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.
Abstract Relief Painting in Vibrant Blue by José María de Aurora Contemporary
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
At Escat Gallery we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of trust and professionalism for our collectors. Every artwork in our collection comes with a Certificate of Au...
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
Quiet Beauty in Nature, Abstract Oil Painting
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...
Oil
Abstract Painting, Black Gestural Expressionism on Linen, Contemporary Dutch
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Matthew van Liessum (b. 1989, The Netherlands) is an abstract painter based in Antwerp. His practice is rooted in gestural abstraction, where energetic mark-making meets a strong sen...
Linen, Ink, Oil, Acrylic
$373Sale Price|20% Off
Contemporary abstract expressive floral painting on paper "Blooming petals"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
In "Blooming Petals", French artist Natalya Mougenot expands the tradition of floral painting into a powerful exploration of color, emotion, and authenticity. Part of her ongoing ser...
Paper, Acrylic
$15,000Sale Price|20% Off
Abstract Landscape, large mid-century green painting, COBRA art movement
Located in Beachwood, OH
Erik Ortvad (Danish, 1917 - 2008) Abstract Landscape, 1946 Oil on canvas Signed and dated lower right 32 X 37.5 inches 35 x 40.5 inches, framed Born in 1917 in Copenhagen, Erik Ortvad was a surrealist painter and a founding member of the COBRA art...
Oil
Cretan dream No.2 - Monochrome Water Abstraction, Limited Edition of 20
By Ugne Pouwell
Located in London, GB
Cretan dream No.2 is an abstract study of light moving across Aegean water, filaments of brightness threading through soft tonal depths. The piece sits between seascape and drawing: ...
Giclée
Large-Scale Abstract Painting in Earth Brown and Black, Textural Contemporary
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
At Escat Gallery we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of trust and professionalism for our collectors. Every artwork in our collection comes with a Certificate of Au...
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Pigment
#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
$1,500
Interaction of Color: Homage to the Square, Abstract Screenprint by Josef Albers
By Josef Albers
Located in Long Island City, NY
This "Homage to the Square" print was created by Albers for the occasion of an exhibition at Grippi Gallery in Manhattan in 1973. It is in an excellent white contemporary frame. Art...
Screen
$1,495
Original Spanish Abstract Surrealist "Star Scene" Colored Lithograph Signed COA
By Joan Miró
Located in Portland, OR
Original color abstract surrealist lithograph by Joan Miro, Spanish (1893–1983), titled "Star Scene", 1969. A bright and bold composition by the Spanish master of surrealism, Joan Mi...
Color, Lithograph
Nick Thomm - HEMISPHERE (ORANGE) XL
By Nick Thomm
Located in FITZROY, VIC
Nick Thomm - 'HEMISPHERE' - (Orange) XL SIZE 92cm x 122cm 36" x 48" Limited Edition of #44 Hand Signed & Numbered. Archival Pigment Print on Hahnemühle 308gsm Fine Art Paper. Cond...
Archival Ink, Giclée, Archival Pigment
$164Sale Price|20% Off
French Impressionist Oil Painting Bright and Colourful Pansies
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Maggy Clarysse (1931-2011) Oil on board, unframed 8.75 x 10.75 inches Signed Initials ...
Oil
"Black Gouache" lithograph
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: lithograph (after the gouache). Printed in 1992 by l'Imprimerie Karcher and published by Nouvelles Editions Seguier in an edition of 1000 for the Sol LeWitt "Black Gouaches" ...
Lithograph
Majestic By Nature - Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Abstract, 36in x 48in
By Mario Angel
Located in Mississauga, CA
This striking acrylic on canvas by Mario Angel, titled "Majestic By Nature," offers a profound meditation on organic abstraction, seamlessly merging motifs of primal power and ecolog...
Canvas, Acrylic
Ramunės - abstract analogue black and white floral photography, Ltd. 20
By Ugne Pouwell
Located in London, GB
'Ramunės' London, United Kingdom 2022 Limited edition of 20. Photograph printed on heavyweight fine art paper. Photograph is shipped fast and flat in secure thick cardboard packa...
Film, Photographic Film, Giclée
Lotus 28: Photo Realist Still Life Painting of Green Lotus Plants on Grey
Located in Hudson, NY
Photo-realist still life painting of lush green lotus plants on a soft grey sky background "Lotus Number Twenty-Eight", painted by Frank DePietro in 201...
Canvas, Oil
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
Abstract 2, Abstract Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Layers of colors and gestures define this abstract piece. Soft green, orange, and blue contrast with touches of black. Expressive scratches and marks bring text...
Oil
$1,633Sale Price|30% Off
Mid Century Don Quixote Portrait Spanish Catalan Expressionist Oil
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Mid Century Don Quixote Portrait Spanish Catalan Expressionist Oil TECHNICAL SHEET Oil on canvas Mid-20th century 55 × 33 cm (21.7 × 13 in) Frame: 58 × 36 cm (22.8 × 14.2 in) Signed lower right Metal frame with matte finish Very good overall condition DESCRIPTION Striking Mid-Century modernist interpretation of Don Quixote by Jaume Muxart, executed in a strong Catalan Neo-Figurative Expressionist language characteristic of Spanish post-war painting. The elongated vertical figure is constructed through palette-knife structure and dense impasto, reducing Cervantes’ legendary knight to a symbolic psychological presence rather than a literal portrait. The helmet-like white head emerging from a deep burgundy background creates a dramatic apparition typical of Muxart’s mature figurative period. The figure represents Don Quixote as an existential literary archetype frequently explored in Spanish modern painting and particularly within the renewal of Catalan modern art associated with artists connected to the Grupo Taüll, one of the key movements in the evolution of post-war avant-garde painting in Barcelona. Compact in scale but visually intense, the painting combines strong decorative presence with the intellectual depth characteristic of Muxart’s Quixote interpretations. ARTIST BIO Jaume Muxart (1922–2019) was a major Catalan painter and founding member of the influential Grupo Taüll, alongside Antoni Tàpies, Modest Cuixart, Josep Guinovart and Joan-Josep Tharrats. After early exhibitions in Barcelona in the late 1940s he travelled to Paris on scholarship, where he encountered the international avant-garde that shaped his expressive language. He later represented Spain at the São Paulo Biennial and exhibited widely across Europe and the Americas. Muxart served as professor and later dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Barcelona and became a member of the Royal Catalan Academy of Fine Arts of Sant Jordi. His work is held in numerous institutional and private collections. ARTISTIC CONTEXT / INSPIRATION This painting belongs to the expressive Neo-Figurative tradition developed in post-war Spain and Catalonia, where literary archetypes such as Don Quixote became vehicles for psychological and symbolic exploration. Comparable resonances can be found in the structural figuration of Bernard Buffet, the expressive intensity of Antonio Saura, and the material experimentation associated with Antoni Tàpies, Modest Cuixart and Josep Guinovart within the post-war Catalan avant-garde. don quixote painting...
Oil
Easy On by Murray Duncan, Abstract Mixed Media on Canvas
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Easy On by Murray Duncan is a striking abstract composition that merges bold gestural lines with an earthy, textured surface. Rendered in a muted, organic palette, the piece evokes a...
Glaze, Oil Crayon, Acrylic
$850
A Lively, Abstract 1950s Mid-Century Modern Sporting Themed Painting, "Swimmers"
Located in Chicago, IL
A Lively 1950s Surrealist Mid-Century Modern Sporting- Themed Abstract Painting, "Swimmers", by Notable Chicago Artist, Harold Haydon (Am. 1909-1994). Oil on Masonite, dating from 1...
Masonite, Oil
$2,800
CY TWOMBLY - PAINTINGS AND DRAWINGS 1954–1977 rare vintage Whitney Museum poster
By Cy Twombly
Located in New York, NY
This rare, vintage poster featuring the work on paper Untitled (1971–73) was produced in 1979, in conjunction with the exhibition Cy Twombly: Paintings and Drawings 1954–1977 at the ...
Lithograph, Offset
$972Sale Price|20% Off
Original-Dusk to Moonlight-Sunset Song Series-After Van Gogh-Awarded WomanArtist
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
Dusk to Moonlight was developed over a period of eight months, painted en plein air from the same viewpoint across three seasons between the summer of 2025 and June 2026. Returning r...
Gesso, Canvas, Oil, Acrylic, Wood Panel
COLORFUL RAINBOW RAIN III (Limited Edition Print of Only 30)
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
**STORE CLOSURE - UP TO 80% OFF - TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT** ***EVERYTHING MUST GO BY DECEMBER 31ST!*** >>The artist is moving to a new full time venture in 2026<< _________...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas
$149Sale Price|69% Off
Lithographie Originale I
By Joan Miró
Located in Kansas City, MO
Joan Miró Lithographie Originale I Color Lithograph Year: 1981 Size: 12.5 × 9.6 inches Catalogue Raisonné: Cramer 177, Der Lithograph IV, 1969-1972 Publisher: Maeght Editeur, Paris, ...
Lithograph
Lake Dream, Abstract Oil Painting
By Lisa Crosby
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A tranquil lake stretches across the foreground, painted in deep teal, green, and blue tones that ripple with soft movement. Above the water, warm landforms ris...
Oil
$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
Warm Touch
By Oksana Reva
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
Alexander Calder - Our Unfinished Revolution poster Limited Edition of 250, '76
Located in New York, NY
Offset lithograph poster Printed signature and date on offset paper This poster was published in a limited edition of 250 - unnumbered - separate from the lithographic portfolio of...
Lithograph, Offset
$1,300Sale Price|35% Off
Hermosa Way - Large Abstract Blue Original Painting on Canvas
By Clara Berta
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Clara Berta’s acrylic and mixed-media paintings blend texture and color to create harmony, mystery, and depth on the painted surface. Her paintings transform spaces into Zen environm...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Portrait 1982 Signed Limited Edition Lithograph
Located in Rochester Hills, MI
Guillaume Corneille Portrait - 1982 Print - Lithograph on Arches Archival Paper 30'' x 22'' Edition: signed in pencil and marked 25/300 As a co-founder of the famed experimental art...
Lithograph
Gaia 31, Black and White Print of Daisies and Sparrows, Limited Edition
Located in Brighton, GB
Gaia 31 by Jaume Llorens Bach Gaia 31 is a 18cm x 24cm Black-and-White print on Premio Kozo 180gsm White Paper by Awagami Factory This size in a Limited Edition of 10 + 2 Artist's ...
Photographic Paper, Black and White, Digital
$72Sale Price|20% Off
Daniel Humair 'Roland Garros French Open' 2004- Poster
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Galerie Le Long Paris, 2004 French Open Paper Size: 29.5 x 23.25 inches ( 75 x 59 cm ) Image Size: 29.5 x 23.25 inches ( 75 x 59 cm ) Framed: No Condition: A: Mint Shipping an...
Offset
2303 - Original Figurative Neutral Abstract Artwork
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Swiss artist Edith Konrad paints figurative abstract compositions with mixed media on canvas. She layers her expression of her emotional response to the subjects with dynamic texture...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
$8,751
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
Abstract - Lithograph by Carla Accardi - 1970 ca.
Located in Roma, IT
Limited edition of 150 pieces, hand signed and numbered in pencil. Very good condition.
Lithograph
$15,500
"I Dream in Flowers", Vibrant Colorful Heavily Textured Mixed Media Abstract
Located in Carmel, CA
Sveta Hessler (Russian, born 1973) "I Dream in Flowers" 2025 Oil and mixed media on stretched canvas Signed on verso. “I Dream in Flowers” is a heavily textured contemporary abstrac...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Stretcher Bars, Oil
Don't Let Them Burst your Bubble: Blue 61425 -
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This contemporary wall sculpture features bubbles of blue glass. Cheryl Wilson Smith is known for her uniquely beautiful glasswork—its form, colour and texture is often inspired by...
Metal
$108Sale 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: 10.75 x 8.5 inches condition: excellent provenance: all the paintings we h...
Oil
Creation, Oil and acrylic on canvas, Iranian Contemporary Painting
Located in London, GB
Firoozeh Akhlaghi 1968 - Current Creation, 2022 Oil and acrylic on canvas 150 x 210 cm 59 x 82 5/8 in
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$1,800
Burst II - large scale abstract photograph of caleidoscopic color explosions
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...
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper, Archival Pigment, Giclée
$3,600
576 Circles V.5 - Original Contemporary Blue Tone Abstract Geometric 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...
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Contemporary Minimalist Light Installation Sculpture Suspended LED Artwork Mareo
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Technical Specifications Each sculpture integrates high-quality LED light strips, with each vertical element operating through an independent transformer to ensure optimal performan...
Metal
Winter Poem
Located in Atlanta, GA
This painting is in excellent condition and has only been shown in a gallery setting. Please note the colors are difficult to capture and may vary due to different digital screens ...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$420Sale 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
$1,813Sale Price|20% Off
Maurice Vagh Weinmann Floral Bouquet Still Life Oil Painting Framed
By Maurice Vagh-Weinmann
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title Maurice Vagh Weinmann Floral Bouquet Still Life Oil Painting Framed Key Details Artist: Maurice Vagh Weinmann, Hungarian, 1899–1986 Title: Summer Bouquet Medium: Oil painting o...
Oil
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
Original Drawing on Wood-Breakfast with Cat-British Awarded Artist-Large panel
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
This special large drawing on wood board (ready to hang) created by Shizico in early autumn where her Cat and the garden take centre stage. The pictorial language in this series pays...
Wood Panel, Charcoal, Carbon Pencil
$60Sale Price|20% Off
Figurations of Clangor Offset Print, Abstract Expressionist, Unframed
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This striking poster features the work of Adolph Gottlieb, one of the iconic figures in the Abstract Expressionist movement, from the exhibition *Los Irascibles: Pintores Contra el M...
Offset
$165Sale Price|20% Off
Exotic French Impressionist Oil Painting Bridge and Palm Trees.
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Maggy Clarysse (1931-2011) Oil on board, unframed 10.75 x 8.75 inches Signed co...
Oil
$2,707Sale Price|20% Off
l'Atelier en suspens, Abstract, Textured, Geometric, Contemporary, French art
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
In The Studio in Suspension, Sophie Dumont reimagines the atmosphere of a working artist’s studio, where canvases, color fields, and subtle objects appear to hover in a poised, quiet...
Oil
$160Sale Price|36% Off
Joan Miro 'Pasadena Art Museum Exhibition' 1969- lithograph Mourlot Mid Century
By Joan Miró
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This original lithograph poster was produced for the retrospective exhibition of Joan Miró's graphic work, held at the Pasadena Art Museum in California, U.S.A., in 1969. Published b...
Lithograph
$3,900Sale Price|56% Off
Light Thoughts, 2024 Mixed Media on Artist Board, Abstract Geometric Art
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Light Thoughts, 2024 Mix Media on artist board Size - 72" height x 84" width x 1.75" depth Signed Murray Duncan is a self-taught creative visionary. Know for his large-scale, expres...
Glaze, Oil Crayon, Acrylic
$1,648Sale Price|20% Off
Abstract 2561
Located in Zofingen, AG
This piece is a celebration of contrasts—the intense dance between light and shadow, order and chaos. Using acrylic, I layered textured strokes and splashes of gold to evoke emotion ...
Oil, Acrylic
$420
Blue Abstract Ripples Under Moonlight, Contemporary Cyanotype, Water Reflections
By Kind of Cyan
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype. "Abstract Ripples Under Moonlight" is a handmade cyanotype print portraying the subtle movements and abstract ripples of t...
Emulsion, Mixed Media, Watercolor, Photographic Paper, Monoprint, Monotype
$1,922Sale Price|20% Off
ABSTRACT 2565
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this piece, I poured vibrant emotion into layers of soft pastels, letting acrylics dance freely across the canvas. The swirling pinks, yellows, and blues express an uplifting ener...
Oil, Acrylic
$991
Contemporary abstract floral expressive oil painting canvas "Flowering fields"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This contemporary, expressive oil painting titled "Flowering Fields" was created by French artist Natalya Mougenot and is part of her series inspired by the scenes of the summer seas...
Canvas, Oil
$1,098Sale Price|20% Off
The Vanguard Series Nr. XXVII: A Collection of Postwar European Abstractions
Located in London, GB
"The Vanguard Series Nr. XXVII: A Collection of Postwar European Abstractions", oil on board, by unknown artist (circa 1950s–70s). A compelling body of work emerging from the forgott...
Oil, Board
$12,000
Color Intersected Series No 6 - contemporary, geometric abstract, oil on panel
By Shayne Dark
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This contemporary, geometric abstract, oil-on-panel painting is by Canadian artist Shayne Dark. Dark calls his extraordinary new series of dynamic oil paintings—'calculated chaotic c...
Oil, Wood Panel
Mark TOBEY : Blue Composition, Original signed screenprint
By Mark Tobey
Located in Paris, IDF
Mark TOBEY (1890-1976) Blue Composition, 1976 Original color screenprint Signed with the artist's stamp Numbered / 77 copies On Auvergne vellum 64.5 x 50.5 cm INFORMATION: Authenti...
Screen