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.
$7,500
Sean Scully - Munich offset print Germany SCARCE when Hand Signed by Sean Scully
By Sean Scully
Located in New York, NY
Sean Scully Munich 1996 (Hand Signed), 2001 Offset Lithograph print Hand signed and dated by Sean Scully in 2018 Boldly signed in black marker on the recto. Hand signed by Sean Scull...
Ink, Permanent Marker, Lithograph, Offset
Bronze Table I
Located in Dallas, TX
Bronze & Steel Table
Bronze, Steel
"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
$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 board unframed: 7.75 x 7.75 inches condition: excellent provenance: all the paintings we have fo...
Oil
Venus, Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting, 21st Century
Located in Mexico City, MX
Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting Acrylic on canvas 120x100cm Signed and dated on the back About the artist Alejandro Legorreta (Mexico, 1987) I studied Hispanic Literature at ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Marine Spectrum, Mixed Media Seascape, Art Brut Style on Paper, Light Tones
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...
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Watercolor
CC 100 - Blue red abstract geometric 3D wall circular sculpture
Located in New York, NY
Anna Kruhelska is a visual artist and architect working across fields of art and design. She creates abstract, three-dimensional paper wall reliefs that startle in their intricacy an...
Plywood, Acrylic
"Threading The Water Needle". Large Contemporary Abstarct Oil Painting
Located in Brecon, Powys
Threading the Water Needle is a classic painting by Susan Bleakley; she weaves the intricate design and colour palette into this statement art work in the style for which she is best...
Oil
$1,100Sale Price|42% Off
Discovering Green (Gestural Abstraction, Green, Blue, Gold, Jungle, ~42% OFF)
By Ted Hinrichs
Located in Kansas City, MO
Ted Hinrichs Discovering Green Acrylic on Canvas Year: 2025 Size: 30 x 24 x 0.75 inches (76.2 x 60.96 x 1.9 cm) Signed by hand COA provided *On Stretcher Frame (Painted Edges), read...
Canvas, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
Family Circle Acrylic Painting, Abstract Style, Framed, 2010-
Located in Laguna Beach, CA
In “Family Circle,” Jane Waterous creates a powerful visual metaphor for unity, connection, and belonging. Composed of countless tiny, vibrant figures, the circular form emerges thro...
Acrylic
Crossroads
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Crossroads” is a work from the series “Map of Infinity,” reflecting a state of inner transition and the search for a new direction. The female figure appears suspended between layer...
Canvas, Acrylic
Fil du Temps
By Etel Adnan
Located in London, GB
Etel Adnan "Fil du Temps" 2021. Etching on wove paper. Edition of 100. A critical work by Adnan, the final etching in this series. Etel was unable to put pencil to paper due to her ...
Etching
$997
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
$316Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage American Abstract Expressionist Modernist Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American abstract modernist oil painting. Oil on board. Framed. Measuring: 13 by 15 inches overall, and 8 by 10 painting alone. In excellent original condition. Handsomely f...
Oil, Board
White Flowers - green impasto painting on linen canvas with 3d flowers
Located in Zofingen, AG
Not everything on this branch is really there. Some leaves are painted thick, textured, catching light from across the room. Others are only shadows — flat, dark shapes with no weigh...
Canvas, Linen, Acrylic
$850
Marine Mirage, Abstract Gestures School of Fish, Blue Yones Modern Seascape 2026
Located in Barcelona, ES
“Marine Mirage ” is a contemporary abstract painting inspired by the fluid motion of ocean currents. Layers of blue tones intertwine with flowing yellow lines, evoking the depth and...
Paper, Acrylic, Monotype
$750Sale Price|37% Off
Grove #1 /// Abstract Geometric Colorful Jay Rosenbulm New York Screenprint Art
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Jay Rosenblum (Americam, 1933-1989) Title: "Grove #1" *Signed by Rosenblum in pencil lower right Year: 1979 Medium: Original Screenprint on white Stonehenge paper Limited edi...
Screen
$1,878
Minimalist Geometric Abstract Painting in Earth Tones by Carolin Kreutzer
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
At our 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 Auth...
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
Le Loubinou No. 1 Abstract Oil Painting on Linen, Unframed
Located in Burlingame, CA
Elegant abstract oil painting in warm yellow and gold with metallic pigments including gold and metal leaf on Belgian linen. The large scale vibrant painting shimmers and changes wit...
Metal
Large painting on canvas, rose garden, flowers - Between Rain Air and Branches
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 This large...
Canvas, Spray Paint, Acrylic
$636Sale Price|20% Off
Mid Century Modern Abstract Expressionist Earth Tone Abstract
Located in Soquel, CA
Mid century modern abstract expressionist oil on canvas in rusty earth tones blending with subdued dark blues and whites by S. Palmer (American, 20th Century), c.1960. Signed lower r...
Canvas, Oil
Platonic Solids: Silver & Gold Abstract Expressionist Painting
By Bruce Murphy
Located in Hudson, NY
Gestural abstract expressionist painting on archival paper with gold and silver metallic powders and accents of blue, burgundy, and green enamel paint "Platonic Solids...
Enamel
Glimpses No. 14 - Green and Gold Geometric Abstract Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Alexander Eulert's original mixed media paintings on wood panels are abstract propositions of worlds where divergent forces coalesce into harmonious geometric interactions. He draws ...
Gold Leaf
Continuity
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Continuity” From the series “Metamorphoses of the Spirit” This work explores a state of continuous transition — a process in which form has no clear boundary between emergence, u...
Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$12,914
TN509-T by Hachiro Kanno - Calligraphy-based abstract painting, triptych, white
Located in Paris, FR
TN509-T is a unique triptych painting by Japanese contemporary artist Hachiro Kanno. The painting is made with Ink and acrylic on canvas. It is composed by 3 panels, total dimensions...
Canvas, Ink, Acrylic
$270Sale Price|55% Off
Lake house, 80х80cm, print on canvas.Edition of 20 pieces
Located in Yerevan, AM
Edition of 20 pieces
Canvas, Color
$2,641Sale Price|25% Off
Wondering Lonely Like A Cloud, Lloyd Tabing, Abstract, Contemporary
By Lloyd Tabing
Located in Jönköping, SE
"Wondering Like A Cloud". Acrylic on canvas. Includes hanging material An exploration of beauty and energy, Tabing’s paintings are a visual representation of the dichotomy between ...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
$16,433
Opium
By Damien Hirst
Located in London, GB
Damien Hirst Opium, 2000 Lambda C-Type print on Gloss Fuji Archive paper. Signed by the artist, lower right on recto Numbered on verso 48 x 43.7 cm 52 x 48 cm (framed) Edition of 500...
C Print, Lambda
$636Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage Mid Century Modern Abstract Expressionist Ethereal Organic Oil Painting
By Piry Rame
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage abstract expressionist etherial oil painting by Piry Rame (1921 - 2001). Oil on canvas, circa 1960. Signed on verso. Image size, 21L x 16H. Housed in a period frame.
Canvas, Oil
Untitled, 1978 - contemporary, gestural, abstract, acrylic on paper
By Carol Sutton
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This contemporary abstract acrylic painting is by Carol Sutton. A flurry of colourful gestural brushstrokes dances across the canvas in this engaging acrylic painting by artist Caro...
Acrylic
Vintage American Modernist Signed Abstract Expressionist Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American modernist abstract expressionist painting. Oil on canvas. Framed.
Canvas, Oil
$1,600
Untitled (One Cent Life) /// Joan Mitchell Female Artist Abstract Expressionism
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Joan Mitchell (American, 1925-1992) Title: "Untitled" (Page 92-93) Portfolio: One Cent Life *Unsigned edition Year: 1964 Medium: Original Lithograph on wove paper Limited edi...
Lithograph
When Love Lingers: Contemporary Figurative Painting, 89x130cm
Located in DE
Contemporary figurative painting with lots of details and movement. Beautiful statement piece for any art collection. Combining a lot of different colors in any interiors and settin...
Canvas, Acrylic
"Memory of Winter" – Tree Landscape Painting, Mixed Media on Canvas
Located in Sofia, BG
"Memory of Winter" is a tree landscape painting created with oil, acrylic and mixed media on canvas. The work captures the fragile moment between winter and spring, when nature begi...
Acrylic, Oil, Canvas
$432Sale Price|20% Off
Deep Green and Red Dark Abstract French 20th Century Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Expressionist Composition signed by Gilbert Pelissier (French born 1924) oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas size: 31.5 x 16 inches condition: overall very good, a few m...
Canvas, Oil
"It's the Rest of the World That is Moving" (2024) by Amy Hutcheson
Located in Denver, CO
"He Opened His Hand And I Put My Stories Into It" (2024) is an original, handmade oil painting on canvas, by Amy Hutcheson, that depicts an abstract painting with colorful geometric ...
Canvas, Oil
$1,500
New Orleans Ice-Cream Tasting Festival (Limited Edition of Only 30 Prints)
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
**FALL SUPER SALE TIL OCT. 13TH - TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT** The original "New Orleans IceCream Festival" piece is sold. It's a very labored and special Mixed media on canvas covered wi...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Giclée
$1,585
Union VI, Plaster by Delphine Brabant - Geometric Abstract Sculpture, White
Located in Paris, FR
Delphine Brabant: Union VI, Plaster, 2025 25 × 7 × 6 cm / 9.8 × 2.8 × 2.4 in 4 kg / 8.8 lbs Edition of 8 + 4 Artist's Proofs Union VI, plaster is a sculpture by contemporary French ...
Plaster
Khloris 001 and Khloris 004 Diptych. Abstract Painting. From The Khloris Series
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The central concept of Larios painting series KHLORIS is based on the idea of the garden as a metaphorical space. Larios seeks to find a certain romantic beauty in the details of n...
Canvas, Lacquer, Pastel, Automotive Paint, Acrylic
Cinco Mujeres, Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting, 21st Century
Located in Mexico City, MX
Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting Acrylic on canvas 150 x 100 cm Signed About the artist Enrique Pichardo (Mexico City, 1973) graduated from Escuela Nacional de Pintura, Escultur...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,268
Spring Unfolding Diptych. Large size abstract painting, floral, texured, gestual
Located in Oslo, NO
This diptych explores the sensation of renewal and upward movement associated with early spring. Soft yet dynamic layers of blush pinks, muted greens and luminous light tones interac...
Canvas, Acrylic
$950
Sonderlust -21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract, Pop Culture, Anxiety, People
Located in Ibadan, Oyo
All of us can change the past. We cannot take back what has happened, who we love, what we have done. Just like we cannot change our current situation. I think life is a funny thing,...
Canvas, Ink, Acrylic
Abstract Composition
Located in Boca Raton, FL
Beautiful example of Post War French lyric abstraction. School of Paris. Jacques Germain was a leader in this movement. Signed lower right
Oil
Peek-a-boo
By Irina Burda
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Peek-a-boo" draws on the simplicity of a childhood game, where disappearance and sudden reappearance spark surprise and laughter. In adult life, this innocent play becomes a metapho...
Canvas, Acrylic
Pink Abstract Lithograph by Sybil Kleinrock
Located in Long Island City, NY
Sybil Kleinrock’s work straddles the borders between expressionism and surrealism. Colorful and soft pastels play together to suggest a composition that can be interpreted as both a ...
Lithograph
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
Crossroads of Thought
By Jacob Burda
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
$1,036Sale Price|20% Off
Frankenthaler, Solar Imp 2001, Lincoln Center New York City Ballet
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: After Helen Frankenthaler (1928-2011) Title: Solar Imp (Lincoln Center Salute’s the New York City Ballet) Year: 2001 Medium: Silkscreen poster on extra thick Somerset paper E...
Screen
Umbrella - Silent Rain No.10, Abstract Painting, 21st Century, Acryl, Clay
By Roger König
Located in Dessau-Rosslau, Sachsen Anhalt
Part of Roger König's iconic Umbrella Series, this original mixed media artwork explores themes of protection, memory, resilience and human presence. The umbrella is not a symbol of ...
Clay, Acrylic
$521Sale Price|20% Off
Italian Abstract Cityscape with Towers. Circa 1970
Located in Firenze, IT
Cityscape with skyscrapers. Stylized and almost abstract representation of a city with skyscrapers, some of which have the shape of a sail. Oil on canvas. In a 1970´s aluminium / wood period frame. Signed lower right: Raimondo. Landscape appears at first glance as a series of abstract, geometric, very bright objects. Very good condition. Painting comes from a collection in Turin, Italy which had numerous signed works...
Canvas, Oil
$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
$375
Juicy Marks - Colorful Impasto Textural Thick Paint Framed 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 i...
Canvas, Glitter, Acrylic
Equinox
Located in Paris, FR
Lithograph, 1962 Handsigned by the artist in pencil and nunmbered 30/75 Publisher : Maeght (Paris) Printer : Maeght (Paris) Catalog : [Vallier 177] 54.00 cm. x 80.00 cm. 21.26 in. x...
Lithograph
Inscape No.1, Abstract Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
"This piece is like magnified images of the inner constellations of neurons, thought forms, and connections," says artist Maya Malioutina. A minimalist modern...
Mixed Media
Squeezed Blue Fiddle Signed Limited Edition Screen Print
By Arman
Located in Rochester Hills, MI
Pierre Fernandez Arman Year: 1978 Squeezed Blue Fiddle Medium Type: Screen print on Arches Paper Size-Width Size-Height: 22'' x 30'' Edition Size: Signed in pencil and marked 121/...
Screen
$4,275Sale Price|25% Off
Cara Azul, Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting, 21st Century
Located in Mexico City, MX
Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting Acrylic on canvas 220x225cm Signed FREE SHIPPING: Ships rolled up About the artist Enrique Pichardo (Mexico City, 1973) graduated from Escuela Nacional de Pintura, Escultura y Grabado (ENPEG) “La Esmeralda”. As a Mexican Contemporary Expressionism artist, Pichardo reminisces about the Pre-Hispanic past and indigenous traditions by using symbolisms of a time when the civilizations believed in magic, rituals and created beautiful colors. Through his work, he also pays tribute to world renowned Mexican artists such as Rufino Tamayo, Francisco Toledo, Rodolfo...
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,066Sale 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
Dance of Life
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Dance of Life” From the series “Metamorphoses of the Spirit” This work explores life as continuous movement — fragile, sensual, yet filled with inner strength. Through organic forms...
Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
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
$3,280Sale Price|20% Off
Out of the Blue, blue abstract expressionist painting on canvas, textured
Located in New York, NY
Lisa Fellerson’s paintings provoke an interplay and tension between line, shape, and color. With no preconceived idea in mind, she begins by dripping, scrapping, and gouging acrylic ...
Canvas, Acrylic