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.
Surreal Octopus Painting, Oil on Canvas, Signed, 1959, 36"x24.5" NYC Artist
Located in Arp, TX
GJ Rogers Surreal Octopus 1959 Oil on Canvas 36"x24.5" Signed and dated in paint lower right George Jay Rogers was born in Yonkers, New York on June...
Canvas, Oil
Waits River Church, Vermont, Oil Painting
By Doug Cosbie
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Waits River is a small village on Highway 25 southeast of Stowe, Vermont. "The church, buildings and barns presented an iconic view of New England...
Oil
$420Sale Price|20% Off
Contemporary abstract expressionist human portrait on canvas "Identity within"
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...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,121Sale Price|25% Off
Vintage American Modernist Abstract Expressionist Framed Cubist Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American modernist abstract oil painting by Ervin B. Nussbaum (1914 - 1996). Oil on canvas. Framed. Signed. Dated 1950. Artist Bio: Ervin B. Nussbaum was born in Co...
Canvas, Oil
La Petición, Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting, 21st Century
Located in Mexico City, MX
Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting Acrylic on canvas 150 x 200 cm Signed FREE SHIPPING ROLLED UP About the artist Enrique Pichardo (Mexico City, 1973) graduated from Escuela Naci...
Canvas, Acrylic
Baie Rouge
Located in New York, NY
Created by Ellsworth Kelly in 1984, Baie Rouge is an original lithograph on Arches paper. Hand-signed in pencil and numbered from the edition of just 25, the artwork measures 51 x 52...
Lithograph
#63, 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
$1,871Sale Price|25% Off
Vintage American School Abstract Expressionist Large Neutral Tone Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American modernist abstract oil painting. Oil on canvas. Framed.
Canvas, Oil
"Spirals" original lithograph
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original lithograph. Printed in 1970 and published by Art In America. Size: 14 1/2 x 11 1/2 inches (365 x 293 mm). This lithograph was published as a folded sheet with a hori...
Lithograph
$19,500
Art Card: Willem de Kooning and Elaine de Kooning, 1953 (Hand Signed by BOTH)
Located in New York, NY
Art Card: Willem de Kooning and Elaine de Kooning, 1953 (Hand Signed by BOTH Willem de Kooning and Elaine de Kooning) from the Dan Pope collection, 1985 Offset lithograph postcard (S...
Postcard
Birth of a Star in Daylight
Located in San Francisco, CA
Someone had Coltrane on the HiFi as they channeled Jackson Pollock. There’s a dark Gauloise going—a habit picked up in those student years in Paris—with smoke emitting from the chrom...
Oil, Board
$850
In The Making 1 -21st Century, Contemporary, Figurative, Abstract, Colour Africa
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
By and by Too many thoughts rooted in my soul So many memories, the good and the bad They all shaped me. Colourful in a wink, darkness looted. But when it's all going grey, it shine...
Canvas, Oil
Deep Blue, Abstract Oil Painting
By Heidi Hybl
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Deep blues sit below the composition, while soft cream tones rest above. The colors illustrate the sky and water along the Big Sur Coast, where artist Heidi Hyb...
Oil
$642Sale Price|20% Off
Original 1970'S French Abstract Composition with Thick Organic Lines
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Artist: Claude Lagouche (French 1943-2020) Claude Lagouche was born January 2, 1943 in Naves, died January 16, 2020. He quickly gained recognition for his talent and his work, exh...
Watercolor
Large Figurative Oil Painting with Nude Greyhounds and Surreal Red Landscape
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
The artwork will be shipped rolled in a tube to your adress. For other shipping options please contact with our gallery. At Escat Gallery we are committed to maintaining the highest...
Canvas, Oil
Angles, Contemporary Art, Abstract Sculpture, 21st Century
Located in Mexico City, MX
ANGLES purple (2024) MATERIAL Painted Aluminum / Marble DIMENSIONS 32 x 18 x 18 cm Signed About the Artist José Luis Meyer (1981) is a contemporary sculptor. He has a masters degree in industrial design from TU-München in Germany and a background in mechanical engineering...
Marble
$455
Devil's Bit Scabious - Original Framed Floral Art on Antique Botanical Book Page
By Lee Herring
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Lee Herring focuses his contemporary paintings on vibrant, textured, and abstract landscapes that convey fleeting moments. Herring's energetic artworks are inspired by everyday momen...
Paper, Mixed Media
$58Sale Price|24% Off
Untitled (XX) (Abstract, Red, Grey) (25% OFF LIST PRICE)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Barbara Keidel Untitled (XX) (Abstract, Red, Grey) Linocut 1996 Edition: 3 Numbered and dated by hand in pencil Size: 9 x 8.25 inches (22.86 x 20.95 cm) COA provided Tags: Abstr...
Linocut
$594Sale Price|37% Off
TOMMASO PRINCIPE (b1942) ITALIAN SIGNED OIL - ELEGANT LADIES IN PARKLAND
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
"Walking in the Park" by Tommaso Principe (Italian b.1942) signed lower corner oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas: 19.5 x 27.5 inches Beautiful Italian Impressionist oil...
Oil
Untitled (Highrise)
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Untitled (Highrise), 1954, oil on canvas, signed and dated lower right, 20 x 20 inches, presented in its original frame Karl Benjamin was a California-based artist who is best known...
Canvas, Oil
Spring Bloom II
Located in Zofingen, AG
shipped in roll “Spring Bloom II” captures a quiet moment of connection between two young women surrounded by blooming spring trees. Soft dresses, fresh greens, and gentle light crea...
Canvas, Acrylic
$3,000
Staatliche Werkkunstschule Kassel (Prefatio) Poster /// Bauhaus Josef Albers Art
By Josef Albers
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: (after) Josef Albers (German-American, 1888-1976) Title: "Staatliche Werkkunstschule Kassel (Prefatio)" Year: 1957 Medium: Original Relief Print (Letterpress), Exhibition Poster on light wove paper Limited edition: Unknown Printer: Staatliche Werkkunstschule Kassel, Kassel, Germany Publisher: Staatliche Werkkunstschule Kassel, Kassel, Germany Sheet size: 24.75" x 17.63" Image size: 11.75" x 15.63" Condition: A few faint handling creases. Never framed, has been professionally stored away for decades. In excellent condition Extremely rare Notes: Provenance: private collection - Nuremberg, Germany. Poster produced for a special exhibition of Albers' work "Early Pictures from the Twenties and New Works" at the Staatliche Werkkunstschule Kassel from May 28 - June 8, 1957. The image featured on this poster is Albers' 1942 lithograph edition "Prefatio", (Danilowitz No. 103, page 76), from his 1942 "Graphic Tectonics" series of 9 lithographs, (Danilowitz No. 100-108, page 74-79). Printer's imprint upper right. This is an extremely rare poster being if not the, one of the, earliest documented Josef Albers exhibition...
Paper
$6,400
Acreage (Abstract Expressionist Oil on Canvas Painting in Tones of Blue & Taupe)
By James O'Shea
Located in Hudson, NY
Gestural, abstract expressionist oil painting on canvas in tones of blue and taupe, with pops of ochre and mauve Painted by Hudson Valley based artist, James O'Shea in 2021 Oil on c...
Canvas, Oil
$796Sale Price|20% Off
Jasper Johns, Summer Green, State II, from The Seasons, 1991
By Jasper Johns
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Jasper Johns (born 1930), titled Summer Green, State II, originates from the 1991 publication Jasper Johns, The Se...
Lithograph
$460Sale Price|20% Off
Green Abstracted Ikat Photograph
By Janet Van Arsdale
Located in Soquel, CA
Stunning green abstract photograph reminiscent of Ikat fabric by Janet Van Arsdale (American, 20th Century). Signed in pencil lower left corner. Presented in black frame with double ...
Ink, Photographic Paper, Giclée
$937Sale Price|25% Off
Coral Gems, Bauhaus Arches & Curves, Squared Pixel, Geometric Red, Blue Diptych
Located in Barcelona, ES
This vibrant painting of Bauhaus reminiscences celebrates the bold colors, geometric forms, and architectural elegance of the Bauhaus movement. This captivating artwork combines dyna...
Paper, Acrylic
Untitled #1
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork, Untitled #1 is an original color aquatint on Wove paper by noted Mexican artist Luis Lopez Loza, b.1939. It is hand signed and numbered 4/50 i...
Aquatint
Earth by Gabriela Azar Schreiner. Contemporary abstract Painting
Located in Mentone, AU
This painting is unstretched and unframed. It will be carefully rolled and shipped in a tube. "Creating large-scale abstract paintings that evoke tranquility and presence in any spac...
Acrylic
#131, 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
Pool at 4.25 PM
Located in Zofingen, AG
shipped in roll In many cultures, blue and cyan colours are associated with water, the source of life and purification. In this context, they symbolise energy flows, the flow of ti...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$4,000Sale Price|43% Off
Spring, bright mulitcolored abstract encaustic painting on board
Located in New York, NY
Pressman works in various media. The oil paintings require a different approach as they dry more slowly than the encaustic work. As such, the oils sit with the artist often for month...
Encaustic, Board
$2,200
1983 Abstract Geometric Oil and Gouache Painting Study for Alma Robert Kelly
By Robert Kelly
Located in Surfside, FL
Robert Kelly (American, 1956-) Abstract Mixed Media on paper Study for Alma 1983 Pencil titled Hand signed lower right Dimensions: Frame: 26 X 19 Image: 24 X 17.5 Robert Kelly ...
Paper, Oil, Gouache
ARCHANGEL (XL Size)
Located in FITZROY, VIC
Nick Thomm ARCHANGEL (XL SIZE 36" x 48"). Limited Edition #22 of 25. Hand Signed & Numbered. Archival Pigment Print on Hahnemühle 308gsm Fine Art Paper. Condition: NEW - Unopene...
Archival Ink, Giclée, Archival Pigment
$2,150
Spanish artist hand signed limited edition original art print lithograph n4
Located in Miami, FL
Rafael Canogar (Spain, 1935) 'Estanque, 2019 lithograph on dibond 13 x 39.4 in. (33 x 100 cm.) Edition of 50. B.A.T.: 1 Unframed ID: CAN1030-113 Hand-signed by author ______________...
Lithograph
$800
Blue and White Abstract Overlapping Shapes Fish Scribble Gestures, Mediterranean
Located in Barcelona, ES
This series by Enric Servera explores the relationship of humans to salt and seawater. The intention of these works is to submerge us into the sea, a salty treasure that surrounds us and reminds us of its natural beauty and the importance of its preservation. Details: Title: Marina N31 Medium: Acrylic on Paper Size: 106 x 70 cm ( 41.7 x 28 inches) Year: 2024 * Frame is for illustrative purposes only. Artwork shipped carefully rolled and packaged in a tube. * Certificate of Authenticity provided. Enric Servera (Ciutadella de Menorca, 1970) lives and works between Barcelona and Menorca, Spain. His works explores the colors and forms of the ocean, inspired by the fauna and flora of the Mediterranean Sea. His work has shown in galleries across Spain, and is part of several public and private collections. Words that may describe this series of artworks are: Mediterranean-inspired art, abstract sea...
Acrylic, Watercolor
$1,196Sale Price|20% Off
Large Signed Exhibited Abstract Expressionist Original Framed Oil Painting
By Adele Becker
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American signed abstract expressionist oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Framed.
Canvas, Oil
Ensign No. 1
Located in Columbia, MO
A native of Upstate New York, Matt Ballou was educated at The School of The Art Institute of Chicago (BFA 2001) and Indiana University ( MFA 2005) before coming to The University of ...
Mixed Media, Plastic, Permanent Marker
Blues Overlapping Orange 47 x 47 Abstract Art Bold Colors $4400 Geometric
Located in Houston, TX
Blues Overlapping Orange 47 x 47 Abstract Art Bold Colors $4400 Geometric Shapes Other painting by Marilyn Biles shown in images As life often does, the life of Marilyn Biles h...
Canvas, Oil
Ray of Light 1
Located in Santa Fe, NM
Encaustic on panel. It's simple; I create art because it makes me happy. I try not to overthink the process of what I’m painting and let my intuition be my guide. I love laying do...
Encaustic
Tides Out (Abstract Painting in Blue, Orange & Metallic Gold)
By Bruce Murphy
Located in Hudson, NY
Gestural abstract expressionist painting on canvas in colorful hues green, blue, and orange on a gold and silver background "Untitled Green", 2022 by Bruce Murphy 40.5 x 40.5 inches...
Enamel
Lighthearted I, Abstract Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
An airy and soft palette of blues gradually blends with a thin layer of beige. Line work defines certain areas, adding structures to this abstract composition. ...
Acrylic
Blue spill, abstraction 2
Located in Zofingen, AG
An abstract composition is presented on canvas, created using the fluid acrylic technique. The work, measuring 30 × 30 cm, has an intimate and concentrated character, making the move...
Canvas, Acrylic
$645
Mystic Rhizome - Original Colorful Organic Abstract Botanical Painting on Paper
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Krisanne Souter weaves together elements of nature and ancient feminine archetypes, such as the Mother and the Mystic. Botanical themes, playful elements, and unexpected surprises ar...
Paper, Ink, Acrylic, Watercolor, Color Pencil
Under the Moonlight
Located in Zofingen, AG
On the painting, the Goddess eembraces the lamb. Her appearance reveals an underlying bond between the divine, the human, and the natural, suggesting that these realms arise from a c...
Canvas, Acrylic
#130, 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
"Geostructure XII Abstract, Colors, Geometric, Primary Shapes, Acrylic
Located in Detroit, MI
"Geostructure XII" is an intensely colorful painting of the primary shapes of the circle, square, and triangle. Though the shapes are repetitive their mixed juxtapositions and the creative use of color moves the eye around the canvas with constant interest. This painting is an extraordinary example of Franklin Jonas...
Acrylic, Linen
Original-Summer Night-British School-UK Awarded Artist-impressionist-abstract
Located in London, GB
This painting captures a view from the east end of the garden, looking towards the west gate where old giant trees frame wildflower areas on both sides. Shizico Yi used the colour bl...
Gesso, Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$1,900
Drunken Oak: original watercolor painting on archival pigment photograph of tree
By Ava Blitz
Located in Bryn Mawr, PA
"Drunken Oak" is an original abstract watercolor painting layered over an original archival pigment print of an oak tree using alternative process photography on 100% rag paper. Imag...
Rag Paper, Archival Pigment, Watercolor
Whisper
Located in Zofingen, AG
shipped in roll size of artwork 150x120 + 10 cm This work is about tenderness and strength, about the path, choice and movement. The river gently unfolds its flow through fields o...
Canvas, Acrylic
#148, 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
Mid Century Abstract Painting by Chamlin Oil Paint on Canvas
Located in San Francisco, CA
Mid-century Abstract Painting by Chamlin Oil Paint on Canvas
Oil
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
$716Sale Price|20% Off
American Large Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Signed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage modernist abstract painting. Oil on canvas. Image size, 36L x 36H. Signed verso, "Larry Glickman".
Canvas, Oil
28K Gold Organic - 3D gold color contemporary abstract mural sculpture
Located in New York, NY
Erin Vincent is a Toronto based-artist whose work draws on a variety of repetitive and labor intensive processes and materials. Things and common objects have always fascinated Vinc...
Foam, Acrylic, Wood Panel
Systems #3 - modern, contemporary, abstract, acrylic on canvas
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This contemporary abstract painting by Milly Ristvedt is expressed in geometric form. The power of pure colour and minimal form is masterfully displayed in this abstract painting by...
Canvas, Acrylic
Jeu de la Cape (III), from A Los Toros Avec Picasso
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Pablo Picasso Title: Jeu de la Cape (III) Portfolio: A Los Toros Avec Picasso Medium: Transfer lithograph Date: 1961 Edition: Unnumbered Frame Size: 17 1/4" x 19 3/4" Sheet S...
Lithograph
$584Sale Price|64% Off
Contemporary Abstract Oriental Signed Painting
By Kozo Inoue
Located in Roma, IT
Wonderful contemporary abstract signed painting Series of 4 canvas assembled to form a single painting signed Kozo Inoue dated 1974 This painting, never before on the market, comes f...
Canvas, Oil
Geometric Composition - Original Lithograph
By Max Bill
Located in Paris, IDF
Max Bill Geometric composition, 1975 Original lithograph Unsigned and unnumbered as usual Limited edition of 575 copies On Arches vellum, size 35 x 27 cm (c. 14 x 10 in) Excellent ...
Lithograph
$10,200Sale Price|20% Off
Large Mid Century Modern Texas Artist Abstract Expressionist Action Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
An abstract expressionist painting by Duayne Hatchett . Oil on canvas, circa 1990. Signed verso. Framed. Image size, 60"H x 56"L. Duayne Hatchett was a visual artist whose work...
Canvas, Acrylic
Art Card: Richard Diebenkorn, Ocean Park 30 (Hand Signed by Richard Diebenkorn)
Located in New York, NY
Art Card: Richard Diebenkorn, Ocean Park 30 (Hand Signed by Richard Diebenkorn) from the Estate of UACC President Cordelia Platt Offset lithograph card Hand signed and dated 8.12.88...
Postcard