Abstract Art
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.
Early 20th Century Abstract Art
Paper, Pencil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Enamel
1990s Abstract Art
Linen, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Cotton Canvas, Oil
Mid-20th Century Abstract Art
Paper, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Paper, Ink, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Pencil, Color Pencil, Graphite
1970s Abstract Art
Handmade Paper, Lithograph
Mid-20th Century Abstract Art
Oil
1970s Abstract Art
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Art
Paper, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Gouache, Archival Paper, Color Pencil, Graphite
Artist Comments
Artist Nancy Merkle captures a big open western sky over a grassy prairie. Large, fluffy clouds sweep up to the heavens, reflecting the pastel colors of the s...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Color, Digital
1980s Abstract Art
Ink, Oil, Archival Paper, Etching
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, Acrylic, Rice Paper
2010s Abstract Art
Cotton, Linen, Oil, Acrylic, Pigment
Mid-20th Century Abstract Art
Screen
1970s Abstract Art
Acrylic
Early 2000s Abstract Art
Lithograph
Early 2000s Abstract Art
Paper, Watercolor
1980s Abstract Art
Latex, Wood, Tar
Mid-20th Century Abstract Art
Oil, Wood Panel
Early 2000s Abstract Art
Screen
Early 2000s Abstract Art
Gesso, Canvas, Cotton, Paint, Varnish, Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil, ...
Artist Comments
Artist Yamilet Sempe presents a dragonfly in an abstract body of water. She regards the winged insect as a totem symbol of life. "In almost the whole world it...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Canvas, Acrylic, Dye, Oil
Artist Comments
This abstract painting features a light palette of peach and cream, complemented by areas of blue. Splashes of color add movement, guiding the eye across the ...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Acrylic
1960s Abstract Art
Ink, India Ink, Mixed Media
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Oil
1980s Abstract Art
Woodcut
2010s Abstract Art
Gesso, Ink, Acrylic, Handmade Paper
Early 20th Century Abstract Art
Paper, Ink, Gouache
2010s Abstract Art
Textile, Cotton
1970s Abstract Art
Lithograph
Late 20th Century Abstract Art
Canvas, Oil
Mid-20th Century Abstract Art
Oil
Artist Comments
Pale, neutral tones blend with darker, earthy hues, creating a subtle tone-on-tone effect. A loosely defined grid anchors circles of varying sizes, allowing the...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Art
Leather, Mixed Media
Mid-20th Century Abstract Art
Watercolor
1970s Abstract Art
Lithograph
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Acrylic
1970s Abstract Art
Oil, Wood
2010s Abstract Art
Paper, Watercolor
Mid-20th Century Abstract Art
Screen, Lithograph, Offset
1960s Abstract Art
Lithograph
Early 2000s Abstract Art
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Oil
2010s Abstract Art
Pigment
Mid-20th Century Abstract Art
Oil, Panel
1970s Abstract Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Glaze, Oil Crayon, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Oil
1970s Abstract Art
Screen
1960s Abstract Art
Lithograph, Paper
1980s Abstract Art
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art
Oil
2010s Abstract Art
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Art
Gold Leaf