Giclée
1960s Abstract Art
Lithograph
2010s Abstract Art
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Cotton Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Art
Enamel
2010s Abstract Art
Cotton Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Oil
1950s Abstract Art
Lithograph
2010s Abstract Art
Archival Paper, Giclée, Gesso, Charcoal, Oil, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Steel, Stainless Steel
1970s Abstract Art
Lithograph
1970s Abstract Art
Lithograph
1960s Abstract Art
Linocut
1960s Abstract Art
Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Lithograph
Artist Comments
Earthy tones contrast with soft pinks and greens, hinting at a floral presence. This abstract painting conveys dynamic movement and emotional depth, balancing s...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Oil
2010s Abstract Art
Gesso, Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Oil, Acrylic
1990s Abstract Art
Woodcut
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Ink, Pencil
2010s Abstract Art
Clay, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Resin
2010s Abstract Art
Resin
1950s Abstract Art
Lithograph
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Gold Leaf
1980s Abstract Art
Screen
2010s Abstract Art
Gesso, Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
1960s Abstract Art
Canvas, Oil
1970s Abstract Art
Lithograph
1940s Abstract Art
Gouache, Board
2010s Abstract Art
Gesso, Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Acrylic, Watercolor, Monoprint, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Soft turquoise and vibrant reds create a striking contrast while shimmering gold leaf symbolizes the returning sunlight and the promise of renewal. The layers o...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Art
Oil, Board
Artist Comments
An abstract botanical piece emerges from expressive strokes of earthy and soft colors. The composition merges spontaneity with precision, evoking a sense of mot...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Oil
2010s Abstract Art
Paper, Acrylic
1960s Abstract Art
Etching
2010s Abstract Art
Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
C Print
1960s Abstract Art
Canvas, Oil
20th Century Abstract Art
Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Resin, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Wood Panel
2010s Abstract Art
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Gesso, Oil, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Giclée
1970s Abstract Art
Lithograph
1970s Abstract Art
Lithograph
2010s Abstract Art
Bronze
2010s Abstract Art
Gesso, Archival Ink, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Giclée
2010s Abstract Art
Gold, Gold Leaf
Artist Comments
A structured grid of organic, playful shapes emerges within a jade and yellow-green field. Abstract metallic fireflies add movement and contrast, shimmering aga...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Acrylic
Abstract art for sale on 1stDibs.
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