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.
"The Comfort of Rituals", Original Abstract Painting
Located in Westport, CT
Bold yet tranquil, this original floral abstract "The Comfort of Rituals" by Sandy Palasti is an expressive exploration of color, gesture, and atmosphere. Inspired by the fleeting be...
Canvas, Acrylic, Oil
Pumpkin, Yellow/Black, Yayoi Kusama 草間 彌生
By Yayoi Kusama
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Yayoi Kusama (1929) Title: Pumpkin, Yellow/Black Year: 2016 Medium: Painted cast resin sculpture Sculpture Size: 4 × 3.5 x 3.5 inches Inscription: ©Yayoi Kusama, as issued No...
Epoxy Resin
Green Freshness. Abstraction
Located in Zofingen, AG
This abstract artwork is created with alcohol inks on synthetic paper. A rich palette of fresh green tones flows across the surface, ranging from delicate translucent shades to deep,...
Ink, Synthetic Paper
$1,500
Abstract Shapes of School of Fish, Seascape Diptych in Vivid Tones, Organic 2026
Located in Barcelona, ES
Details: Title: Chromatic Shoal 9 & 10 Medium: Acrylic Paint on Watercolor Paper Size: 80x120 cm total ( 31.5x47.3 inches), each panel measures 80x60cm (31.5x24 inches) Year: 202...
Paper, Acrylic, Watercolor, Monoprint
I Can Not Live With You, That Would Be Life By Jeanne Gentry Keck
Located in Lake Worth, FL
Paintings exploring themes of freedom, confinement, and the paradoxical search for structure within liberation. Time and my changing perspective of it are compelling to me. This inte...
Acrylic, Cotton
Original-Peony Summer-Impasto-British Awarded Artist-Oil, Goldleaf-plein air
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
This Oil impasto and Goldleaf on Paper, named Peony Summer, is a part of Summer Bloom Series by Award winning British artist Shizico Yi. She created the painting in her garden paint...
Gold Leaf
$1,500
"Dream of Monet Lilly Pads" Colorful Impressionistic Oil Painting on Wood Framed
By Cindy Shaoul
Located in New York, NY
This painting depicts an impressionistic scene of Monet's home Lily Pond in Giverny, a poetic piece with beautiful details. The work reminds us of Claude Monet, with impressions capt...
Oil, Wood Panel
Le bleu des terres, Contemporary Abstract Landscape, Oil painting
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Le Bleu des Terres is an original oil painting by French contemporary artist Sophie Dumont. Inspired by the landscapes of the Normandy coastline, this abstract composition evokes th...
Oil
Union VI, Bronze by Delphine Brabant - Geometric Abstract Sculpture
Located in Paris, FR
Delphine Brabant: Union VI, Bronze, 2025 25 × 7 × 6 cm / 9.8 × 2.8 × 2.4 in 5 kg / 11 lbs Edition of 8 + 4 Artist's Proofs Union VI, Bronze is a sculpture by contemporary French art...
Bronze
$1,100Sale Price|42% Off
Simple Life (Gestural, Still Life, Warm, Soft, Summer, Vibrant, +40% OFF)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Katherine Bello Simple Life (Gestural Abstract, Still Life, Warm, Soft, Summer, Vibrant) Oil and Oil Stick on Canvas 2021 Size: 20 x 20 x 1.5 inches (50.8 × 50.8 × 3.8 cm) Signed, da...
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Oil
$468
"Summer Flora" Contemporary abstract expressionist floral acrylic painting
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
"Summer Flora" is a lively floral painting by French artist Natalya Mougenot. In this piece, she captures the feeling of a summer bouquet in full bloom, using color and movement to ...
Paper, Acrylic
$3,500
Cosmic Soup - Large Scale Abstract Colorful Expressionist Textural Drip Painting
By Marc Raphael
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Marc Raphael's abstract expressionism paintings are influenced by New York's abstract expressionist movement. After encountering Jackson Pollock’s work for the fir...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,590
Placidity l by Gabriela Azar Schreiner. Contemporary abstract Painting
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
$415Sale Price|20% Off
Original-Peony Summer-Green-Awarded Woman Artist-Oil, Gesso on paper-Impasto
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
This Oil on Paper, named Peony Summer in Green is a part of Summer Bloom Series by Award winning British artist Shizico Yi. She created the painting in her garden painted plein air ...
Gesso, Oil, Acrylic, Archival Paper
No.020125 by Thierry Martenon - Monumental Abstract Wood Sculpture, Outdoor Art
Located in Paris, FR
No.020125 is an abstract wood sculpture by French sculptor Thierry Martenon. This monumental sculpture combines smooth geometric patterns with a highly textured surface. The artist ...
Wood
Recueillement, Large Geometric Abstract Oil Painting, 2026
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Recueillement is a large contemporary geometric abstract oil painting by French artist Sophie Dumont, exploring architecture, silence and human presence. The composition is structur...
Oil
Original Set of 3-Primary Colour series-Awarded artist-gold leaf with oil
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
Shizico Yi's "Primary Series" is a series where she explores the relationship between colours and emotion, particularly the colour yellow ( using gold leaf as the chosen material for...
Gold Leaf
Signal & Form by Murray Duncan, Mixed Media on Paper
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Title: Signal & Form By Murray Duncan Mixed media on paper Size: 32" × 44 Unframed, signed An energetic abstract composition combining expressive drawing with geometric motifs and ...
Glaze, Oil Crayon, Acrylic, Pencil
$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
Dream Sediment. Oversized abstract painting, blue, grey, expressionism
Located in Oslo, NO
Dream Sediment invites the viewer into a space where memory and imagination quietly dissolve into one another. The painting unfolds in layered veils of blue, lilac, and muted earth t...
Canvas, Acrylic
"Artist Pallet " Abstract Oil Painting on Wood Panel in Shadow Box Frame
By Cindy Shaoul
Located in New York, NY
"Artist Pallet" is an oil on wood board painting inspired by use of the artist pallet. With layers of bright oils, whisking brush strokes, and mixed paint, Shaoul captures a love st...
Oil, Wood Panel
$3,200
Subtle Mark - Modern Original Impasto Thick Paint Textural Abstract Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Impasto-painted strokes of bright colors are the framework of artist Shiri Phillips’ abstract artworks. Her paintings are flooded with texture through the layering of acrylic paint i...
Canvas, Acrylic
Large French Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting Bright Orange and Pastel Colour
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Large French Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting Bright Orange and Pastel Colours Composition by Marie Deloume (French, born 1942) signed verso French abstract expressionist oil pain...
Oil, Canvas
Our Own Way
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 132×142 cm (Total canvas size including stretching margins: 142×152 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled "Our Own Way" by Svetlana Brazhnikova is a pr...
Canvas, Acrylic
$420
Infinity Pool Water Reflections, Blue & White Pattern, Handmade Cyanotype Print
By Kind of Cyan
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype. "Infinity Pool" is a sophisticated image that captures the water reflections shimmering over a swimming pool. We're proud ...
Emulsion, Watercolor, Photographic Paper, C Print, Lithograph, Monotype
Pumpkin, Yellow/Black, Yayoi Kusama 草間 彌生
By Yayoi Kusama
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Yayoi Kusama (1929) Title: Pumpkin, Yellow/Black Year: 2016 Medium: Painted cast resin sculpture Sculpture Size: 4 × 3.5 x 3.5 inches Inscription: ©Yayoi Kusama, as issued No...
Epoxy Resin
Pumpkin, Red/White, Yayoi Kusama 草間 彌生
By Yayoi Kusama
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Yayoi Kusama (1929) Title: Pumpkin, Red/White Year: 2016 Medium: Painted cast resin sculpture Sculpture Size: 4 × 3.5 x 3.5 inches Inscription: ©Yayoi Kusama, as issued Notes...
Epoxy Resin
$6,200Sale Price|41% Off
Eternity Abstract Expressionist Painting, XXL Oil & Acrylic on Canvas
Located in London, London
full size 212x118cm full size canvas stretched size204x110x10cm All custom charges are included in the final price agreed. unframed, shipped rolled XXL, Extra-large painting, larg...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$1,200
Stasis 2 -21st Century Contemporary Abstract Expressionism, People, Art Deco
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
This work explores the tension between help and choice. It reflects a state of stillness, where staying becomes a choice rather than a limitation. The piece questions why we sometime...
Canvas, Ink, Acrylic
$1,200
Stasis 1 -21st Century Contemporary Abstract Expressionism, People, Art Deco
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
This work explores the tension between help and choice. It reflects a state of stillness, where staying becomes a choice rather than a limitation. The piece questions why we sometime...
Canvas, Ink, Acrylic
$260
Original Abstract Painting Serg Graff "The Primordial World" Surreal Fantasy Art
By Serg Graff
Located in Palm Coast, FL
"The Primordial World" is an original acrylic painting by contemporary American-based artist Serg Graff, whose imaginative visual language transforms abstract forms into extraordinar...
Acrylic
Mécanique Céleste Rouille V2 - (Celestial Mechanics Rust) - Outdoor Sculpture
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This contemporary outdoor architectural sculpture is forged from steel. Philippe Pallafray’s visually compelling monumental sculptures are widely collected around the world. The ide...
Steel, Stainless Steel
Wooded Canal, Original Painting, Abstract art
Located in Deddington, GB
An oil and acrylic painting on paper of a canal scene. Painted without any reference other than my memory, this is of a patch of canal called ‘The Cleaves’. It lies between Lower Hey...
Paper, Oil, Acrylic
Eternal Abstract Expressionist Painting, XXL Oil & Acrylic on Canvas
Located in London, London
full size 211x159cm stretched size 200xx150cmx10cm All custom charges are included in the final price agreed. unframed, shipped rolled XXL, Extra-large painting, large painting, ab...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
The Axis of Presences, Large Contemporary Geometric Abstract Oil Painting
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
In The Axis of Presences, French artist Sophie Dumont constructs an abstract architecture around a dark vertical line that acts as the backbone of the composition. Geometric forms ga...
Oil
$6,374Sale Price|20% Off
Untitled (Sf-263) - Lithograph by Sam Francis - 1963
By Sam Francis
Located in Roma, IT
Lithograph on BFK Rives-Velin, realized in 1981. Hand signed in pencil. One of 4 CTP Proofs, preceding the edition of 24. Printed by Georges Page at Litho Shop, Santa Monica. Blin...
Lithograph
Kinfolk
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 110×97 cm (overall size with stretching 120×107 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled Kinfolk" is a profound visual reflection on the unconditional acce...
Canvas, Acrylic
Intervalles, Contemporary Large Abstract Geometric Oil Paint
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Intervalles is a contemporary geometric abstract painting by French artist Sophie Dumont, created in 2026. The composition is structured through an intricate arrangement of architec...
Canvas, Oil
Under the Wing
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 132×142 cm (Total canvas size including stretching margins: 142×152 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled This evocative painting immerses the viewer in...
Canvas, Acrylic
Tête-à-tête
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 132×142 cm (overall size with stretching 142×152 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled This painting captures a fragile, precious moment of genuine inti...
Canvas, Acrylic
Passion Space: Hand-Signed Acrylic & Oil Abstract Painting, 212x202cm
Located in London, London
212x202cm full size 202 x190cm stetched qith 5cm strecher acrylic, oil on canvas one-of-a-kind hand signed certificate of authenticity The canvas will be shipped rolled, without...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$16,000
Temps Zero: Contemporary Outdoor Sculpture, Stainless Steel, Red, 72x42
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This elegant contemporary outdoor sculpture in bright poppy red was hand-forged from stainless steel by Philippe Pallafray. Its eye-catching minimalist form has one large ring and tw...
Stainless Steel
Green-lilac abstraction.
Located in Zofingen, AG
This abstract composition explores the expressive nature of alcohol ink, where flowing pigments create organic forms that emerge without predetermined boundaries. Layers of deep char...
Ink
Structure 203 - oil on canvas
By Kymm Swank
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Kymm Swank is a self-taught artist who works primarily in oils, acrylics and resins. Originally from Kansas City, Missouri, she received degrees in theater, psychology and communicat...
Canvas, Oil
$2,100
Universe is With You - Large Scale Abstract Textural Acrylic Painting on Canvas
By Vè Boisvert
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Drawing inspiration from an immersive and impressionistic interpretation of nature, Canadian artist Vé Boisvert paints textural original artworks that capture the fleeting effects of...
Canvas, Acrylic
1990s Abstract Offset Print: Brown and Orange on Slate, Unframed
By (after) Mark Rothko
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This high-quality reproduction of Brown and Orange on Slate faithfully captures Mark Rothko’s signature exploration of color, light, and emotion. Rothko’s artistic process was deeply...
Offset
AWH 353 - Abstract Minimalist Textured Layered Colorfield Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Bernhard Zimmer produces deeply layered, subtly textured abstract paintings that contain opposed elements—order and chaos, abstraction and representation, boldness and subtlety—in ex...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
AWH 354 - Abstract Landscape Minimalist Textured Layered Colorfield Oil Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Bernhard Zimmer produces deeply layered, subtly textured abstract paintings that contain opposed elements—order and chaos, abstraction and representation, boldness and subtlety—in ex...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Crescendo III - Red Geometric Metal Outdoor Sculpture, Abstract Contemporary Art
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This outdoor contemporary geometric metal sculpture is made of red cubes. Claude Millette’s expressive architectural sculptures reflect his fascination with opposing ideas of moveme...
Metal, Steel
Path of Memories
Located in Zofingen, AG
This work explores memory as a path shaped not only by events, but also by people, encounters, and inner transformation. It speaks about how, when we look back, we begin to see a com...
Canvas, Acrylic
"Blooming Skies" Mixed Media abstract with textural blues, teal, aqua, gold
By Nancy Eckels
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
"Blooming Skies' is a beautiful luminous abstract painting by Nancy Eckels. It exhibits the bold colors and textures that her work is known for. Using sculptural texture with beauti...
Acrylic, Other Medium
Hand Painted #1 Edition-Jardin d'Automne-British Awarded Artist-on Aluminium
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
This is a hand painted Limited Edition by the artist Shizico Yi with her own hand-mixed original paint on premium Aluminium board. Only Ten of this edition were made, highly collecta...
Metal
$850
Mysterious Sea, Abstract Seascape Painting in Orange, School of Fish Patterns
Located in Barcelona, ES
“Mysterious Sea ” is a contemporary abstract painting inspired by the fluid motion of ocean currents. Layers of teal, green, and orange tones intertwine with flowing yellow lines, ev...
Paper, Acrylic, Monotype
Next by Julien Guarneri - Stainless Steel Sculpture
Located in Paris, FR
Agitation évolution inox (2024) by Julien Guarneri Stainless steel sculpture, 22 × 32 × 12 cm / 8.7 × 12.6 × 4.7 in. (Can be produced on a monumental scale - contact us for further i...
Stainless Steel
Sol Lewitt - original drawing - geometric abstraction (signed twice), Framed
By Sol LeWitt
Located in New York, NY
Sol Lewitt - original drawing - geometric abstraction (signed twice), 1980 Marker drawing on postmarked (franked) postcard - signed and inscribed twice original drawing black felt ti...
Postcard, Permanent Marker
$8,500
Coast Lines, 2026, Original Mixed Media Abstract Painting by Murray Duncan
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Coast Lines, 2026 Original Mixed Media on Canvas by Murray Duncan Coast Lines is an original large-scale graphite, acrylic, and mixed media on canvas painting by Canadian artist Mu...
Glaze, Oil Crayon, Acrylic, Graphite
Hand Painted X-Large-Gladiolus Glorious-Awarded Woman Artist-Open Edition of 60
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
This Iconic painting by Shizico Yi is in a private collection in Florida, and it was also sold out on its Limited edition of 10 and it's Artist’s Proof. 2026, we are proud to offer...
Gesso, Archival Ink, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Giclée
$1,500
Interaction of Color: Homage to the Square, Abstract Screenprint by Josef Albers
By Josef Albers
Located in Long Island City, NY
This "Homage to the Square" print was created by Albers for the occasion of an exhibition at Grippi Gallery in Manhattan in 1973. It is in an excellent white contemporary frame. Art...
Screen
Mid-century American Expressionist Painting “Truck Evolution"
Located in San Francisco, CA
This vibrant and dense artwork is a mid-century American expressionist painting steeped in industrial narrative, provenance, and historical context. The painting portrays a crowded, ...
Paper, Oil Pastel
Red Bloom Abstract Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, 21st Century, Signed
Located in London, London
beige, pink, orange, white, red, ochre Artist: Katarina Joys Title: Red bloom Technique: acrylic on canvas Painted in London, UK, Dimensions: 100x150x2cm Hand-signed. One-of-a-...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic