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.
$3,750
Revival 20 - Original Abstract Multicolor Acrylic Painting on Canvas Framed
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rachel Taggart’s abstract paintings explore the way light passes through color and creates a sense of depth. Diluted acrylic washes settle into the raw canvas in translucent layers, ...
Canvas, Acrylic
Vibrant Abstract with Bold Colours French 20th Century Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Expressionist Composition by Gilbert Pelissier (French born 1924) oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas size: 15 x 31.5 inches condition: overall very good, a few minor su...
Canvas, Oil
$5,660
Accords interieurs, Contemporary Large Abstract Geometric Oil Paint, 34 x 34 in
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Accords Intérieurs Oil on canvas, 80 x 80 cm (31.5 x 31.5 in) Framed dimensions: approx. 87 x 87 cm (34.3 x 34.3 in) Floating frame available in black or natural wood. French contem...
Canvas, Oil
Fallen Angel Painting, Abstract Oil on Linen, Signed, 120x60 cm
Located in Silverthorne, CO
A dramatic expressionist painting dedicated to the soul of me before cancer, who believed in a benevolent universe, who saw signs and followed them, who somehow thought she would liv...
Linen, Oil
$335
Blue and Gold - Impasto Color Drenched Textured Paint Abstract Artwork on Paper
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 i...
Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Glitter
#253, 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
Lucio Fontana Untitled (Gold Concetto Spaziale)
Located in Washington , DC, DC
Exceptional gold foil Concetto Spaziale produced in 1962 for a rare official Lucio Fontana artist monograph during his lifetime, published by famed art book publisher Harry N. Abrams...
Foil
original lithograph
By Joan Miró
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original lithograph. Printed in 1961 in an edition of 1200 for the wrap-around dust-jacket cover of the "Miró 1959-1960" catalogue, published by the Pierre Matisse Gallery. S...
Lithograph
original lithograph
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original lithograph. Printed in 1971 for the art revue Derriere le Miroir (issue number 190) and published in Paris by Maeght. Size: 15 x 11 inches (380 x 278 mm). There is p...
Lithograph
Where it is quiet, No.5
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this work, the artist explores silence as a state of inner balance and presence. Drawing from the ощущення of natural landscapes, she creates a distilled, atmospheric space where ...
Canvas, Mixed Media
$566
"Pink Silence" Abstract impressionist water lilies painting inspired by Monet
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
"Above the Provence" is an original French landscape painting inspired by the summer nature of Provence, with its cypresses, rich blooming vegetation, and luminous atmosphere, as wel...
Paper, Acrylic
The Way Home
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 97×97 cm (overall size with stretching 107×107 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled This new piece from the “Past Passing Me By” series is a visual med...
Canvas, Acrylic
Dubrovnik Cityscape Croatian Landscape
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Romana Milutin Fabris (b.1941) Dubrovnik Cityscape with Nude Women, ca. 1970. Gouache on illustration board, 23 x 32.5 inches; 25 x 34.5 inches framed. Signed lower right. Foil frame label on verso from 1960's with 5 digit telephone number, dating this piece to ca. 1970. Romana Milutin Fabris, born in 1941 in Dubrovnik, is one such artist: unwavering, devoted, and endlessly inspired. Her artistic education began at the School of Applied Arts in Split and Zagreb, and continued at the Academy of Applied Arts in Belgrade, where she laid the foundations of her distinctive visual language. A pivotal moment in her formation came with an international scholarship from the Austrian government, which enabled her to study in Salzburg under the great master Oskar Kokoschka-a painter of profound expressionist vision, whose spirit echoes in Romana’s work without ever being immitated. From the outset, she forged her own path-intimate but consistent, deeply personal and unmistakably her own. In 1964, she opened her first solo exhibition at the Sponza Palace in Dubrovnik, marking the beginning of a presence on the art scene that has now spanned more than six decades. Dubrovnik occupies a special place in her work. It is not merely the city of her birth, but the city of her soul-an eternal source of inspiration. Its stone walls, austere Mediterranean light, and the lush branches of bougainvillea reappear time and again on her canvases. Through these motifs, we sense belonging, but also poetic distance-for Romana does not paint the landscape as an external scene, but as an inner experience. Her colours speak in silence, her forms exude tranquillity, and the figures in her portraits radiate a depth that reaches beyond the visible. Each painting is a page from the diary of a strong and sensitive spirit, a woman who has preserved a childlike wonder, a profound reverence for beauty, and a lifelong belief in the power of artistic expression. Romana Milutin Fabris reminds us that art is not a fleeting moment, but a lasting presence. / 1965 / FIRST SOLO EXHIBITION, SPONZA PALACE ATRIUM, DUBROVNIK · ATELIER FOR INTERIOR DESIGN MASLINA - WORK COMPLETED UNDER THE FAMOUS PAINTER MILOVAN STANIĆ...
Gouache, Illustration Board
$995Sale Price|35% Off
Large French Vintage Landscape Abstract Impressionist Coastal Oil Painting
Located in AIGNAN, FR
Large Vintage Abstract Impressionist oil painting on canvas, signed by the artist, Maryvonne LE DEIST (b.1936). This amazing painting hails from the 1960's and is entitled, 'Port de...
Oil
Between the Waves
Located in Zofingen, AG
Between the Waves Sometimes, even in the most beautiful places, we do not find inner peace. The heroine of this work exists in a moment of quiet pause, alone with her thoughts and em...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$4,716
Dialogue of Forms — Contemporary Geometric Abstract Oil Painting, Sophie Dumont
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
French contemporary artist Sophie Dumont presents in Dialogue of Forms a refined geometric abstraction structured through a delicate balance of curved forms, architectural lines, and...
Oil
Pieced - Glass Sculpture, Abstract Wall Art, Soft Colors, 2010-
Located in Bloomfield, ON
Glass artist Cheryl Wilson Smith’s grandmother used to create hand-stitched quilts from cut squares of fabric. This beautiful wall sculpture with its patchwork pattern, and its soft ...
Glass
Spiral - Lithograph by Roberto Crippa - 1960s
Located in Roma, IT
Lithograph on paper realized in 1950s. Hand signed and numbered in pencil. Edition of 75. Very good condition.
Lithograph
Partay - Large Scale Abstract Colorful Expressionist Textural Drip Painting
By Marc Raphael
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Marc Raphael's abstract expressionism paintings are influenced by New York's abstract expressionist movement. After encountering Jackson Pollock’s work for the fir...
Canvas, Acrylic
Alfred F. de Breanski Jr. “Evening on the Thames” Oil Painting with Swans at Sun
Located in GB
A luminous riverscape by Alfred Fontville de Breanski Jr. (British, 1877–1957), depicting a tranquil evening along the River Thames as the final golden light of sunset settles across...
Canvas, Oil
$3,183
Modern abstract expressionist floral painting on linen canvas "Flower Light"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
“Flower Light” is a contemporary floral still life by French artist Natalya Mougenot, where vibrant color and instinctive gesture transform a simple bouquet into a celebration of lig...
Canvas, Linen, Acrylic
$764
Contemporary abstract expressionist woman's portrait on paper "Present moment"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
“Present Moment” is a contemporary abstract portrait by French artist Natalya Mougenot, created as part of her ongoing series dedicated to women and their inner emotional landscapes....
Paper, Acrylic
$155Sale Price|50% Off
Untitled Composition (British Modernism, Geometric, Abstract, 50% OFF - MUST GO)
By Jim Bird
Located in Kansas City, MO
Jim Bird Untitled Composition from "Ediciones Poligrafa, Barcelona at Redfern Gallery, London" Original Color Lithograph Year: 1979 Size: 10 x 7.325 inches (25.4 × 18.61 cm) Edition:...
Lithograph
$2,500
avp_1521 - Original Abstract Vibrant Blue Tone Contemporary 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
$3,400
Fruity Ramen Alchemy: ARRIVAL - Meditative Abstract Blue Tone Painting on Canvas
By Jason DeMeo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Abstract minimalist artist Jason DeMeo presents a collection of artworks designed to engage viewers in a meditative experience, drawing them closer to the enduring ideals of truth, b...
Gold Leaf
Don't Let Them Burst Your Bubble: Clear 71425 - Glass Wall Sculpture
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This contemporary wall sculpture features bubbles of clear glass. Each work is individually hand-formed in glass, so slight variations in colour, shape, and texture from the images ...
Glass, Blown Glass
$14,150
Couleurs en équilibre -Abstract oil painting, stylized bookshelf with warm tones
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Sophie Dumont (b. 1964, Paris) French contemporary painter Sophie Dumont has developed a distinctive body of work over the past two decades, exploring the intersection of memory, str...
Oil
$984Sale Price|20% Off
Modernist Curves on Mauve, Organic Forms Diptych in Cold Tones, Yellow Accent
Located in Barcelona, ES
This abstract diptych features flowing, organic forms layered in blues, soft neutrals, and warm yellow accents. The composition balances movement and structure, with interlocking sha...
Paper, Oil
Among Chaos
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 120×97 cm (overall size with stretching 130×107 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled In this work, I explore the phenomenon of inner light — that unch...
Canvas, Acrylic
The Other Side of Here. Large Abstract Painting, Blue and Earth Tones
Located in Oslo, NO
Tatiana said following about this artwork. "In this work, I explore the idea that a familiar place can suddenly feel different. The composition developed freely, through layers of c...
Canvas, Acrylic
"Wild White Horses" Contemporary Outsider Urban Expressionism Painting Framed
By Purvis Young
Located in New York, NY
The painting is an expressive, abstract work by Purvis Young with a strong emphasis on dynamic brushwork and a limited color palette dominated by deep reds, off-whites, and subtle ac...
Found Objects, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Cardboard
$2,100
Universe is With You - Large Scale Abstract Textural Acrylic Painting on Canvas
By Vè Boisvert
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
$4,500
"Where Are We Going, From Here?", Abstract Expressionist, Figures, Oil Painting
By Sorin Bica
Located in Franklin, MA
Sorin Bica's "Where Are We Going, From Here?" is a 36 x 36 x 2 inch abstract expressionist oil painting on canvas. Two seated, elongated blue-toned figures with warm red, orange, and...
Canvas, Oil
$7,547Sale Price|20% Off
Emanation Abstract Expressionist Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, XXL Size
Located in London, London
Cobalt Blue, Blue, yellow, green, flowers, nature, beige, pink, red, golden, ochre, XXL size, extra large abstract painting, large scale, design artwork. Artist: Katarina Joys Tit...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$3,575Sale Price|35% Off
Maternity with Centaur (M.195) by Marc Chagall *Colorful Lithograph*
By Marc Chagall
Located in Santa Monica, CA
"Maternity with Centaur (M.195)" is a lithograph on Arches created by Marc Chagall . Printed in Paris by the renowned master printers Atelier Mourlot Frères, it was published by Édit...
Lithograph
Snake Skin. 3D astraction
Located in Zofingen, AG
A sculptural artwork made of clay on canvas, inspired by the intricate beauty of snake skin. The textured surface, with its soft folds and organic patterns, evokes the appearance of ...
Clay, Canvas
$2,124Sale Price|25% Off
Original Set of 9 Garden Story-Le Bleu-British Awarded Artist-Gold leaf on Oil
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
This rare offer, Set of 9 latest collection of Garden Story in gold leaf and oil on oil paper board are a part of Le Bleu Series by award winning British artist Shizico Yi. She crea...
Gold Leaf
$1,900
The Guardians and the Carnival: Large Abstract Painting, Colorful, Joy, Modern
By Karnish Art
Located in Pretoria, Gauteng
Title: The Guardians and the Carnival Abstract Painting Modern Bold Invest Colorful Large Contemporary Joy Love the detail in this artwork by Karnish. This work is part of a serie...
Gesso, Canvas, Wood, Spray Paint, Acrylic, Color Pencil, Stretcher Bars
"Forevermore 2" - Original Abstract Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Denver, CO
Forevermore 2 by Dorothy Fagan is a 2023 oil on canvas measuring 48 x 36 inches, with a framed size of 49.50 x 37.50 x 2 inches. Professionally framed and ready to hang, this vibrant...
Canvas, Oil
$3,183
Modern abstract expressionist floral painting on linen canvas "Peony Bloom"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
"Peony Bloom" is a contemporary floral still life by French artist Natalya Mougenot, where vibrant color and expressive gesture celebrate the joyful abundance of peonies at their pea...
Acrylic, Canvas, Linen
Hand Painted #1 Edition-Jardin d'Automne-British Awarded Artist-on Aluminium
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
This is a hand painted Limited Edition by the artist Shizico Yi with her own hand-mixed original paint on premium Aluminium board. Only Ten of this edition were made, highly collecta...
Metal
$6,700
12 Dreams - Large Floral Mixed Media Abstract Landscape Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The paintings of Bruce Rubenstein seamlessly marry sophistication with affordability. His expressive abstract landscape artwork 'Flourishing Fields' features whimsical details and vi...
Enamel
The Companion
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 132×142 cm (overall size with stretching 142×152 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled At the heart of the canvas is a laconic yet profound scene of qui...
Canvas, Acrylic
$822
Modern abstract Impressionist still life floral painting on paper "Roses Trio"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
"Roses Trio” is a vibrant contemporary floral still life by French artist Natalya Mougenot, whose intuitive, spontaneous brushwork transforms everyday blooms into a burst of emotiona...
Paper, Acrylic
Abstract 2630 - Colorful Impasto Abstract Painting. Pastel Colors
Located in Zofingen, AG
In this piece, I poured my emotions through vibrant acrylics, blending abstract and figurative elements to evoke a dreamlike energy. The cascading colors create a sense of movement a...
Acrylic
$1,317Sale Price|20% Off
The Vanguard Series Nr. XV: A Collection of Postwar European Abstractions by JG
Located in London, GB
"The Vanguard Series Nr. XV: A Collection of Postwar European Abstractions", oil on board, by JG (circa 1950s–70s). A compelling body of work emerging from the forgotten studios and ...
Oil, Board
$480Sale Price|54% Off
Park XV & XVI - SET (Berlin artist, Postwar, Contemporary, ~54% OFF - MUST GO)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Barbara Keidel Park XV & XVI - SET Mixed media, pastel on handmade, toned laid paper 1997 Size: 29.5 × 21.25 inches (75 × 54 cm) (each) Signed and dated in pencil (each) Addition...
Pastel, Mixed Media, Laid Paper
$439
HandPainted Artist's Proof-Strawberry Moon Field-Awarded British Artist-GoldLeaf
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
This latest hand-painted Artist Proof ( the final Proof, No 2 of Two) is made on a premium metal/aluminium panel. All its gold-leaf parts are hand-painted and gilded by the artist he...
Metal, Gold Leaf
“Set Out”
By Iryna Rets
Located in Zofingen, AG
The works from this series were exhibited at ART KYIV Fair 2026 and later presented as part of the artist’s solo exhibition “Points of View” at MODI Art & Wine Gallery, Kyiv. “Set ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,431Sale Price|20% Off
Original-Jardin d'Hiver-British Awarded Artist-Impasto, oil, goldleaf on Dahlias
By Shizico Yi
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...
Gold Leaf
Rythmes croisés — Contemporary Geometric Abstract Painting, Oil on Canvas
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
This oil on canvas by Sophie Dumont presents a structured composition where curved forms and vertical elements intersect in a finely balanced architectural space. Built through succ...
Canvas, Oil
Exotischer Klang Exotic Sound, 1930 Oversize Archival Pigment print
Located in London, GB
Exotischer Klang (Exotic Sound), 1930 (after) Paul Klee (Original work) is Pen and ink, pencil, and watercolour on paper, mounted on card, 47 × 61.3/62.3cm. Dusseldorf, North Rhine-...
Archival Pigment
Held in Stillness, Original Abstract Botanical Painting, pink, blue green, white
Located in Cumming, GA
Held in Stillness – Original Contemporary Abstract Botanical Painting, 36 x 48 inches Every element within Held in Stillness has been intentionally refined to maintain simplicity wi...
Canvas, Acrylic
Where it is quiet, No.1
Located in Zofingen, AG
This work emerged from an inner need to pause and enter a space where tension no longer exists. In a world where silence has become rare and fragile, painting becomes a way to briefl...
Canvas, Mixed Media
Original Set-Jardin d'Hiver-le bleu series-British Awarded Artist-work on paper
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
This Set of 2, work on paper, named Le Bleu are a part of Jardin d'Hiver Series by award winning British artist Shizico Yi. She created the series in her winter studio while longing...
Gold Leaf
"Tabasco" - Vintage Glass Sculpture
Located in Westport, CT
Resurrect Studio, “Tabasco,” Vintage Glass Sculpture, 26 x 19 x 12 in. “Tabasco” is a bold and commanding vintage glass sculpture by Resurrect Studio, the collaborative practice of ...
Glass, Resin
Breeze - Abstract Sculpture in White Felt, Contemporary, Handmade, 2010+
By Chung-Im Kim
Located in Bloomfield, ON
This contemporary white sculptural wall hanging was handmade. For more than three decades, internationally acclaimed artist Chung Im-Kim has woven two worlds together. The Canadian...
Felt
la Femme Sur la Plage Abstract colourful painting of a nude on a beach, french
Located in Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Framed Size: 34" x 40" Claude Venard’s La Femme sur la Plage is a vibrant and expressive composition that distils the figure into a dynamic arrangement of colour, texture, and form...
Canvas, Oil
avp_1219 - Original Color Drenching 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
Noteworthy - Original Contemporary Expressive Geometric Abstract Metal Sculpture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Inspired by dance and weightlessness, Granville Beals' industrial metal sculptures are primarily about relationships. Concerned with form and abstraction, he does not merely manipula...
Metal, Steel