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.
Tharrats. abstract. Blue. 4 original abstract
By Joan-Josep Tharrats i Vidal
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
colors- original abstract acrylic painting. framed Original paper by the famous Spanish artist Josep Tharrats. Acrylic on paper. Perfect condition. Certificate of originality REF 290...
Acrylic, Cardboard
Matteo Bultrini Green and Blue abstract mixed media acrylic painting
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Green and blue- abstract mixed media acrylic painting Original work by Italian artist Matteo Bultrini Abstract large format work on wood. Made with the technique of collage and comb...
Wood, Mixed Media
Lighthearted II, Abstract Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Pastel blues and creams blend in this abstract painting. Subtle line work adds a sense of structure to the composition. The soft and airy colors exude a calming...
Acrylic
Tyrrhenian Vista
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Anne Schwartz Tyrrhenian Vista, 2023 Oil on canvas 42 x 39 in (106.68 x 99.06 cm)
Oil
"David Austin Roses" Modern Impressionist Still Life
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
"David Austin Roses" is a colorful example of Bryan Mark Taylor's modern approach to Impressionism. This beautiful oil on panel captures the rich colors of the rose in the vase. Thi...
Oil
$942Sale Price|20% Off
Parisian Abstract Expressionist Original Oil Painting - Terracottas
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Stunning original oil painting by the French abstract artist, Yvette Dubois-Habasque (1929-2016). The painting has excellent provenance having come from the artists studio sale in Pa...
Oil
$2,500
Guardians of Humanity and Joy: Abstract Canvas Painting, Maximalism, 91x121 cm
By Karnish Art
Located in Pretoria, Gauteng
Title: The Guardians of Humanity and Joy Colorful Blue Centre Piece Abstract Invest Painting Striking Joy This work is part of a series. It is part of her story... It portrays tru...
Spray Paint, Acrylic, Gesso, Wood, Stretcher Bars
R. Poch Woman Blue on Sofa acrylic painting
By Ramon Poch
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
37.-Woman blue on sofa 90 x 65 cm acrylic painting Born in Badalona (Barcelona). Photographer and advertising film director. Founding partner of the advertising production compan...
Acrylic
City I - Abstract Contemporary Aerial View Original Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Bettina Mauel expresses vitality and sensuality in her abstract and figurative paintings. “I paint what I experience,” she articulates. “This includes landscapes, dancers and peopl...
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,000
"Dream Until Your Dream Come True" Abstract Oil and Mixed Media Painting Canvas
By Cindy Shaoul
Located in New York, NY
With layers of bright oils, whisking brush strokes, and thrown paint, Shaoul captures a love story through her paint pallet and abstract expression. The artist explores something new...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Lotta Chai
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,...
Acrylic Polymer, Ink, Acrylic
"Untitled #294 " 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. ...
Paper, Inkjet
Modern Abstract Figurative Expressionistic Painting, "Navigator" 1997
Located in San Diego, CA
This is a one of a kind original painting by southern California artist, Peter J. Geise. Its dimensions are 7.625" x 7" x 1.5" (HxWxD). It is acrylic on canvas, it is unframed. A cer...
Acrylic
Crossroads of Thought
Located in Zofingen, AG
In Crossroads of Thought, the artist navigates the intersection of emotion, memory, and spatial abstraction. Bold yet balanced color blocks in ochre, midnight blue, chartreuse, and ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Monmouth County Hunt Race Meet NJ Landscape
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Claus Hoie (1911-2007). Monmouth Hunt Race Meet 2, 1967. Watercolor on paper. Measuring 15 x 19 inches; 24 x 28 inched framed. Signed and titled lower left. Original label on verso. Hoie was born in Stavanger, Norway, November 3, 1911. He lived for a few years in Oslo before emigrating to the United States at the age of thirteen, when he settled in Brooklyn, NY. He spent time at sea (two years), a heritage from his grandfather and father who were both ship’s captains. During World War II, Hoie served four years in the Army as a Sergeant in a special Norwegian-American battalion of the mountain infantry (99th Infantry Battalion), whose mission was to assist in the liberation of Norway. His Battalion also landed on Normandy Beach five days after D-Day. After the war, he studied art at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. Claus also attended Pratt Institute, and at the Art Students League in New York. Hoie worked as an independent artist creating primarily watercolor works and graphics However, also was a commercial artist. In the 1950s he met the young artist and fashion designer, Helen Hunt Bencker and in 1957 they wed. Helen Hoie...
Watercolor
Campfire 14 September 22:01 - Modern and Atmospheric Landscape Painting
Located in Salzburg, AT
Robert Motelski's paintings are exceptional visions of nature, visions of space which surrounds us. They tell about being, fate and passing. They depend on the season of year, the ti...
Canvas, Acrylic
Remembering Spain, oil, horizontal, landscape, abstract
Located in Oslo, NO
Remembering Spain is an oil painting inspired by the artist’s recent travels, capturing the atmosphere, colours, and impressions gathered during time spent in Spain. Focusing on feel...
Canvas, Oil
$549Sale Price|39% Off
Vertigo (Geometric Abstraction, Minimalism, Josef Albers, Hard Edge)
By Susan Kiefer
Located in Kansas City, MO
Artist : Susan Kiefer Title : Vertigo Materials : oil on canvas Date : March 2020 Dimensions : 20" x 20" x 20" Description : Tilted green oval balanced between orange and brown oval...
Canvas, Paint, Oil
Symmetries, Geometric Abstract Screenprint by Jean-Marie Haessle
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Jean-Marie Haessle, American (1939 - ) Title: Symmetries Year: 1980 Medium: Serigraph, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 295 Paper Size: 23 in. x 29 in. (58.42 cm x 73.6...
Screen
$800Sale Price|20% Off
Stormy Afternoon, Abstract Expressionist Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, 20x24
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
I intuitively paint each of my paintings based on my mood of the day or at that moment. I never know what I am going to create until I see the end result. Sometimes it is a colorful,...
Canvas, Acrylic
Abstract Oil Painting by Mirko Baricchi – Minimal Contemporary Composition
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Mirko Baricchi (born 1970) is an accomplished Italian painter who currently lives and works between Vicenza and La Spezia, regions located in Veneto and Liguria, Italy, respectively....
Cotton Canvas, Oil
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
Original Diptych-Sunset Song-British Awarded Artist-Plein Air evening oil
Located in London, GB
Sunset Song Series was created entirely en plein air, painted directly under the dimming light of late-summer and autumn sunsets and moonlight, with no artificial light to guide her...
Gesso, Canvas, Oil, Acrylic, Wood Panel
$109Sale Price|20% Off
French Expressionist Abstract Original Painting Artists Studio Provenance
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Expressionist Composition by Jacques COULAIS (1955-2011) gouache painting on paper/ card unframed: 12.75 x 10 inches condition: excellent provenance: all the paintings we ha...
Oil
Paris, River Seine, Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
"The artwork is from my cityscapes of Paris," shares artist Suren Nersisyan. "I love the bridges of this city connecting the banks of the Seine river. The sof...
Oil
Op Art : Geometrical Abstraction - Original etching with aquatint
Located in Paris, IDF
François MORELLET Op Art : Geometrical Abstraction Original etching with aquatint Unsigned as issued On vellum 46 x 46 cm (c. 18 x 18 in) Authenticated with the Chalcographie du Louvre...
Etching, Aquatint
$1,875Sale Price|25% Off
"Oxide" 100x120 cm, acrylic on canvas, gold leaf
Located in Yerevan, AM
"Oxide" 100x120 cm, acrylic on canvas, gold leaf
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,110Sale Price|20% Off
"Northern legends.White expansion" Abstract expressionist works
Located in Oslo, NO
Movement of white color that give impression of power and victory.Working on abstraction is often very intuitive and sometimes the artist has to rein in this "beast" to achieve the ...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$60,000
"Untitled" Thomas Downing, Washington Color School, Dots, Red, White, Abstract
Located in New York, NY
Thomas Downing Untitled, 1972 Acrylic on canvas 39 1/4 x 84 1/4 inches Thomas Downing received his BA in 1948 from Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia, and then moved to Ne...
Canvas, Acrylic
$443Sale Price|20% Off
French Expressionist Fantasy Landscape Pink Castle Over Magical Village
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Expressionist Composition by Jacques COULAIS (1955-2011) oil painting on board unframed: 10.75 x 16 inches condition: excellent provenance: all the paintings we have for sal...
Oil
Untitled XXVI, Colorful Signed Abstract Screenprint by Piero Dorazio
Located in Long Island City, NY
Untitled XXVI Piero Dorazio, Italian (1927–2005) Date: 1970 Screenprint, signed and numbered in pencil Edition of 37/80 Size: 28.5 x 38.5 in. (72.39 x 97.79 cm) Printer: Erker Presse...
Screen
$880Sale Price|61% Off
White Tree by Gilbert Pauli - Oil on canvas 41x33 cm
Located in Geneva, CH
Born in 1944 in the canton of Fribourg, Gilbert Pauli currently lives in Geneva, where he devotes himself to painting and sculpture, a passion he developed from his childhood. His fa...
Oil
Concetto Spaziale - Lithograph by Lucio Fontana - 1962
Located in Roma, IT
Concetto Spaziale is a contemporary artwork realized by Lucio Fontana. Aquatint etching on Fabriano paper. Edition of IV/XXV. The complete edition includes also 75 specimen number...
Paper, Lithograph
Aura - Abstract Sculpture in Black Granite, Contemporary, Signed
By Jeremy Guy
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This contemporary abstract black stone sculpture is by Jeremy Guy. A full time sculptor for more than two decades, Jeremy Guy’s superb sculptural work has attracted international pr...
Granite
$5,800
Curves I (Frank Stella Inspired Abstract Line Painting in Encaustic on Panel)
By Clark Derbes
Located in Hudson, NY
Colorful, abstract painting inspired by Frank Stella in rainbow and pastel encaustic "Curves I", made by VT based artist, Clark Derbes, in 2024 36 x 48 x 2 inches with walnut stripin...
Encaustic
$69,000
Increments - colourful large scale arrangement, small squares, acrylic on panels
Located in Bloomfield, ON
A monumental work, comprised of 66 small square panels, each painted with a single orthogonal, are installed in a precise grid: six high and ten across. The orthogonal panels are pai...
Acrylic, Wood Panel
Blue 787
Located in Zofingen, AG
Works from the Blue series have received international recognition, including First Place in the “True Blue” Competition at Blue Koy Gallery (2025) and finalist recognition in the Sc...
Canvas, Oil
$1,440Sale Price|20% Off
Colorful Abstract Geometrical Late 20th Century Painting by Ohio Artist
Located in Beachwood, OH
James Massena March (American, 1953-2021) Untitled Oil on canvas 30 x 24 inches "My paintings are about space, form and energy. I generally start ...
Oil
Wilma Fiori Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting – Mid-Century Modern Art
Located in Denver, CO
Bold, structured, and visually dynamic, this original abstract expressionist oil painting by Wilma Fiori exemplifies mid-century modern geometric abstraction at its finest. Known for...
Oil
$720
Tempestuous Tidal in Blue, Stormy Seascape Diptych, Cyanotype Print, Duo, Blue
By Kind of Cyan
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype. "Tempestuous Tidal in Blue" is an original cyanotype diptych portraying the tidal behavior during a storm. Details: + T...
Lithograph
Beauty Within Diptych
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Daniela Pasqualini Beauty Within Diptych, 2025 Medium: Mixed Media on Canvas Artwork Size: 60 x 40 in 60 in x 83 in, accounting for a 3-inch space between the two 40-inch width p...
Mixed Media
$725Sale Price|21% Off
Sculpture ceramic vessel: 'Creature Medium No 3'
By Ak Jansen
Located in New York, NY
Ak Jansen was born in Dongen, The Netherlands, in 1988. He studied at the Design Academy Eindhoven focusing on textile design, material culture, and techniques of fabrication. He wor...
Clay, Glaze
Abstract Composition, large etching with aquatint
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork "Abstract Composition." c.1970 in an original color etching and aquatint on Arches paper by noted Polish artist Johnny Friedlaender, 1912-1992. It is hand signed and num...
Aquatint, Etching
Probe by Antoine Vidal - vertical bronze sculpture, dark patina
Located in Paris, FR
His works in bronze, very often marked by a verticality with totemic accents, reflect an aesthetic pursuit focused on the elegance of lines and forms, and where light plays a vital r...
Bronze
$1,025Sale Price|20% Off
Mid Century French Black and White Geometric Abstract Composition
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Mid Century French Black and White Geometric Abstract Composition by Serge Guerin (b. 1916), French Acrylic and gouache on black artists paper, unframed Size: 25.75 (height) x...
Ink, Acrylic, Gouache
#179, 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
#244, 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
#128, 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
Abstract Oil Painting by Mirko Baricchi – Minimal Contemporary Composition
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Mirko Baricchi (born 1970) is an accomplished Italian painter who currently lives and works between Vicenza and La Spezia, regions located in Veneto and Liguria, Italy, respectively....
Cotton Canvas, Oil
$2,320Sale Price|64% Off
Art in motion n°2
Located in Geneva, CH
Born in 1944 in the canton of Fribourg, Gilbert Pauli currently lives in Geneva, where he devotes himself to painting and sculpture, a passion he developed from his childhood. His fa...
Concrete, Steel
Between Light and Bloom - Contemporary floral colorful impressionistic painting
Located in Zofingen, AG
Between Light and Bloom Contemporary Floral Abstraction Cotton canvas, 90 × 90 × 2 cm In Between Light and Bloom, Anastassia Skopp investigates the t...
Canvas, Spray Paint, Acrylic
#257, 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
Florabundance Acrylic on Canvas Contemporary Abstract 40" x 40" Water
Located in Houston, TX
Florabundance Acrylic on Canvas Contemporary Abstract 40" x 40" Water ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$4,556Sale Price|30% Off
Painting collage abstract Antoni Clave
By Antoni Clavé
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Technical details - Author: Antoni Clavé - Title: Pintura-Collage - Date: 1981-1983 - Technique: Mixed media on paper (collage and painting) - Dimensions of the artwork: 7....
Mixed Media
"Ectype" (abstract, movement, dye, oil, red, pink, brown, antique linen)
Located in Paris, IDF
ECTYPE 2024 Paris, France The painting features a textured, abstract composition on a brown canvas. The central area is dominated by a vibrant, chaotic mix of colors, including reds...
Linen, Dye, Oil, Acrylic
Circus Triad 1981 Signed Screen Print by Arne Besser
Located in Rochester Hills, MI
Artist: Arne Besser Title: Circus Triad Year: 1981 Print: Silkscreen printed on Somerset White Satin Size: 26 x 22 in Signed in pencil and marked A.P. 22/30 Unframed Arne Besser ...
Screen
Bloody Hands. Cyanotype photograph
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The photos from the series Let Me Tell You a Story show, each one individually, certain themes through strongly narrative visual units. Each photograph is dedicated to a specific rep...
Archival Paper
$9,100Sale Price|35% Off
Contemporary Minimalist Textured Black & White diptych, Franz Kline inspired
Located in Maricopa, AZ
Artist : Svetlana Shalygina, "The Elegance of Simplicity" Original black & white textured diptych. Large scale, uniquely textured Contemporary paintings, with 2.5" gallery wrap edg...
Mixed Media
Resilience I
Located in Dallas, TX
charcoal on paper
Paper, Charcoal
Zao Wou-ki - Original Lithograph - Abstract Composition
By Zao Wou-Ki
Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
Zao Wou-ki - Lithograph 1971 Dimensions: 32 x 24 cm Edition: G. di San Lazzaro. From the art review XXe siècle Unsigned and unnumbered as issued
Lithograph