Abstract Art
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.
1980s Abstract Art
Lithograph
1970s Abstract Art
Screen
2010s Abstract Art
Acrylic, Wood Panel
20th Century Abstract Art
Canvas, Acrylic
1980s Abstract Art
Screen
2010s Abstract Art
Oil Pastel
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Oil, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Oil, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Paper, Oil Pastel, Oil, Pencil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Ink, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Paper, Oil Pastel, Oil, Pencil
1970s Abstract Art
Lithograph
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Oil
1960s Abstract Art
Oil Pastel, Paper
Late 20th Century Abstract Art
Illustration Board, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Stone
2010s Abstract Art
Oil Pastel
2010s Abstract Art
Archival Paper, Photographic Paper
1960s Abstract Art
Watercolor
2010s Abstract Art
Porcelain, Screen, Cardboard, Mixed Media
Artist Comments
"This piece is a departure from my usual palette and reflects a desire to infuse lightness and joy into the profound uncertainty of life," says artist Robin Oku...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Acrylic
1960s Abstract Art
Lithograph
1970s Abstract Art
Etching, Aquatint
1980s Abstract Art
Ink, Archival Paper
2010s Abstract Art
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Oil Pastel, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Acrylic Polymer, Ink, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Abstract Art
Oil
Early 20th Century Abstract Art
Lithograph
1970s Abstract Art
Lithograph, Offset
1970s Abstract Art
Engraving
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Acrylic
Artist Comments
A river flows at the bottom of a canyon where strong early spring winds whip across its surface. The artwork explores the textural dichotomy of water, one that ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Acrylic
Artist Comments
Shades of blue and peach evoke an image of sunset on ridges. Inspired by the unassuming elevations in West Texas, artist Jennifer Hanson paints a condensed snap...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Acrylic
Artist Comments
This abstract piece showcases a dynamic array of colors, textures, and finishes. Depending on the viewing angle and time of day, it captures and reflects light ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Artist Jennifer Hanson departs from her typical painting style and color palette by embracing a playful mood in this abstract piece. Vibrant orange, blue, and p...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Acrylic paints and ink marry into an energetic yet peaceful abstract composition. Deep colors dramatically emerge from a white background, interacting with each...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Canvas
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Oil, Mixed Media, Canvas
2010s Abstract Art
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Acrylic
1990s Abstract Art
Paper, Watercolor
2010s Abstract Art
Wood, Paper, Acrylic, Gouache, Pencil, Color Pencil
2010s Abstract Art
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Glitter, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Glitter, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Glitter, Mixed Media, Acrylic
1970s Abstract Art
Mixed Media
Mid-20th Century Abstract Art
Masonite, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Woodcut