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.
Slow Soft Summer: Floral, Abstract, Contemporary, Nature, Soft tones, Original
By Karnish Art
Located in Pretoria, Gauteng
Title: Slow Soft Summer Floral, Abstract, Contemporary, Nature, Soft tones, Original, Authentic, Investment In this gentle, though lively acrylic painting, I connected to the joys ...
Gesso, Canvas, Wood, Glaze, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
Temps suspendu, Contemporary Abstract Painting by Sophie Dumont
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Oil on Canvas 40 x 40 cm (15.7 x 15.7 in) 47 x 47 cm framed (18.5 x 18.5 in) Available with a choice of black or natural wood floating frame. In Temps Suspendu, French contemporary ...
Oil
L'ordre des tomes, Contemporary textured Oil on Canvas, Abstract library
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Born in Paris in 1964, French contemporary painter Sophie Dumont creates richly textured oil paintings inspired by landscapes, artists' studios and her celebrated library series. Her...
Oil
$10,329
Youth
Located in London, London
Unicorn mystery passion spring Swift brushstrokes evoke a sense of power and speed full size of the canvas 156x229cm (size 150x223cm) acrylic, oil on canvas one-of-a-kind The...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$5,578
Vers l'equilibre, Contemporary Large Abstract Geometric Oil Painting, 34 x 34 in
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Vers l'Équilibre - Oil on canvas Unframed: 80 x 80 x 2 cm (31.50 x 31.50 x 0.79 in) Framed: 87 x 87 x 3.5 cm (34.25 x 34.25 x 1.38 in) Black or natural wood floater frame available S...
Canvas, Oil
White folds 12. 3D abstraction
Located in Zofingen, AG
The painting, created on canvas with clay, depicts soft, flowing folds that create the impression of draped fabric. The entire piece is rendered in a pure white color, giving it eleg...
Clay, Canvas, Acrylic
The Fountain in the Garden of Eden
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Fountain in the Garden of Eden” is a painterly dialogue between Albrecht Dürer’s images of Adam and Eve and Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain. In this work, the classical narrative merges w...
Canvas, Acrylic
$3,066
Quiet Serenade - abstracted figurative art - underwater expressive 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
$6,800
Leaving the Pieces Alone, 2024, Original Mixed Media Painting by Murray Duncan
Located in Toronto, Ontario
'Leaving the Pieces Alone' - is an original mixed media painting by Canadian artist Murray Duncan. Measuring 48" H × 84" W, the composition features Duncan's signature gestural lin...
Glaze, Oil Crayon, Acrylic, Pencil
$420
Miami Art Deco Pool, Blue Cyanotype on Paper, Abstract Shapes Water Reflections
By Kind of Cyan
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype. "Miami Art Deco Pool" shows the movements of water over a tiled swimming pool floor. Details: + Title: Miami Art Deco Poo...
Emulsion, Watercolor, Photographic Paper, C Print, Lithograph, Other Medium
Picnic by the Cypress
Located in Zofingen, AG
Picnic by the Cypress Size: 140×97 cm (overall size with stretching 150×107 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled In this piece, a moment of calm and ease mee...
Canvas, Acrylic
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 diametrically opposed elements—order and chaos, abstraction and representation, boldness and ...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
$743Sale Price|20% Off
"Free woman" Contemporary figurative nude woman acrylic painting on paper
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
"Free woman" is a contemporary figurative nude painting by French artist Natalya, created in acrylic paints and acrylic pens on heavyweight acid-free paper, depicting a seated female...
Paper, Acrylic
Exhale
By Iryna Rets
Located in Zofingen, AG
Exhale is part of the series From Simple to…, which focuses on simple things that help people restore their inner balance. The sheep conveys a sense of calm, trust in the present mom...
Acrylic, Canvas
Lucio Fontana Untitled (Gold Concetto Spaziale)
Located in Washington , DC, DC
Exceptional gold foil Concetto Spaziale produced in 1962 for a rare official Lucio Fontana artist monograph during his lifetime, published by famed art book publisher Harry N. Abrams...
Foil
Profils interieurs, Contemporary Large Abstract Oil Painting, 42x42 in
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Profils Intérieurs Oil on canvas 2026 100 x 100 cm (39.37 x 389.37 in) Framed dimensions: approx. 107 x 107 cm (42.12 x 42.12 in= Framing: Floater frame available in black or natural...
Canvas, Oil
Within the Radiance
Located in Zofingen, AG
Within the Radiance Size: 120×97 cm (overall size with stretching 130×107 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled This painting is part of the series “Past Pass...
Canvas, Acrylic
The Way Home
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 97×97 cm (overall size with stretching 107×107 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled This new piece from the “Past Passing Me By” series is a visual med...
Canvas, Acrylic
Green Daze, Contemporary Abstract Painting, original painting
Located in Deddington, GB
Rebecca's work is inspired by a lifelong love of nature, colour, and pattern. Growing up in Kew, she was deeply influenced by the beauty of Kew Gardens and its rich abundance of bota...
Canvas, Acrylic
$890
Trail with Path, Expressionist Diptych, Abstract Landscape, Earth Tones Painting
By Albert Ducet
Located in Barcelona, ES
In "Trail with Path" Ducet reconsiders impressionist landscape paintings through a contemporary and gestual lens. Natural elements are translated into simplified forms and energetic ...
Paper, Acrylic
Crazy Apartment - Abstract Figurative Cubist Portrait Still Life Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Valerie Etitinwo's unique approach to abstract figurative painting celebrates the unconventional beauty found in imperfection and awkwardness. The Nigerian-Swiss artist uses bold col...
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Champagne Afternoon - Abstract Sculpture, Outdoor, Steel and Glass, 2010+
By Susan Rankin
Located in Bloomfield, ON
Like flowers in a garden, Susan Rankin’s beautiful glass columns appear to sway in the breeze. An avid gardener, Rankin has created a series of outdoor sculptures inspired by the for...
Steel
Venetian Light
Located in Zofingen, AG
Venetian Light from the Inner Landscapes series Abstract impressionist painting inspired by the atmosphere of Venice - a city experienced through light, reflection, and memory. Rath...
Canvas, Oil
Test Color - Colorful Impasto Textural Thick Paint Framed 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, Glitter, Board
$2,500
Frank Stella - Exotic bird card, Signed in black marker by Frank Stella, Framed
By Frank Stella
Located in New York, NY
Offset lithograph postcard Hand signed in black marker by Frank Stella Provenance: Obtained directly from the artist by the present owner This signed card depicts Frank Stella's 1977...
Postcard
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
White folds 10. 3D abstraction
Located in Zofingen, AG
The painting, created on canvas with clay, depicts soft, flowing folds that create the impression of draped fabric. The entire piece is rendered in a pure white color, giving it eleg...
Clay, Canvas, Acrylic
$4,110
Floating - Large Color Drenched Impasto Mixed Media 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
Le passage, Contemporary Abstract Geometric Painting by Sophie Dumont
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Oil on canvas, 50 x 50 cm (19.7 x 19.7 in) Framed dimensions: approx. 57 x 57 cm (22.4 x 22.4 in) Black floater frame included. Natural wood frame available upon request. Signed lowe...
Oil
A Beautiful Story - Original Impasto Textural Thick Paint 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
Francoise Gilot “Toward Evening”
Located in San Francisco, CA
Francoise Gilot: 1921-2023. Very well listed French artist with Auction results over $1.4 million for a painting. She has had Auction results over a $8750 for a print. She lived with...
Lithograph
$743Sale Price|20% Off
Contemporary Neo-Expressionist Fauvist influence still-life art "Blooming aura"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
Contemporary Neo-Expressionist floral still life with Fauvist chromatic influence, expressive mixed-media painting on heavyweight professional acid-free paper (50 × 65 cm / 19.7 × 25...
Paper, Acrylic
$476
Original-Strawberry Moon Night-Awarded British Artist-goldleaf with oil on paper
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
This oil and gold leaf on Georgian oil paper board is a part of Summer Bloom Series, an extension of the Sunlit in primary colour project. Captured Shizu's garden in the night in th...
Gold Leaf
Abstract Expressionist Mid-century American painting
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Beautiful minimal Abstract Expressionist painting. Mixed media on paper glued down to illustration backing board. Paper sheet measures 10.25 x 14 inches. Cardboard panel measures 1...
Paper, Mixed Media, Illustration Board
$1,466Sale Price|40% Off
Fallen Angel Painting, Abstract Oil on Linen, Signed, 120x60 cm
Located in Silverthorne, CO
A dramatic expressionist painting dedicated to the soul of me before cancer, who believed in a benevolent universe, who saw signs and followed them, who somehow thought she would liv...
Linen, Oil
$5,800
Infinity Bliss - Bue Tone Abstract Atmospheric Landscape Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Mark Acetelli’s oil and mixed media paintings awaken the viewer’s sense of exploration and adventure; they demand a new discovery. His artworks exhibit a chemistry of complexity and ...
Canvas, Oil
$3,850
Francis Bacon - Art Card: Painting, 1946. (Hand Signed and inscribed), Framed
Located in New York, NY
Offset lithograph postcard Boldly signed and inscribed in marker by Francis Bacon in his inimitable hand on the verso, signed ca. 1972 This card was published by the Museum of Modern...
Postcard
Abstract Composition - Original color Etching and Aquatint - 1967
Located in Paris, IDF
Robert MOTHERWELL Abstract Composition Original etching and aquatint Unsigned On Johannot vellum 37.5 x 28 cm (c. 15 x 11 inch) Published by Lazar Vernet in 1967 and limited to 200 ...
Etching, Aquatint
$1,100
High Seas, Abstract Gestual Patterns, Contemporary Seascape, School of Fish 2026
Located in Barcelona, ES
Details: Title: Orange Seascape Medium: Acrylic Painting Monoprinting on Paper Size: 100x65 cm ( 40 x 25.6 inches) Year: 2024 * Frame is for illustrative purposes only. Artwork shi...
Acrylic, Watercolor, Handmade Paper
Untitled Oversize print 40x40 inches Limited Edition
Located in London, GB
Untitled after Paul Klee, 1879 – 1940 Original work : Klee, Paul; Swiss artist; 1879–1940. Untitled. Drawing, 1914. Watercolour on paper mounted on cardboard, 15.6 × 15.6 cm. Inv. ...
Archival Pigment
Formes en suspens— Contemporary Geometric Abstract Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Formes en suspens by Sophie Dumont is a contemporary abstract oil painting on canvas measuring 89 x 116 cm. The work is presented in a black floater frame. This large-scale compositi...
Canvas, Oil
Abstraction 100-294 23 by Nicolas Galtier - Abstract Gold Leaf Painting
Located in Paris, FR
Abstraction 100-294 23 is a painting by French artist Nicolas Galtier. The artist uses a mixed technique combining pigments, binders, glues and various metal powders and sheets. The ...
Linen, Mixed Media
Where it is quiet, No.5
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this work, the artist explores silence as a state of inner balance and presence. Drawing from the ощущення of natural landscapes, she creates a distilled, atmospheric space where ...
Canvas, Mixed Media
$4,400Sale Price|20% Off
Maternity with Centaur (M.195) by Marc Chagall *Colorful Lithograph*
By Marc Chagall
Located in Santa Monica, CA
"Maternity with Centaur (M.195)" is a lithograph on Arches created by Marc Chagall for his 'Jacques Lassaigne' suite in 1957. From the edition of 90, the artwork is signed 'Marc Chag...
Lithograph
Monument in the Fertile Country Oversize print 40x30 inches Limited Edition
Located in London, GB
Monument im Fruchtland (Monument in the Fertile Country) 1929. after Paul Klee, 1879 – 1940 Original work : Pastel, 47.5 × 34.8cm. Bern, Zentrum Paul Klee. (Photograph via Archiv...
Archival Pigment
Textured Abstract Painting on Canvas by Serg Graff, "Magical Friends", COA
By Serg Graff
Located in Palm Coast, FL
This is an original textured acrylic painting on canvas by contemporary fantasy artist Serg Graff, titled “Magical Friends”. Medium: Acrylic on canvas Artist: Serg Graff (signed and...
Acrylic
$6,050
Jit Madness - Abstract Contemporary Organic Shape Mixed Media Artwork on Canvas
By Rue Bootay
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rue Bootay, a New York-born artist now rooted in the vibrant artistic landscape of Los Angeles, navigates the avant-garde realm of nonrepresentational surrealism with a style uniquel...
Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Dominance, Contemporary Large Abstract Geometric Oil Paint, 34 x 34 in
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Accords Intérieurs Oil on canvas, 80 x 80 cm (31.5 x 31.5 in) Framed dimensions: approx. 87 x 87 cm (34.3 x 34.3 in) Floating frame available in black or natural wood. Sophie Dumont...
Canvas, Oil
#253, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece in this size More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket ...
Pigment
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
Lignes de terre, Contemporary Abstract Painting by Sophie Dumont
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Oil on Canvas 40 x 40 cm (15.7 x 15.7 in) 47 x 47 cm framed (18.5 x 18.5 in) Available with a choice of black or natural wood floating frame. Lignes de terre is an original oil on c...
Oil
Blue convergence, Abstract oil paint, Expressionism, Contemporary art
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Oil on canvas, 2026 40 x 40 cm (15.7 x 15.7 in) Framed dimensions: 47 x 47 cm (18.5 x 18.5 in) 3 differents colors (collerctor's choice) Available with a brown or black or light wood...
Oil
Dubrovnik Cityscape Croatian Landscape
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Romana Milutin Fabris (b.1941) Dubrovnik Cityscape with Nude Women, ca. 1970. Gouache on illustration board, 23 x 32.5 inches; 25 x 34.5 inches framed. Signed lower right. Foil frame label on verso from 1960's with 5 digit telephone number, dating this piece to ca. 1970. Romana Milutin Fabris, born in 1941 in Dubrovnik, is one such artist: unwavering, devoted, and endlessly inspired. Her artistic education began at the School of Applied Arts in Split and Zagreb, and continued at the Academy of Applied Arts in Belgrade, where she laid the foundations of her distinctive visual language. A pivotal moment in her formation came with an international scholarship from the Austrian government, which enabled her to study in Salzburg under the great master Oskar Kokoschka-a painter of profound expressionist vision, whose spirit echoes in Romana’s work without ever being immitated. From the outset, she forged her own path-intimate but consistent, deeply personal and unmistakably her own. In 1964, she opened her first solo exhibition at the Sponza Palace in Dubrovnik, marking the beginning of a presence on the art scene that has now spanned more than six decades. Dubrovnik occupies a special place in her work. It is not merely the city of her birth, but the city of her soul-an eternal source of inspiration. Its stone walls, austere Mediterranean light, and the lush branches of bougainvillea reappear time and again on her canvases. Through these motifs, we sense belonging, but also poetic distance-for Romana does not paint the landscape as an external scene, but as an inner experience. Her colours speak in silence, her forms exude tranquillity, and the figures in her portraits radiate a depth that reaches beyond the visible. Each painting is a page from the diary of a strong and sensitive spirit, a woman who has preserved a childlike wonder, a profound reverence for beauty, and a lifelong belief in the power of artistic expression. Romana Milutin Fabris reminds us that art is not a fleeting moment, but a lasting presence. / 1965 / FIRST SOLO EXHIBITION, SPONZA PALACE ATRIUM, DUBROVNIK · ATELIER FOR INTERIOR DESIGN MASLINA - WORK COMPLETED UNDER THE FAMOUS PAINTER MILOVAN STANIĆ...
Gouache, Illustration Board
$335
Blue and Gold - Impasto Color Drenched Textured Paint Abstract Artwork on Paper
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...
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Glitter
$604Sale Price|20% Off
Contemporary abstract expressionist woman's portrait on paper "Present moment"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
“Present Moment” is a contemporary abstract portrait by French artist Natalya Mougenot, created as part of her ongoing series dedicated to women and their inner emotional landscapes....
Paper, Acrylic
$10,150
Mid-Hudson Inscape - Large Abstract Landscape Mixed Media Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The paintings of Bruce Rubenstein seamlessly marry sophistication with affordability. His expressive abstract landscape artwork 'Mid-Hudson Inscape' features whimsical details and vi...
Enamel
$13,946
Couleurs en équilibre -Abstract oil painting, stylized bookshelf with warm tones
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Sophie Dumont (b. 1964, Paris) French contemporary painter Sophie Dumont has developed a distinctive body of work over the past two decades, exploring the intersection of memory, str...
Oil
And It Felt Like We Could Fly - Original Abstract Colorful Nature Still Life
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Kimberly Blackstock’s “And It Felt Like We Could Fly” opens into a luminous garden-like scene filled with movement, softness, and dimensional texture. The artwork has the feeling of ...
Acrylic, Resin, Mixed Media, Wood Panel
$1,057Sale Price|30% Off
Large French Vintage Landscape Abstract Impressionist Coastal Oil Painting
Located in AIGNAN, FR
Large Vintage Abstract Impressionist oil painting on canvas, signed by the artist, Maryvonne LE DEIST (b.1936). This amazing painting hails from the 1960's and is entitled, 'Port de...
Oil
$1,208Sale Price|20% Off
"Blooming Silence” Contemporary Acrylic Painting on canvas Floral Still life
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
"Blooming Silence” – Acrylic on Canvas by French Artist Natalya Mougenot Contemporary Floral Still Life (80 × 60 × 1.5 cm / 31.5" × 23.6" × 0.6") "Blooming Silence" captures a mome...
Canvas, Acrylic