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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
Vintage American Modernist Abstract Framed Original Oil Painting
Vintage American Modernist Abstract Framed Original Oil Painting

Vintage American Modernist Abstract Framed Original Oil Painting

Located in Buffalo, NY

Vintage American modernist abstract oil painting. Oil on canvas. Framed. Signed. Measuring: 37 by 25 inches overall, and 36 by 24 painting alone.. In excellent original condition. ...

Category

1990s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Miró Sculptures Exposition
Miró Sculptures Exposition

Miró Sculptures Exposition

By Joan Miró

Located in Naples, Florida

This lithograph was created in 1971 in connection with a sculpture exhibition by Joan Miró. Issued as a limited edition, the sheet measures 33 3/4 × 28 5/8 inches and documents Miró’...

Category

1970s Abstract Art

Materials

Paper, Lithograph

French Expressionist Abstract Original Painting Artists Studio Provenance
French Expressionist Abstract Original Painting Artists Studio Provenance

French Expressionist Abstract Original Painting Artists Studio Provenance

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Abstract Expressionist Composition by Jacques COULAIS (1955-2011) gouache painting on thick board unframed: 8 x 8 inches condition: excellent provenance: all the paintings we have fo...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

Life - Large Oversized Bold Colorful Abstract Expressive Modern Original Artwork
Life - Large Oversized Bold Colorful Abstract Expressive Modern Original Artwork

Life - Large Oversized Bold Colorful Abstract Expressive Modern Original Artwork

By Amber Goldhammer

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Los Angeles artist Amber Goldhammer paints dramatic abstract compositions in acrylic on canvas featuring energetic brushstrokes. Goldhammer uses her contemporary paintings to express...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Latex, Spray Paint, Acrylic

"Hatching XVI" (Abstract, Bold, Graphic, Black and White, Framed Painting)
"Hatching XVI" (Abstract, Bold, Graphic, Black and White, Framed Painting)

"Hatching XVI" (Abstract, Bold, Graphic, Black and White, Framed Painting)

By Nicholas Evans

Located in Paris, IDF

HATCHING XVI 2017 "Hatching XVI" (Abstract, Bold, Graphic, Black and White, Framed Painting) Contrasting tones of black and white, with hints of creme form this abstract, bold and ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Glass, Paper, Acrylic, Wood, Oil Pastel

Exquisite Ghost - photograph of an underwater reflection - archival print 24x35"
Exquisite Ghost - photograph of an underwater reflection - archival print 24x35"

Exquisite Ghost - photograph of an underwater reflection - archival print 24x35"

By Alex Sher

Located in Beverly Hills, CA

“Exquisite Ghost” is a part of Alex Sher’s popular series Reflections - underwater photographs that could be almost mistaken for abstract paintings as they bring up recollections of ...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Archival Paper, Archival Pigment

Unremitting Protraction
Unremitting Protraction

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

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Oil, Acrylic

Triptych "Gerhard Richter"
Triptych "Gerhard Richter"

Triptych "Gerhard Richter"

Located in Edinburgh, GB

Triptych. Consists of three parts. Canvas, acrylic, 50-105 cm. Each part is 50-35 centimeters. This painting is inspired by spring rain and blossoming trees. I really like to pai...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Postcard from Paradise II, St Tropez, Abstract Painting on Paper, 24x18in
Postcard from Paradise II, St Tropez, Abstract Painting on Paper, 24x18in

Postcard from Paradise II, St Tropez, Abstract Painting on Paper, 24x18in

By a.muse

Located in New york, NY

Postcard from Paradise II, St Tropez by a.muse is 24 x 18in abstract painting with multi-colored “dots,” expressive lines, and organic shapes that translate light, energy and joy of...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Oil Pastel, Pastel, Rag Paper

"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

Untitled
Untitled

Untitled

By Geoff Rees

Located in Vancouver, CA

Geoff Rees (1930–2018) A Modernist Voice of the West Coast Geoff Rees was a defining figure in Western Canadian abstraction, known for paintings that balance radiant colour, medita...

Category

Early 2000s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Charcoal, Acrylic

Large British 20th Century Abstract Painting The Piano Concert Figurative Work
Large British 20th Century Abstract Painting The Piano Concert Figurative Work

Large British 20th Century Abstract Painting The Piano Concert Figurative Work

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Piano Concerto by Mary Edwards (British, 20th century) signed with initials, titled to frame plaque oil painting on board, framed framed: 29 x 41 inches board: 24 x 36 inches conditi...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

Stormy Afternoon, Abstract Expressionist Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, 20x24
Stormy Afternoon, Abstract Expressionist Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, 20x24

Stormy Afternoon, Abstract Expressionist Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, 20x24

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

"Blossom" Abstract Painting 35" x 55" inch by Carole Baines

"Blossom" Abstract Painting 35" x 55" inch by Carole Baines

Located in Culver City, CA

"Blossom" Abstract Painting 35" x 55" inch by Carole Baines Pollination and bush fruits in spring time. Carole Baines is a self-taught, London-born artist based between Townsville ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

« Autumn trees» Original semi-abstract painting . Home decor
« Autumn trees» Original semi-abstract painting . Home decor

« 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...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Paper, Acrylic

Beginning to shine
Beginning to shine

Beginning to shine

Located in Zofingen, AG

"Beginning to shine" is when the darkness is doomed. The picture is filled with light and warmth that awakens hope. This is the moment when the darkness admits its defeat to the ligh...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Bistro du Midi, Oil Painting
Bistro du Midi, Oil Painting

Bistro du Midi, Oil Painting

By Onelio Marrero

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
In his distinct style of impressionism, artist Onelio Marrero displays a man in a suit reading the news as he sits by an empty dining hall. He bases the piece on sketches of a Back Bay, Boston restaurant named Bistro du Midi. He creates a narrative of an imaginary proprietor perusing a newspaper before the establishment opens and the clients fill the place. Onelio gives the viewer a sense of the décor and light streaming through the windows - beyond it, a hint of the Boston Public Garden.


About the Artist
Artist Onelio Marrero paints impressionist city scenes of everyday life. He captures the romanticism of New York City, from the picturesque fountains in Central Park to a glistening city street on a rainy afternoon. He creates a sense of nostalgia and intimacy with his work, offering the feeling that you have visited this particular scene before. “Each play of light, each texture, and each movement of a figure can have a captivating effect on me,” says Onelio. He studied at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art where he mastered discerning color and values, giving his work a more spontaneous appearance. Onelio’s work is an appreciation for beauty in all of its greatest forms; nature, art, and people.


Words that describe this painting: restaurant, newspaper, bistro, cafe, table, Boston, Public Garden, Boston Common...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

Joan Mitchell, Untitled, from The Poems, 1960
Joan Mitchell, Untitled, from The Poems, 1960

Joan Mitchell, Untitled, from The Poems, 1960

By Joan Mitchell

Located in Southampton, NY

This exquisite silkscreen by Joan Mitchell (1925–1992), titled Untitled, from the album The Poems, originates from the 1960 edition published and printed by Tiber Press, New York, un...

Category

1960s Abstract Art

Materials

Screen

Origin-Beginning-6 — Abstract Monotype by Seiko Tachibana in Blue, Black, and Oc
Origin-Beginning-6 — Abstract Monotype by Seiko Tachibana in Blue, Black, and Oc

Origin-Beginning-6 — Abstract Monotype by Seiko Tachibana in Blue, Black, and Oc

By Seiko Tachibana

Located in Palm Springs, CA

Origin-Beginning-6 presents one of the most vertically structured compositions in the series. Elongated clusters of pale forms rise through the center, flanked by darker shapes that ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Etching, Aquatint

Pool Table
Pool Table

Pool Table

By Edward L. Loper Sr

Located in Greenville, DE

Excellent example of Loper Sr.'s work from this period. Exhibited at the Delaware art Museum show titled "Edward L. Loper from the Prism's Edge". Signed lower right. 43.75" x 30.75" ...

Category

1960s Abstract Art

Materials

Oil, Panel

Untitled 5. From Ritmos abstractos (Abstract Rhythms) Series
Untitled 5. From Ritmos abstractos (Abstract Rhythms) Series

Untitled 5. 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

Painting on Panel Titled: PDP695 ct14
Painting on Panel Titled: PDP695 ct14

Painting on Panel Titled: PDP695 ct14

By Cecil Touchon

Located in West Palm Beach, FL

Post Dogmatist Painting on Panel, signed verso Cecil Touchon Born 1956 Austin, Texas is a contemporary American collage artist, painter, published poet and theorist living in Pagosa...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic

Floral Daydream
Floral Daydream

Floral Daydream

Located in Deddington, GB

Floral Daydream by Jan Rogers [2022] original Acrylic on Canvas Image size: H:61 cm x W:45.5 cm Complete Size of Unframed Work: H:1.5 cm x W:61 cm x D:45.5cm Sold Unframed Pleas...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Love
Love

Love

Located in San Francisco, CA

This artwork titled "Love" 1978 is an original color serigraph on Wove paper by Canadian/American artist Howard Bradford, 1919-2008. It is hand signed,...

Category

Late 20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Screen

Flowers of life. Bilateral. Oil on cardboard, 73x65 cm
Flowers of life. Bilateral. Oil on cardboard, 73x65 cm

Flowers of life. Bilateral. Oil on cardboard, 73x65 cm

Located in Riga, LV

Flowers of life. Bilateral. Oil on cardboard, 73x65 cm Aleksandr Rodin (1922-2001) Painter Born in a family of farmers. Wife Rasma Lace - art scholar. Studied at the Stalingrad Sch...

Category

1980s Abstract Art

Materials

Oil, Cardboard

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.