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.
Soft Summer - Large Contemporary Abstract Textured Cool Tone Landscape Art
By Lee Herring
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Lee Herring is a contemporary painter specializing in vibrant, textured, and abstract landscapes that convey fleeting moments. Herring's energetic artworks are inspired by everyday m...
Canvas, Varnish, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$719
Pale Bloom. Medium size abstract painting, floral, soft colors, muted rose, grey
Located in Oslo, NO
"Pale Bloom" explores a restrained yet luminous palette of blush, muted rose, warm beige and soft grey tones. The composition unfolds through layered, gestural brushstrokes that buil...
Canvas, Acrylic
Early Morning
Located in Zofingen, AG
This work is part of the Inner Landscapes series, in which the landscape becomes part of a memory, a lived state, or emotions that cannot be expressed in words and can only be felt. ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Moon by Frédérique Domergue - Abstract painting and wall sculpture, original
Located in Paris, FR
Moon is a unique painting and wall sculpture by French contemporary artist Frédérique Domergue. This artwork is made with polished pink copper leaves on metal frame, dimensions are 1...
Metal, Bronze, Copper
Blue & Gray Offset Print, Abstract Style, Circa 2005, Unframed
By Mark Rothko
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This high-quality reproduction poster of Mark Rothko's Blue & Grey (1962) was published and designed by the Beyeler Foundation in Basel, Switzerland. The artwork features a subtl...
Offset
Signed 1983 Limited Edition J'ai retrouvé mon père sur les rives du Jourdain
Located in Rochester Hills, MI
Artist: Theo Tobiasse, French/Israeli (1927 - 2012) Title: J'ai retrouvé mon père sur les rives du Jourdain. Cat. Nahan Year: 1983 Medium: Aquatint Etching with Carborundum, signed i...
Aquatint
$1,875Sale Price|25% Off
"Stormy air" 100x120 cm, acrylic on canvas, gold leaf
Located in Yerevan, AM
"Stormy air" 100x120 cm, acrylic on canvas, gold leaf
Canvas, Acrylic
"Devotion" (2025) By Reen Axtell, Original Acrylic Mixed Media Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Laureen “Reen” Axtell is an acrylic and mixed media artist whose work is inspired by the landscapes, history, and spirit of the American West. Raised in the Denver/Boulder area and s...
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Board
#99, 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
$3,477
Fragmented Presence- Modern Abstract painting, Geometric, Original Oil on Canvas
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Sophie Dumont is a contemporary French painter whose work explores the construction of space through color and material. Painted in oil on canvas, Fragmented Presence reflects an app...
Oil
Le Promenade
Located in Zofingen, AG
La Promenade shipped in roll (Series: Le Jardin Privé / Your Private Paradise) “Some paths are not meant to lead us somewhere, but to bring us back to ourselves.” This work, titled ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$479
Contemporary abstract expressionist woman's portrait painting "Inner light"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This contemporary abstract expressionist portrait was created by French artist Natalya Mougenot as part of her ongoing exploration of emotional identity, inner truth, and the human s...
Acrylic, Paper
Contemporary impressionist nature landscape painting "Tranquil Provence"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
“Tranquil Provence” is a luminous landscape by French artist Natalya Mougenot, inspired by her travels in the south of France, a region renowned for its sweeping coastal views, cypre...
Paper, Acrylic
Red fish
Located in Zofingen, AG
The red fish is a symbol of confidence, stable good fortune, and abundance. It represents moving in one’s own rhythm, trusting intuition, and inner stability. The red color emphasize...
Watercolor, Archival Paper
Twilight Landscape 2 - Abstract Expressive Earth Blue Ink Painting on Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Bettina Mauel expresses dynamism and sensuality in her paintings: “I paint what I experience,” she articulates. “This includes landscapes, flowers, and people in motion, capturing th...
Linen, Ink, Mixed Media, Graphite
1950's Mid-Century Abstract Expressionist painting
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Stunning abstract expressionist painting, ca. 1955. Oil on Canvas, measuring 36 x 40 inches. Some natural cracking and paint loss due to heavy impasto technique. Unsigned. Art su...
Canvas, Oil
Abstract Color Field Composition, Oil on Canvas, 78x61 cm, Signed
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
Abstract Composition with Color Fields is an original oil painting on canvas by Colombian artist Luis Xiua, created in his studio in Bogotá. The work explores the relationship betwee...
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Painting Animal Dog Modern Gold Contemporary Striking Invest Bold Classic Joy
By Karnish Art
Located in Pretoria, Gauteng
Title: BLUE - Insightful Intent Painting Animal Dog Modern Gold Contemporary Striking Invest Bold Classic Joy Original One-of-a-kind This painting forms part of an artwork series c...
Gold
Rythmes croisés — Contemporary Geometric Abstract Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
This oil on canvas by Sophie Dumont presents a structured composition where curved forms and vertical elements intersect in a finely balanced architectural space. Built through succ...
Canvas, Oil
"Girl in the Rain - Gold Edition #6", Abstract, Painting, 21st Century
By Roger König
Located in Dessau-Rosslau, Sachsen Anhalt
Gold Edition - with real gold leaf, 23,75 carat Art measures 11.81 x 11.81 inches Frame measures 22.83 x 22.83 x 2.36 inches Framed in a high-quality contemporary wooden moulding....
Clay, Acrylic
$50,000
Untitled from Quatre Lithographies, Signed Lithograph by Willem de Kooning
Located in Long Island City, NY
Colorful hand-signed and numbered lithograph by Dutch-American Abstract Expressionist artist Willem De Kooning. From a series of four lithographs printed in colors in 1986 by Art Es...
Paper, Lithograph
Internal Mythologies
Located in Dallas, TX
encaustic on paper
Paper, Encaustic
Mediterranean Garden (Under the Mandarin Trees)
Located in Zofingen, AG
This work emerges at the intersection of a personal journey through Italy and the universal image of the garden as a space of harmony and inner order. The Mediterranean garden here i...
Canvas, Acrylic
Inner Order: Abstract Expressionism Oil Painting, Geometric, Library
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Title: Inner Order Artist: Sophie Dumont Year: 2022 Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions (unframed): 60 × 73 cm (23.62 x 28.74 in) Dimensions (framed): 67 x 80 cm (26.37 x 31.49 in) Si...
Oil
$1,995Sale Price|20% Off
Huge French Contemporary Modernist Abstract Geometic Composition Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Composition signed by Jacqueline VERDET (French, 1931-2023) oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas: 39.5 x 29 inches condition: the work is in overall very sound and good c...
Canvas, Oil
$1,000
Garden Series - Expressionist Composition in Acrylic on Canvas, Signed
Located in Soquel, CA
Garden Series - Expressionist Composition in Acrylic on Canvas, Signed Vibrant and textured abstract composition by California artist Charles "Dave" Francis (American, 1951-2018). A...
Canvas, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
Contemporary abstract expressionist still life painting "Dialogues in stillness"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This contemporary vivid abstract-expressionist still life painting depicting everyday objects and red apples has been created by French artist Natalya Mougenot. Known for her express...
Paper, Acrylic
Abstract Action Painting in Vibrant Colors
Located in San Francisco, CA
This abstract painting is a work by Joan Miller Linsley (1922–2000), an American artist recognized for her contributions to the Washington, D.C. art scene and her powerful social com...
Canvas, Oil
Contemporary large abstract expressionist nature painting canvas "Floral breath"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
“Floral Breath” is a vibrant contemporary abstract floral painting by French artist Natalya Mougenot, celebrating spring renewal through expressive brushwork and luminous color field...
Acrylic, Canvas
Cuerpos Magnéticos Spring. Wall sculpture
Located in Miami Beach, FL
From the series Cuerpos Magnéticos (Magetic Bodies) Cuerpos Magnéticos was born searching for the relationship between nature and our bodies, attraction and rejection. We see rocks,...
Epoxy Resin, Pigment
$1,053
Original-Moon Lit Dahlias-British Awarded Artist-Gold Leaf on oil canvas Board
Located in London, GB
Moonlit Dahlia is a large gold-leaf painting created by Shizico Yi in early autumn, when dahlias reach their fullest bloom and the first turning leaves colour the garden. Painted on ...
Gold Leaf
$796Sale Price|20% Off
Ellsworth Kelly, Lotus, from Derriere le Miroir, 1982
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Ellsworth Kelly (1923–2015), titled Lotus, originates from the historic 1982 folio Derriere le Miroir, No. 250, Hommage a Aime et Marguerite Maeght (Trib...
Lithograph
Neutral Nature (Red) - Abstract Expressionist Acrylic Textural Drip Painting
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
$14,500
"Quiet Little Prods" Large Scale 1960s Oil Painting - Geometric Abstraction
Located in Soquel, CA
"Quiet Little Prods" Large Scale 1960s Oil Painting - Geometric Abstraction Bold piece by Felix Ruvolo (American, 1912-1992). This piece exemplifie...
Canvas, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
Plate #4 from Album 19
By Joan Miró
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Plate #4 from Album 19" 1961, is an original color lithograph on watermarked BFK Rives paper by renown artist Joan Miro 1893-1983. It is hand signed (monogramed...
Lithograph
Golden branch on a mint green background. 3D textured.
Located in Zofingen, AG
The painting, created on a round plywood canvas, is a unique combination of sculpture and painting. The upper part of the artwork is adorned with a hand-painted botanical pattern usi...
Mixed Media, Wood Panel
The Assembled Whole. No 6
Located in Zofingen, AG
This painting from the The Assembled Whole series is created on canvas using a collage technique with various textured materials. The composition features soft pink, gray, and black ...
Canvas, Mixed Media
Quiet Horizon, Abstract Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Layered palette knife strokes form a rhythmic horizon where a soft, light-filled sky meets deep, shifting water. The textured surface suggests the quiet movemen...
Oil
Strates en suspens, Large Abstract Landscape, Oil painting, Contemporary
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Oil on canvas Unframed: 100 × 100 cm (39.4 × 39.4 in) Framed: 107 × 107 cm (42.1 × 42.1 in) Framed in a black or natural wood floater frame (collector’s choice) Sophie Dumont is a F...
Oil
$400
Flower in Bowl - Abstract Cool Tone Botanical Mixed Media 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
Le Secret
Located in Zofingen, AG
(Series: Le Jardin Privé / Your Private Paradise) “Some doors lead not to rooms, but to states of grace — hidden havens where the soul finally feels at home.” This contemporary paint...
Canvas, Oil Crayon, Acrylic
Spring. Awakening
Located in Zofingen, AG
shipped in roll “Spring. Awakening” reflects the first quiet shift of the season — a moment when light, color, and space begin to open. Soft layers of pale tones, subtle pinks, and g...
Canvas, Acrylic
Untitled 8. From Ritmos abstractos (Abstract Rhythms) Series
Located in Miami Beach, FL
"Ritmos Abstratos" invites us to explore the visual universe of the artist Juan Carlos Amador, who, through his unique perspective, translates the pulsations of space and the invisi...
Canvas, Oil
Nick Thomm - Loom (HYDRA) Standard
Located in FITZROY, VIC
Nick Thomm 'LOOM' (Hydra) 69cm x 92cm (27"×36″) Limited Edition of 305. Archival Pigment Print on Hahnemühle 308gsm Fine Art Paper. Condition: NEW. Worldwide Shipping. Sold Unframed.
Archival Ink, Giclée, Archival Pigment
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
$1,177
Vibrant Abstract with Bold Green Moody Colours French 20th Century Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Expressionist Composition signed by Gilbert Pelissier (French born 1924) oil painting on canvas, unframed inscribed verso and dated 85' canvas size: 35 x 46 inches condition...
Oil
Secrets of the Garden
Located in Zofingen, AG
Secrets of the Garden is a contemporary figurative painting capturing a quiet summer moment of rest and intimacy. Two female figures stand together in a garden, suggesting friendship...
Canvas, Acrylic
Gerhard Richter -Abstract Picture, limited edition authorized reproduction print
Located in New York, NY
Gerhard Richter Untitled Abstract Picture, 2002 Offset lithograph on GardaMatt Art 250 GSM paper Not signed, edition of 3433 12 1/2 × 16 3.5 inches Unframed Printed on GardaMatt Art...
Lithograph, Offset
Red on Yellow - Abstract Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, 1970s, Large Scale
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This large-scale contemporary painting by Milly Ristvedt explores colour in abstract form. A masterful, award-winning colourist, Milly Ristvedt’s elegant abstract paintings hang on...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,108
Original-Dahlias Field-Jardin d'Hiver-British Awarded Artist-Gold leaf + Impasto
Located in London, GB
Jardin d'Hiver Series is Shizico Yi's latest collection, created in her winter studio while longing for the summer left behind. Reflecting on the vibrant days spent painting en plein...
Gold Leaf
$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
$240
Mauve - Contemporary Colorful Impasto Inspired Abstract Painting Wooden Frame
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, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Oceanic Blue Fantasy, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
Original hand-painted painting. This work is from the series of my ocean paintings with an abstract composition and expression. This artwork is an immersion in a great ocean of em...
Acrylic
"Ambient Resonance" - Organic hand-built ceramic bowl sculpture
Located in East Quogue, NY
"Ambient Resonance" Hand-coiled and pinched wide ceramic sculpture vessel by Jessamyn Go. Iron Speckled Brown Stoneware, White Crawl Glaze, White Glaze Interior Size: 11.5 x 11.5 x...
Ceramic, Stoneware, Glaze
Tides Out (Abstract Painting in Blue, Orange & Metallic Gold)
By Bruce Murphy
Located in Hudson, NY
Gestural abstract expressionist painting on canvas in colorful hues green, blue, and orange on a gold and silver background "Untitled Green", 2022 by Bruce Murphy 40.5 x 40.5 inches...
Enamel
Tiffany, abstraction.
Located in Zofingen, AG
The artwork, created on a canvas made of clay, captivates with its unique texture and a serene palette in Tiffany hues. The upper part of the composition features soft, flowing folds...
Canvas, Clay, Acrylic
"umbrella girl series" RK69DE7, Abstract, Painting, 21st Century, Acrylic
By Roger König
Located in Dessau-Rosslau, Sachsen Anhalt
Art measures 31.49 x 23,62 inches Frame measures 36.22 x 28.34 x 2.36 inches Framed in a high-quality contemporary wooden moulding. Color: antique gold Artist: Roger König b. De...
Clay, Acrylic
#123, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Pigment
Night Veil - abstract painting, made in grey-blue, beige color
By Mila Akopova
Located in Fort Lee, NJ
Interior design paintings. The work was done with alcohol ink in grey-blue and beige color on Yupo paper. The work is 11 by 14 inches in size, framed (gold or black) with a glass fac...
Paper, Ink
Falling Reef. From the series Polyculture
Located in Miami Beach, FL
These works explore our relationship with the incredible biodiversity of our planet Earth. Visual representations of flowing colours, smells, sounds and the feeling of our life sourc...
Canvas, Acrylic