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.
$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
Contemporary abstract expressionist floral painting on canvas "Red Bloom"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
"Red Bloom” is a vibrant contemporary floral still life by French artist Natalya Mougenot, part of her ongoing series dedicated to flowers. In this painting, roses gather in a genero...
Canvas, Linen, 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
$7,000
Abstract Bronze Sculpture, Unique Signed work from the estate of Arthur Carr
Located in New York, NY
Peter Reginato Abstract Bronze Sculpture, ca. 1987 Bronze Signed on the underside 4 × 6 1/2 × 5 1/2 inches This bronze sculpture is by the American abstract sculptor Peter Reginato. ...
Bronze
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
$3,483Sale 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
$4,800Sale Price|20% Off
"Tempole" Seymour Franks, Bright Red and Yellow, Abstract Mid-Century Painting
Located in New York, NY
Seymour Franks Tempole, 1948 Signed lower right; signed, dated, titled on verso Oil on canvas 35 x 42 inches American painter and designer, Seymour Franks, was born in New York Ci...
Canvas, Oil
Jay Phillips "Bel-Air Gate" 1981 Signed Enamel on Aluminum Wall Sculpture
By Jay Phillips
Located in Miami, FL
JAY PHILLIPS – "BEL-AIR GATE" ⚜ Enamel on Aluminum Wall Sculpture ⚜ Hand Signed and Numbered Lower Right ⚜ Roy Boyd Gallery Provenance ⚜ Acrylic Shadow Box Frame BOLD GEOMETRIC ENAM...
Metal, Enamel
$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
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
$849Sale 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
$2,500
"Writing on the Wall" White, Gray, and Black Abstract Contemporary Painting
Located in Houston, TX
Black, gray, and white abstract contemporary painting by Houston, TX artist Winifred Booth. The piece depicts white writings all over the canvas against...
Acrylic, Wood Panel
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
$956Sale Price|20% Off
Ellsworth Kelly, Green and Black, from Derriere le Miroir, 1958
Located in Southampton, NY
This exquisite lithograph by Ellsworth Kelly (1923–2015), titled Vert et noir (Green and Black), originates from the historic 1958 folio Derriere le Miroir, No. 110. Published by Mae...
Lithograph
"Whimsical" Abstract Painting 48" x 48" inch by Carole Baines
Located in Culver City, CA
"Whimsical" Abstract Painting 48" x 48" inch by Carole Baines Wisteria in my daughter's garden on Mount Tamborine. Medium: acrylic on linen Carole Baines is a self-taught, London-...
Canvas, Acrylic
Meccanismi Mechanisms 1960 Italy by Gualtiero Nativi
Located in Brescia, IT
This engaging artwork is a print on paper create by the Italian artist Gualtiero Nativi. It is a multiple of 250 specimens and it is numbered n. 2. Gualtiero Nativi is a well known ...
Paper
Lost in Blue
Located in New York, NY
Lost in Blue stands among Gérard Stricher’s most dynamic chromatic symphonies. The canvas surges with tactile energy: pools of azure, crimson, and gold sweep across the surface like ...
Oil
Imperial Red, Colorful Abstract Geometric Screenprint by Barbara Lynch Zinkel
Located in Long Island City, NY
A colorful geometric screenprint by American artist Barbara Lynch Zinkel inspired by the Josef Albers "Homage to the Square". Date: 1994 Medium: Screenprint, estate stamped verso an...
Screen
Floral - Viktoria Ganhao Abstract Contemporary Painting
Located in DE
This ethereal abstract painting captivates with its delicate interplay of colors and textures. Soft, swirling strokes of pastel greens and blues establish a serene, dreamlike atmosph...
Linen, Acrylic
Lino Litho BR, Planche IX
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Lino Litho BR, Planche IX Linocut and lithograph, 1970 Signed lower right of central image (see photo) Edition: 99 (56/99) (see photo) Published by London Arts Group, Detroit Conditi...
Linocut
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
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
Through the Window, Colorful Abstract Lithograph by Calman Shemi
By Calman Shemi
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Calman Shemi, Argentine (1939 - ) Title: Untitled I Medium: Lithograph, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: HC 60/450 Size: 34.5 in. x 26 in. (87.63 cm x 66.04 cm)
Lithograph
$2,250
"Maine Farmer" A late 20th-Century Abstract Painting in Red, Black & White
Located in San Francisco, CA
Not the visual expected of a painting carrying the title “Maine Farmer.” But this abstract composition manages to convey the flinty resolve of men who support their families on the output of demanding and “generally infertile” soils, as described by the University of Maine. Thank the Lord for blueberries. Artist Abraham Elterman bestrides two countries. He was born in Mexico City and spent much of his education in the sciences, here in sequence: a B.Sc. in Physics at the nearly 475-year-old Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico in his home town; a stint at Hebrew University of Jerusalem; a Ph.D. in Biophysics at the University of California, Berkeley; and then, taking a new direction with a residency in The Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture located in Madison, Maine. Ah-ha, Maine! Elterman’s website lists 22 exhibitions in both Mexico and California, starting in 1986, and inclusion in group shows at the Monterey Museum of Art, Monterey, California and the Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento...
Canvas, Oil
Original Collage on Canvas Titled: PDP 1058 ct19 12 x 15
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Post Dogmatist Painting on Panel, signed verso Art is 11 x 14 with frame approximately 12.5 x 15.5 ready to hang Cecil Touchon Born 1956 Austin, Texas is a contemporary American col...
Acrylic
$3,073Sale Price|20% Off
Whisper In A Hurricane
Located in Jönköping, SE
This painting is part of a series titled Wander, Wonder and Recall. The series is about movement. The movement of wind and water in nature. Have you ever just stopped and listened t...
Canvas, Acrylic
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
$1,418
Tree, Bindu & Five Elements - Original handsigned lithograph /150 copies #INDIA
Located in Paris, IDF
RAZA Sayed Haider Tree, bindu and five elements, 2008 Original Lithograph Handsigned in pencil Numbered / 150 copies On vellum 22 x 43" (56 x 110 cm) Authenticated by the Editor sta...
Lithograph
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
$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
Unremitting Protraction
By Brian Jerome
Located in Philadelphia, PA
the unceasing and relentless lengthening or delay of an event, process, or physical state beyond its expected or necessary duration
Oil, Acrylic
Vintage American Modernist Abstract Giltwood Framed Mid Century Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Vintage American modernist abstract oil painting. Oil on board. Framed. Signed. In excellent original condition. Handsomely framed in a giltwood molding. Excellent condition, re...
Oil, Board
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
$640Sale Price|20% Off
Silence of the Animals, Abstract Oil Painting on Canvas, 95x80 cm
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
"The Silence of the Animals" is an original oil painting on canvas by Colombian artist Luis Xiua, known for blending figurative and abstract elements inspired by nature and pre-Hispa...
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$2,718
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
"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
$1,066Sale 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
Evening Comes, Abstract Oil Painting
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
I love combining a strong tree line with a colorful foreground in my work," says artist Ronda Waiksnis. In this painting, Ronda portrays the abundant blessing...
Oil
Circus Triad 1981 Signed Screen Print by Arne Besser
Located in Rochester Hills, MI
Artist: Arne Besser Title: Circus Triad Year: 1981 Print: Silkscreen printed on Somerset White Satin Size: 26 x 22 in Signed in pencil and marked A.P. 22/30 Unframed Arne Besser ...
Screen
$600Sale Price|20% Off
5322 - Framed Figurative Abstract Textural Serene Earth Tones People Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Swiss artist Edith Konrad paints figurative abstract compositions with mixed media on canvas. She layers her expression of her emotional response to the subjects with dynamic texture...
Board, Canvas, Mixed Media
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
Vintage Cactus Will James Ranch Saddle
Located in Dallas, TX
Colored pencil & graphite on paper
Paper, Color Pencil, Graphite
$746Sale Price|25% Off
Antique American Impressionist Upstate New York Landscape Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
Antique American impressionist landscape oil painting. Signed verso. Really nicely framed. Great color and thick impressionist impasto. Image size, 10L x 8H.
Canvas, Oil
$3,490
The forest wakes 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
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
$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
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
Le Danseur Bleu (Very Large triptych)
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Le Danseur Bleu" Thriptych, 1985, is a large oil painting and mixed media triptych on canvas linen by noted French artist Pierre Marie Brisson (b. 1955) It is si...
Oil
Untitled XXVI, Colorful Signed Abstract Screenprint by Piero Dorazio
Located in Long Island City, NY
Untitled XXVI Piero Dorazio, Italian (1927–2005) Date: 1970 Screenprint, signed and numbered in pencil Edition of 37/80 Size: 28.5 x 38.5 in. (72.39 x 97.79 cm) Printer: Erker Presse...
Screen
$1,000
"Reflections 12", Abstract Landscape, Blue, Green, Pink, Gray, Oil Painting
Located in Franklin, MA
In Patricia Crotty’s abstract painting “Reflections 12,” colorful shapes and lines create an abstract landscape of blues, greens, pinks, and grays. The reflective surface of a lake i...
Canvas, Oil
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
$2,000
Agnes Martin Recent Paintings Limited Edition 1977 PACE Gallery invite on vellum
By Agnes Martin
Located in New York, NY
Agnes Martin Recent Paintings, 1977 Offset Lithograph invitation on Vellum 12 × 12 inches Edition of 2000 Unframed This early print is an exhibition invitation to the Pace Gallery's 1977 Agnes Martin show in New York. The image is a reproduction of a painting from the show, approved by Martin to be used on the invitation to the show. It is printed on a fragile, almost transparent vellum that captures the delicate power of the art. Less than 2000...
Offset, Lithograph
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
$3,600Sale Price|25% Off
'Abstract in Ochre, Rust and Jade', Mid-century Modernist American Woman Artist
By Dora Masters
Located in Santa Cruz, CA
Stamped, verso, on canvas with certification of authenticity for Dora Masters (American, 1916-2003), bearing stamped wax seal and painted circa 1955. Provenance: Acquired from the a...
Canvas, Oil
$1,878Sale Price|35% Off
A moment of the wildest freedom - Large abstract expressionist green painting
Located in Silverthorne, CO
This painting is a wild green song to freedom and nature. I am in love with my abstract expressionist self. While I do love painting tonal pieces and abstract landscape, the quintess...
Oil
Untitled (5)
Located in Columbia, MO
John von Wicht (German-American, 1888 - 1970) was a painter and printmaker whose abstract works evolved from European modernism to dynamic, expressionistic forms. Born in Holstein, G...
Paper, Oil
$406Sale Price|20% Off
Four trees. Paper, wood carving , 29x29 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Four trees. Paper, wood carving, 29x29 cm Dzidra Ezergaile (1926-2013) Born in Riga. School years alternate with summer work in the countryside. In 1...
Paper, Woodcut
Vintage American Modernist Signed Abstract Expressionist Framed Oil Painting
Located in Buffalo, NY
This mid-century abstract composition employs a dynamic interplay of geometric planes and gestural brushwork, rendered in a vibrant yet balanced palette of pastel pinks, acid yellow...
Canvas, Oil
$2,068Sale Price|20% Off
Abstract 2523
Located in Zofingen, AG
In my artwork, I channel joyful serenity through a dance of pastel gestures on canvas. Using acrylics, I melded pinks, blues, and creams, evoking a gentle dawn. This painting, textur...
Oil, 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