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 Quiet Bloom
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 97×97 cm (overall size with stretching 107×107 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled A serene, intimate composition where a slender white figure rests i...
Canvas, Acrylic
A Moment Together, Contemporary Figurative Painting, 80x60 cm, New
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
Architecture of Chaos
Located in Zofingen, AG
From the series “Between States” Before you is a space where familiar reference points dissolve. The work does not depict a specific place; instead, it captures a moment of transfor...
Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Metal squares. 3D textured.
Located in Zofingen, AG
The painting is made up of individual squares on canvas, creating a unique and intriguing geometric composition. Each square, crafted using clay, represents an individual element, im...
Clay, Canvas, Acrylic
The Beacon - Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Abstract, 48in x 60in
By Mario Angel
Located in Mississauga, CA
This masterwork, titled "The Beacon," breaks entirely from traditional realism, with the artist dismantling an intricate, multi-character setting into an enchanting, surreal panorama...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,165
Sunset VW Van - Colorful California Beach Still Life Acrylic Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Kathleen Keifer's original artworks represent one of the most significant expressions of New California Realism. Keifer brings a fresh perspective to her colorful scenes of everyday ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,300Sale Price|35% 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
Hand-Gilded-Constant Gardener-the last Artist Proof-Rare X-Large-Awarded Artist
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
This is an unique one-off Artist Proof, in a rare Extra-Large square format. A special Proof that only 3 have been made with hand gilded Gold Leaf. The outstanding hand-painted qual...
Gold Leaf
Protected Serenity
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 142×142 cm (overall size with stretching 152×152 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled This evocative painting immerses the viewer into a realm of absol...
Acrylic, Canvas
$98Sale Price|38% Off
Untitled Composition (Poligrafa, Redfern, Spanish, Abstract, 38% OFF)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Josep Guinovart Untitled Composition from "Ediciones Poligrafa, Barcelona at Redfern Gallery, London" Original Color Lithograph Year: 1979 Size: 10 x 7.325 inches (25.4 × 18.61 cm) E...
Lithograph
premieres lueurs, Abstract Lanscape, oil, Expressionism, Contemporary art
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Size unframed: 50 x 50 cm (15.75 x 15.75 in) Size framed 57 x 57 cm or 22.44 x 22.44 in. Choose the color of frame black or wood. A certificate comes the painting the painting is re...
Oil
Pastel Grid (Spice) - contemporary, minimalist, abstract, pastel on paper
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This colourful contemporary pastel on paper in grid form is by Milly Ristvedt. The classic grid pattern becomes more than a ‘container’ for colour in the hands of master colourist M...
Paper, Pastel
$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
London Sakura-Hand painted Limited Edition-British Awarded Artist-Edition #6/10
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
This painting captures the early spring in Shizico Yi’s garden, where the Cherry Prunus stands as the season’s first joyful announcement. Painted en plein air, it reflects the raw fr...
Metal
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
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
Rêver Ensemble - Soft Green Abstract Floral Landscape Painting
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
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
Whispers in Blue - Abstract Figurative Landscape Textured Impasto Oil Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Ekaterina Ermilkina’s original, abstract fine art paintings are created using a skillful combination of applying and removing oil paint with a palette knife on canvas. Her inspiratio...
Canvas, Oil
$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
The Foundation
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 110×97 cm (overall size with stretching 120×107 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled the series "The Inviolable Reserve" Painting "The Foundation" is ...
Canvas, Acrylic
In Harmony - Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Abstract, 36in x 48in
By Mario Angel
Located in Mississauga, CA
This evocative acrylic on canvas by Mario Angel, titled "In Harmony" serves as a poignant exploration of figurative abstraction, where the artist deftly intertwines themes of longing...
Canvas, Acrylic
$7,100
av_965 Colorful Original Contemporary Abstract Painting on Natural Linen Canvas
By Alex Voinea
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The colorful abstract artworks of Romanian artist Alex Voinea are inspired by experiments with paint poured over vibrating surfaces, such as speakers at full volume. Alex Voinea coll...
Linen, Acrylic
$605
When Color Speaks - Original Colorful Impasto Acrylic 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, Glitter, Acrylic
Meeting Point
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Acrylic, pencil, and paint stick on cradled wood panel Edges painted pale gray. Sarah Trundle is a Charlottesville, Va. painter who, after beginnings in representational art, now ...
Acrylic, Pencil
Emanation Abstract Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, XXL, Signed Art
Located in London, London
Cobalt Blue, Blue, yellow, green, flowers, nature, beige, pink, red, golden, ochre, XXL size, extra large abstract painting, large scale, design artwork. Artist: Katarina Joys Tit...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$1,050
White and Blue Diptych, Gestual Abstraction School of Fish, Modern Seascape Fish
Located in Barcelona, ES
This series by Enric Servera explores the relationship of humans to salt and seawater. The intention of these works is to submerge us into the sea, a salty treasure that surrounds us...
Paper, Acrylic, Watercolor
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
$8,829
Geometrie de la pensee- Large Abstract Library – Oil on canvas, Contemporary art
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Oil on canvas – 39.37 × 39.37 in (100 × 100 cm) Framed: approx. 42.13 × 42.13 in (107 × 107 cm) Frame options: natural wood or black collector's choice Year: 2025 – Signed front Cert...
Oil, Canvas
#64, 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
Original-Rosarian, 2026 (After Van Gogh)-Awarded Artist-Impasto oil on paper
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
Rosarian, 2026 (After Van Gogh) is Shizico Yi's latest work, inspired by the lost seventh painting from Vincent van Gogh's celebrated Sunflowers series, often referred to as Six Sunf...
Gesso, Oil, Acrylic, Archival Paper
$1,150
Sea Grass, Abstract Expressionist Painting Diptych in Green, Gestual Landscape
Located in Barcelona, ES
Title: Sea Grass Medium: Acrylic Painting on Paper Size: 73.7x93.4 cm total ( 29x36.8 inches), each panel measures 73.7x46.7cm (29x18.4 inches) Year: 2025 * Frame is for illustrativ...
Paper, Acrylic, Watercolor
$2,900Sale Price|38% Off
Little Red Ball - Abstract Original Modern Playful Geometric Steel Sculpture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Inspired by dance and weightlessness, Granville Beals' industrial metal sculptures are primarily about relationships. His original artworks capture the...
Metal, Steel
Where it is quiet, No.7
Located in Zofingen, AG
There are moments when the world no longer asks for explanations. When nothing needs to be named in order to be felt. Silence is not the absence of sound — it emerges where inner ten...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Belles de nuit 1969 Signed Limited Edition Etching Abstract Nude
Located in Rochester Hills, MI
Artist Name: Barbara Kwasniewska Title: Belles de nuit - ladies of the Night Year: 1969 Medium Type: etching Size-Width Size-Height: 22.5'' x 30" inches Signed Edition Size: Signe...
Etching
City of Angels - Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Abstract, 48in x 60in
By Mario Angel
Located in Mississauga, CA
This striking acrylic on canvas by Mario Angel, titled "City of Angels," offers a compelling journey into figurative abstraction, where the artist masterfully weaves together themes ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Sunrise Corals Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Abstract, 21st Century
Located in London, London
All the custom charges are included in the final price agreed. Corals, water, Blue, turquoise, pink, beige, ochre, ocean, sea, current, fluid, yellow. Title: "Sunrise Corals" Arti...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
$1,360Sale Price|20% Off
Bold Contemporary - Abstract Painting, Colorful Texture, Large, Dream
By Karnish Art
Located in Pretoria, Gauteng
Title: Interconnected Dream Bold Abstract Contemporary Colorful Masculine Investment Red Yellow Grey Blue Orange Texture Detail This series expresses our unity and our interconnect...
Pastel, Oil, Acrylic, Pencil, Color Pencil, Gesso, Canvas, Stretcher Bars
$1,023
Original-Moon Lit Dahlias-British Awarded Artist-Gold Leaf on oil canvas Board
By Shizico Yi
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
$1,050
Original-Impasto-Moonlit Dahlias-Jardin d'Hiver-British Awarded Artist-Gold leaf
By Shizico Yi
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
Nick Thomm - LUMINANCE - SET (Standard)
By Nick Thomm
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
154 Squares V.2 - Modern Colorful Abstract Geometric Acrylic Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Brandon Neher is a California artist whose original paintings embody a profound exploration of space, structure, and balance, infused with a touch of modern minimalism. Drawing inspi...
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Wood
$2,091
In the Hydrangea Thickets. Textured floral, Japandi, Wabi-Sabi, Shabby Chic
Located in Oslo, NO
In this work, the artist immerses the viewer in a living, breathing environment—a space where color becomes a state, and texture a tangible memory of summer. Intertwined stems, leave...
Canvas, Acrylic
A floral tribute to my school - abstract vs figurative painting
Located in New York, NY
This painting will be shipped rolled in a tube and is not stretched! This expressive mixed-media composition unfolds like a visual diary, where flowers, leaves, handwritten notes, a...
Canvas, Acrylic
Attempt at Harmony Abstract Painting, Mixed Media, Ochre Tones, 88cm
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
"Attempt at Harmony" is an abstract painting distinguished by its texture and intertwined layers of color. Dominated by ochre tones, the piece is complemented by flashes of blue, pur...
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Helter Skelter - Large Contemporary Cubist Terracotta Orange Oil Painting Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Harrison Gilman graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. In 2018 his artworks were exhibited at the We Rise Art Fair in Los Angeles alongside Shepard Fairey ...
Canvas, Oil
$1,350
"Once Verdant" (flora, abstract, roses, blush, pink, green, dye, antique linen)
Located in Paris, IDF
ONCE VERDANT 2024 Paris, France This enchanting painting portrays the artist's vision of an abstracted, organic floral pattern. The floral shapes and shadows allude to traces of a ...
Linen, Dye, Oil
Line of Silence No. 7
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Line of silence” is an ongoing painting cycle that explores the fragile boundary between presence and dissolution. Through a restrained color palette, layered surfaces, and a soften...
Canvas, Mixed Media
Bark and Reliefs Abstract Geometric Wall Sculpture, Resin
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Bark and Reliefs, 2018 By Carla Gimbatti From the Series Reliefs Aquaresin and Pigment Overall Size: 79 H x 33 W in. Individual Size: (Bark) 79 H x 16.5 W in. (Reliefs) 79 H x 8....
Resin, Pigment
Tennessee Rain
By Lynn Sanders
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Lynn Sanders is an artist excited by beauty: architecture, foliage, landscapes, seascapes, interiors. She finds palettes and shapes in her environment and propels them into her work,...
Canvas, Acrylic Polymer, Ink, Acrylic
Abstract expressive floral acrylic painting on paper "Flourish of colors"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
The abstract floral artwork "Flourish of Colors" by French artist Natalya Mougenot is part of her Floral series. This vibrant painting bursts with energy, capturing a rich array of c...
Paper, Acrylic
$245
Pastel Study 1 - Original Architecture Landscape Oil Based Artwork on Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Kathleen Keifer's original artworks represent one of the most significant expressions of New California Realism. Keifer brings a fresh perspective to her colorful scenes of everyday ...
Paper, Oil Pastel
$430Sale 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
Nick Thomm - Loom (HYDRA) Standard
By Nick Thomm
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
Source of Renewal
Located in Zofingen, AG
This work captures a moment of absolute tranquility-a private paradise bathed in light and hidden behind a dense veil of emerald greenery. Horses gathered at the water's edge in the ...
Canvas, Acrylic
#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
Palette 6 - Huge Large XXXL Abstract Colorful Painting Signed 2026
By SOOS TIBERIU
Located in Zofingen, AG
FREE SHIPPING - This artwork is shipping UNMOUNTED and ROLLED UP in a tube and you can stretch it very easy to your local framer. In this very beautiful large colorful, bold, vivid a...
Canvas, Acrylic
Brutalist Ceramic Abstract Expressionist Lamp Base or Vase Form
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Raymond Gallucci (1923-2005) Lamp Base, ca. 1970. Glazed ceramic. 15 " h, 7 3/8" w, 6" d. Opening for lamp post measures 11/16 inch. While the piece would make a lovely lamp, we...
Ceramic
$8,712
Topographie du reve, Large Abstract Geometric, Framed, Expressionism, French
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Title: Topographie du Rêve Oil on canvas – 39.37 × 39.37 in (100 × 100 cm) Framed: 42.13 × 42.13 in (107 × 107 cm) – Natural wood floater frame (black optional) Year: 2025 – Signed l...
Oil
$7,800
Matter and Antimatter - Italian Abstract Art, Gestural Abstraction, Blue, Yellow
Located in New York, NY
Materia et Antimateria by Ruggero Vanni is an exceptional example of abstract expressionism meeting sculptural sensibilities. This unique mixed-media painting blends pigments and tex...
Canvas, Oil