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.
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
The muted palette and soft brushstrokes create a dreamlike atmosphere, evoking a sense of calm and introspection. The blurred lines create a seamless transition...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Oil
1990s Abstract Art
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment
1970s Abstract Art
Lithograph
2010s Abstract Art
Gold Leaf
2010s Abstract Art
Cotton Canvas, Spray Paint, Acrylic, Permanent Marker, Ink, Color Pencil
2010s Abstract Art
Mixed Media
1970s Abstract Art
Screen
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Art
Textile
2010s Abstract Art
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Digital, Giclée
2010s Abstract Art
Oil Pastel, Paper
1960s Abstract Art
Lithograph
2010s Abstract Art
Paper, Etching
1980s Abstract Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Resin, Vinyl
1950s Abstract Art
Paper, Watercolor
1960s Abstract Art
Canvas, Oil
1930s Abstract Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
1910s Abstract Art
Paper, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Art
Oil, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Abstract Art
Masonite, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Adhesive, Oil
2010s Abstract Art
Metal
Early 2000s Abstract Art
Offset
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Archival Pigment
2010s Abstract Art
Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Pigment
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Archival Pigment
2010s Abstract Art
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
1960s Abstract Art
Lithograph
2010s Abstract Art
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Resin, Acrylic, Wood Panel
2010s Abstract Art
Acrylic
1960s Abstract Art
Paper, Gouache
1960s Abstract Art
Paper, Charcoal
1990s Abstract Art
Oil, Gouache
2010s Abstract Art
Gold, Gold Leaf
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Metal, Gold Leaf
2010s Abstract Art
Gold Leaf
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Plastic, Wood, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic, Other Medium, Varnish
1960s Abstract Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Stainless Steel
1980s Abstract Art
Screen
2010s Abstract Art
Monotype
Artist Comments
A tonal abstract landscape rendered with an introspective approach. Artist Pat Forbes describes the scene as "the world left behind in the dreamy moments when...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Digital, Giclée
2010s Abstract Art
Paper, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Paper, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Cotton Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Art
Paper, Ink, Watercolor, Color Pencil
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Oil
1970s Abstract Art
Paper, Ink, Gouache
2010s Abstract Art
Archival Paper, Lithograph
1930s Abstract Art
Canvas, Oil
1960s Abstract Art
Etching, Aquatint
2010s Abstract Art
Epoxy Resin, Foam Board
1960s Abstract Art
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Archival Ink, Giclée, Archival Pigment
Mid-20th Century Abstract Art
Woodcut
2010s Abstract Art
Resin, Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Plexiglass, Wood, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Archival Ink, Giclée, Archival Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Acrylic, Canvas, Mixed Media