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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
Mid Century Modernist American Industrial Landscape Oil Painting - Expressionist
Mid Century Modernist American Industrial Landscape Oil Painting - Expressionist

Mid Century Modernist American Industrial Landscape Oil Painting - Expressionist

Located in Baltimore, MD

Although unsigned, this colorful painting is a wonderful example of mid century style. It portrays what is likely a rural farming scene that features different buildings and forms th...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

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no title

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By André Masson

Located in Paris, FR

Lithograph Handsigned by the artist in pencil and numbered 95/99 57.00 cm. x 75.50 cm. 22.44 in. x 29.72 in. (paper) 49.00 cm. x 61.00 cm. 19.29 in. x 24.02 in. (image) LCD4233

Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Lithograph

Sacred Heart Triptych (5.81)
Sacred Heart Triptych (5.81)

Sacred Heart Triptych (5.81)

By Mala Breuer

Located in Phoenix, AZ

oil and wax on canvas, three panels (84 x 90 x 1.5 inches, each panel) 1927 - 2017 Mala Breuer grew up attending classes in painting and drawing from a young age at the California ...

Category

1980s Abstract Art

Materials

Wax, Oil

Red Tapestry, Abstract Expressionist Screenprint by Seong Moy
Red Tapestry, Abstract Expressionist Screenprint by Seong Moy

Red Tapestry, Abstract Expressionist Screenprint by Seong Moy

By Seong Moy

Located in Long Island City, NY

Red Tapestry by Seong Moy, Chinese/American (1921–2013) Date: 1982 Screenprint, signed and numbered in pencil Edition of 300 Image Size: 25.75 x 20 inches Size: 30 in. x 22 in. (76.2...

Category

1980s Abstract Art

Materials

Screen

Untitled, Georg Karl Pfahler
Untitled, Georg Karl Pfahler

Untitled, Georg Karl Pfahler

By Georg Karl Pfahler

Located in Fairfield, CT

Artist: Georg Karl Pfahler (1926-2002) Title: Untitled Year: 1993 Edition: 75/100, plus proofs Medium: Silkscreen on wove paper Size: 26 x 27 inches Condition: Good Inscription: Sign...

Category

1990s Abstract Art

Materials

Screen

Sérigraphie No. 18

Sérigraphie No. 18

By Pierre Soulages

Located in New York, NY

A superb impression of this color screenprint on white wove paper. Signed and numbered XC/CCC in pencil by Soulages. Published by the Olympic Games Committee, Lausanne. From the "Off...

Category

1980s Abstract Art

Materials

Color, Screen

Vintage American Abstract Framed Oil Painting
Vintage American Abstract Framed Oil Painting

Vintage American Abstract Framed Oil Painting

Located in Buffalo, NY

Vintage American abstract oil painting. Oil on canvas laid down on board. Signed on verso. Measuring: 14 by 15 inches overall and 12 x 12 inches painting alone. Framed in a an antiq...

Category

20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Ouverture, with Cypress Forms" Stephen Edlich, Abstract Geometric Painting
"Ouverture, with Cypress Forms" Stephen Edlich, Abstract Geometric Painting

"Ouverture, with Cypress Forms" Stephen Edlich, Abstract Geometric Painting

By Stephen Edlich

Located in New York, NY

Stephen Edlich Ouverture, with Cypress Forms, 1982 Signed, dated and titled on the stretcher Acrylic paint, mixed media, and burlap on canvas 60 x 40 inches An artist who worked in the post-cubist and constructivist traditions, Stephen P. Edlich gained a considerable amount of acclaim in the 1970s and 1980s for his collages, sculpture, and paintings. His promising career was cut short due to his untimely death at age 45 in 1989. Edlich was born in New York City. He received his undergraduate degree with a major in fine arts studies from New York University in 1967. During his college years, he traveled to London, where he met the art dealer Victor Waddington and created his first white on white collage. In that same year, he attended a major exhibition of the work of Ben Nicholson, which would be influential source in his art. Edlich returned to England in 1967, where he met Barbara Hepworth and Patrick Heron in London and traveled to St. Ives, Cornwall, long a favorite artists' haunt. Edlich began creating acrylic reliefs...

Category

1980s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Burlap, Mixed Media, Acrylic

Large Antique American Modernist Abstract Expressionist Framed Oil Painting
Large Antique American Modernist Abstract Expressionist Framed Oil Painting

Large Antique American Modernist Abstract Expressionist Framed Oil Painting

Located in Buffalo, NY

Impressive early American modernist abstract oil painting. Framed. Oil on canvas. Signed. Image size, 20H by 24L. Excellent ready to hang condition. Impressive colors and compo...

Category

1960s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Layers of Silence: Abstract Acrylic Painting on Canvas, 100x100 cm
Layers of Silence: Abstract Acrylic Painting on Canvas, 100x100 cm

Layers of Silence: Abstract Acrylic Painting on Canvas, 100x100 cm

Located in Zofingen, AG

Elevate your interior with "Layers of Silence," a stunning original abstract painting by renowned contemporary artist Alex Senchenko. This piece is a masterclass in texture and depth...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Oil, Acrylic

Blue Mixed Media Waterscape with Metallic Pigment_Bathing Light by Audra Weaser
Blue Mixed Media Waterscape with Metallic Pigment_Bathing Light by Audra Weaser

Blue Mixed Media Waterscape with Metallic Pigment_Bathing Light by Audra Weaser

By Audra Weaser

Located in Laguna Beach, CA

AUDRA WEASER "Bathing Light" Acrylic, Metallic Pigments, Plaster Paint on Canvas 36 x 36 in. ___________________ Utilizing a minimalist color palette, Weaser’s process-based painti...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Plaster, Mixed Media, Acrylic

"Abstract Composition" by Armand Rottenberg (French 1903-2000) signed lower
"Abstract Composition" by Armand Rottenberg (French 1903-2000) signed lower

"Abstract Composition" by Armand Rottenberg (French 1903-2000) signed lower

By Armand Rottenberg

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...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

Basket Series, Dale Chihuly
Basket Series, Dale Chihuly

Basket Series, Dale Chihuly

By Dale Chihuly

Located in Fairfield, CT

Artist: Dale Chihuly (1941) Title: Basket Series Year: 2001 Medium: Acrylic on Arches Aquarelle Rag paper Size: 42 x 30 inches Inscription: Signed by the artist Notes: Hand painted b...

Category

Early 2000s Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic

Indian with Pipe
Indian with Pipe

Indian with Pipe

By Roy Lichtenstein

Located in New York, NY

This exceptional oil on canvas by master Pop artist Roy Lichtenstein is an exceptional and unique example of his early pre-pop work. It is signed by the artist, upper right. After m...

Category

1950s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

"Calm's Chaos - Storm Eye", Abstract, Blue, Brown, Orange, Mixed Media Painting
"Calm's Chaos - Storm Eye", Abstract, Blue, Brown, Orange, Mixed Media Painting

"Calm's Chaos - Storm Eye", Abstract, Blue, Brown, Orange, Mixed Media Painting

By Peter Knapp

Located in Franklin, MA

Peter Knapp’s “Calm’s Chaos – Storm Eye” is a 24 x 36 x 1 inch abstract mixed media painting on cradled panel in blue, indigo, and ochre acrylic, ink, and pencil. This colorful abstr...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Archival Ink, Acrylic, Color Pencil, Panel

Vers la Clairière

Vers la Clairière

By Françoise Gilot

Located in PARIS, FR

Signed lower right with the monogram Probably titled in the artist's hand on the back on the stretcher with archive number EXHIBITIONS Budapest, Var Fok Gallery. Pecs, Françoise Gil...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

Black fish on a gold background.
Black fish on a gold background.

Black fish on a gold background.

Located in Zofingen, AG

The work is executed in stencil technique using black paint on a gold acrylic background. The metallic gold surface creates a soft shimmer and enhances the contrast with the graphic ...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Fantasy Garden 22, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

Fantasy Garden 22, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

Located in Yardley, PA

My Garden Series is the only gardening I do. This is from my imagination. The lyrical lines always lend themselves to being gardens as soon as I incorporate any green! :: Painting ::...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic

"Challenge 16" - Energetic Abstract Expressionist in Blue, Red, Black, and White
"Challenge 16" - Energetic Abstract Expressionist in Blue, Red, Black, and White

"Challenge 16" - Energetic Abstract Expressionist in Blue, Red, Black, and White

By Masri Hayssam

Located in Carmel, CA

Masri Hayssam (Lebanese, born 1965) "Challenge 16" 2019 Oil paint, Acrylic paint, Mixed Media, Canvas, Stretcher Bars The artist signed the bottom right and the back of the painting....

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars

Untitled
Untitled

Untitled

Located in San Francisco, CA

Sergio Nates Untitled, 2015 Acrylic on canvas Unframed dimensions: 21.75 x 23 inches Framed dimensions: 22.75 x 24 x 1.875 inches This one-of-a-kind acrylic painting on canvas inclu...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Abstract Composition

Abstract Composition

By Bill Parker

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Signed bottom left center and again verso along with title and date 1979. Bill Parker (from the Chase Gallery letter of December 6,1974) Born Texas 1922 Worked in Paris from 1951 o...

Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

"Emerald Pathway", Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
"Emerald Pathway", Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

"Emerald Pathway", Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

By June Johnson

Located in Yardley, PA

a relaxing pathway through a dreamscape :: Painting :: Abstract :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authenticity signed by the artist :: Ready to Hang: Yes :: Signed:...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic

The Mood is Set - Contemporary Original Abstract Expressionist Large Artwork
The Mood is Set - Contemporary Original Abstract Expressionist Large Artwork

The Mood is Set - Contemporary Original Abstract Expressionist Large Artwork

By Amber Goldhammer

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Amber Goldhammer’s The Mood is Set, a bold and dynamic 36-inch tall by 60-inch wide graffiti-inspired abstract painting, showcases her signature layering of soothing tones and urban ...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Latex, Mixed Media, Spray Paint, Acrylic

Vintage American Black and White Framed Abstract Oil Painting
Vintage American Black and White Framed Abstract Oil Painting

Vintage American Black and White Framed Abstract Oil Painting

Located in Buffalo, NY

Vintage American abstract painting. Oil on canvas. Signed. Measuring: 26 by 22 inches overall and 24 by 20 artwork alone. Framed in a wooden floater frame. Excellent condition, read...

Category

20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Mouse & Cat Watching TV
Mouse & Cat Watching TV

Mouse & Cat Watching TV, 1974

$950Sale Price|50% Off

Mouse & Cat Watching TV

Located in Summit, NJ

Great, fun oil on canvas! Wonderful colors and textures. Dated January 1974 and signed illegibly. Canvas is in great condition, could use a light cleaning, would be perfect if framed...

Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Alone with oneself. Original abstract forest  painting
Alone with oneself. Original abstract forest  painting

Alone with oneself. Original abstract forest painting

Located in Zofingen, AG

ABOUT THE ARTWORK Contemplation of nature clears our mind and eyes. Observation of the variety of forms, colors and shades gives us an expansion of consciousness, showing us many way...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Untitled 2 . From Ritmos abstractos (Abstract Rhythms) Series
Untitled 2 . From Ritmos abstractos (Abstract Rhythms) Series

Untitled 2 . From Ritmos abstractos (Abstract Rhythms) Series

Located in Miami Beach, FL

"Abstract Rhythms" invites us to explore the visual universe of the artist Juan Carlos Amador, who, through his unique perspective, translates the pulsations of space and the invisi...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Spray Paint, Acrylic

Abstract Picture (Limited edition print; authorized promotional reproduction)

Abstract Picture (Limited edition print; authorized promotional reproduction)

By Gerhard Richter

Located in New York, NY

Gerhard Richter Untitled Abstract Picture, 2002 Offset lithograph on GardaMatt Art 250 GSM paper Not signed, edition of 3433 12 1/2 × 16 3.5 inches Unframed Printed on GardaMatt Art 250 GSM paper, this beautiful and colorful piece was part of a portfolio of loose plate reproductions for Gerhard Richter's Abstraktes works. Released during his exhibitions at the San Francisco Museum of Art (Abstract Pictures) and the Museum of Modern Art (Gerhard Richter, 40 Years of Painting). It depicts Richters 1999 Oil on Aluminum abstract picture) More about Gerhard Richter: Gerhard Richter was born in 1932 in Dresden, Germany. Throughout his career, Richter has negotiated the frontier between photography and painting, captivated by the way in which these two seemingly opposing practices speak to and challenge one another. From exuberant canvases rendered with a squeegee and acerbic color charts to paintings of photographic detail and close-ups of a single brushstroke, Richter moves effortlessly between the two mediums, reveling in the complexity of their relationship, while never asserting one above the other. Richter’s life traces the defining moments of twentieth-century history and his work reverberates with the trauma of National Socialism and the Holocaust. In the wake of the Second World War, Richter trained in a Socialist Realist style sanctioned by East Germany’s Communist government. When he defected to West Germany in 1961, a month before the Berlin Wall was erected, Richter left his entire artistic oeuvre up to that point behind. From 1961 to 1964—alongside Blinky Palermo and Sigmar Polke—Richter studied at the Staatliche Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, where he began to explore the material, conceptual, and historical implications of painting without ideological restraint. Richter’s earliest paintings in Düsseldorf, stimulated by a fascination with current affairs and popular culture, responded to images from magazines and newspaper cuttings. Through the 1960s, Richter continued to address found and media images of subjects such as military jets, portraits, and aerial photographs. Notably, he reimagined family pictures he had smuggled from East Germany that included his smiling uncle Rudi, dressed in a Nazi uniform...

Category

Early 2000s Abstract Art

Materials

Lithograph, Offset

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.