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.
Niki de Saint Phalle - I Rather Like You A Lot You Fool rare silkscreen signed/N
Located in New York, NY
Niki de Saint Phalle I Rather Like You A Lot You Fool, 1970 Silkscreen on wove paper Signed and numbered 74//75 in graphite pencil on the front Frame included: This work is elegantly...
Pencil, Graphite, Screen
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
An American Farm at Sunset by S. Salomon
Located in San Francisco, CA
On offer is an American Impressionist landscape painting featuring a vibrant sunset casting a glow over a farm setting. The work depicts a figure walking down a dirt path through a m...
Canvas, Oil
"The wind in the mountains was chasing the clouds"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
"The wind in the mountains was chasing the clouds" painted from life in the mountains during a windy spell.
Canvas, Oil
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
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
$658
Hand-Painted Canvas Proof#2-Purple Misty Alliums-British Awarded Artist-Last One
Located in London, GB
This Artist’s Proof is approximately 90% hand-painted with original oil paint and gesso by Shizico Yi, applied directly onto a premium Giclée canvas made from her original oil painti...
Gesso, Canvas, Oil, Acrylic, Giclée
Inner Order: Abstract Expressionism Oil Painting, Geometric, Library
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Title: Inner Order, grey books 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 3...
Oil
$1,700
Into the Wave, Large Ocean Diptych, Abstract Fishing Net, Mixed Media on Paper
Located in Barcelona, ES
Unusual Seascape is a striking mixed-media diptych that reimagines the ocean as an abstract cartography of color, texture, and movement. Layers of vibrant blues and orange tones coll...
Paper, Acrylic, Watercolor, Monoprint
Nick Thomm - HEMISPHERE (BLUE) XL
Located in FITZROY, VIC
Nick Thomm - 'HEMISPHERE' - (Blue) XL SIZE 92cm x 122cm 36" x 48" Limited Edition of #46 Hand Signed & Numbered. Archival Pigment Print on Hahnemühle 308gsm Fine Art Paper. Co...
Archival Ink, Giclée, Archival Pigment
$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
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
$247Sale Price|20% Off
Abstract impressionist floral acrylic painting on paper "Morning's rose bloom"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This contemporary expressive impressionist floral piece with a touch of abstract and art brut, Morning’s Rose Bloom, was created by French artist Natalya Mougenot in her Lyon studio ...
Paper, Acrylic
$2,000
Do The Twist - Original Soft Gestural Texture Abstract Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express...
Canvas, Latex, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic
$2,974
My lips still remember the taste, pomegranate - K.Husslein flower Still life
Located in DE
Title: Love don’t meet somewhere. They’re in each other all along This is a beautiful oil painting of an array of flowers in a vase in front of a dark background. Reminding us of o...
Canvas, Oil
#21, 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
$2,020
Earth to Sky - Tall Impasto Inspired Colorful 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, Glitter
$20,343
Untitled XLII by Ferle - Large abstract painting, grey and black, dark tones
By Elvire Ferle
Located in Paris, FR
Untitled XLII is a unique oil on free-standing canvas painting by contemporary artist Ferle, dimensions are 280 × 200 cm (110.2 × 78.7 in). The artwork is signed, sold unframed and c...
Canvas, Oil
$618Sale Price|20% Off
Contemporary abstract Impressionist floral painting " The Language of Roses"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This contemporary vivid expressionist floral painting, “The Language of Roses”, was created by French artist Natalya Mougenot and belongs to her ongoing series of still life composit...
Paper, Acrylic
$439Sale Price|20% Off
Gates No.1 Abstract Painting, Oil & Crayon on Paper, 1976, Unframed
Located in Bournemouth, Dorset
George Dannatt (1915-2009) 'Gates' No 1 1976 Medium: Oil & crayon on oil wash Image: 21.0 x 33.0 cm Reference no: 0450 George Dannatt’s long career as a painter and sculptor ended ...
Paper, Oil Crayon, Mixed Media, Oil
$850
"Many For The Empath" (abstract, flora, fauna, roses, oil painting, green, pink)
Located in Paris, IDF
MANY FOR THE EMPATH 2026 Paris, France This complex and layered floral painting of an abundant, overflowing bouquet presents an energetic and mesmerizing subject. This original mixe...
Oil Crayon, Dye, Cotton Canvas, Ink, Oil, Acrylic
Dance of the Hummingbirds
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Dance of the Hummingbirds” invites the viewer into a luminous world of movement, balance, and quiet magic. Two vibrant hummingbirds gracefully hover around blooming fuchsia flowers,...
Canvas, Acrylic
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
"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
$523
Persian Cat Portrait Fashion Illustration Luxury Feline Art Elegant Cat Painting
Located in Zofingen, AG
**Persian Cat Portrait Fashion Illustration Luxury Feline Art Elegant Cat Painting** This original Persian cat portrait painting combines luxury fashion illustration aesthetics with...
Paper, 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
Love surrounds you by Love by Gaetan de Seguin Figurative contemporary Painting
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
Persian Morning II (Abstract expressionist mid-century Indiana artist painting)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Mary Ann Robertson (1923-1911). Persian Morning II, 1964. Oil and paper on canvas. 25 x 36 1/2 inches. overall frame size 37 1/2 x 26 inches. notes: Nashville, IN woman artist....
Oil, Handmade Paper
Geraldine Stuheit “Sideboards and Sails” 1986 Geometric Abstract Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
A striking 1986 geometric abstract oil painting by American artist Geraldine Grace Garrison Stuheit, Sideboards and Sails exemplifies the sophisticated architectural abstraction and ...
Oil
$1,000
Frank Stella - Original Leo Castelli Gallery offset lithograph invitation, 1969
By Frank Stella
Located in New York, NY
Offset lithograph poster Unframed and unsigned Published by Leo Castelli Gallery at 4 East 77th Street on the occasion of the exhibition in November, 1969 The artwork depicted in thi...
Lithograph, Offset
$500
"Eve Of Parting" (contemporary, abstract, original, dark, warm, oil, black, red)
Located in Paris, IDF
EVE OF PARTING 2025 Paris, France This painting captures a fleeting moment of emergence and disappearance, a pale, flame-like form rising from a field of deep shadow and crimson. Th...
Linen, Dye, Oil
$3,600
Cooler Heads Prevail - Large Abstract Expressionist Textural Painting in Blue
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, Latex
Rêver Ensemble - Soft Green Abstract Floral Landscape Painting
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
Flores Noctis - Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Abstract, 24in x 24in
By Mario Angel
Located in Mississauga, CA
This fine art piece, titled "Flores Noctis," is a profound example of modernist surreal still life, characterized by its intricate tapestry of interconnected, biomorphic floral and v...
Canvas, Acrylic
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
$644Sale Price|38% Off
Park XV & XVI - SET (Berlin artist, Postwar, Contemporary, Abstract)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Barbara Keidel Park XV & XVI - SET Mixed media, pastel on handmade, toned laid paper 1997 Size: 29.5 × 21.25 inches (75 × 54 cm) (each) Signed and dated in pencil (each) Addition...
Pastel, Mixed Media, Laid Paper
$1,090
Festival of Joy - Abstract Expressionism Maximalis Delight Joy Texture Statement
By Karnish Art
Located in Pretoria, Gauteng
Title: Festival of Joy Abstract Expressionism Colorful Delight Joy Movement Texture Statement Vibrant Festivitas Laetitiae - Festival of Joy This vibrant artwork, set on a deep cr...
Oil, Acrylic
Golden Elegance. Abstract
Located in Zofingen, AG
This exquisite piece of art is a small square canvas crafted using modeling paste. The magnificent white-gold color scheme creates an atmosphere of sophistication and luxury. The pai...
Paste, Canvas, Acrylic
Nick Thomm - LUMINANCE - SET (Standard)
Located in FITZROY, VIC
Nick Thomm 'LUMINANCE' (SET) 69cm x 92cm (27"×36″) per print. Blue Limited Edition of 425. Orange Limited Edition of 409. Archival Pigment Print on Hahnemühle 308gsm Fine Art Pape...
Archival Ink, Giclée, Archival Pigment
$18,000
Sonia Gechtoff - Portico, painting on masonite, Signed, Ex- Andre Zarre, Framed
Located in New York, NY
Sonia Gechtoff Untitled portico, from the estate of gallerist Andre Zarre, 1977 Acrylic and graphite on masonite Signed and dated '77 in graphite on the front Unique Provenance: Acqu...
Masonite, Acrylic, Graphite
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
$6,543
A source. Contemporary oil abstract painting by Polish Young Artist, Big format
By Klaudia Lata
Located in Warsaw, PL
Big scale abstract oil painting by Polish artist Klaudia Lata. KLAUDIA LATA (born in 1993) Graduate of painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice. Diploma in 2017 in the stud...
Canvas, Oil
$1,195
Sam Francis Abstract Lithograph, Unsigned, 1964, Pink Venus Kiki, from 1¢ Life
By Sam Francis
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Sam Francis Title: Pink Venus Kiki Portfolio: 1¢ Life Medium: Lithograph Year: 1964 Edition Size: 2000 Frame Size: 20 5/8" x 28 3/4" Sheet Size: 16 1/8" x 22 1/4" Signature: ...
Lithograph
$1,207Sale Price|20% Off
Original Spring Triptych-British Awarded Artist-Abstract British Contemporary
Located in London, GB
Spring Triptych begun in 2024 — Spring Duet Series — where Shizico Yi explores abstraction through the expanded formats of diptych and triptych. In this series, Shizico focuses on a restrained, luminous palette of soft greens, creamy whites, and pink-apricot tones, evoking the fragile early spring light of Northern Europe. The works hold a sense of emergence — of quiet awakening — where colour breathes gently across the canvas. Although abstract in form, all three paintings were created en plein air, in situ, capturing both the landscape surrounding her studio and the interior space itself across the unfolding months of spring. Each canvas functions like an individual musical note. Together, the three form a visual harmony — a quiet concert of rhythm, colour, and movement. This triptych is part of Shizico’s long-running Memory Landscape Project (initiated in 2015), an expansive body of work spanning painting, sculpture, installation, and abstraction. Across this project, she moves fluidly between impressionism, expressionism, and abstract language, allowing memory and presence to shape form. -Artist's Lifetime Warranty for the original artwork. -Guarantee End to end tracking Delivery Worldwide by Royal Mail Worldwide at lowest Rate £28 only. About the artist: Dr. Shizico Yi is a London-based multidisciplinary artist working across painting, installation, and film. Her practice explores themes of loss, repetition, the everyday, and the formation of memory, weaving personal narratives into broader social and human contexts. Drawing on a background in design and film, Yi’s work moves fluidly between mediums, allowing lived experience, place, and time to shape each project. Yi holds a PhD in Fine Art from the University of East London (2017), an MFA, and a BA in Womenswear from the University of the Arts London. Her practice is grounded in both rigorous research and embodied making. Alongside her studio practice, Yi works en plein air from spring through autumn, returning to studio-based work during the winter months. This cyclical approach allows seasonality, landscape, and environment to inform the scale, materiality, and emotional tenor of her work. Her work has been exhibited internationally in the UK, South Korea, and Italy, and is held in private collections across the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. In addition to her visual art practice, Yi is an award-winning filmmaker. She was the Winner of the Women Filmmakers: Best Shorts Competition in Los Angeles (2013) and has served as a guest jury member for the 14th–16th Annual New York City Independent Film Festival (2022–2024). She is also the founder and curator of no barking aRt...
Gesso, Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
The Divine Goddess - Warm Soft Jewel Tone Abstract Floral Painting
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
Roy Lichtenstein - 1987 Modern painting with Clef poster, Hand Signed, inscribed
Located in New York, NY
Offset lithograph poster Signed exhibiton poster for the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Hand signed, dated '88 and inscribed 'To Osc...
Lithograph, Offset
$1,600Sale Price|20% Off
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
$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
Untitled LXXIX by Ferle - Abstract painting, lines, green, grey
By Elvire Ferle
Located in Paris, FR
Untitled LXXIX is a unique oil on free-standing canvas painting by contemporary artist Ferle, dimensions are 200 cm x 140 cm (78.7 × 55.1 in). The artwork is signed, sold unframed an...
Oil
$6,690
Malbec by Gabriela Azar Schreiner. Contemporary abstract Painting
Located in Mentone, AU
The painting features dark, rich tones that shift subtly depending on the light, revealing layers of burgundy, fuchsia, and lilac throughout the piece. This painting is unstretched ...
Acrylic
$956Sale Price|20% Off
Ellsworth Kelly, Yellow Shape, from Derriere le Miroir, 1958
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Ellsworth Kelly (1923–2015), titled Forme Jaune (Yellow Shape), originates from the historic 1958 folio Derriere le Miroir, No. 110. Published by Maeght ...
Lithograph
$8,922
Geometric Resonance — Contemporary Geometric Abstract Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
French contemporary artist Sophie Dumont presents in Geometric Resonance a refined geometric abstraction structured through a subtle dialogue between curved forms, architectural line...
Canvas, Oil
Storm - Blue Cool Tone Abstract Dramatic Landscape Textural Impasto 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
$3,040Sale Price|20% Off
Echoes in Blue - geometric abstract, 65X65, framed
Located in New York, NY
In her work, Noam explores the intersection of geometry, rhythm, and material through a refined visual language. Using repetition and variation, she constructs a structured grid that...
Paper, Spray Paint
"Connection Points"
Located in Zofingen, AG
Series “Following the Movements” “Connection Points” is an abstract wall painting created as an accent piece for spaces where focus and presence are essential. This red and black pai...
Canvas, Mixed Media
$428Sale Price|20% Off
Contemporary abstract expressionist nature canvas "Colors of the summer horizon"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
"Colors of the Summer Horizon" is a dynamic, contemporary abstract landscape by French artist Natalya Mougenot, part of her Nature series, where she explores the natural world throug...
Canvas, Acrylic
Warm Touch
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Warm Touch” A peaceful wave unfolds across the canvas — not forceful, not fierce, but gently wrapping the space in tenderness. Its shifting shades of blue flow softly, like the brea...
Canvas, Oil
Painting with linen, beeswax and natural pigments, yellow turmeric and brown
Located in Carballo, ES
The painting measures 77 x 39 cm and is an old linen sack filled with polyurethane foam. The pigments include beeswax, oxide vinegar, yellow turmeric, and natural graphite. The work...
Canvas, Wax, Graphite, Pigment
Golden Circles
Located in Zofingen, AG
This painting features an abstract composition consisting of various flat circles of different sizes, made from clay. The lines of the circles create dynamic movement and an appealin...
Canvas, Acrylic, Clay
#260, 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