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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.

Find original abstract paintings, sculptures, prints and other art on 1stDibs.

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Style: Abstract
Vintage American Cloudy Pastel-Colored Abstract Oil Painting
Vintage American Cloudy Pastel-Colored Abstract Oil Painting

Vintage American Cloudy Pastel-Colored Abstract Oil Painting

Located in Buffalo, NY

Vintage American abstract oil painting. Oil on canvas. Framed. Measuring: 24.5 by 32.5 inches overall and 24 x 32 painting alone. Framed in a wood molding. Excellent condition, read...

Category

20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Palimpseste- Large Black Abstract Library Painting – Oil on Canvas –Contemporary
Palimpseste- Large Black Abstract Library Painting – Oil on Canvas –Contemporary

Palimpseste- Large Black Abstract Library Painting – Oil on Canvas –Contemporary

By SOPHIE DUMONT

Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR

Title: Palimpsest Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 100 x 100 cm 39.37 x 39.37 in (canvas only), 107 x 107 cm 42.12 x 42.12 in framed Year: 2025 Framing: Black wooden floater frame ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Iris Inspiration: Acrylic Painting, Floral Abstract, Contemporary, Still-life
Iris Inspiration: Acrylic Painting, Floral Abstract, Contemporary, Still-life

Iris Inspiration: Acrylic Painting, Floral Abstract, Contemporary, Still-life

By Karnish Art

Located in Pretoria, Gauteng

Title: Iris Inspiration Floral, Abstract, Contemporary, Nature, Soft tones, Original, Authentic, Investment In this gentle, though lively acrylic painting, I connected to the joys ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic, Gesso, Canvas, Stretcher Bars

Original-Jardin d'Hiver-British Awarded Artist-Impasto , oil, gesso on paper
Original-Jardin d'Hiver-British Awarded Artist-Impasto , oil, gesso on paper

Original-Jardin d'Hiver-British Awarded Artist-Impasto , oil, gesso on paper

Located in London, GB

Jardin d'Hiver Series is Shizico Yi's latest collection, created in her winter studio while savouring for the summer left behind. Reflecting on the vibrant days spent painting en pl...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Gesso, Oil, Acrylic, Archival Paper

Henriette "Yetti" Stolz Abstract Oil Painting Colorado Modern Framed
Henriette "Yetti" Stolz Abstract Oil Painting Colorado Modern Framed

Henriette "Yetti" Stolz Abstract Oil Painting Colorado Modern Framed

Located in Denver, CO

A striking original abstract oil painting by Colorado artist Henriette “Yetti” Stolz, known for her bold use of color and expressive modernist compositions. This dynamic work feature...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Untitled (hard-edge abstract painting)
Untitled (hard-edge abstract painting)

Untitled (hard-edge abstract painting)

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Budd Hopkins (1931-2011). Abstract, 1968. Oil on canvas, 30 x 52 inches; 31 x 53 inches framed. Signed and dated lower margin. Provenance: Timothy Collins (1940-2017), Palo Alto, CA...

Category

1960s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Squared Harmony
Squared Harmony

Squared Harmony

Located in Zofingen, AG

This artwork, created on a black canvas, captivates with its minimalist form and refined texture. The surface is adorned with clay squares painted in an elegant ivory color. The soft...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Clay, Canvas, Acrylic

Landscape, Woodstock painting, contemporary art.
Landscape, Woodstock painting, contemporary art.

Landscape, Woodstock painting, contemporary art.

By Arthur Pinajian

Located in La Canada Flintridge, CA

Untitled Landscape, Woodstock, 1969 Oil on canvas, signed by Arthur Pinajian on the lower right. Includes a certificate of authenticity from the Estate of Arthur Pinajian. Arthur Pin...

Category

1950s Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

Abstract Oil Painting by Yvette Dubois-Habasque, Signed, 21st Century
Abstract Oil Painting by Yvette Dubois-Habasque, Signed, 21st Century

Abstract Oil Painting by Yvette Dubois-Habasque, Signed, 21st Century

By Yvette Dubois Habasque

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Abstract by Yvette Dubois-Habasque (1929-2016) signed and dated verso and signed with initials in lower right oil painting on artists board, unframed painting measures: 15.75 x 12 i...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

Paul Manes - Untitled Landscape, Painting 2024

Paul Manes - Untitled Landscape, Painting 2024

By Paul Manes

Located in Stamford, CT

Paul Manes was born May 4, 1948, in Austin, Texas. He began his professional career in New York City in the early 1980s. His art has been widely exhibited in America and Europe and h...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Paint, Oil

"Genesis: The Birth of Creation"
"Genesis: The Birth of Creation"

"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...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Mixed Media

Savage Garden ll, Abstract Painting
Savage Garden ll, Abstract Painting

Savage Garden ll, Abstract Painting

By DL Watson

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
An abstract floral painting emerges through layered muted and metallic paints, collage elements, and textured surfaces. Organic shapes suggest flowers and folia...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic

Live Passionately - Red Abstract Floral Painting
Live Passionately - Red Abstract Floral Painting

Live Passionately - Red Abstract Floral 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...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Huge Contemporary Spanish Signed Oil Painting Picasso Style Horse Abstract Paint
Huge Contemporary Spanish Signed Oil Painting Picasso Style Horse Abstract Paint

Huge Contemporary Spanish Signed Oil Painting Picasso Style Horse Abstract Paint

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Abstract Horses Spanish School, signed 'Santos' early 21st century acrylic painting on canvas, unframed canvas: 32 x 48 inches condition: very good provenance: private collection, So...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic, Canvas

Abstract Landscape - Field of Green, Abstract Oil Painting
Abstract Landscape - Field of Green, Abstract Oil Painting

Abstract Landscape - Field of Green, Abstract Oil Painting

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Sage green stretches across the foreground, evoking a lively abstract field. Blue, rust, and black tones shape the horizon in the distance. Expressive strokes a...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

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

Bistro du Midi, Oil Painting
Bistro du Midi, Oil Painting

Bistro du Midi, Oil Painting

By Onelio Marrero

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
In his distinct style of impressionism, artist Onelio Marrero displays a man in a suit reading the news as he sits by an empty dining hall. He bases the piece on sketches of a Back Bay, Boston restaurant named Bistro du Midi. He creates a narrative of an imaginary proprietor perusing a newspaper before the establishment opens and the clients fill the place. Onelio gives the viewer a sense of the décor and light streaming through the windows - beyond it, a hint of the Boston Public Garden.


About the Artist
Artist Onelio Marrero paints impressionist city scenes of everyday life. He captures the romanticism of New York City, from the picturesque fountains in Central Park to a glistening city street on a rainy afternoon. He creates a sense of nostalgia and intimacy with his work, offering the feeling that you have visited this particular scene before. “Each play of light, each texture, and each movement of a figure can have a captivating effect on me,” says Onelio. He studied at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art where he mastered discerning color and values, giving his work a more spontaneous appearance. Onelio’s work is an appreciation for beauty in all of its greatest forms; nature, art, and people.


Words that describe this painting: restaurant, newspaper, bistro, cafe, table, Boston, Public Garden, Boston Common...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

Rhapsody in Yellow - oil on canvas - abstract
Rhapsody in Yellow - oil on canvas - abstract

Rhapsody in Yellow - oil on canvas - abstract

By Stephen Henriques

Located in Burlingame, CA

Color is always central in Henriques' delightful compositions that are at once, balanced, harmonious, and a toast to life. 'Rhapsody in Yellow' with its bright and pure hues shimmer...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Forever Hope - Abstract Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, Framed, 1980s
Forever Hope - Abstract Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, Framed, 1980s

Forever Hope - Abstract Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, Framed, 1980s

Located in Bloomfield, ON

This modern abstract is a Harold Feist 'spoke' painting. Early in his career, Canadian artist Harold Feist was mentored by the famed New York Art critic, Clement Greenberg and the f...

Category

1980s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

EXPLOSION
EXPLOSION

EXPLOSION

Located in Zofingen, AG

That moment when everything inside refuses to stay quiet. Color, feeling, energy — breaking out like a flash. It’s not destruction. It’s becoming. That’s how Midnight Swim begins. ...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Five Lines With Dots
Five Lines With Dots

Five Lines With Dots

Located in Dallas, TX

ink & graphite on mulberry paper

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Ink, Mulberry Paper, Graphite

Madeline.  Contemporary Abstract Oil Painting

Madeline. Contemporary Abstract Oil Painting

By Peter Rossiter

Located in Brecon, Powys

Contemporary abstract painting by Welsh artist Peter Rossiter. Artists comments on the painting "The painting is an exploration of warm relationships between colours and choreograph...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

Portrait Painting Longing Africa Bold Flow Desire Striking Invest Gold Sensual
Portrait Painting Longing Africa Bold Flow Desire Striking Invest Gold Sensual

Portrait Painting Longing Africa Bold Flow Desire Striking Invest Gold Sensual

By Karnish Art

Located in Pretoria, Gauteng

Title: My African Dream - The Longing Portrait Painting Contemplation Africa Bold Flow Dream Striking Investment Color Gold Abstract portrait in Acrylics and Oil sealed with high qu...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Gesso, Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Spanish artist original 1975 lithograph on canvas book cover for Rafael Alberti
Spanish artist original 1975 lithograph on canvas book cover for Rafael Alberti

Spanish artist original 1975 lithograph on canvas book cover for Rafael Alberti

By Joan Miró

Located in Miami, FL

Joan Miro (Spain, 1893-1983) 'Maravillas con variaciones acrósticas en el jardín de Miró (cobertura para el estuche)', 1975 lithograph on canvas 21.5 x 32.25 x 21 in. (54 x 82 cm.) Edition of 1500 Unframed ID: MIR2001-014 It is documented in Cramer, P (1992). Miró Litographer V (1972-1975). Maeght Éditeur, pp 162-163. No. 1051. Artwork history: At the end of 1971 Rafael Alberti wrote from Rome to Joan Miró in the following terms “(…) I think I have news that you liked my folder...

Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Lithograph, Canvas, Ink

A Summer's Sunset
A Summer's Sunset

A Summer's Sunset

Located in San Francisco, CA

In this abstract landscape, artist Geneva Cross conveys the mood of a dreamlike summer evening that might be remembered by any of us in its universality. Blending the basic elements ...

Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Masonite, Oil

Untitled - Expression no. 2 - Screen Print After Jackson Pollock - 1964
Untitled - Expression no. 2 - Screen Print After Jackson Pollock - 1964

Untitled - Expression no. 2 - Screen Print After Jackson Pollock - 1964

By Jackson Pollock

Located in Roma, IT

JACKSON POLLOCK (American, 1912-1956) Untitled, CR1093 (after painting Number 9, CR340), 1951–printed 1964 Screenprint, on Strathmore wove paper, numbered in pencil lower left, and with the Estate of Jackson Pollock 1964 blindstamp lower left(?) From the second posthumous printing of 50 authorized by his widow, Lee Krasner in 1964 (there was also a lifetime edition of 25) Published by Bernard Steffen...

Category

1960s Abstract Art

Materials

Screen

Harmony of Textures. Abstract
Harmony of Textures. Abstract

Harmony of Textures. Abstract

Located in Zofingen, AG

The artwork, created on an 8 mm plywood base, captivates with its textures and interplay of materials. The upper part is crafted from high-quality faux leather, resembling soft, flow...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Plywood, Mixed Media, Leather, Acrylic, Panel, Putty

Colored circles, abstraction
Colored circles, abstraction

Colored circles, abstraction

Located in Zofingen, AG

The painting shows an abstract composition of interwoven colorful forms set against a dark background. The background is painted in deep burgundy tones. Broad, semi-transparent brus...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Ky Anderson "Land 25.4" 2025 acrylic on watercolor paper
Ky Anderson "Land 25.4" 2025 acrylic on watercolor paper

Ky Anderson "Land 25.4" 2025 acrylic on watercolor paper

By Ky Anderson

Located in New York, NY

Ky Anderson Land 25.4, 2025 acrylic on watercolor paper 30 x 44 in. (and504) Artist Statement: My work falls somewhere between abstraction, formalism and narrative painting. I see...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

Transigent  (Abstract Contemporary Painting, Framed)
Transigent  (Abstract Contemporary Painting, Framed)

Transigent (Abstract Contemporary Painting, Framed)

By G. Campbell Lyman

Located in New Orleans, LA

(Comes professionally framed in a solid maple floater frame, ready to hang) Artist's Statement "This series of intensely colorful paintings was begun a couple of years back in reaction to the gray oppressive weight that had descended like a pall on the American scene. I wanted to make paintings about nothing but pure delight, in honor of the fact that beneath the fog of germs and political antagonism, we still eat, laugh, love and if we're wise, acknowledge how spectacularly fortunate we are -- at least for now, in this time and place, despite the problems. For me, the colors, forms and brushstrokes here feel exuberant without suggesting an unnerving chaos. I have purposely used unlikely color combinations that despite their dissonance seem to work together. I don't feel this is a time to be making brooding works that reflect the problems we are working our way through; we all know about this. On the contrary, I think it's a time for art...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Lacquer, Charcoal, House Paint, Oil, Acrylic

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.