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.
White Path - 3D small contemporary abstract round 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...
Acrylic, Wood Panel, Archival Paper
diptych yellow terra
$100Sale Price|20% Off
Art Chicago (No Text) Lithograph Print, Abstract, 1981, Unframed
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Originally produced for the 1981 art show at Navy Pier in Chicago, these posters were part of an estimated edition size of about 2,000. The cropped version is particularly rare, as i...
Lithograph
$2,350
Mid-20th Century Oil on Board Abstract Impressionist Maritime Scene, René Genis
By René Genis
Located in Berlin, MD
Step into the bustling energy of a portside moment with René Genis’ “Les Grues” (The Cranes)”, a captivating oil-on-mat-board painting that transforms the in...
Oil, Illustration Board
Golden Lace
Located in Zofingen, AG
picture with 3d effect, changes color depending on the lighting, the work is done in the style of antique wall fresco. This artwork merges the de...
Canvas, Varnish, Acrylic
Poesia - original impressionistic painting with roses on linen canvas
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Look at a tree, a flower, a plant. Let your awareness rest upon it. How still they are, how deeply rooted in Being. Allow nature to teach you stillness." - Eckhart Tolle Abstract t...
Canvas, Linen, Spray Paint, Acrylic
"Machine Dream " (2025) Original Surrealist Abstract Cityscape Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Tibor Nagy's "Machine Dream" (2025) is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts an abstracted scene of the front of a city apartment building. About...
Oil
$961Sale Price|20% Off
Cubist French Abstract Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Burst of Color by Yvette Dubois-Habasque (1929-2016) dated verso and signed with initials in lower right oil painting on artists board, unframed painting measures: 18 x 13 inches S...
Oil
Timelessness – Original Marsh Landscape Painting, blue, green, water
Located in Cumming, GA
Timelessness original abstract marsh landscape painting is inspired by the quiet beauty of coastal wetlands and serene waterscapes. Soft blues, muted greens, and layered neutral tone...
Canvas, Acrylic
$284Sale Price|73% Off
Rothko? No - Limited Signed Abstract Photography Print, 21st Century
Located in Slovak Republic, SK
Picture done occasionally, reminded me to Mark Rothko, limited to 5, signed. I can imagine it on a white wall with a wonderful frame.
Photographic Paper, Color
Chromatic Anarchy Abstract Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, 2025, Signed
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this marvelous painting I used neon acrylic pigments not thinking about composition or chromatic and I'm very pleased about the results. A little about me: what you might think i...
Canvas, Varnish, Acrylic
Magnolia in the Night // moody art floristics painting; lunar eclipse /
Located in Zofingen, AG
This painting immerses the viewer in a mysterious and enchanting world. The rich blue tones of the petals, illuminated by the soft night light, create a sense of calm and tranquility...
Oil
$8,950
A597 - Large Contemporary Colorful Modern Circles Abstract Painting (framed)
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Swiss-born artist Marco Schmidli creates minimalist paintings with a contemporary edge. Placing emphasis on process, he lets the mediums naturally manifest within his artwork. “An im...
Canvas, Acrylic
WORKING ON IT INCESSANTLY
By Mary Corita (Sister Corita) Kent
Located in Santa Monica, CA
CORITA KENT (Sister Mary Corita) 1918–1986 WORKING ON IT INCESSANTLY, ca. 1970 Color serigraph. Signed and numbered in ink 200/. In generally good condition. Image 22 3/8 x 11 1/2, sheet 23 x 12 1/4 inches. Provenance: Marjorie Kauffman Graphics on original period label. Sister Corita is highly important in the development of modern use of serigraphy with highly charged social and political content expressed in strong colors and dynamic composition. She often made biblical and well as literary references as a major part of the composition. She taught printmaking at Immaculate Heart...
Screen
$3,360Sale Price|20% Off
Whispers of the Canopy 2, Original abstract painting in earth tones, 60x48”
Located in Cumming, GA
This abstract painting evokes a tender quietude, as if nature-inspired calm itself paused to exhale. Soft, interwoven shapes in muted earth tones drift across the canvas like memorie...
Canvas, Acrylic
$5,990
Whispering Winds Bay by Gabriela Azar Schreiner. Contemporary abstract
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
AL 133, Abstract Art Giclee Print by Michael Knigin
Located in Long Island City, NY
Michael Knigin, American (1942 - 2011) - AL 133, Year: 2006, Medium: Giclee print on paper signed, numbered and dated in pencil, Edition: AP, Image Size: 24 x 17 inches, Size: 2...
Giclée
Original Lithograph I
By Joan Miró
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original lithograph. Printed in 1972 at the Mourlot atelier and published for the "Miro Lithograph I" catalogue raisonne. Size: 12 1/2 x 9 5/8 inches (320 x 245 mm). Not sign...
Lithograph
$3,000
"E.S.H. IV" (animalia, fauna, figurative, horse sculpture, historical, abstract)
Located in Paris, IDF
E.S.H. IV PARIS, France 2023 Inspired by sculptures and statues of Europe, a horse and rider are depicted as a black silhouetted abstraction. White and grey acrylic paint over text...
Canvas, Dye, Acrylic
$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
$6,630
7 Folded Circles - Large Red Steel Tall Geometric Indoor Outdoor Sculpture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Inspired by dance and weightlessness, Granville Beals' modern industrial metal sculptures are primarily about relationships. Concerned with form and abstraction, he does not merely m...
Metal, Steel
Systems #2 - 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
$426Sale Price|20% Off
Abstract expressive floral acrylic painting on paper "Flourish of colors"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
The abstract floral artwork "Flourish of Colors" by French artist Natalya Mougenot is part of her Floral series. This vibrant painting bursts with energy, capturing a rich array of c...
Paper, Acrylic
Painting Animal Horse Modern Gold Contemporary Striking Invest Bold Peaceful
By Karnish Art
Located in Pretoria, Gauteng
Title: Blue - Trail of Tranquility Painting Equestrian Horse Modern Gold Contemporary Striking Invest Energy Calm Blue Nature Flora One-of-a-kind Unique This painting forms part of...
Gold
154 Squares V.2 - Modern Colorful Abstract Geometric Acrylic 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...
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Wood
In A Gadda Da Vida
By Damien Hirst
Located in London, GB
Damien Hirst In A Gadda Da Vida, 2004 Gravure print on paper unsigned 52.0 x 52.0 cm (21.5 x 21.5 in) unknown edition size published by Other Criter...
Digital
$5,250
"Apricot Dove", Minimalist Abstract Oil Painting on Canvas, Black and White
Located in Carmel, CA
Tina Bluefield (American, born 1945) "Apricot Dove" 2025 Oil paint on canvas, stretcher bars The artist signed the back of the artwork. "Apricot Dove" stops you in a way that takes ...
Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars
Large Abstract Silkscreen by Raymond Parker
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Raymond Parker, American (1922 - 1990) Title: Untitled 14 Year: 1980 Medium: Silkscreen, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 70 Image Size: 31 x 36 inches Size: 32 x 37.5 ...
Screen
$4,978
Sounds From The Paper Airplane, red, ochre, water, De Kooning, green, movement
Located in Jönköping, SE
NOTE: THIS PAINTING CANNOT BE SHIPPED UNTILL MID AUGUST. THIS IS BECAUSE OF THE DRYING TIME. IT WILL BE SHIPPED IN A CRATE AND READY FOR HANGING. This painting is from my series ...
Oil
Warm Days, Abstract Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A palpable sense of atmosphere and a soft, dreamy mood evoke memories of long summer afternoons bathed in gentle sunlight. Subtle layers and luminous textures i...
Oil
Harlequin, Cubist Screenprint by Anatole Krasnyansky
Located in Long Island City, NY
This surreal, contemporary-cubist screenprint by the artist is reminiscent of a harlequin kneeling before an audience, one hand raised. The piece is nicely framed and is signed and n...
Screen
$4,796Sale Price|20% Off
Jasper Johns, Untitled, from Screenprints, 1977
By Jasper Johns
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite silkscreen by Jasper Johns (born 1930), titled Untitled, from the album Jasper Johns, Screenprints, 1977, originates from the 1977 edition published by Brooke Alexande...
Screen
Horses and Riders V
Located in Paris, FR
Lithograph, 1972 Handsigned by the artist in pencil Edition : 31/50 Publisher : Société Internationale d'art XXe siècle (Paris) Printer : Mourlot (Paris) Catalog : Guastalla L108...
Lithograph
Whisper of Freedom
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Whisper of Freedom" is a new original abstract painting from Tetiana Pchelnykova's "Depths of Freedom" series. This artwork, created with acrylic paints, textured paste, and gold a...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$869Sale Price|20% Off
Original-Jardin d'Hiver-Cloud Dahlias in Blue-British Awarded Artist-Impasto
Located in London, GB
Jardin d'Hiver Series is Shizico Yi's latest collection, created in her winter studio with an expensive window view to the winter clouds while longing for the summer left behind. Ref...
Gesso, Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Imprinted - Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Abstract, 48in x 48in
By Mario Angel
Located in Mississauga, CA
In "Imprinted," Mario Angel presents a hauntingly beautiful study of collective movement and subconscious transit, utilizing his signature figurative abstraction to populate a dense,...
Canvas, Acrylic
$746Sale Price|25% Off
Antique American Impressionist Upstate New York Landscape Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American impressionist landscape oil painting. Signed verso. Really nicely framed. Great color and thick impressionist impasto. Image size, 10L x 8H.
Canvas, Oil
Pathway to the Gods Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting
Located in Brecon, Powys
Born of his love of the Indian subcontinent Paul Wadsworth created this series of paintings. The canvasses are lavishly painted and imbued with the myriad of colours one associates w...
Oil
$1,000
Alexander Calder - Transworld Art International Art Fair, Tel Aviv, 1977 poster
Located in New York, NY
Offset lithograph poster published by the Transworld Art Fair in Tel Aviv The work depicted in the image is Calder's "Boomerang", 1973 Plate (printed) signature Unframed ALEXANDER CA...
Lithograph, Offset
$950Sale Price|47% Off
Simple Life
Located in Kansas City, MO
Katherine Bello Title: Simple Life Oil and Oils stick on canvas Year: 2021 Dimensions: 20"x20"x1.5" Signed by hand Canvas on stretcher frame - ready...
Oil, Canvas, Oil Pastel
Gaia 129 - Black and White Monochrome Spanish Mountain Landscape Diptych
Located in Brighton, GB
Gaia Diptych 129 - Black and White Monochrome Spanish Mountain Landscape Diptych by Jaume Llorens Bach Gaia Diptych 129 is is a 18cm x 24cm Black and White Photographic print on Pre...
Black and White, Digital, Photographic Paper
$1,620
Sirene de Minuit - Original Luminous Blue Green Textural Abstract Flora Painting
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...
Canvas, Acrylic
Blossoms for Autumn #1, Original Painting, Abstract art
Located in Deddington, GB
I wanted to create this piece with one focus in mind - trying to get this colour palette to really sing on the canvas! So gold, prussian blue, olive green, yellow ochre and browns an...
Canvas, Acrylic
A Large, Dynamic 1960s Mid-Century Modern Abstract Expressionist Painting
By George Waite
Located in Chicago, IL
A Large, Dynamic 1960s Mid-Century Modern Abstract Expressionist Painting by Notable Chicago Artist, George Waite (Am. 1935-1994). Executed in the artist's signature palette of brig...
Canvas, Oil
$750
Mon Jardin Zoologique /// Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Animal Modern Art
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Serge Helenon (French, 1934-) Title: "Mon Jardin Zoologique (My Zoological Garden)" *Signed by Helenon in pencil lower right Year: 1989 Medium: Original Carborundum Engraving...
Handmade Paper, Engraving, Intaglio
This is Up - Impasto Thick Paint Colorful Abstract Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Impasto-painted strokes of bright colors are the framework of artist Shiri Phillips’ abstract artworks. Her paintings are flooded with texture through the layering of acrylic paint a...
Canvas, Glitter, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$1,399Sale Price|33% Off
Transending Forms, Acrylic, Canvas, Red, Blue, Brown, Yellow, Green "In Stock"
By Amit Kalla
Located in Kolkata, West Bengal
Amit Kalla - Transending Forms - 36 x 60 inches (unframed size) Acrylic on Canvas, 2020 ** Free Shipment ...... will be delivered in rolled form. Style : Kalla’s work can be represe...
Canvas, Acrylic
Karel Appel Looking Around 1971 Signed Limited Edition Lithograph
By Karel Appel
Located in Rochester Hills, MI
Karel Appel Looking Around Signed Limited Edition Lithograph 1971 39.25 x 28.25" inches Signed, marked 12/100 and dated 71 Karel Appel is one of the founding members of the CoBrA ...
Lithograph
"Idelic Summer" Friedel Dzubas, Abstract Expressionist, Color Field, Orange
Located in New York, NY
Friedel Dzubas Idelic Summer, circa 1975 Signed, titled, and dated on the reverse Magna on canvas 31 x 72 inches Provenance The artist Andre Emmerich Gallery, New York Private Colle...
Canvas, Acrylic
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
$4,500Sale Price|43% Off
Banner (abstract expressionist sculpture, Tulsa OK artist)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Duayne Hatchett ((1925-2015). Banner, 1958. Welded metal, sculpture measures 11 h. x 9 w. x 3.75 d. inches. Measuring a total of 17.5 inch high on base. Base measures 5.5 x 5.5 by 6 ...
Metal
$8,800Sale Price|20% Off
SHINE ON DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER (pastels crystals realist oil painting canvas)
By Chloe Hedden
Located in Quebec, Quebec
Shine On: Diamonds Are Forever is a dazzling oil painting by Chloe Hedden that captures the radiant essence of a cut diamond in luminous, painterly detail. With a kaleidoscope of ref...
Canvas, Oil
May 29 (Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting in Earth Tones of Green & Blue)
By James O'Shea
Located in Hudson, NY
Gestural, abstract expressionist oil painting on canvas in earth tones of blue and green, with accents of burgundy and pale yellow "May 29", Painted by Hudson Valley based artist, James O'Shea in 2021 Oil on canvas, 26 x 26 inches unframed, raw canvas sides Wire backing, ready to hang Signed verso James O’Shea’s deeply pigmented abstractions are grounded in the landscape. Taking his cues from the bare winter months in the Northeast when the horizon is stripped of its foliage, he suggests that “So much of life’s structure reveals itself when it goes into hibernation”. The architecture in O’Shea’s compositions takes form with expressive gestures using...
Canvas, Oil
Antique American Abstract Expressionist Framed Original Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American abstract oil painting. Oil on board. Framed. In excellent original condition. Handsomely framed in a giltwood molding. Excellent condition, ready to hang and en...
Oil, Board
$1,350Sale Price|25% Off
Night flowers , 100x60 cm, oil on canvas
Located in Yerevan, AM
Night flowers , 100x60 cm, oil on canvas
Canvas, Oil
$107Sale 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: 19 x 15.5 inches condition: excellent provenance: all the paintings we hav...
Oil
1955 Exhibition Poster
By Paul Klee
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Original Exhibition Poster Paul Klee, Berggruen and Cie, Paris 1955. Measuring This poster is an original print, not a reproduction. The poster is in very good vintage condition wi...
Offset
$60Sale Price|20% Off
Jean-Paul Riopelle 'Sans Titre 160-2' 1966- Lithograph
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Paper Size: 15 x 11 inches ( 38.1 x 27.94 cm ) Image Size: 15 x 11 inches ( 38.1 x 27.94 cm ) Framed: No Condition: A-: Near Mint, very light signs of handling Additional Details: U...
Lithograph
$533
"Time within" Contemporary abstract expressionist woman's portrait painting
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
"Time within" is an original contemporary portrait painting by Natalya Mougenot, featuring an expressive portrait of a woman created with acrylics and pens on heavyweight, acid-free ...
Paper, Acrylic
$6,519
Emma Labattaglia Abstract Large Contemporary Grid Painting in Earth Tones
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
At Escat Gallery, we are committed to upholding the highest standards of trust and professionalism for our collectors. Every artwork in our collection includes a Certificate of Authe...
Cotton Canvas, Oil