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.
Vintage American Framed Abstract Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American abstract painting. Gouache on board. Measuring: 18 by 22 inches overall and 12 by 16 artwork alone. Framed in antique gilt wood frame. Excellent condition, ready to...
Board, Gouache
Fig. 8. From The Dibujar el Tiempo Series
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The project is a series of ink drawings on different surfaces, depicting the solstices and equinoxes of the year through the overlapping of shadows at various times of the day. ...
Paper, India Ink
Untitled
Located in Berlin, MD
Stanley Sporny (American 1946 - 2008) A view into a stream with overhanging branches reflected in the water. A beautiful oil painting that explores the stream bottom as well as the ...
Canvas, Oil
Sailing In The Nympheas - Red Copper Gold Abstract Floral Landscape 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
$694Sale Price|20% Off
"Abstract Composition" by Armand Rottenberg (French 1903-2000) signed lower
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
"Abstract Composition" by Armand Rottenberg (French 1903-2000) oil painting on board, unframed board: 36 x 28.5 inches Stunning original Cubist painting by the French abstract art...
Oil
$585Sale Price|35% Off
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
Shimmering Quiet 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
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
A dynamic futurist inspired painting with a color-filled pallet
Located in Colfax, CA
A dynamic abstract painting from the 1950s. The work appears to be signed, Nicotine, Nicotina, or Vicotina? The artist was clearly influenced by earlier styles of abstraction, includ...
Oil
Small Abstract Graphite Drawing, 2000-2009, Unframed
Located in Bournemouth, Dorset
George Dannatt (1915-2009) Small Linear Composition on Graphite 1997 Image: 19.0 x 14.0 cm Mount: 27.6 x 20.5cm Reference number: 1345 George Dannatt’s long career as a painter and...
Pencil, Graphite
$72Sale Price|20% Off
Donald Lipski 'Roland Garros French Open' 1995- Poster
Located in Brooklyn, NY
In 1995, American sculptor Donald Lipski was commissioned to design the official poster for the French Open at Roland Garros. Known for his innovative installations and large-scale p...
Offset
Poem 71-25 (Me)
By Haku Maki
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Poem 71-25 (Me) Color woodcut with cement mold embossing, 1971 Signed, titled and numbered in pencil (see photos) Edition 100 (55/100) (see photo) Signed with the artist's stamp lowe...
Woodcut
$1,036Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage American Modernist Outsider Pop Art Abstract Large Original Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American modernist abstract oil painting. Oil on canvas. Signed.
Canvas, Oil
R. Poch Square Big. 112. aire. 120x120. acrylic painting
By Ramon Poch
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
112. AIRE 120 x 120 cm acrylic painting Born in Badalona (Barcelona). Photographer and advertising film director. Founding partner of the advertising production company La Cosa de...
Acrylic
$1,200Sale Price|40% Off
Untitled Floral Still Life
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Beautiful floral still life by American artist Jane Piper (1916-1991) . Pastel, oil crayon and pencil on tracing paper. Image measuring 13 x 15.5 inches in ...
Parchment Paper, Crayon, Pastel, Pencil
#271, 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
Zone, vibrant, jewel-like, diaphanous strips of fabric collages
Located in New York, NY
Linda Kamille Schmidt plays with emotional connections and memory in her smaller, framed works. In their encasements, each collage appears as a portal; a...
Fabric, Thread, Plastic, Pins
Green Composition - Etching by Nino Cordio - 1995
By Nino Cordio
Located in Roma, IT
Image dimensions: 14.7 x 10 cm. Green Composition is an original mixed colored etching realized by Nino Cordio in 1995. Hand signed and dated on the lower right margin. Numbered on the lower left margin. Ed. 57/65. Nino Cordio (Santa Ninfa, 10 July 1937 - Rome, 24 April 2000...
Etching
Beginning to shine 2
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Beginning to shine 2" continues the story of awakening, where the first rays of the sun gently illuminate the earth. This picture is filled with warmth and light, peace and new poss...
Canvas, Acrylic
$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
ABSTRACT Artwork Landscapes Contemporary Giorgio Petracci Earth Brown
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...
Gesso, Wood, Acrylic
$12,000Sale Price|52% Off
Civilisation Exploding Print, Abstract Style, Archival Ink, 2010+
By Damien Hirst
Located in New York, NY
Damien Hirst 'Civilisation Exploding', 2024 Glicée print on cotton smooth rag 56.3 x 44.1 in. / 143 x 112 cm. The specific information regarding edition will be provided at the time...
Archival Ink
Abstract Composition
Located in Los Angeles, CA
An abstract mixed media composition on paper. Original frame and mat. Signed and dated lower right. He was born to Czechoslovakian parents in 1892 in New York City. Living in Chicago...
Mixed Media
Wine Glass with Flowers, Lithograph by Hoi Lebadang
By Hoi Lebadang
Located in Long Island City, NY
Lebadang (aka Hoi), Vietnamese (1922 - 2015) - Wine Glass with Flowers. Year: circa 1970, Medium: Lithograph on Handmade paper, signed in pencil, Edition: EA, Size: 29 x 21 in. (73....
Lithograph
"Rhythmic Sanctuary" Abstract metallic glaze stoneware ceramic sculpture
Located in East Quogue, NY
Hand-pitched speckled stoneware ceramic sculpture with metallic glaze by Jessamyn Go. Jessamyn Go's work is deeply rooted in the visceral, meditative experience of working with clay...
Ceramic, Stoneware, Glaze
$1,200Sale Price|70% Off
Figure Sur Rouge (Figure on Red) /// Contemporary French Painting Minimalism Art
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Pierre Marie Brisson (French, 1955-) Title: "Figure Sur Rouge (Figure on Red)" *Signed by Brisson lower right. It is also signed and dated on verso Year: 1983 Medium: Origina...
Paint, Oil, Handmade Paper, Rag Paper, Mixed Media
$1,062Sale Price|20% Off
Original Diptych-Sunset Song-British Awarded Artist-Plein Air evening oil
Located in London, GB
Sunset Song Series was created entirely en plein air, painted directly under the dimming light of late-summer and autumn sunsets and moonlight, with no artificial light to guide her...
Gesso, Canvas, Oil, Acrylic, Wood Panel
$650Sale Price|20% Off
Cubist Composition Oil Painting on Card, Signed, Late 20th Century
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Cubist Composition by Armand Rottenberg (French 1903-2000) signed lower corner, oil painting on card, unframed painting: 13 x 10.75 inches Stunning original Cubist painting by the...
Oil
Derrière Le Miroir No. 250 (page 20, 21) /// Modern Abstract Joan Miro Red Art
Red, Blue & Black Composition Abstract Geometric Etching by Jacqueline De Butler
Located in Long Island City, NY
Jacqueline De Butler, French (1928 - ) - Red, Blue and Black Composition, Year: circa 1968, Medium: Etching with Aquatint on Arches, signed and ...
Etching, Aquatint
Alexander Calder: From Mobiles to Critters - Lithograph by Alexander Calder-1976
Located in Roma, IT
Lithograph realized in occasion of Calder's Exhibition at Galleria Rondanini, Rome, 1976. Not signed and not numbered, as issued. Edition of 500. Excellent condition
Lithograph
Signed 1983 Limited Edition J'ai retrouvé mon père sur les rives du Jourdain
Located in Rochester Hills, MI
Artist: Theo Tobiasse, French/Israeli (1927 - 2012) Title: J'ai retrouvé mon père sur les rives du Jourdain. Cat. Nahan Year: 1983 Medium: Aquatint Etching with Carborundum, signed i...
Aquatint
"Remember" Abstract Landscape Painting
Located in Westport, CT
This abstract painting by Kelly Rossetti is made with oil and acrylic paint on gallery wrapped canvas. It features loose, gestural brush strokes and a light palette with light blue, ...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Md Tokon - From My Garden 1, Painting 2022
By Md Tokon
Located in Stamford, CT
Collection: Beyond the Horizon Acrylic on canvas Md Tokon's style has reflected the art of American Abstract Expressionists. Md Tokon spent his early years in Jhenidah and Dhaka. Th...
Canvas, Acrylic Polymer, Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
$4,000Sale Price|20% Off
"Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolves and the Woodcutter"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
Sometimes stories change and we decide who to fear and who to keep in our hearts. My story is about an all-encompassing love that is so great that it changes people's stories.
Canvas, Oil
Strong Female Form
Located in New York, NY
This is a great sculpture with real gravitas and elegance. A great conception in terms of the forms and planes. Can be a star piece in a room - stone and surface are very attractive! Active primarily in the mid to late 20th century, Leo De Beer...
Stone
"Genesis: The Birth of Creation"
Located in Edinburgh, GB
This painting carries the energy of the number 10, a symbol of the completion of one cycle and the transition into a new stage. It represents the revelation of truth, breakthrough, r...
Mixed Media
Untitled
Located in Surfside, FL
30X21.25 without the frame. Mixed Media painting and drawing on paper. Lawrence Kupferman had a long and illustrious career as an artist and educator. His work has been exhibited at ...
Paper, Mixed Media
Slender Thing (Abstract, Modernist Brancusi Inspired Minimalist Grey Sculpture)
By Dai Ban
Located in Hudson, NY
Abstract modernist, minimal, Brancusi inspired three dimensional wall sculpture in light grey. Made of carved high-density foam, epoxy resin, pigment and gypsum cement. Despite it's ...
Plaster, Board, Pigment
Salvador Dalí (1904–1989) – Return, O Shulamite – Etching on paper - 1971
Located in Varese, IT
Etching with stencil and gilding on paper, edited in 1971. Limited edition, numbered in lower left corner 80/250 Signed in pencil by artist in lower right corner. Paper size: 55.5 x...
Etching
$16,000
"Guided Spirit" (maquette), Abstract, Bronze Metal Sculpture, Tabletop Size
Located in New York, NY
"Guided Spirit" (maquette) Abstract, Tabletop Size, Metal Sculpture by Kevin Barrett Bronze Kevin Barrett is noted for creating unique, rhythmic, abstract indoor and outdoor sculptu...
Metal, Bronze
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
Md Tokon - River to Sea, Sea to sky, Painting 2014
By Md Tokon
Located in Stamford, CT
Collection: Silent Space Acrylic on canvas Md Tokon's style has reflected the art of American Abstract Expressionists. Md Tokon spent his early years in Jhenidah and Dhaka. The phys...
Canvas, Paint, Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
Raventos 20 Vertical Big original abstract mixed media painting
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
El dia que es va crema el Liceo original abstract mixed media painting RAVENTÓS Mª Assumpció – (San Sadurní d’Anoia, Barcelona 1930). Raventos trained at the elite Sant Jordi School ...
Canvas, Mixed Media
Les Banderilles (IV), from A Los Toros Avec Picasso
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Pablo Picasso Title: Les Banderilles (IV) Portfolio: A Los Toros Avec Picasso Medium: Transfer lithograph Date: 1961 Edition: Unnumbered Frame Size: 18 1/4" x 20 3/4" Sheet ...
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
"Rhapsody" by Kevin Barrett, Unique Abstract Metal Sculpture in Bronze
Located in New York, NY
"Rhapsody" by Kevin Barrett Indoor/outdoor sculpture in bronze. The sculpture is 65"h and rests on a 24"h stainless steel base. Kevin Barrett is noted for creating unique, rhythmic,...
Metal, Bronze, Steel, Stainless Steel
$796Sale Price|20% Off
"Untitled" Swirling Abstract Oil on Canvas, Indonesian School of Affandi
Located in New York, NY
In the manner of Affandi Abstract Lotus, circa 1970 Unsigned Oil on canvas 30 x 40 inches
Canvas, Oil
Butterfly and Heart
By Damien Hirst
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Butterfly and Heart Drawing in black felt pen over color screenprint 'spot' composition Signed in full (bottom edge) and dedicated (top edge) Dedicated by the artist Annotated in fe...
Ink
$3,200Sale Price|20% Off
Untitled abstract expressionist oil painting by Cleveland School artist
Located in Beachwood, OH
Richard Andres American, 1927-2013 Untitled, c. 1984 acrylic and ink on paper mounted on canvas signed lower right 19 x 16 inches Richard Andres was born in Buffalo, New York in 192...
Ink, Acrylic
$5,960Sale Price|20% Off
Abstract Valley - Welsh 1963 art abstract landscape oil painting
Located in Hagley, England
This superb Welsh abstract oil painting is by noted artist Thomas John Nash, better known as Tom Nash. It was painted in 1963 and is entitled on a gallery lab...
Oil
Metope
Located in New York, NY
“Metope” was painted in 1996 with acrylic on canvas. The stretched canvas size is 56.25 x 46.25 inches. The artist's initials “M. D. C.” are in the lower left. Unframed. Between the...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,800
Intimate Lighting: Blue, Abstract Expressionist Screenprint by Robert Natkin
Located in Long Island City, NY
Robert Natkin, American (1930 - 2010) - Intimate Lighting: Blue, Year: 1974, Medium: Screenprint on Arches, signed, numbered and dated in pencil lower left, Edition: 59/100, Image...
Screen
Tapies Vertical original lithography lithograph
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Tapies Litografia original Work reproduced in the catalogue raisonné, image 286. Edited in 1971 TAPIES was the maximum representative of Spanish abstract art of the 20th century. ...
Paper, Lithograph
"Tinge", Contemporary, Gestural, Ceramic, Cream, White, Grey, Sculpture
Located in Franklin, MA
Sara Fine-Wilsons “Tinge” is a gestural 17 x 17 x 8 inch ceramic sculpture in pale cream, light gray and white with iron speckles. In this graceful and evocative sculpture individual...
Ceramic, Clay
$1,093
'K', Hockney's Alphabet, David Hockney and Stephen Spender, Lithograph, 1991
Located in Manchester, GB
David Hockney, 'K' from 'Hockney's Alphabet', 1991 Edition of 250 Free delivery within the UK From the special edition of Hockney's Alphabet, published in 1991, and signed on the ...
Lithograph
"The Dancer 2" Fauvist Abstract Original Oil Painting
Located in Soquel, CA
Abstract Expressionist painting by Southern California artist Chris Hamamoto (American, 20th century). Image, 40"H x 30"W. Unframed. Chris, a native of Southern California, has en...
Canvas, Oil
Oed de Chat, Abstract Geometric Etching with Aquatint by Jacqueline De Butler
Located in Long Island City, NY
Jacqueline De Butler, French (1928 - ) - Oed de Chat, Year: circa 1968, Medium: Etching with Aquatint on Arches, signed and numbered in pencil, ...
Etching, Aquatint
$16,500
Winter Berry Diptych: Abstract Encaustic Painting, Dark Red on Beige Background
By Allyson Levy
Located in Hudson, NY
Abstract encaustic painting with brown branches with dark red berries against a light beige background "Winter Berry Diptych" made by Hudson Valley based artist, Allyson Levy, in 201...
Organic Material, Mixed Media, Encaustic, Wood Panel
$680Sale Price|20% Off
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