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Abstract Art

ABSTRACT STYLE

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.

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Style: Abstract
Julia Martins Miranda Large Abstract Oil Painting Warm Ochre Terracotta Tones
Julia Martins Miranda Large Abstract Oil Painting Warm Ochre Terracotta Tones

Julia Martins Miranda Large Abstract Oil Painting Warm Ochre Terracotta Tones

By Julia Martins Miranda

Located in Barcelona, Barcelona

This work is presented in a scroll-like (parchment-style) format, with the painting executed on a flexible support and suspended using metal rods at the top and bottom, allowing the ...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Unlikely Refresh, Abstract Oil Painting
Unlikely Refresh, Abstract Oil Painting

Unlikely Refresh, Abstract Oil Painting

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
This abstract landscape painting, built through multiple layers of wet-on-wet mediums, creates a rich surface. The tactile depth contrasts with smooth, glossy p...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

Mugs in a circle.  3D textured
Mugs in a circle.  3D textured

Mugs in a circle. 3D textured

Located in Zofingen, AG

The image depicts a work of art created on canvas, featuring a circular composition made of circles cut from air-dry clay. Each circle is crafted from clay, allowing for a creative s...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Clay, Canvas, Acrylic

'My Heart That Blooms in the Darkness of The Night'
'My Heart That Blooms in the Darkness of The Night'

'My Heart That Blooms in the Darkness of The Night'

By Yayoi Kusama

Located in New York, NY

Yayoi Kusama’s My Heart That Blooms in the Darkness of the Night (2012) is a striking example of her ability to merge visual art with emotional depth and symbolic resonance. Crafted ...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Copper

Burst II - large scale abstract photograph of caleidoscopic color explosions
Burst II - large scale abstract photograph of caleidoscopic color explosions

Burst II - large scale abstract photograph of caleidoscopic color explosions

By Christian Stoll

Located in San Francisco, CA

From Christian Stoll's body of works BURST (2015), an abstract exploration of high speed photographs capturing mesmerizing explosions of caleidoscopic color 27 x 40 inches (68 x 102...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Giclée

'Woman In Bagdad' — 1950s Japanese Sôsaku-hanga Abstraction
'Woman In Bagdad' — 1950s Japanese Sôsaku-hanga Abstraction

'Woman In Bagdad' — 1950s Japanese Sôsaku-hanga Abstraction

Located in Myrtle Beach, SC

Toshi Yoshida, 'Woman In Bagdad', color woodblock print, 1954, edition not stated. Signed, dated, and titled, in pencil. A fine, richly-inked impression, with fresh colors, on cream-wove Japan paper; the full sheet with margins (1/2 to 7/8 inch); minor toning in the margins, otherwise in excellent condition. Self-carved, self-printed. Archivally sleeved, unmatted. Image size 14 13/16 x 9 7/8 inches; sheet size 16 1/4 x 11 inches (oban tate-e). Exhibited: 'Color in Relief: Wood Block Prints from Origins to Abstraction', Georgetown University Library, 2016. Literature: Oliver Statler, Modern Japanese Prints: An Art Reborn, 1959, pp.168-169; Eugene M. Skibbe, Yoshida Toshi 1911-1999: Diversity, Change, and Continuity in the Yoshida Art Tradition, Andon 53, Society for Japanese Arts, 1996, pp. 5-14; Kendall H. Brown, Yoshida Toshi: The Nature of Tranquility, in, A Japanese Legacy: Four Generations of Yoshida Family Artists, The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, 2002, pp. 72-80; p. 91, no. 55 Exhibition: Japan & Beyond: The Yoshida Family Legacy in Japanese Woodblock Prints, curated by Kendall Brown and Quyen Le, The Ruth and Sherman Lee Institute for Japanese Art, Hanford, CA. February 3, 2004 - March 27, 2004. Collections: Art Institute of Chicago, Clark Center for Japanese Art and Culture, Minneapolis Institute of Art, University of California Merced, University of Oregon (The Lavenberg Collection of Japanese Prints). ABOUT THE ARTIST Yoshida Toshi (1911-1995) began training at the age of 14 under his father, Yoshida Hiroshi, one of the most acclaimed artists of the Japanese 20th-century printmaking revival movement shin-hanga (’new prints’ created in the traditional collaborative system of Japanese printmaking). He studied from 1932 to 1935 at the Taiheiyo-Gakai (Pacific Painting Association), co-founded by his father. Before the Pacific War, Toshi traveled widely with his father in Asia, Europe, Egypt, and the United States. Later he continued his worldwide travels, especially in Mexico, the United States, Canada, and Africa. Following his father’s death in 1950, Toshi began his very personal exploration of abstraction, joining the sôsaku-hanga movement (’creative prints’ wherein the artist is creator, carver, and printer). During this richly creative period (1954 to 1973), Toshi created over three hundred nonobjective designs. In the early 1960s, Toshi returned to large-scale figurative work, concentrating on scenes of African wildlife in its natural habitat, and in 1984 he published the first of many illustrated children's books on African wildlife (Dobutsu Ehon Shirizu), which he continued to produce until the early 1990s. In 1966 he published a book with the artist Yuki Rei...

Category

1960s Abstract Art

Materials

Woodcut

Almond Blossom Watercolor on Board, Kashmir Landscape, Signed, 1960
Almond Blossom Watercolor on Board, Kashmir Landscape, Signed, 1960

Almond Blossom Watercolor on Board, Kashmir Landscape, Signed, 1960

Located in Norfolk, GB

Dina Nath Walli (1908–2006) Almond Blossom, Kashmir Watercolour on Board c 1960 Framed size: 42.8cm x 52.8cm Image size: 27.5cm x 38cm Signed and dated 1970 on the verso, gifted fro...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Board, Watercolor

Abstract 1, Abstract Oil Painting
Abstract 1, Abstract Oil Painting

Abstract 1, Abstract Oil Painting

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Green, blue, and orange with black accents create a dynamic abstract composition. Scratches and marks add texture and energy. Artist Dorothy Gaziano used oil pa...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

Reconstruction, Abstract Painting
Reconstruction, Abstract Painting

Reconstruction, Abstract Painting

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Several shades of blue sweep across a lightly textured background. Bits of orange highlight the focal point, adding warmth to the composition. Sections of gray ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic

Spring Rain
Spring Rain

Spring Rain

By Manabu Mabe

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork titled "Spring Rain" 1981, Is a colors lithograph on Fabriano paper by noted Brazilian/Japanese artist Manabu Mabe, 1924-1997. It is hand signed, titled in Japanese and ...

Category

Late 20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Lithograph

French 20th Century Dual Bright Abstract Kitchen Scene Large Painting
French 20th Century Dual Bright Abstract Kitchen Scene Large Painting

French 20th Century Dual Bright Abstract Kitchen Scene Large Painting

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Abstract Expressionist Composition by Gilbert Pelissier (French born 1924) signed oil painting on canvas, unframed inscribed verso canvas size: 35 x 46 inches condition: overall very...

Category

Late 20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Abstract Expressionist Painting (Mid-century Modern action composition)
Abstract Expressionist Painting (Mid-century Modern action composition)

Abstract Expressionist Painting (Mid-century Modern action composition)

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Untitled Abstract Expressionist painting, 1957 Oil on canvas measuring 18 x 30 inches. Signed with monogram and dated lower right. Two repair patches on back on painting. Artist...

Category

1950s Abstract Art

Materials

Oil, Canvas

Hui Sheng Landscape Original Oil On Canvas "Outside III"
Hui Sheng Landscape Original Oil On Canvas "Outside III"

Hui Sheng Landscape Original Oil On Canvas "Outside III"

Located in New York, NY

Title: Outside III Medium: Oil on canvas Size: 23 x 31 inches Frame: Framing options available! Condition: The painting appears to be in excellent condition. Note: This painting is u...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

The Assembled Whole. 3
The Assembled Whole. 3

The Assembled Whole. 3

Located in Zofingen, AG

This painting is done in an abstract style on canvas using various textures and geometric shapes. The composition features predominantly gray and lilac tones with touches of beige, c...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media

Original Air France Greece (Grece) vintage travel poster
Original Air France Greece (Grece) vintage travel poster

Original Air France Greece (Grece) vintage travel poster

By Georges Mathieu

Located in Spokane, WA

Original Air France Grece vintage travel poster. Linen-backed original travel poster by Air France to Greece. Stylized Greek columns and the Parthenon in Athens, Greece sit on a mediterranean blue background. Very good condition, A- Ready to frame. Edges were trimmed at the time of linen backing. The creation of this poster was part of a larger series initiated by Pierre Sautet, the Deputy Commercial Director of Air France. Mathieu began working on these posters a year earlier and completed the series in 1967. Air France is France's flag carrier airline, one of the world's largest and most well-known airlines. Established in 1933, the airline has a rich history and has played a significant role in the development of international air travel. Air France often featured a distinctive style that reflected the cultural and artistic trends of the time. From the Art Deco elegance of the 1930s to the vibrant colors and bold designs of the 1960s, these posters represent the changing aesthetics over the decades. Due to their artistic quality and historical significance, Air France vintage posters...

Category

1960s Abstract Art

Materials

Offset

Beige Dream.Heat-haze vision
Beige Dream.Heat-haze vision

Beige Dream.Heat-haze vision

Located in Zofingen, AG

This work is a contemplative abstract landscape, it is painted in oil on linen canvas using the lessirovka technique - this is when layers of paint let light through, and the lower l...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Magical Mycorrhiza - Original Art - Vibrant Exploration of Nature and Connection
Magical Mycorrhiza - Original Art - Vibrant Exploration of Nature and Connection

Magical Mycorrhiza - Original Art - Vibrant Exploration of Nature and Connection

By Jonas Fisch

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Swedish artist Jonas Fisch’s imagery is vibrantly buzzing with colorful commentary on society - past and present - morphed into figures, words, and shapes. His heavily layered canvas...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Charcoal, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Fabric

Abstract Oil Painting by Yvette Dubois-Habasque, Signed, 21st Century
Abstract Oil Painting by Yvette Dubois-Habasque, Signed, 21st Century

Abstract Oil Painting by Yvette Dubois-Habasque, Signed, 21st Century

By Yvette Dubois Habasque

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Abstract, by Yvette Dubois-Habasque (1929-2016) signed with initials and dated verso oil painting on artists board, unframed painting measures: 9.5 x 13 inches Stunning original ab...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

Quiet Beauty in Nature, Abstract Oil Painting
Quiet Beauty in Nature, Abstract Oil Painting

Quiet Beauty in Nature, Abstract Oil Painting

By Ronda Waiksnis

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
This abstract painting invites quiet reflection, evoking the stillness of a misty landscape mirrored in calm waters. A gentle palette of greens and blues wash...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

On the Bright Side, Abstract Painting
On the Bright Side, Abstract Painting

On the Bright Side, Abstract Painting

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Various shades of blue, with touches of purple and cream, create a soothing backdrop. A bold orange form adds contrast and visual interest without disrupting th...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic

Red leopard on blue
Red leopard on blue

Red leopard on blue

Located in Zofingen, AG

This acrylic painting on canvas combines the power of imagery with the expressiveness of color. The figure of the leopard emerges through a bold contrast of vibrant red and deep blue...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Faded Rose - Muted Color Atmospheric Abstract Alluring Oil Painting on Canvas
Faded Rose - Muted Color Atmospheric Abstract Alluring Oil Painting on Canvas

Faded Rose - Muted Color Atmospheric Abstract Alluring 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 ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Rene Leroy Large French Abstract Cubist Mixed Media Painting Framed
Rene Leroy Large French Abstract Cubist Mixed Media Painting Framed

Rene Leroy Large French Abstract Cubist Mixed Media Painting Framed

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Key Details Artist: Rene Leroy, French, born 1932 Title: Abstract / Cubist Composition Medium: Mixed media, material and oil on canvas, framed Size: Painting: 29 x 36 inches; framed:...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

Love Conquers All - Extra Large Abstract Painting, Bold Colors, New, Maximalism
Love Conquers All - Extra Large Abstract Painting, Bold Colors, New, Maximalism

Love Conquers All - Extra Large Abstract Painting, Bold Colors, New, Maximalism

By Karnish Art

Located in Pretoria, Gauteng

Title: Love Conquers All - Omnia Vincit Amor Extra Large Abstract Investment Bold Color Large rendition in the Unchained Expressions series. It attempts to map the road to freedom...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic, Gesso, Canvas, Oil, Spray Paint, Color Pencil

Interesting Abstract Painting Original Frame ca' 1950's
Interesting Abstract Painting Original Frame ca' 1950's

Interesting Abstract Painting Original Frame ca' 1950's

Located in Saint Petersburg, FL

A really interesting Abstract Expressionist painting ca' 1950's. Beautiful colors, the frame is shaped, original.

Category

1950s Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

Composition No. 4
Composition No. 4

Composition No. 4

Located in Zofingen, AG

Composition No.4 from the series “Quiet Motion” This work explores the subtle movement of light and form. Soft transitions and layered transparencies create a sense of depth, while ...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media

Pink Fantasy. Abstraction.
Pink Fantasy. Abstraction.

Pink Fantasy. Abstraction.

Located in Zofingen, AG

The work is created in the fluid art technique using acrylic on canvas. The composition is built on the soft, flowing interweaving of pink, coral, and milky white tones, creating a s...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

"Untitled #275 " watercolor print on fine art paper
"Untitled #275 " watercolor print on fine art paper

"Untitled #275 " watercolor print on fine art paper

Located in West Hollywood, CA

Over the past 20 years, Michelle Oppenheimer has become well known for composing paintings that capture the imaginative and organic possibilities of abstract watercolor and acrylic. ...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Paper, Inkjet

Large Geometric Abstract. 'Traces No.9 Pour une Archéologie du Présent.'
Large Geometric Abstract. 'Traces No.9 Pour une Archéologie du Présent.'

Large Geometric Abstract. 'Traces No.9 Pour une Archéologie du Présent.'

Located in Cotignac, FR

Large 1970s abstract geometric acrylic and oil on plywood panel signed Rivel and dated 1977 to the bottom left. The painting is titled to the rear of the panel. Numbers of colour fields in muted shades jostle against one another. It is the shapes and the space between them which give energy to the painting whilst the colour palette restrains. The painting is highly textured as the artist has applied the paint thickly and energetically with both palette knife and large brushstrokes. At times layers of paint reveal underlying colours. This painting fits perfectly into the abstract genre with its focus on its formal qualities over and above its subject matter. Furthermore the artist experiments with reconstructing shapes and rejecting three dimensional perspective. A fine example of non objective art...

Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic, Board

Wallpaper 2: Abstract Green Encaustic Painting of Yellow Flower Petals on Panel
Wallpaper 2: Abstract Green Encaustic Painting of Yellow Flower Petals on Panel

Wallpaper 2: Abstract Green Encaustic Painting of Yellow Flower Petals on Panel

By Allyson Levy

Located in Hudson, NY

Abstract painting with green encaustic and light yellow flower petals on wood panel "Wallpaper 2" made by Allyson Levy in 2020 encaustic and flower petals on wood panel, 24 x 24 x 2 ...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Organic Material, Mixed Media, Encaustic, Wood Panel, Pigment

Abstract art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Abstract art available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add art created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, purple, orange, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Sumit Mehndiratta, Giorgio Lo Fermo, Francisco Nicolás, and Dadodu . Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Synthetic Resin Paint and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Abstract art, so small editions measuring 0.02 inches across are also available.