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Abstract Art

ABSTRACT STYLE

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.

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Style: Abstract
An ancient fable. 1971. Oil on canvas, 100x150 cm
An ancient fable. 1971. Oil on canvas, 100x150 cm

An ancient fable. 1971. Oil on canvas, 100x150 cm

By Ivars Muizulis

Located in Riga, LV

An ancient fable. 1971. Oil on canvas, 100x150 cm Ivars Muizulis (1936) 1956 – Graduated from the Liepaja Art College, Department of Sculpture 1956 – 1960 – Studied at the Art Aca...

Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Love
Love

Love

By Irina Burda

Located in Zofingen, AG

“Love” Love is the meeting of two shadows and two lights. It is a path through fears and silent barriers, where tenderness becomes strength. It reveals the self, lays bare vulnerabil...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Circles Abstract Painting, Gouache & Ink, Signed, Mid-20th Century
Circles Abstract Painting, Gouache & Ink, Signed, Mid-20th Century

Circles Abstract Painting, Gouache & Ink, Signed, Mid-20th Century

Located in Chesterfield, MI

Gouache & Ink abstracts from the Mid-20th Century are unique. This is by Dutch artist Andrus Theodore Vossen born in the Netherlands in 1893 and he died in 1963. It is pencil sig...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Ink, Gouache

untitled- abstract painting red , blue and yellow dominant
untitled- abstract painting red , blue and yellow dominant

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 ...

Category

1990s Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic, Archival Paper

"Many For The Empath" (abstract, flora, fauna, roses, oil painting, green, pink)
"Many For The Empath" (abstract, flora, fauna, roses, oil painting, green, pink)

"Many For The Empath" (abstract, flora, fauna, roses, oil painting, green, pink)

By Nicholas Evans

Located in Paris, IDF

MANY FOR THE EMPATH 2026 Paris, France This complex and layered floral painting of an abundant, overflowing bouquet presents an energetic and mesmerizing subject. This original mixe...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Oil Crayon, Dye, Cotton Canvas, Ink, Oil, Acrylic

Personalities (Limited Edition Print)
Personalities (Limited Edition Print)

Personalities (Limited Edition Print)

By Mauro Oliveira

Located in LOS ANGELES, CA

**FALL SUPER SALE UNTIL OCT. 13TH - TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT** Limited edition of 30 museum quality prints on CANVAS, signed and numbered by the artist. The print look like as the PRI...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Cotton Canvas

Phantom of Opera
Phantom of Opera

Phantom of Opera

By Corneille

Located in Paris, FR

Silksreen, 1993 Handsigned by the artist in pencil and annotated EA Artist proof 88.00 cm. x 65.00 cm. 34.65 in. x 25.59 in. (paper) 74.50 cm. x 54.50 cm. 29.33 in. x 21.46 in. (i...

Category

1990s Abstract Art

Materials

Silk

1970 Signed Limited Edition Large Screen Print II
1970 Signed Limited Edition Large Screen Print II

1970 Signed Limited Edition Large Screen Print II

By Jimmy Ernst

Located in Rochester Hills, MI

Jimmy Ernst  Plate II - 1970 Print - Screen Print on Heavy Paper 28'' x 37'' inches Edition: Signed in pencil and numbered 24/125 Jimmy Ernst’s artwork was influenced by a number of powerful talents and vital currents in the art of his time. Son of Max Ernst, Jimmy drew upon the biomorphic and surreal compositions of his father, as well as Arp, Klee, André Breton, and Lyonel Feininger. His mature oil paintings, which emerged in the 1950s and 1960s, reflect the Atomic Age aesthetic of the period. Often, they resemble crystals or webs; many look like vast labyrinths and are interpreted as symbols of the unconscious mind. Ernst was always interested in spirituality and drew inspiration from indigenous American art...

Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Screen

Red, green and blue composition 76
Red, green and blue composition 76

Red, green and blue composition 76

By Serge Poliakoff

Located in Paris, FR

Lithograph, 1969 Handsigned by the artist in pencil and numbered 26/80 Publisher : Galerie Im Erker (Saint-Gallen) Printer : Erker-Press (Saint-Gallen) Catalog : [Schneider 76] 87....

Category

1960s Abstract Art

Materials

Lithograph

Golden Hour Landscape 3 - Abstract Flowy Minimalist Ink Painting on Linen Paper
Golden Hour Landscape 3 - Abstract Flowy Minimalist Ink Painting on Linen Paper

Golden Hour Landscape 3 - Abstract Flowy Minimalist Ink Painting on Linen Paper

By Bettina Mauel

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Bettina Mauel expresses dynamism and sensuality in her paintings: “I paint what I experience,” she articulates. “This includes landscapes, flowers, and people in motion, capturing th...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Linen, Ink, Mixed Media

Women on the Beach (Constellations)
Women on the Beach (Constellations)

Women on the Beach (Constellations)

By Joan Miró

Located in Paris, FR

Stencil, 1959 Publisher : Pierre Matisse (New York) Printer : Mourlot (Daniel Jacomet) Image dimensions : 35.50 cm. x 43.00 cm. (13.98 in. x 16.93 in.) Paper dimensions : 35.50 cm. x...

Category

1950s Abstract Art

Materials

Stencil

Florida Oil Painting African American Woman Art Annie Nobles Miller Indian River
Florida Oil Painting African American Woman Art Annie Nobles Miller Indian River

Florida Oil Painting African American Woman Art Annie Nobles Miller Indian River

Located in Surfside, FL

"Annie Nobles Miller" Abstract Florida landscape oil on board painting Hand signed lower left Inscribed on verso St. Lucie County. Measures: Board 24"H x 30"W; Framed - 32"H x 38"W. Annie Miller was a member of the Indian River School of Painting, which was not a formal school but was a group of mostly African-American Florida working class people who wanted to paint. Following is the explanation of that school and its participants. Indian River School is a name applied to Floridian artists in the 1950's and 1960's. They were heavily influenced by nature. Most of the artists in this movement were African American. Their work is characterized by quick strokes and eschews traditional methods of paintings. The main influence for the group was a man named A.E. Backus, a Bohemian white man who mentored the group of young black artists. The group used to congregate in his studio and learnt to paint from 'Beanie' (as he was called) as a way out of their lower class labour jobs. Their work was powerful, dramatic yet captured the serenity and beauty of the Florida Although the exact count of artists mentored by A.E. Backus remains unknown, experts estimate it to be around 20 individuals, many of whom he supported through college. Albert Ernest "Beanie" Backus (1906–1990) was famous for his vivid, naturalist Florida landscapes capturing a fast-vanishing Florida wild lands. Backus would come to be seen as the seminal Florida landscape painter, and others who followed would emulate him. Primarily of the Indian River and Everglades areas of Florida. Backus was a Native Floridian artist of great importance recreating scenes of Florida's sky, rivers, ocean, back country, unpredictable weather, clouds, and birds. Born in Fort Pierce, FL to a family of talented boat designers and builders. His "Uncle" Reg Goodwin helped Backus as a young painter go to the Parsons School of Fine Art in New York in 1924. He was referred to as “Florida’s painter laureate,” and the “Dean of Florida’s landscape painters.”In addition to his influence on the Florida Highwaymen painters (Alfred Hair...

Category

1960s Abstract Art

Materials

Oil, Board

Ramblas

Ramblas

By Helen Frankenthaler

Located in New York, NY

Created by the artist in 1987-88, Ramblas is an original lithograph, drypoint, and etching in colors on Rives BFK paper. Hand-signed, dated, and numbered from the edition of 75 in pe...

Category

20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Drypoint, Etching, Lithograph

P2

P2

By Jason Hackenwerth

Located in Denver, CO

This painting by Florida - based artist Jason Hackenwerth from the features a bright yellow background, gestural black pigment, and bold configuration. Hackenwerth's expressive mark-...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media

Palace Gardens. Contemporary Oil Painting

Palace Gardens. Contemporary Oil Painting

By Paul Wadsworth

Located in Brecon, Powys

Leading British Expressionist Paul Wadsworth captures the magic of India in his paintings. These unique pieces are created from real life scenes and experiences laid down onto the ca...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

Derriere Le Miroir No. 201, Untitled
Derriere Le Miroir No. 201, Untitled

Derriere Le Miroir No. 201, Untitled

By Alexander Calder

Located in Austin, TX

Artist: Alexander Calder Title: Derriere Le Miroir No. 201, Untitled Single Lithograph from the Derriere le Miroir No. 201 publication. Unsigned and unnumbered from an edition of p...

Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Lithograph

Rene Leroy French Abstract Cubist Collage Mixed Media Painting
Rene Leroy French Abstract Cubist Collage Mixed Media Painting

Rene Leroy French Abstract Cubist Collage Mixed Media Painting

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Key Details Artist: R. Leroy, French, born 1932 Title: Abstract / Cubist Composition Medium: Mixed media, material and oil on canvas, unframed Size: Painting: 21.25 x 28.75 inches Pr...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

Surfing in the Blue Cathedral: Contemporary Figurative Painting

Surfing in the Blue Cathedral: Contemporary Figurative Painting

Located in Brecon, Powys

Walshe goes surfing! We are delighted to sell works on behalf of Walshe. Walshe is the founder of the Neo-Deco style and the motifs he uses in his art are born of his concerns for t...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic

Untitled (Abstract Expressionist)
Untitled (Abstract Expressionist)

Untitled (Abstract Expressionist)

By Murray Hantman

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Murray Hantman (1904-1999). Untitled, ca. 1950-55. Oil on canvas measures 20 x 26 inches, 26 x 32 inches in silver leaf vintage frame.. Signed lower right. Excellent condition with ...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

'Green Shade' — Mid-century Modernism, Abstract Expressionism, Atelier 17
'Green Shade' — Mid-century Modernism, Abstract Expressionism, Atelier 17

'Green Shade' — Mid-century Modernism, Abstract Expressionism, Atelier 17

By Stanley William Hayter

Located in Myrtle Beach, SC

Stanley William Hayter, 'Green Shade', color etching and scraper, 1963, edition 50, (only 39 printed), B&M 278. Signed, titled, dated, and numbered '1/50' in pencil. A superb, richly-inked, luminous impression, with fresh, vivid colors, on Barcham Green textured cream wove paper; the full sheet with margins (2 3/16 to 3 1/4 inches), in excellent condition. Printed: intaglio black-green, contact lumogen yellow, soft roller phthalo green. Scarce. Image size 15 7/16 x 11 5/8 inches (392 x 295 mm); sheet size 21 1/8 x 16 inches (537 x 406 mm). Matted to museum standards (unframed). Collection: The British Museum ABOUT THE ARTIST Stanley William Hayter (1901-1988) was a British painter and printmaker associated in the 1930s with Surrealism and from 1940 onward with Abstract Expressionism. Regarded as one of the most significant printmakers of the 20th century, Hayter founded the legendary Atelier 17...

Category

1960s Abstract Art

Materials

Etching

Crustacean Green Ceramic Bowl Sculpture
Crustacean Green Ceramic Bowl Sculpture

Crustacean Green Ceramic Bowl Sculpture

By Adrienne Fierman

Located in East Quogue, NY

"Green Crustacean Seapod", Ceramic Bowl Sculpture Dimensions: 8 H × 8 W × 5 D Medium: Hand-built ceramic, glazed stoneware Hand-built ceramic sculpture finished in a green glaze. Ad...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Ceramic, Stoneware

Abstract art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Abstract art available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add art created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, purple, orange, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Sumit Mehndiratta, Giorgio Lo Fermo, Francisco Nicolás, and Dadodu . Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Synthetic Resin Paint and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Abstract art, so small editions measuring 0.02 inches across are also available.