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.
$3,990
Divine Light 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
Ocean's Jewels, Abstract Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
A layer of emerald green rests atop a base of purple, pale blue, and white, creating a striking contrast of light and dark. Scratches and marks added while the ...
Oil
Anya Simmons, Dancing Moon Cottages, Limited edition landscape print
By Anya Simmons
Located in Deddington, GB
Dancing Moon Cottages is a limited edition print by Anya Simmons, inspired by her travels across the United Kingdom. This Giclée limited edition print is created using archive quali...
Archival Paper, Screen
ABSTRACT New Black White Artwork by Contemporary Artist Carsten Beck 2022
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...
Oil, Linen
"Divine Spontaneity II" Acrylic, Oil Pastels, Pencils Abstract Painting 48"x36"
Located in New York, NY
"Divine Spontaneity II" 2023, 48" H x 36" W. Vertical abstract painting consisting of acrylics, house paint, oil pastels, color pencils, and carbon pencils on canvas by Argentine-bo...
House Paint, Acrylic, Carbon Pencil, Oil Pastel, Color Pencil
Sincroplastia. Mixed media Abstract painting on Canvas
By Alec Franco
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The paintings resists framing in concepts, it overflows the contours and borders of rationality. It is through the presence of color, combined with an abstraction at times with expre...
Canvas, Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Leaves, Abstract Expressionist Lithograph by Mark Tobey
By Mark Tobey
Located in Long Island City, NY
Mark Tobey, American (1890 -1976) - Leaves, Year: 1965, Medium: Lithograph, signed in pencil lower right, and numbered on cover page in ink, Edition: 372/380, Image Size: 6.25 x ...
Lithograph
$528
Hand painted Artist Proof-Magnolias-Weaver Series-British Awarded Artist #2 of 3
Located in London, GB
This stunning Artist's Proof is an one-off, oil hand-painted and gilded by the artist , signed at front and on the back label too; each proof is 80% hand painted and gold gilded by S...
Gold Leaf
"Reverie" (2024) By Dan McCaw, Original Abstract Portrait Oil Painting
Located in Denver, CO
Dan McCaw's "Reverie" created in 2024, is a striking oil painting measuring 48 x 42 inches. This original artwork features an abstract composition of a figure, rendered with rich tex...
Oil, Board
Hand-Painted Limited Edition #2-Lime Trees in Yellow-British Awarded Artist
Located in London, GB
This stunning hand painted Edition is an one-off large Giclee on paper, oil hand-painted by the artist , signed at front and on the back label too; each proof is 80% hand painted by ...
Gesso, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Giclée, Oil
Julian Schnabel 'Invierno Primaveral' (Sexual Spring-like Winter)
Located in New York, NY
Julian Schnabel Invierno Primaveral, 1995 Hand-painted, 17-color screenprint with poured resin 40 x 30 inches (102 x 76 cm) Edition of 80 signed in pencil and stamped on verso "S...
Screen
$2,059Sale 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
Desert Light No. 1
Located in Columbia, MO
Using cold wax medium with oil paint, powdered pigments, and pigment stick, Rebecca Crowell builds up layered surfaces as she also scratches, scrapes, and dissolves her layers, selec...
Wax, Pigment
$3,000
Ospedale II (Abstract Mid Century Modern, Building Facade in Black & Yellow)
Located in Hudson, NY
Contemporary Abstract Architectural painting in black and yellow "Ospedale II" painted by Hudson Valley, NY based painter, Anthony Finta, in 2019 36 x 24 inches oil, enamel and pap...
Enamel
Abstract Expressionist female woman oil portrait
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Beautiful portrait of a seated woman, ca. 1960. Oil on canvas measuring 18 x 24.5 inches. Unsigned. Unframed.
Canvas, Oil
Paper Landscape – Contemporary Painting on Canvas with Vintage Wallpaper
Located in Agrigento, AG
Paper Landscape is a unique original mixed media artwork by Italian contemporary artist Marilina Marchica, created in 2025. Made with oil paint and collage on canvas, the work incorp...
Canvas, Paper, Oil
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
$2,400Sale Price|40% Off
Provincetown Beach Landscape with Lobster Traps
By Sol Wilson
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Sol Wilson (1896-1974). Provincetown Beach Landscape with Lobster Traps, ca. 1950. Oil on Masonite panel, 16 x 20 inches. Measuring 24 x 28 inches fra...
Oil
Replicas, Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting, 21st Century
Located in Mexico City, MX
Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting Acrylic on canvas 100 x 80 cm Signed and dated on the back About the artist Alejandro Legorreta (Mexico, 1987) I studied Hispanic Literature a...
Canvas, Acrylic
Go Softly, Abstract Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Shades of blue, gray, and black blend to create a serene, misty seascape. Gentle brushstrokes give the impression of a ship or a city in the distance. The overall effect evokes a sense of tranquility and open space.
About the Artist
Artist Dorothy Gaziano...
Acrylic
Khloris 003. 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
Untitled 01 - Contemporary, Abstract Painting, White, Monochrome, Organic
Located in Baden-Baden, DE
Untitled 01, 2017 Mixed media: white oil painting, adhesive on canvas (Signed on reverse) 46.85 H x 39.37 W in. 119 H x 100 W cm Zsolt Berszán treats the first layer of the drawing ...
Canvas, Adhesive, Oil
$1,065
avp_1206 Red Colorful Textured Original Contemporary Abstract Painting on Paper
By Alex Voinea
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The colorful abstract artworks of Romanian artist Alex Voinea are inspired by experiments with paint poured over vibrating surfaces, such as speakers at full volume. Alex Voinea coll...
Paper, Acrylic
Chanjun Zheng Landscape Original Oil On Canvas "Color On Mountain"
Located in New York, NY
Title: Color On Mountain Medium: Oil on canvas Size: 15.5 x 23 inches Frame: Framing options available! Condition: The painting appears to be in excellent condition. Note: This...
Canvas, Oil
$584Sale Price|20% Off
Abstract Color Field Composition, Oil on Canvas, 78x61 cm, Signed
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
Abstract Composition with Color Fields is an original oil painting on canvas by Colombian artist Luis Xiua, created in his studio in Bogotá. The work explores the relationship betwee...
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Glow Oil on Yupo paper 7″ x 9 1/2″ 9 3/4″ x 12 1/8″ Frame Abstract Small
Located in Houston, TX
Glow by Texas artist Julie England is an Oil on Yupo paper. The size of Glow is 7″ x 9 1/2″” Image 9 3/4″ x 12 1/8″ Frame Art is floated in gallery frame with OP3 plexi glazing....
Oil, Handmade Paper
Nick Thomm - Loom (SKY) Standard
Located in FITZROY, VIC
Nick Thomm 'LOOM' (Sky) 69cm x 92cm (27"×36″) Limited Edition of 343. Archival Pigment Print on Hahnemühle 308gsm Fine Art Paper. Condition: NEW. Worldwide Shipping. Sold Unframed.
Archival Ink, Giclée, Archival Pigment
$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
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
"New Horizons", Abstract, Expressionist, Red, Blue, White, Oil Painting
Located in Franklin, MA
Katherine Borkowski-Byrne’s” New Horizons” is a colorful abstract oil painting on canvas 24 x 30 x 1.5 inch oil painting on canvas with very thick spontaneous brushwork in saturated ...
Canvas, Oil
$460Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage Mid Century Abstract Expressionist Silver Framed Modern Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Nicely painted mid century abstract oil painting. Great color and composition. Framed.
Canvas, Oil
$636Sale Price|20% Off
Antique American Modernist Abstract Expressionist Signed Original Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American modernist abstract oil painting by Christine Opolus. Oil on canvas, circa 1960. Signed. Framed. Image size, 32L x 12"H.
Canvas, Oil
$7,500
Autumn 8
By Liz Barber
Located in Napa, CA
Liz Barber pursued painting while obtaining her degree from the Massachusetts College of Art and Moore College of Art. She currently resides in Marietta, Georgia. Barber’s paintings ...
Ink, Acrylic, Watercolor, Graphite
The Painted Lady - Large 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
$12,000Sale Price|52% Off
Civilisation Explained Print, Abstract Style, Archival Ink, 2010+
By Damien Hirst
Located in New York, NY
Damien Hirst is a British contemporary master artist and entrepreneur recognized for his iconic artworks that have defined the contemporary art world for over a decade. He is one of ...
Archival Ink
Ilusiones, Christian Bozon
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Signed, titled and numbered from the edtion of 50. Bozon's prints are often a balance between abstraction and landscape, which he creates with drypoint and aquatint. They reflect th...
Drypoint, Aquatint
“Whispers of Mothering” Contemporary Gestural Tan and Pink Abstract Painting
Located in Houston, TX
Contemporary blue toned gestural abstract expressionist painting by Houston based artist Kristi Haines Herman. The work features layers of swirling brushwork in tones of tan, pink, and deep green. Signed, titled, and dated on the reverse. Currently unframed, but options are available. Artist Biography: As an abstract painter, Kristi Haines Herman, uses her artwork to execute ideas and two-dimensional environments that create an emotional experience for the viewer. Her paintings are inspired by personal involvements and reactions to them. Phrases and words ruminate in her mind and slowly turn into abstracted figures that convey her inner thoughts. Haines Herman is highly influenced by movement as her artistic expression due to many years in dance. Movement is depicted through various gestural lines, shapes, and texture which allow the audience to venture through the canvas; thus a visual dance from one edge to another on the painting’s surface. Ballet was Haines Herman’s first love in the art world, starting at age five. She learned to use body movement as an outward expression which allowed her to explore various audience reactions. This would later correlate with her artwork. In her late teens, dance and visual art would intertwine with time on stage as well as painting for expression. Gradually, visual art became her primary artistic avenue. Haines Herman attended Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Virginia, where she majored in studio art under professors Frank Hobbs and Polly Dixon. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from The University of Texas at Austin. During her studies at UT, she was encouraged and challenged by many talented art professors, including Michael Mogavero, John Yancey and David...
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,711
Abstract Painting Blue Sea II Pigments Contemporary Artist Gabriela Meunie 2024
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...
Resin, Cotton Canvas, Pigment
The Energy Within Nature. Diptych Abstract paintings in the wood gold frame
Located in Zofingen, AG
Diptych of The paintings was created alongside my tropical series and does not depict a specific scene, but rather abstract forms and shades of nature. Contemplating these natural mo...
Canvas, Acrylic
Abstract Fish Painting Coral Reef Impasto Painting Palette Knife Art
Located in Zofingen, AG
Fish Painting Coral Reef Impasto Painting Palette Knife Art by Olga Nikitina Title: Fish Symphony Size: 80x60x2 cm Materials: oil, stretched canvas, palette knife Shipping: gallery ...
Canvas, Oil
Rose Art Museum (Open Wall) Poster /// Helen Frankenthaler Female Abstract Art
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: (after) Helen Frankenthaler (American, 1928-2011) Title: "Rose Art Museum (Open Wall)" Year: 1981 Medium: Original Offset-Lithograph, Exhibition Poster on light wove paper Li...
Lithograph, Offset
$11,000
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
#202, 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
$2,711
Abstract Landscape Painting in Blue and Multicolor on Canvas Gabriela Meunie
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
$72Sale Price|20% Off
Grazia Offset Print by Gunter Blum, Abstract Expressionist, 1994
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This striking photograph of Grazia by Gunter Blum exemplifies the artist’s renowned ability to capture the female form in all its unabashed beauty and power. Grazia is depicted tilti...
Offset
Energy in motion - abstract painting
Located in New York, NY
Inspired by industrial cubism, contrasted with many colors as if to give life to the shapes. "I am an interior designer and painter, bridging worlds – connecting lines and colors, ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Water Color Abstract - Figures at the Table
Located in Houston, TX
French painting in bright green, blue and yellow tones of someone sitting at a table by artist Jean-Charles Lauthe, 1971. Signed and dated lower right. Original artwork on paper dis...
Watercolor, Paper
untitled- abstract painting red , blue and yellow dominant
By Olivier Schneider
Located in New York, NY
OLIVIER SCHNEIDER Untitled (Abstract), 1995 32.0 x 32.0 acrylic on paper, mounted on wood board ink signed and dated verso Olivier Schneider delivers a unique and colorful abstract ...
Acrylic, Archival Paper
$842Sale Price|20% Off
« Autumn trees» Original semi-abstract painting . Home decor
Located in Oslo, NO
This artwork is a vivid, abstract landscape bursting with dynamic colors and flowing forms. The composition is a harmonious blend of earthy tones—rich reds, deep greens, and soft blu...
Paper, Acrylic
$445
Alexander Calder Print, Abstract Style, 1968, Plate 4, Derriere le Miroir #173
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Alexander Calder Title: Plate 4 Portfolio: Derriere le Miroir #173 Medium: Lithograph Date: 1968 Edition: Unnumbered Sheet Size: 15" x 11" Image Size: 15" x 11" Signature: Un...
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
$1,376Sale Price|20% Off
Evanescence: Painting, Large, Abstract, Acrylic, Bold, Blue, Figurative, Blues
By Karnish Art
Located in Pretoria, Gauteng
Title: Evanescence of Time Evanescence Painting Large Contemporary Bold Blue Statement Figurative Modern Texture Stories In this vibrant acrylic painting, I've infused the essence ...
Gesso, Canvas, Wood, Oil, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
$7,500
Deluxe Hand Signed & Numbered 25/30 Cat: Lembark 155 Carnegie Museum lithograph
By Sam Francis
Located in New York, NY
Sam Francis Untitled Abstract Expressionist lithograph (Hand Signed from the Carnegie Museum Deluxe Edition), 1972 Catalogue Raisonné: 155, Lembark Hand signed and numbered 25/30 on...
Lithograph
Vintage Cactus Will James Ranch Saddle
Located in Dallas, TX
Colored pencil & graphite on paper
Paper, Color Pencil, Graphite
$3,468Sale Price|20% Off
Having a Cigarette among Pink and Blue-Pure Gold 18K Leaf-British Awarded Artist
Located in London, GB
Having a Cigarette Among Pink and Blue is an intimate large-scale plein-air painting by British awarded artist Shizico Yi, created in her garden where a historic avenue of 130-year-o...
Gold
Minimal Geometric Abstract Composition in Blue and Neutrals by Blanca Nieto
By Blanca Nieto
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...
Silk, Cord, Pigment
"Moment of the Past 2", Abstract Oil Painting on Canvas, Framed, 2010+
Located in San Diego, CA
This is an original abstract oil on canvas painting by San Diego artist, Khalid Alkaaby. It's framed dimensions are 13.5"x13.5"x2". It comes framed. A certificate of authenticity wil...
Canvas, Oil
Red Cascade - Cypress Gardens - contemporary, abstract, acrylic on paper
Located in Bloomfield, ON
The kaleidoscope of colours and the dynamic form of nature are expressed in this joyful celebration of nature. Rendered in right red, yellow, blue, green, orange and yellow—the colou...
Monoprint
Original Modern Contemporary painting on canvas, Abstract, Fantasy style, Framed
Located in Palm Coast, FL
Up for sale Original Abstract Acrylic Painting on canvas in a fantasy abstract style. A unique technique, very colorful. An unusual combination of colors, a flow from sharp to soft s...
Acrylic
$3,536
River Of Time. Horizontal, large format, fish, red, semi-abstract, design
Located in Oslo, NO
The fish, which is swimming slowly and smoothly in the waters of the river, represents the passage of time. The fish in the foreground is the "Here-And-Now", while the fish in the up...
Acrylic