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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
This Week's Listings Only
Untitled (Concetto Spaziale Yellow and Gold)
Untitled (Concetto Spaziale Yellow and Gold)

Untitled (Concetto Spaziale Yellow and Gold)

By Lucio Fontana

Located in Washington , DC, DC

Tipped in color plate produced in 1962 for a rare official Lucio Fontana artist monograph published by famed art book publisher Harry N. Abrams, Inc. (not included), during the artis...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Paper

Phenomena Quoth by Paul Jenkins - Abstract Expressionist painting, 1963-64
Phenomena Quoth by Paul Jenkins - Abstract Expressionist painting, 1963-64

Phenomena Quoth by Paul Jenkins - Abstract Expressionist painting, 1963-64

By Paul Jenkins

Located in London, GB

Phenomena Quoth by Paul Jenkins (1923-2012) Acrylic on canvas 76 x 100 cm (29 ⁷/₈ x 39 ³/₈ inches) Signed lower center, Paul Jenkins Signed, titled and dated on the reverse Executed in 1963-64 Provenance Kenmore Galleries, Philadelphia Dr. Theodore A. Feinstein collection Sotheby's New York, 24th February 1995 Crozier Fine Arts, New York Private collection, New York Artist biography Born at Kansas City in Missouri (USA), the multi-media artist, poet and playwright Paul Jenkins studied at the Kansas City Art Institute and the Art Students League in New York City. After his discharge from military service at the end of February 1946, he briefly studied playwriting with dramatist George McCalmon at the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh. Thereafter, Jenkins spent four years studying with Japanese American artist Yasuo Kuniyoshi in New York City. His first solo exhibitions were held at Studio Paul Facchetti in Paris in 1954 and the Martha Graham Gallery in New York City in 1956. Over the past thirty years, numerous retrospectives have been curated across the globe and Jenkins’ work can found in national collections from Europe and the United States to Israel, Australia and Japan. The diversity of his work springs from Jenkins’ wealth of eclectic influences. Some of his earliest works included what he called "interior landscapes" influenced by ancient natural forms like the caves he visited in the Ozark Mountains in his native-Missouri. Frequent student visits to the Frick Collection in New York fostered a love of the great masters: Bellini, Holbein, Vermeer, Rembrandt, de la Tour, Turner and Goya. In compliment, lingering student visits to the renowned Eastern collection of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City evoked powerful sympathy for a monumental Chinese fresco of Buddha, polychrome sculptures of the enlightened Bodhisattva, the Buddhist goddess of mercy Kuan-Yin, Indian bronzes of Hindu god Shiva, and statues of meditative Buddhist lohans. Serving in the US Naval Air Corps during the Second World War, Jenkins painted watercolours of Japanese Kabuki dancers and read the ancient Chinese poetic teachings of the I Ching and Lao Tse Tung’s Tao Te Ching...

Category

1960s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Contemporary abstract expressionist human portrait on canvas "Identity within"
Contemporary abstract expressionist human portrait on canvas "Identity within"

Contemporary abstract expressionist human portrait on canvas "Identity within"

By Mougenot Natalya

Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR

“Identity Within” – a metamodern reflection on inner truth, duality, and the human journey toward authentic selfhood “Identity Within” is a powerful and introspective portrait in wh...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Contemporary abstract expressionist floral painting on paper "Golden Sunflowers"
Contemporary abstract expressionist floral painting on paper "Golden Sunflowers"

Contemporary abstract expressionist floral painting on paper "Golden Sunflowers"

By Mougenot Natalya

Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR

Contemporary Fauvist-inspired floral still life, expressive acrylic painting on heavyweight professional acid-free paper (50 × 65 cm / 19.7 × 25.6 inches), radiant bouquet compositio...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

Honor - Original Figurative Abstract Feminine Portrait Painting on Canvas
Honor - Original Figurative Abstract Feminine Portrait Painting on Canvas

Honor - Original Figurative Abstract Feminine Portrait Painting on Canvas

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Erin Hammond is a contemporary abstract expressionist artist whose free-form paintings capture the essence of her inner, subjective realities. With a vibrant palette and dynamic mark...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Charcoal, Mixed Media, Acrylic

Emerald mosaic. 3D textured.
Emerald mosaic. 3D textured.

Emerald mosaic. 3D textured.

By Svetlana Saratova

Located in Zofingen, AG

The composition is created on canvas using gypsum plaster and epoxy resin. The work is built on a contrast between structure and gloss, geometry and fluidity. The upper part of the ...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Mixed Media, Canvas

Tidal Memories, Abstract Painting
Tidal Memories, Abstract Painting

Tidal Memories, Abstract Painting

By Dorothy Gaziano

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
This abstract painting explores a serene yet dynamic seascape through rich layers of turquoise, teal, and deep indigo. Subtle passages of white and warm orange ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic

The Assembled Whole. 2
The Assembled Whole. 2

The Assembled Whole. 2

By Svetlana Saratova

Located in Zofingen, AG

An abstract work from the series “The Assembled Whole.”, continuing the exploration of wholeness emerging from the connection of fragments. The composition is structured through the ...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media

Anthropométrie (ANT 83)

Anthropométrie (ANT 83)

By Yves Klein

Located in New York, NY

Color lithograph on Rives BFK, 2001. Proof, aside from the numbered edition of 200 . With the artist's estate ink stamp, verso. Published by Editions T.A.T. Arts, Paris. The sheet ...

Category

Early 2000s Abstract Art

Materials

Lithograph

Big Green Series # 4, Abstract Painting
Big Green Series # 4, Abstract Painting

Big Green Series # 4, Abstract Painting

By Russell Jacobs

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Thick black strokes intersect with bright pinks, blues, and yellows, forming an abstract, layered composition. The overlapping shapes and colors give the piec...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic

Diversions 1970 Signed Limited Edition Screen Print
Diversions 1970 Signed Limited Edition Screen Print

Diversions 1970 Signed Limited Edition Screen Print

By Ian Tyson

Located in Rochester Hills, MI

Ian Tyson Diversions XI - 1970 Screen Print 16'' x 15'' inches Edition: signed in pencil and marked 23/150 Ian Tyson, British painter, printmaker and book artist, was born in Wallas...

Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Screen

Untitled
Untitled

Untitled

By Luigi Boille

Located in Roma, RM

Luigi Boille (Pordenone 1926 - Rome 2015), Untitled (1965) Oil painting on canvas, 116.5 x 89 cm, signed "Boille 65" lower right; on the back, signature and date "Boille March 1965....

Category

1960s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Summer Ambience, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Summer Ambience, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

Summer Ambience, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

By silvia vassileva

Located in Yardley, PA

This abstract is a celebration of color. Spontaneous, playful and light, it expresses the joy of summer. The warm tangerine, soft pink and yellow interact with sea blue suggesting ex...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic

La Force Eternelle - Dreamy Abstract Floral Painting
La Force Eternelle - Dreamy Abstract Floral Painting

La Force Eternelle - Dreamy Abstract Floral 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...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Sidera (Differentiation) -21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract Expression, Love
Sidera (Differentiation) -21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract Expression, Love

Sidera (Differentiation) -21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract Expression, Love

By Olumide Ajayi

Located in Ibadan, Oyo

Sidera reflects that kind of radiant intimacy, the soul's longing to chart constellations in another person, to navigate the galaxies of their experiences, and to leave behind light,...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Ink, Acrylic

Antique American Large Signed Abstract Expressionist Modern Art  Oil Painting
Antique American Large Signed Abstract Expressionist Modern Art  Oil Painting

Antique American Large Signed Abstract Expressionist Modern Art Oil Painting

Located in Buffalo, NY

Antique American abstract expressionist painting. Oil on canvas. Framed. Signed. Measuring: 37 by 43 inches overall, and 36 by 42 painting alone. In excellent original condition. ...

Category

1930s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Untitled
Untitled

Jean DewasneUntitled, 1977

$198Sale Price|72% Off

Untitled

Located in Kansas City, MO

Jean Dewasne Untitled Offset lithograph Year: 1977 Size: 21 x 14 in Edition: 1,500 Signed in the plate Publisher: HMK Fine Arts, New York COA provided Ref.: 924802-925 Jean Dewasn...

Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Lithograph

Royal Curtain, Gene Davis
Royal Curtain, Gene Davis

Royal Curtain, Gene Davis

By Gene Davis

Located in Fairfield, CT

Artist: Gene Davis (1920-1985) Title: Royal Curtain Year: 1980 Medium: Silkscreen on Arches paper Edition: 41/250, plus proofs Size: 30 x 21.5 inches Condition: Good Inscription: Sig...

Category

1980s Abstract Art

Materials

Screen

Untitled 41_24 (Abstract Painting)
Untitled 41_24 (Abstract Painting)

Untitled 41_24 (Abstract Painting)

By Ludovic Dervillez

Located in London, GB

This artwork will be shipped rolled in a dent-resistant tube. This method is especially safe for large works, and provides lower shipping costs as well. Rolled works can be easily s...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media

Artemis and the Cloud Over Arethusa - colorful, abstract, acrylic on canvas
Artemis and the Cloud Over Arethusa - colorful, abstract, acrylic on canvas

Artemis and the Cloud Over Arethusa - colorful, abstract, acrylic on canvas

By Angela Letizia Renzi & Richard Tosczak

Located in Bloomfield, ON

Washes of colour in blues, orange, and green are expressed in gestural brush strokes in this abstract painting by visual artist Richard Tosczak. Working in collaboration with an Italian artist who is a ‘lover of literature and linguistics’, Angela Letizia Renzi, the two artists have created a series of works that draw inspiration from beloved Italian myths. This colourful acrylic represents the legend of a beautiful nymph named Arethusa who was threatened by the river god, Alpheus and rescued by Apollo’s twin sister, the goddess Artemis who creates a cloud to hide her. Renzi and Tosczak paint these canvases together and at the same time. Their artistic interaction is important to the works they create. “… This is our lexicon, our morphosyntax, the grammar of our language.” Tosczak and Renzi Richard Tosczak was born in Belgium. He studied philosophy and sculpture at the University of Alberta. At that time, Tosczak began working in steel and was influenced by a number of his professors who appreciated the work of a British abstract sculptor, Sir Anthony Caro considered one of the greatest sculptors of his generation. Further studies were pursued in France with another internationally acclaimed classic sculptor, Martine Vaugel...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Anywhwew, Painting, Oil on Canvas
Anywhwew, Painting, Oil on Canvas

Anywhwew, Painting, Oil on Canvas

By Ludmila Budanov

Located in Yardley, PA

In this expressionist oil painting, I've delved into the abstract play of colors and forms to evoke a sense of mystery and motion. The cool blues and tranquil greens merge with burst...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

Despairia

Despairia

By Frank Stella

Located in New York, NY

A masterful work of art created by Frank Stella in 1995 as part of his Imaginary Places series, Despairia is a stunningly beautiful and bold screenprint, aquatint, etching, relief li...

Category

20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Engraving, Mezzotint, Etching, Aquatint, Lithograph, Screen

Green, Yellow, and Blue Abstract Impressionist Western Desert Landscape
Green, Yellow, and Blue Abstract Impressionist Western Desert Landscape

Green, Yellow, and Blue Abstract Impressionist Western Desert Landscape

Located in Houston, TX

Green, yellow, and blue abstract impressionist Western landscape by Texas artist Fred Darge. The painting depicts an arid desert with a huge desert sage bush against a mountainous landscape with overcast clouds. Signed by the artist at the bottom right corner. Unframed but framing options are available. Artist Biography: Friedrich Ernst (Fred) Darge was born in Rendsburg, Germany March 1, 1900, and died in Dallas, Texas April 10, 1978. He entered the U.S. at Port Arthur, Texas in 1923. By 1924 he was in Chicago painting...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Board

Modern Abstracted Wyoming Landscape 46"H x 52"W
Modern Abstracted Wyoming Landscape 46"H x 52"W

Modern Abstracted Wyoming Landscape 46"H x 52"W

By Erle Loran

Located in Soquel, CA

Wyoming Gold Diggings, Large Scale Modern Abstract Geometric Landscape #3 Beautiful abstracted geometric landscape by Erle Loran (American, 1905-1999) of the Wyoming "Gold Diggins"....

Category

1980s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars

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.