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.
$2,732Sale Price|20% Off
Cubist Still Life with Bottles
Located in London, GB
'Cubist Still Life with Bottles' — Florentine School, oil on canvas mounted on board, (circa 1980s–90s). A table scene of bottles, glassware, fruit, and folded forms is fractured int...
Canvas, Acrylic, Board
$876Sale Price|20% Off
Untitled, 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...
Screen
Shisha, Abstract Expressionist Woodcut by Charlie Hewitt
Located in Long Island City, NY
Charlie Hewitt, American (1946 - ) - Shisha, Year: 1991, Medium: Woodcut on thin wove paper, signed, titled, numbered and dated in pencil, Edition: Working Proof, Image Size: 29 ...
Woodcut
Abstract Cast Glass Sculpture, 'Yaroi', 2008 by David Ruth
By David Ruth
Located in Oakland, CA
'Yaroi' is a contemporary abstract cast glass sculpture by David Ruth from his Internal Space series. It features painterly brushstroke formations in glass called trails. These trail...
Stainless Steel
Abstract in Earth Tones
By Hoi Lebadang
Located in Sheffield, MA
Hoi Lebadang French-Vietnamese, 1922-2015 Abstract in Earth Tones Oil on canvas 18 by 36 in, w/ frame 24 by 41 ⅞ in Signed and dated 56 lower right Lebadang (Hoi) was born in Quang...
Canvas, Oil
A little bird on a lettuce background.
Located in Zofingen, AG
An exotic bird is depicted on a 40×40 cm canvas, painted with acrylics. Its plumage shimmers with vibrant shades of green, blue, turquoise, and yellow, creating a sense of living ra...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,150
Vintage Abstract Expressionist Painting - Red and Black Strokes on Canvas
Located in Soquel, CA
Vintage Abstract Expressionist Painting - Red and Black Strokes on Canvas Intriguing and moody piece by California-based Latin-American artist, Ricardo de Silva (American/Brazil, 20...
Canvas, Acrylic
#263 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
$3,990
Shades of Serenity 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
Come, swim with me (Abstract Painting)
By Greet Helsen
Located in London, GB
Color and luminosity define the work of Greet Helsen. Her paintings are best described as abstract landscapes, informed by her memories of personal encounters with nature. Working n...
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,732Sale Price|20% Off
CONTEMPORARY BRITISH ABSTRACT HUGE PAINTING - Green and Blues
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
"Abstract Composition" Fusion of blues and green, turquoise colors. by Sally Bradshaw (British, b.1962) oil painting on canvas painting: 51 x 51 inches Superb original modern abstra...
Acrylic
$5,400
Wandering Backwards I Reach The End - Large Blue Figurative Abstract Original
By Jonas Fisch
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Swedish artist Jonas Fisch’s imagery is vibrantly buzzing with colorful commentary on society - past and present - morphed into figures, words, and shapes. His heavily layered canvas...
Canvas, Charcoal, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Fabric
Beauty Within Diptych
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Daniela Pasqualini Beauty Within Diptych, 2025 Medium: Mixed Media on Canvas Artwork Size: 60 x 40 in 60 in x 83 in, accounting for a 3-inch space between the two 40-inch width p...
Mixed Media
Constructivist Abstract Lithograph From Album MA 1921
Located in Cotignac, FR
A folio sheet from the Album MA by Sándor Bortnyik. Signed in pencil by the artist bottom right, numbered in pencil bottom left, number 50 from the edition of 140. Presented in plain...
Paper, Lithograph
Fillmore Psychedelic music poster
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Original Fillmore concert poster. 4-color screen print. Excellent condition. No fading or staining. The 1st poster was printed before the concert and measures 13 5/16" x 21 3/4".
Screen
Neuschwanstein
By Andy Warhol
Located in Toronto, Ontario
"Neuschwanstein" was one of the last works that Andy Warhol completed before his untimely death in 1987. It was during this last decade that Warhol had a resurgence in both reputat...
Lithograph, Offset
$1,000
Alexander Calder - Artists Rights Today, Rare vintage offset lithograph poster
Located in New York, NY
Artists Rights Today Ethel Scull's Place Scarce mid 1970s Offset lithograph poster Ethel Scull (and her husband Robert) who inherited and made their money as taxicab magnates, was on...
Lithograph, Offset
$2,868Sale Price|20% Off
Retrato, Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting, 21st Century
Located in Mexico City, MX
Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting Acrylic on canvas 150 x 150 cm Signed FREE SHIPPING ROLLED UP About the artist Enrique Pichardo (Mexico City, 1973) graduated from Escuela Naci...
Canvas, Acrylic
Baie Rouge
Located in New York, NY
Created by Ellsworth Kelly in 1984, Baie Rouge is an original lithograph on Arches paper. Hand-signed in pencil and numbered from the edition of just 25, the artwork measures 51 x 52...
Lithograph
Robert Goodnough - Seated Girl, original signed Expressionist charcoal drawing
By Robert Goodnough, 1917-2010
Located in New York, NY
ROBERT GOODNOUGH Seated Girl, 1961 Charcoal Drawing on Paper 23 3/4 × 18 inches Hand signed in charcoal on the front Unframed Unique Signed, titled and dated on the front in black ch...
Charcoal
$2,379
Mid Century Don Quixote Portrait Spanish Catalan Expressionist Oil
Located in Sitges, Barcelona
Mid Century Don Quixote Portrait Spanish Catalan Expressionist Oil TECHNICAL SHEET Oil on canvas Mid-20th century 55 × 33 cm (21.7 × 13 in) Frame: 58 × 36 cm (22.8 × 14.2 in) Signed lower right Metal frame with matte finish Very good overall condition DESCRIPTION Striking Mid-Century modernist interpretation of Don Quixote by Jaume Muxart, executed in a strong Catalan Neo-Figurative Expressionist language characteristic of Spanish post-war painting. The elongated vertical figure is constructed through palette-knife structure and dense impasto, reducing Cervantes’ legendary knight to a symbolic psychological presence rather than a literal portrait. The helmet-like white head emerging from a deep burgundy background creates a dramatic apparition typical of Muxart’s mature figurative period. The figure represents Don Quixote as an existential literary archetype frequently explored in Spanish modern painting and particularly within the renewal of Catalan modern art associated with artists connected to the Grupo Taüll, one of the key movements in the evolution of post-war avant-garde painting in Barcelona. Compact in scale but visually intense, the painting combines strong decorative presence with the intellectual depth characteristic of Muxart’s Quixote interpretations. ARTIST BIO Jaume Muxart (1922–2019) was a major Catalan painter and founding member of the influential Grupo Taüll, alongside Antoni Tàpies, Modest Cuixart, Josep Guinovart and Joan-Josep Tharrats. After early exhibitions in Barcelona in the late 1940s he travelled to Paris on scholarship, where he encountered the international avant-garde that shaped his expressive language. He later represented Spain at the São Paulo Biennial and exhibited widely across Europe and the Americas. Muxart served as professor and later dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Barcelona and became a member of the Royal Catalan Academy of Fine Arts of Sant Jordi. His work is held in numerous institutional and private collections. ARTISTIC CONTEXT / INSPIRATION This painting belongs to the expressive Neo-Figurative tradition developed in post-war Spain and Catalonia, where literary archetypes such as Don Quixote became vehicles for psychological and symbolic exploration. Comparable resonances can be found in the structural figuration of Bernard Buffet, the expressive intensity of Antonio Saura, and the material experimentation associated with Antoni Tàpies, Modest Cuixart and Josep Guinovart within the post-war Catalan avant-garde. don quixote painting...
Oil
ALCHEMY 2 by M.Y., Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
Located in Yardley, PA
ALCHEMY 2 by M.Y. I am constantly looking for different techniques, colors and materials to experiment with, and always strive to achieve sensual harmony in every composition. I am ...
Acrylic
Untitled #535 by Murray Duncan – Original Contemporary Mixed Media on Paper
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Untitled #535 by Murray Duncan – Contemporary Mixed Media on Paper Size: 32" x 40" Unframed, signed on the back A striking exploration of form and movement, Untitled #527 by Murray ...
Oil Crayon, Acrylic, Pencil
Winter Lights
By Carl Holty
Located in Austin, TX
Waterline Fine Art, Austin, TX is pleased to present the following work: Carl Holty Winter Lights, 1966 Oil on canvas. Signed lower right. 60 x 46 in. 62 x 48 in. (framed) Custom...
Canvas, Oil
Huge French Contemporary Modernist Abstract Oil Painting Blue Girl in Deckchair
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Composition of A Girl Lying On A Deck Chair by Jacqueline VERDET (French, 1931-2023) signed oil painting on canvas, in wooden frame with the bottom part of frame missing siz...
Canvas, Oil
Nick Thomm - Loom (SKY) Standard
Located in FITZROY, VIC
Nick Thomm 'LOOM' (Sky) 69cm x 92cm (27"×36″) Limited Edition of 343. Archival Pigment Print on Hahnemühle 308gsm Fine Art Paper. Condition: NEW. Worldwide Shipping. Sold Unframed.
Archival Ink, Giclée, Archival Pigment
Balancing Act
Located in Los Angeles, CA
According to the artist, "everything in life inspires me, not quite with direct interpretation, but as I see and experience faces, words, gestures, colors and shapes – all of it – I ...
Oil, Wood Panel
$30,000
Carvacrol
By Damien Hirst
Located in Miami, FL
Damien Hirst Carvacrol Screenprint with diamond dust Signed to lower right Edition 92/150 Published by Other Criteria, London Hirst explains that, “mathematically, with the spot wo...
Paper, Glitter, Screen
Green, blue, pink and yellow composition XXV
Located in Paris, FR
Etching and aquatint, 1964 Publisher : La Rose des Vents, Paris Printer : Jean Signovert Catalog : [Schneider XXV] 37.00 cm. x 27.00 cm. 14.57 in. x 10.63 in. (paper) 32.50 cm. x 23...
Etching, Aquatint
1971 The Tarahumara Indians - Figurative Etching on Paper
Located in Soquel, CA
1971 The Tarahumara Indians - Figurative Etching on Paper Black and white etching of The Tarahumara Indians by Kelly English (American). The figures are outlined in thick black ink ...
Paper, Ink
Ladders
Located in San Francisco, CA
Alejandro Rubio Ladders, 2020-2024 Oil on canvas 20 x 16 inches This one-of-a-kind oil painting on canvas is stretched across wooden stretcher bars.
Canvas, Oil
Joan Miro - Original Abstract Lithograph
By Joan Miró
Located in Collonge Bellerive, Geneve, CH
Joan Miro Miro Original Abstract Lithograph Artist: Joan Miro Medium: Original lithograph on Rives vellum Portfolio: Miro Lithographe V Year: 1981 E...
Lithograph
$2,379Sale Price|20% Off
Tranquil XXI - Large Pallet Knife Relief Blue Gradient Abstract Painting 2025
Located in Zofingen, AG
Tranquil XXI - Large Pallet Knife Relief Blue Gradient Abstract Painting ia a spectacular huge XXXL original abstract artwork from the Tranquil serie. This artwork is shipping UNMOUNTED and ROLLED UP in a tube so you can stretche it easily at your local framer. The technique I used is: stretched...
Acrylic
$18,000
Howard Mehring - Study for Spring Sweep, Signed painting Washington Color School
Located in New York, NY
HOWARD MEHRING Study for Spring Sweep, 1964 Oil, oil stick, charcoal, gouache painting on paper Hand signed, dated and annotated with the names of the colors in graphite pencil on the front This is a unique work Frame included: elegantly matted and framed in a museum quality dark blue wood frame with UV plexiglass This 1964 hard edge painting on paper...
Oil Crayon, Oil, Gouache, Mixed Media
Abstract Composition - Oil Painting by Giorgio Lo Fermo - 2021
Located in Roma, IT
Oil on on wooden panel, realized by Giorgio Lo Fermo in 2021 Hand signed and dated.
Canvas, Oil
The Blue Rider
By Max Papart
Located in San Francisco, CA
Max Papart (1911-1994) "The Blue Rider" Original Etching with Aquatint, circa 1973 This is a rare artist proof. The artist proof is pencil signed and titled by the artist. The regu...
Etching, Aquatint
"Untitled #377 " watercolor print on fine art paper
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Over the past 20 years, Michelle Oppenheimer has become well known for composing paintings that capture the imaginative and organic possibilities of abstract watercolor and acrylic. ...
Paper, Inkjet
$161Sale Price|20% Off
Up towards the sun. 1972, paper, lithography, 15x12.5 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Up towards the sun. 1972, paper, lithography, 15x12.5 cm Dzidra Ezergaile (1926-2013) Born in Riga. School years alternate with summer work in the countryside. In 1947, she began he...
Paper, Lithograph
$75,000
Fields I /// Joan Mitchell Large Diptych Etching Aquatint Female Abstract Artist
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Joan Mitchell (American, 1925-1992) Title: "Fields I" Portfolio: Fields *Signed and numbered by Mitchell in pencil (on second sheet) lower right Year: 1992 Medium: Original E...
Etching, Aquatint, Intaglio, Handmade Paper
"Embrace" by Kevin Barrett, Abstract Bronze Metal Sculpture
Located in New York, NY
"Embrace" by Kevin Barrett Bronze metal sculpture Kevin Barrett is noted for creating unique, rhythmic, abstract indoor and outdoor sculpture and wall reliefs. Organic Bronze Metal...
Metal, Bronze
Le Matador, 1969 - Hand-Signed and Numbered Etching by Joan Miró
By Joan Miró
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Etching Aquatint and Carborundum Signed to lower right Pencil Signed and Numbered 54/75 Sheet Size: 42" x 29" Frame Size: 61.5" x 46" Reference: Dupin 510
Etching
Quiet Grace
Located in Zofingen, AG
Quiet Grace from the series Reflections Quiet Grace unfolds as a hymn to feminine tenderness and inner strength. The gentle gesture near the face becomes a symbol of self-care, grati...
Canvas, Acrylic
$5,000
Large 20th century abstract painting by contemporary Ohio artist, 3.5 x 4.5 feet
Located in Beachwood, OH
James Lepore (American, 1931-2024) Untitled (Abstract), 1962 Oil on canvas Signed Lepore 62 lower right 43 x 55 inches James Lepore was an American artis...
Oil
$1,400Sale Price|43% Off
Untitled Abstraction
Located in Summit, NJ
Gouache on paper by Rolph Scarlett c. 1950s. The piece is signed "Scarlett" on the front in two places. The piece is in perfect condition. Unframed it measures 10.75 x 13.5.
Gouache
Continually, A Bright Orange & Red Abstract Painting with Gestural Brushstrokes
Located in New York, NY
Patricia Spergel’s "Continually" (2020) is a striking example of abstract painting, defined by bold color, gestural brushwork, and expressive composition. This 36 x 40-inch oil paint...
Canvas, Oil
$11,840Sale Price|37% Off
'Basquiat' Abstract Street Art Mixed Media Painting, 2024
Located in New York, NY
'Basquiat', 2024 Andrew Cotton Mixed Media Painting 60 x 48 in. / 152 x 122 cm. Unique work, Signed by the Artist Originally from North London, Cotton received his art education at...
Mixed Media
$960Sale Price|20% Off
French Contemporary Abstract Art by J.-L. Veret - La Porte Jaune
Located in Paris, IDF
Acrylic on marouflaged paper mounted on canvas Jean-Luc Veret is a French artist born in 1953 who lives & works between Paris & Corancy, France. He recognizes himself as a p...
Acrylic, Handmade Paper
$1,240Sale Price|20% Off
White Lotus Lithograph
By Hoi Lebadang
Located in Soquel, CA
White Lotus Lithograph A limited edition lithograph by listed artist Hoi Lebadang, (Vietnamese/French, 1922 – 2015). This print displays an ethereal lotus flower to center, known to ...
Paper, Ink, Lithograph
Red abstract flower
Located in Zofingen, AG
This expressive abstract floral painting explores movement, emotion, and inner energy through a rich red and pink colour palette. At the heart of the composition, a stylised flower e...
Canvas, Acrylic
Anja Decker, Abstract Informal Painting on Paper, Munich, Late 1950s
Located in Firenze, IT
Artist: Anja Decker (German, 1908-1995) Medium: Felt pen on paper Period: Late 1950s Condition: Good vintage condition Notes: Mounted on original orange exhibition board, bearing per...
Watercolor
$1,295Sale Price|20% Off
French 20th Century Abstract Nude Portrait of Lady Picasso Style Work & Period
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Expressionist Portrait of Nude Lady by Gilbert Pelissier (French born 1924) signed, circa 1960's-1970 period oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas size: 20 x 24 inches con...
Canvas, Oil
Waves of Time
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This abstract acrylic painting on wood is inspired by the mid-century masters. This bold composition is created with pale blue, ecru and dark blue highlights. Framed in a vintage g...
Acrylic
Wild Flower
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This black and white botanical abstract painting is inspired by the mid-century masters. Wired and ready to hang, 12 in. wide x 18 in. high
Acrylic
#257, 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
$25,000
Alan Cote - Sunrise an Expression, Signed Acrylic painting (ex-Washburn gallery)
Located in New York, NY
Alan Cote Sunrise - an Expression, 1981 Acrylic Polymer (Aquatec) on Canvas (hand signed twice with original Washburn Gallery label) Hand-signed by artist, Signed, titled and dated t...
Acrylic Polymer, Acrylic
$1,665
Modern abstract impressionist nature painting on canvas " Happy memories"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
"Happy Memories" – Original Acrylic Painting by French Artist Natalya Mougenot This contemporary abstract-impressionist nature painting, executed with touches of Art Brut and Impres...
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
"Untitled" 2025 tinted polymer on disband panel
Located in New York, NY
Susan English 2025 tinted polymer on disband panel 34 x 84 in. (eng287)
Paper, Polymer
$1,522Sale Price|20% Off
Artur Nikitin(1936-2022) Venice, paper/pastel, 49x60 cm
Located in Riga, LV
Arturs Nikitins (born 1936) - painter, graphic artist. 1962 – graduated from the Latvian Art Academy, Graphic Department with the diploma work “The workers of Novorosijsk” under th...
Oil, Cardboard
$1,500
Relation Couleur, Silkscreen on velincarton, hand signed numbered 62/100 Op Art
By Hugo Demarco
Located in New York, NY
Hugo Demarco Relation Couleur, 1973 Silkscreen on velincarton Hand signed and numbered 62/200 on lower front. Bears the publisher's blind stamp on the fro...
Screen
$16,396Sale Price|20% Off
Red Idol 2 - Scottish 1959 Abstract Expressionist art oil painting
By William Gear
Located in Hagley, England
This superb Abstract Expressionist Scottish oil painting is by noted artist William Gear. It was painted in 1959 and is entitled Red Idol 2. This abstract com...
Oil