Skip to main content

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.

to
6,906
12,005
10,131
12,400
10,128
18,871
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
14
50
15,086
48,393
9
23
51
105
218
911
2,196
3,957
2,444
1,790
2
115,176
63,548
57,581
26,907
14,740
9,366
6,504
5,655
4,175
3,063
2,502
2,387
2,244
649
27,271
20,278
12,180
3,035
2,744
1,734
963
850
653
595
594
541
512
418
404
346
320
299
298
287
285
243
206
40,192
23,213
23,099
18,212
16,826
706
585
522
361
317
10,803
10,808
36,150
21,745
Style: Abstract
812
812

812

By John Platt

Located in Westport, CT

This abstract bright colorful painting is by Brooklyn artist, John Platt who studied at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and has exhibited exten...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Untitled oil on canvas painting Abstract Expressionism
Untitled oil on canvas painting Abstract Expressionism

Untitled oil on canvas painting Abstract Expressionism

By Deyan Valkov

Located in Sitges, Barcelona

Title: Untitled Artist: Deyan Valkov Medium: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 24 x 20 inches Year: 2002 (signed on the artwork) Frame: Unframed Style: Abstract Expressionism Description of...

Category

Early 2000s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Large Contemporary Bookshelf Painting – Oil on Canvas in Blue, Ochre and Ivory
Large Contemporary Bookshelf Painting – Oil on Canvas in Blue, Ochre and Ivory

Large Contemporary Bookshelf Painting – Oil on Canvas in Blue, Ochre and Ivory

By SOPHIE DUMONT

Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR

Sophie Dumont – “Les Gardiens du Savoir” Oil on canvas – 19.69 x 59.06 in (50 x 150 cm) Framed dimensions: 22.44 x 61.81 in (57 x 157 cm) – Choice of black or natural wood frame Year: 2025 Certificate of authenticity included Les Gardiens du Savoir is a monumental bookshelf painting by French artist Sophie Dumont, known for her poetic and textured abstractions of literary spaces. In this large horizontal composition, vertical books stand as sentinels of silence and memory, painted in a harmonious palette of ivory, navy blue, ochre, rust, and soft grey. Built entirely with oil and palette knife, the surface is richly textured, offering tactile depth and visual rhythm. Each book, slightly irregular, becomes a unique entity—together forming a sculptural architecture of thought and time. This elegant and balanced work makes a powerful statement in modern interiors, reading rooms, or creative spaces. Part of Dumont’s acclaimed “library” series, Les Gardiens du Savoir combines minimalist structure with emotional resonance. Her work is collected internationally and exhibited in galleries and museums across Europe and North America. 🔍 Keywords SEO : bookshelf painting, large oil on canvas, French artist Sophie Dumont, contemporary library art, abstract book painting, neutral and blue wall art...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

Figures, Abstracted Faces
Figures, Abstracted Faces

Figures, Abstracted Faces

By Karel Appel

Located in New York, NY

A large and impressive Karel Appel of his most desirable subject, abstracted faces. Very difficult to find a work of this size and impact by the artist. Often the faces are not as ...

Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Paper, Oil

School of Fish Painting Ocean Art
School of Fish Painting Ocean Art

School of Fish Painting Ocean Art

Located in Zofingen, AG

* Title: Fish painting * Size: 28 by 20 inches * Materials: oil, stretched canvas, palette knife * Shipping: Gallery standards packaging. shipped with tracking number, stretched in b...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Oil

Master American Contemporaries
Master American Contemporaries

Master American Contemporaries

By Alex Katz

Located in Wien, 9

The art work is signed in the print at the lower left and numbered in pencil: P.P. II/IV This special art piece "Master American Contemporaries" by Alex Katz (*1927) is a colour lit...

Category

1990s Abstract Art

Materials

Lithograph, Paper

Mid Century French Black and White Geometric Abstract Composition
Mid Century French Black and White Geometric Abstract Composition

Mid Century French Black and White Geometric Abstract Composition

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Title: Mid Century French Black and White Geometric Abstract Composition by Serge Guerin (b. 1916), French Acrylic and gouache on black artists paper, unframed Size: 25.75 (height) x...

Category

20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Ink, Acrylic, Gouache

Collage Canvas Painting III (signed and inscribed to fellow artist & curator)
Collage Canvas Painting III (signed and inscribed to fellow artist & curator)

Collage Canvas Painting III (signed and inscribed to fellow artist & curator)

By Robert Goodnough, 1917-2010

Located in New York, NY

Robert Goodnough Collage Canvas Painting III, 1983 Painted canvas collage on cardboard (signed twice and inscribed to artist and curator Matthew Rose) Signed on the front of the artw...

Category

1980s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil

Sonoran Hillside, Oil Painting
Sonoran Hillside, Oil Painting

Sonoran Hillside, Oil Painting

By Crystal DiPietro

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Drawing inspiration from her hiking trips, artist Crystal DiPietro paints scenes she personally witnesses. She depicts a hillside view of Saguaro cacti overlooking the canyon. "They stand like sentinels along the landscape," describes Crystal. She paints the mountains turning...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

POWDER
POWDER

POWDER

Located in Zofingen, AG

“This work seems to capture the delicate thread one soul leaves upon another, barely perceptible yet enduring through time.”

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

We Are All Pleasure Chasers
We Are All Pleasure Chasers

We Are All Pleasure Chasers

Located in Jönköping, SE

In keeping with my passion of nature, this collection focusses on the movement and structure of nature. I am fascinated in finding things in our environment that often go unnoticed....

Category

Early 2000s Abstract Art

Materials

Raw Linen

La Gestation des Couleurs - The evolution of colours

La Gestation des Couleurs - The evolution of colours

By Joan Miró

Located in Naples, Florida

Signed and numbered in pencil La Gestation des Couleurs is a lithograph from Miró’s mature period. The composition is built from areas of color and simplified organic forms. The wo...

Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Paper, Lithograph

Originals-Magic Bell Triptych-British Awarded Artist--after Monet-impressionism
Originals-Magic Bell Triptych-British Awarded Artist--after Monet-impressionism

Originals-Magic Bell Triptych-British Awarded Artist--after Monet-impressionism

Located in London, GB

To Shizico, a triptych is a compilation of visual prayers; it embodies a meditative voyage akin to a form of meditation. For her, the repetition of motifs within the triptych serves ...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Gesso, Canvas, Oil, Acrylic, Wood Panel

Desert Landscape, Painting, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper

Desert Landscape, Painting, Watercolor on Watercolor Paper

Located in Yardley, PA

I like to paint atmospheric watercolors using lots of textures. Painting comes with a white mat. :: Painting :: Abstract :: This piece comes with an official certificate of authentic...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Watercolor

Vessels 9
Vessels 9

Vessels 9

Located in Dallas, TX

acrylic & paper collage on canvas

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Paper, Canvas, Acrylic

Untitled (Abstract Expressionist Painting)
Untitled (Abstract Expressionist Painting)

Untitled (Abstract Expressionist Painting)

By Jesse Redwin Bardin

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Jesse Redwin Bardin (1923-1997). Untitled, ca. 1960. Oil on canvas, 18 x 31 inches; 21.5 x 36.5 inches framed. Signed lower right. Provenance: Private collection, Philadelphia; F...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

AmaGon - abstract, geometric, steel, glass, illuminated, outdoor sculpture
AmaGon - abstract, geometric, steel, glass, illuminated, outdoor sculpture

AmaGon - abstract, geometric, steel, glass, illuminated, outdoor sculpture

Located in Bloomfield, ON

The aesthetic is contemporary; the creation of this imposing outdoor sculpture is due to the collaborative vision of two innovative artists-- Francis Muscat and Mark Puigmarti—Puigca...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Steel

Subway Sonnet #152 - Original Mixed Media Abstract Expressionist Collage Artwork
Subway Sonnet #152 - Original Mixed Media Abstract Expressionist Collage Artwork

Subway Sonnet #152 - Original Mixed Media Abstract Expressionist Collage Artwork

By Susan Washington

Located in Los Angeles, CA

The surfaces Susan Washington works with are derived from her memories of the graffiti-covered subway car, public telephone booths, and rolling steel cages that secure neighborhood s...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Spray Paint

Tharrats   Black  Constellation 20  original abstract acrylic paper painting
Tharrats   Black  Constellation 20  original abstract acrylic paper painting

Tharrats Black Constellation 20 original abstract acrylic paper painting

By Joan-Josep Tharrats i Vidal

Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL

constellation original acrylic paper painting Son of Josep Tharrats i Vilà, in 1932 he moved to Béziers until 1935, when he returned to Barcelona to study at the Massana School. The...

Category

1990s Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic, Cardboard

Untitled 4. From Ritmos abstractos (Abstract Rhythms) Series
Untitled 4. From Ritmos abstractos (Abstract Rhythms) Series

Untitled 4. From Ritmos abstractos (Abstract Rhythms) Series

Located in Miami Beach, FL

"Ritmos Abstratos" 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

Contemporary Color Swirls, Keith Haring inspired vibrant Abstract Painting
Contemporary Color Swirls, Keith Haring inspired vibrant Abstract Painting

Contemporary Color Swirls, Keith Haring inspired vibrant Abstract Painting

Located in Maricopa, AZ

A truly unique and vibrant original abstract painting. Created with acrylic and UV reactive acrylic accents (see video). This artist draws inspiration from the great Keith Haring and creates beautiful and mesmerizing compositions with rich color and movement. About the artist: Avi Ash...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic

"Northern legends.White expansion" Abstract expressionist works
"Northern legends.White expansion" Abstract expressionist works

"Northern legends.White expansion" Abstract expressionist works

Located in Oslo, NO

Movement of white color that give impression of power and victory.Working on abstraction is often very intuitive and sometimes the artist has to rein in this "beast" to achieve the ...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Travesía Abstracta - Escultura en madera, hierro y metal
Travesía Abstracta - Escultura en madera, hierro y metal

Travesía Abstracta - Escultura en madera, hierro y metal

Located in Sant Celoni, ES

La escultura se compone de una base rectangular de madera, robusta y de acabado natural, sobre la que se erigen dos varillas metálicas verticales y delgadas. Una de las varillas sost...

Category

Late 20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Other Medium

Mid Century French Black and White Linear Geometric Abstract Drawing
Mid Century French Black and White Linear Geometric Abstract Drawing

Mid Century French Black and White Linear Geometric Abstract Drawing

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Title: Mid Century French Black and White Linear Geometric Abstract Drawing by Serge Guerin (b. 1916), French signed lower left, name stamped verso Ink on artists paper, unframed Siz...

Category

20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Ink

Amber Kaleidoscope, Abstract Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, 36x36

Amber Kaleidoscope, Abstract Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, 36x36

Located in Baton Rouge, LA

I intuitively paint each of my paintings based on my mood of the day or at that moment. I never know what I am going to create until I see the end result. Sometimes it is a colorful,...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Mountain Puzzle #1

Mountain Puzzle #1

Located in Santa Fe, NM

Lynn Sanders is an artist excited by beauty: architecture, foliage, landscapes, seascapes, interiors. She finds palettes and shapes in her environment and propels them into her work,...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic Polymer, Ink, Acrylic, Canvas

Willow, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

Willow, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

By Tracy Burke

Located in Yardley, PA

This piece was created on museum quality gallery wrapped canvas stretched over a hand-crafted wooden stretcher frame. Edges are staple-free and painted to compliment the artwork. No ...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic

Untitled Abstract Picture (Limited edition authorized promotional reproduction)

Untitled Abstract Picture (Limited edition 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 - Artist Authorized reproduction 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

Electrical - Contemporary Acrylic Abstract Painting

Electrical - Contemporary Acrylic Abstract Painting

By Vian Borchert

Located in Boston, MA

Electrical 9.0 x 12.0 x 0.5, 1.0 lbs Arcylic Hand signed by artist Artist's Commentary: "New abstract painting by acclaimed artist, Vian Borchert, that delves into the dynamic in...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic

El olor del silencio - Técnica mixta sobre cartón
El olor del silencio - Técnica mixta sobre cartón

El olor del silencio - Técnica mixta sobre cartón

Located in Sant Celoni, ES

COMO PUEDEN APRECIAR, LA OBRA VA FIRMADA POR LA PARTE TRASERA "ALDO MENÉNDEZ" Y TITULADA (EL OLOR DEL SILENCIO) ESTA OBRA ES DE FINALES DE LOS AÑOS 80 LA OBRA SE PRESENTA SIN ENMAR...

Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Mixed Media

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.