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.
$605Sale Price|37% Off
TOMMASO PRINCIPE (b1942) ITALIAN SIGNED OIL - ELEGANT LADIES IN PARKLAND
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
"Walking in the Park" by Tommaso Principe (Italian b.1942) signed lower corner oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas: 19.5 x 27.5 inches Beautiful Italian Impressionist oil...
Oil
$645
Flower Arrangement in Carved Wooden Bowl - Abstract Botanical Painting on Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Krisanne Souter weaves together elements of nature and ancient feminine archetypes, such as the Mother and the Mystic. Botanical themes, playful elements, and unexpected surprises ar...
Paper, Ink, Acrylic, Watercolor, Color Pencil
Whistler Abstraction! - Abstract Blue Landscape Textural Impasto Oil Painting
By Dana Cowie
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Using an impasto, painterly technique Dana Cowie creates cubist-inspired farm and rural landscapes. Working within controlled color schemes, her artworks appear abstract up close and...
Canvas, Oil
$1,500
Agnes Martin Recent Paintings Limited Edition 1977 PACE Gallery invite on vellum
By Agnes Martin
Located in New York, NY
Agnes Martin Recent Paintings, 1977 Offset Lithograph invitation on Vellum 12 × 12 inches Edition of 2000 Unframed This early print is an exhibition invitation to the Pace Gallery's ...
Lithograph, Offset
$8,989
Geometry of Thought – Large Contemporary Abstract Library Painting, Oil on Canva
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Oil on canvas – 39.37 × 39.37 in (100 × 100 cm) Framed: approx. 42.13 × 42.13 in (107 × 107 cm) Frame options: natural wood or black collector's choice Year: 2025 – Signed front Cert...
Canvas, Oil
$160Sale Price|20% Off
Original Modern Contemporary painting on canvas, Abstract, Fantasy style, Framed
Located in Palm Coast, FL
Up for sale Original Abstract Acrylic Painting on canvas in a fantasy abstract style. A unique technique, very colorful. An unusual combination of colors, a flow from sharp to soft s...
Acrylic
$2,800
Art Card: Frank Stella The Fossil Whale (Hand Signed by Frank Stella), Framed
By Frank Stella
Located in New York, NY
Offset lithograph card Hand signed and dated '93 by Frank Stella on the front Gorgeous card depicting abstract expressionist artist Frank Stella's "The Fossil Whale" on the front cov...
Postcard
$960
Deep Shoal, Colorful Seascape Painting, Pink, Blue, Abstract Gestures Fish Shape
Located in Barcelona, ES
This series by Enric Servera explores the relationship of humans to salt and seawater. The intention of these works is to submerge us into the sea, a salty treasure that surrounds us...
Acrylic, Paper
Aura - Abstract Sculpture in Black Granite, Contemporary, Signed
By Jeremy Guy
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This contemporary abstract black stone sculpture is by Jeremy Guy. A full time sculptor for more than two decades, Jeremy Guy’s superb sculptural work has attracted international pr...
Granite
$3,821Sale Price|20% Off
Huge Contemporary Spanish Signed Oil Painting Picasso Style Horse Abstract Paint
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Horses Spanish School, signed 'Santos' early 21st century acrylic painting on canvas, unframed canvas: 32 x 48 inches condition: very good provenance: private collection, So...
Acrylic, Canvas
$1,995Sale Price|30% Off
'Abstract, Ebony & Rust', San Francisco Bay Area Abstraction, Large Oil
By Eral Leek
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Signed lower right, "Eral" for Eral Leek (American, 20th century) and dated 1962. A substantial, mid-century oil abstract comprising bold, overlapping rectangular compositional elem...
Canvas, Oil
$7,400
Rearranging Form - Large Contemporary Silver Tone Abstract Acrylic Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Harrison Gilman's large original artworks begin with a layer of fast-paced gestural abstraction followed by organic shapes and geometric structures. Some of his paintings remain in t...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Shoreline by Gabriela Azar Schreiner.
Located in Mentone, AU
This painting is unstretched and unframed. It will be carefully rolled and shipped in a tube. "Creating large-scale abstract paintings that evoke tranquility and presence in any spa...
Acrylic
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
$15,500
"I Dream in Flowers", Vibrant Colorful Heavily Textured Mixed Media Abstract
Located in Carmel, CA
Sveta Hessler (Russian, born 1973) "I Dream in Flowers" 2025 Oil and mixed media on stretched canvas Signed on verso. “I Dream in Flowers” is a heavily textured contemporary abstrac...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Stretcher Bars, Oil
Abstract R 2506
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this painting, I harnessed the dynamic and evocative qualities of acrylics paints to sculpt a vivid landscape of emotion and expression. My aim was to capture the ephemeral play o...
Oil, Acrylic
A Conversation Without Words
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 91×66 cm (overall size with stretching 101×76 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled The title “A Conversation Without Words” perfectly captures the pro...
Canvas, Acrylic
A Moment Together, Contemporary Figurative Painting, 80x60 cm, New
Located in DE
Contemporary figurative painting with lots of details and movement. Beautiful statement piece for any art collection. Combining a lot of different colors in any interiors and settin...
Canvas, Acrylic
“Beyond the Lands”, French Abstract Landscape, Oil on Canvas, 2026
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Beyond the Lands (Au-delà des terres) is an original oil painting by French contemporary artist Sophie Dumont, whose work explores the boundary between abstraction, landscape, and th...
Oil
Together by Gaetan de Seguin - Contemporary Abstract painting
Located in DE
Gaetan de Seguin paints figurative works, with an abstract character. The various colors highlight that not one person is the same, and his artworks celebrate this individuality in a...
Canvas, Acrylic
Coming over for breakfast (Abstract Painting)
By Petra Schott
Located in London, GB
This artwork will be shipped rolled in a dent-resistant tube. German artist Petra Schott translates human emotions, memories, and sensory experiences into expressive, lyrical abstr...
Canvas, Oil
"Wavelet" Fine Art Mirror
Located in Westport, CT
This abstract fine art mirror by Alina B is made with dichroic film on mirror, and is framed in a champagne-toned frame. The film on the mirror allows for it, and the space it reflec...
Mirror, Film
The Tender Collision
Located in Zofingen, AG
Some things from home follow you without being asked. Not the furniture. Not the photographs. Something quieter — a pattern on a curtain, the way light passed through lace on an ordi...
Canvas, Oil, Spray Paint
$109Sale Price|20% Off
French Expressionist Abstract Original Painting Artists Studio Provenance
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Expressionist Composition by Jacques COULAIS (1955-2011) gouache painting on thick board unframed: 8 x 8 inches condition: excellent provenance: all the paintings we have fo...
Oil
$42,000
Equilibre Rouille No.6 - Abstract Metal Outdoor Sculpture in Stainless Steel
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This contemporary outdoor metal sculpture is geometric in shape. Philippe Pallafray's hand forged and welded stainless steel sculpture seems to defy gravity. The Quebec sculptor is ...
Metal
"I Want To Believe", Abstract Expressionist, Figurative, Red, Oil Painting
By Sorin Bica
Located in Franklin, MA
Sorin Bica's "I Want To Believe" is a 69 x 58 inch abstract expressionist oil painting on canvas, representing stylized human figures in vivid red, orange and black tones, with bold ...
Canvas, Oil
$58Sale Price|24% Off
Untitled (XX) (Abstract, Red, Grey) (25% OFF LIST PRICE)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Barbara Keidel Untitled (XX) (Abstract, Red, Grey) Linocut 1996 Edition: 3 Numbered and dated by hand in pencil Size: 9 x 8.25 inches (22.86 x 20.95 cm) COA provided Tags: Abstr...
Linocut
Pink Summer
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 97×115 cm (Total canvas size including stretching margins: 107×125 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled This painting immerses the viewer into the lang...
Canvas, Acrylic
$887Sale Price|25% Off
Abstract Expressionist Figure in Pink and Gold Contemporary Spanish Oil Painting
By Nerea Caos
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Abstract Expressionist Figure in Pink and Gold – Contemporary Spanish Oil Painting Artist: Nerea Caos (Spain, born 1993) Title: Explosion de Color Technique: Oil on canvas Dimension...
Canvas, Oil
$14,764
Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) Complete portfolio of 9 lithographs on BFK Rives- 1965
Located in Varese, IT
Complete portfolio of 9 lithographs on BFK Rives paper, edited in 1965 There are included two works by Pablo Picasso “Fumeur” and “Visage” Limited edition of 100 copies. Each work i...
Lithograph
$72Sale Price|20% Off
Daniel Humair 'Roland Garros French Open' 2004- Poster
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Galerie Le Long Paris, 2004 French Open Paper Size: 29.5 x 23.25 inches ( 75 x 59 cm ) Image Size: 29.5 x 23.25 inches ( 75 x 59 cm ) Framed: No Condition: A: Mint Shipping an...
Offset
Forces of Nature 20 - Rich Textured Abstract Minimalist Beige Canvas Painting
By Len Klikunas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Len Klikunas paints minimalist artworks to modify experienced reality through visual perception. The Blocks series is a mix of art and architecture, hovering between painting and scu...
Gesso, Canvas, Mixed Media
$8,000
"The Botanist's Table" Porcelain White Vase with Colorful Flowers Oil Painting
By Eric Alfaro
Located in New York, NY
An impressionistic depiction of a white porcelain vase with a burst of white, pink, orange, yellow and light red flowers exploding with color and bold marks. Alfaro bridges the Baroq...
Oil, Canvas
Embrasement V - Abstract Steel Sculpture, Contemporary
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This contemporary metal floor sculpture is geometric in form. Claude Millette is internationally recognized for his distinctive, contemporary sculptures. The Quebec artist’s provoc...
Steel
And Around We Go
Located in Los Angeles, CA
And Around We Go Acrylic on canvas 48 x 48 x 1.5 Edges painted white, back wired, ready to hang. Sarah Trundle is a Charlottesville, Va. painter who, after beginnings in represent...
Acrylic
$875Sale Price|20% Off
Parisian Abstract Expressionist Original Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Stunning original oil painting by the French abstract artist, Yvette Dubois-Habasque (1929-2016). The painting has excellent provenance having come from the artists studio sale in Pa...
Oil
$3,785
Weightless in the Deep-Original Abstract Expressionism - Figurative Oil Painting
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...
Canvas, Oil
The Lady maquette, replica of Chicago Picasso sculpture, American Bridge Company
Located in New York, NY
(After) Pablo Picasso The Lady (Maquette), ca. 1967 Mixed Media Sculpture edition Cor-ten Steel This maquette is based upon the original Chicago Picasso-a monumental sculpture by Pablo Picasso in Chicago, Illinois. The sculpture, dedicated on August 15, 1967, in Daley Plaza in the Chicago Loop...
Stone, Steel
Ethereal Abstraction 32, Abstract Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Part of artist Patrick O'Boyle's ongoing Ethereal Abstraction series. He demonstrates an abstract expression of vivid colors. "I paint standing up with the pa...
Acrylic
$66,500
Eroica A.P. 1 - smooth, polished, abstract, contemporary, bronze sculpture
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This modern bronze sculpture was inspired by music and made by David Chamberlain. As graceful as a dancer’s form, this contemporary bronze sculpture in a striking deep turquoise patina is by David Chamberlain. Created from one luminous piece the lustre accentuates the spiralling form and reflects light. Chamberlain’s sculptures...
Metal, Bronze
Picasso and the Human Comedy, Verve Lithograph Print, 1954
Located in London, GB
Picasso and the Human Comedy, Verve, Vol. VIII, No 29/30, 1954 Original lithographs published by Mourlot Frères Original lithograph print from Verve Vol. VIII, No 29/30 printed by t...
Lithograph
Leo Castelli Gallery offset lithograph invitation, 1969
By Frank Stella
Located in New York, NY
Offset lithograph poster invitation Unframed and unsigned Published by Leo Castelli Gallery at 4 East 77th Street on the occasion of the exhibition in November, 1969 The artwork dep...
Lithograph, Offset
Whisper
Located in Zofingen, AG
shipped in roll size of artwork 150x120 + 10 cm This work is about tenderness and strength, about the path, choice and movement. The river gently unfolds its flow through fields o...
Canvas, Acrylic
Blu - Screen Print by Carla Accardi - 2000
Located in Roma, IT
Screen print on paper realized by Carla Accardi in 2000. Hand signed and numbered. Edition of 71/99. Includes a metal grey frame. Very good condition.
Screen
$1,975
U Lights (Diptych) - Black and White Original Abstract Geometric Textured Art
By Tasha Jentel
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Tasha Jentel is an abstract sculptural painter with a deep love for minimalism and thick textures. Guided by her passion for exploring spatial tension, Jentel creates one-of-a-kind a...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$4,186Sale Price|20% Off
Mid 20th Century French Expressionist Abstract Portrait Very Thick Impasto Oil
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Portrait Expressionist work, painted with very thick impasto oil paint. unsigned but clearly by a very good hand. French School, mid 20th century oil on board, unframed 36...
Oil
Green and White 1959 Abstract - British abstract art oil painting
Located in Hagley, England
This staggering British abstract oil painting is by noted British Birmingham artist Patrick Venton. He exhibited rarely during his lifetime, preferring instead to develop in the priv...
Oil
$1,761Sale Price|20% Off
Abstract 2273
Located in Zofingen, AG
Abstract 2273 - painting is a powerful vision of Love’s vibration, Compassion’s strength, and Hope’s vitality. Woosh away your worries! Feel the exhilarating and mighty presence of W...
Acrylic
$1,064Sale Price|50% Off
Large Vintage Abstract Oil Painting on Canvas from the 1980's
Located in AIGNAN, FR
Abstract oil painting on canvas signed on the back and dated 1988. A very attractive modern vintage abstract that is easy on the eye and yet significant to its surroundings. Here, ...
Oil
$55,000
Mobius H6 Mirror Polished Stainless Steel - abstract, contemporary, sculpture
By Jeremy Guy
Located in Bloomfield, ON
Jeremy Guy’s distinctive abstract sculptures grace the grounds of many public places the world over. This is a favorite form—elegant, and bodacious, the curves of Mobius are based on...
Stainless Steel
$1,046Sale Price|20% Off
YVETTE DUBOIS-HABASQUE (1929-2016) FRENCH CUBIST ABSTRACT PAINTING
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
"Abstract Composition" original Oil Painting on board by Yvette Dubois Habasque (1929-2016) signed on back Dated: November 2007 card: 15.75 x 15.7.5 inches Fine original abstract...
Oil
$165Sale Price|20% Off
Exotic French Impressionist Oil Painting Bridge and Palm Trees.
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Maggy Clarysse (1931-2011) Oil on board, unframed 10.75 x 8.75 inches Signed co...
Oil
"Wine-Tasting Holiday in Provence" Contemporary Expressionism Nature Leisure
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
Contemporary Oil Painting – Original Artwork on Stretched Canvas, Ready to Hang (60 × 50 × 1.5 cm / 23.6 × 19.7 × 0.6 in) – "Wine-Tasting Holiday in Provence" “Wine-Tasting Holiday ...
Canvas, Oil
$825Sale Price|25% Off
series "Shells", 70x50 cm, acrylic on cardboard
By Tatiana Nega
Located in Yerevan, AM
series "Shells", 70x50 cm, acrylic on cardboard The work is sold without a frame and mat
Acrylic, Cardboard
$449
Contemporary expressive floral pink roses acrylic painting of roses on paper
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This vibrant, expressive abstract floral painting, titled "Splash of Color," was created by French artist Natalya Mougenot. The piece celebrates the timeless beauty of flowers, espec...
Acrylic, Paper
Summer Nights, Abstract Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
The setting sun cuts through a bank of afternoon cloud cover, casting heavenly light on the earthy landscape. The far horizon comes into sight with a whisper ...
Oil
Don't Let Them Burst your Bubble: Clear 81425 - Blown Glass Sculpture, 35x15 IN
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This contemporary wall sculpture features bubbles of clear glass. Each work is individually hand-formed in glass, so slight variations in colour, shape, and texture from the images ...
Metal
$109Sale Price|20% Off
French Expressionist Abstract Original Painting Artists Studio Provenance
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Expressionist Composition by Jacques COULAIS (1955-2011) gouache painting on paper/ card unframed: 10.75 x 8.5 inches condition: excellent provenance: all the paintings we h...
Oil
$23,600Sale Price|20% Off
Composition, Basket Series, Dale Chihuly
By Dale Chihuly
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Dale Chihuly (1941) Title: Composition, Basket Series Year: 1985 Medium: Acrylic on Arches Aquarelle paper Size: 42 x 30 inches Inscription: Signed and dated by the artist No...
Acrylic
Large Vintage American Modernist Framed Abstract Expressionist Signed Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Large vintage American modernist oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Framed. Provenance from a Sag Harbor, NY collection. Handsomely framed. Excellent condition, ready to hang and ...
Oil, Canvas