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.
Original-Purple Misty Alliums-British Awarded Artist-impasto-oil-plein air
Located in London, GB
Purple Misty Alliums marks Shizico Yi’s joyful return to painting en plein air after a long, cold winter and an unusually hot, restless spring. At last, the weather softened—welcomin...
Gesso, Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$1,943Sale Price|35% Off
Song of the Equinox - Abstract expressionist pink floral painting
Located in Silverthorne, CO
This is personal. Something intrinsic of the nature of who I am. I feel the world around me. I feel the wind and the soil and the water rushing down the stream. I feel the blades ...
Oil
Plate IV, Abstract Geometric Screenprint by Pierre Clerk
Located in Long Island City, NY
Pierre Clerk, American (1928 - ) - Plate IV, Year: 1973, Medium: Screenprint, signed and numbered in pencil, Edition: 43/100, Image Size: 32 x 28 inches, Size: 36 x 32 in. (91.4...
Screen
$440Sale Price|20% Off
Abstract Multi Layer Woodblock Print on Heavy Paper, 1/1
Located in Soquel, CA
Abstract Multi Layer Woodblock Print on Heavy Paper, 1/1 Brightly colored one-of-a-kind multi-layer abstract composition by Michael William Eggleston (American, 20th Century). Patche...
Paper, Ink, Woodcut
untitled (Yellow, Blue, Green)
Located in Dallas, TX
acrylic on unprimed canvas
Canvas, Acrylic
$9,297
ABSTRACT Contemporary Artist French Rose Madone New Artwork Nature earth colors
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
At Escat Gallery, we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of trust and professionalism for our collectors. Every artwork in our collection comes with a Certificate of A...
Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media
$17,500
S. F. L. Large Abstract Expressionist Mid Century Oil Painting, Cleveland School
Located in Beachwood, OH
Richard Andres (American, 1927–2013) S. F. L., 1955 oil on canvas signed lower right, signed and titled verso 42 x 70 inches Richard Andres was born in Buffalo, New York in 1927. A ...
Oil
original lithograph
By Joan Miró
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original lithograph. Printed in 1965 for the art revue Derriere le Miroir (issue number 151-152) and published in Paris by Maeght. Size: 15 x 11 inches (378 x 277 mm). There ...
Lithograph
$263Sale Price|20% Off
Impressionist expressive oil floral painting on canvas "Blooming summer roses"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This contemporary impressionist abstract expressive floral painting, "Blooming Summer Roses", was created by the French artist Natalya Mougenot. Radiating energy and emotion, the pie...
Oil, Canvas, Linen
$4,500
Bopping at Birdland (Stomp Time) from the Jazz Series Signed Limited Edition
Located in Rochester Hills, MI
Artist : Romare Bearden Title; Bopping at Birdland (stomp time) Year: 1979 Size: 33 ¼ x 24 inches Lithograph on Arches Paper Edition; Signed in pencil and marked 114/175 (Gelburd/Ros...
Lithograph
Entre Nous - original abstract painting on linen
Located in London, GB
Entre Nous 2023 by Christian Möller original abstract painting acrylic and oil on linen ships securely from London England. Christian Möller was born in...
Acrylic
Abstract Compositions, 2
Located in Astoria, NY
Elfi Schuselka (Austrian, b. 1940), Two Abstract Compositions, Acrylic on Paper, one signed verso and one stamped "Studio / Elfi Schuselka" verso. 22.5" H x 30" W. Provenance: From...
Paper, Acrylic
21 août 2023, Painting, Acrylic on Canvas
By Emily STARCK
Located in Yardley, PA
Large abstract expressionism artwork realized during summer 2023 in France. This piece is part of a serie of research and improve on work composition. Worked in several layers with...
Acrylic
$5,280Sale Price|20% Off
Composicion en Cuatro Colores, Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting, 21st Century
Located in Mexico City, MX
Contemporary Art, Abstract Painting Acrylic on canvas 170x240cm Signed FREE SHIPPING ROLLEP UP About the artist Enrique Pichardo (Mexico City, 1973) graduated from Escuela Nacio...
Canvas, Acrylic
$2,469Sale Price|20% Off
Large Multi Coloured French Expressionist Abstract Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Large Multi Coloured French Expressionist Abstract Oil Painting by Armand Rottenberg (French 1903-2000) oil painting on board, framed Framed 37.5 x 27 inches Stunning original abs...
Oil
$1,329
All This Exists. Large abstract painting, blue, turquoise, sage, expressionism
Located in Oslo, NO
"All This Exists" is a contemplation on presence — not as something to be found, but as what already surrounds us. The work does not describe or narrate; it simply holds space for aw...
Canvas, Acrylic
Large Italian Aquatint Etching Francesco Clemente Neo Expressionist Avant Garde
Located in Surfside, FL
Francesco Clemente (Italian b. 1952), 'This side up / Telemone #2, 1981 Medium: Intaglio hard ground etching, color aquatint, drypoint, and soft-ground etching with chine collé (ha...
Drypoint, Etching, Aquatint, Intaglio
Composition XVIII, from: Album 21 - Surrealism Spanish
By Joan Miró
Located in London, GB
This original lithograph in colours is hand signed in pencil by the artist "Miró" in the lower right corner. It is also hand numbered in pencil from the edition of 75, at the lower ...
Lithograph
$867Sale Price|20% Off
Parisian Abstract Expressionist Original Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Stunning original oil painting by the French abstract artist, Yvette Dubois-Habasque (1929-2016). The painting has excellent provenance having come from the artists studio sale in Pa...
Oil
$2,560Sale Price|20% Off
And I Think of You - Contemporary Watercolor Aspen Tree Landscape Painting
By Tamara Gonda
Located in Boston, MA
And I Think of You 30.0 x 30.0 x 2.0, 6.0 lbs Watercolor on board Hand signed by the artist Artist's Commentary: "The colors in the painting are vibrant and saturated. A limited p...
Watercolor
original lithograph
By Joan Miró
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original lithograph. Printed in 1965 for the art revue Derriere le Miroir (issue number 151-152) and published in Paris by Maeght. Size: 15 x 11 inches (378 x 277 mm). There ...
Lithograph
Georgian Contemporary Art by Keti Bubunauri - Portrait of a Woman
Located in Paris, IDF
Oil, acrylic on canvas Keti Bubunauri is Georgian artist born in 1993 who lives and works in Tbilisi, Georgia. Her source of inspiration are people, th...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Series 4, Geometric Abstract Screenprint by Ilya Bolotowsky
Located in Long Island City, NY
A silkscreen print by Ilya Bolotowsky circa 1970. A retro modern piece with an abstract geometric design. Artist: Ilya Bolotowsky, Russian/American (1907 - 1981) Title: Series 4...
Screen
$1,094Sale Price|24% Off
'Migration: In Flux Pandemic Collection, ' by Peter Healy, Painting, 2020
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
'Migration: In Flux Collection,' by Peter Healy, Watercolor Painting, 2020 This framed 27" x 37" watercolor painting is from the 'In Flux' Collection by I...
Paper, Watercolor, Ink
Desert Light No. 1
Located in Columbia, MO
Using cold wax medium with oil paint, powdered pigments, and pigment stick, Rebecca Crowell builds up layered surfaces as she also scratches, scrapes, and dissolves her layers, selec...
Wax, Pigment
Untitled Abstract Painting, Mixed Media on Paper, 1992, Unframed
Located in Bournemouth, Dorset
George Dannatt (1915-2009) Untitled 1992 Medium: Mixed media on paper Image: 14.9 x 10.9 cm Mount: 29.8 x 24.8 cm George Dannatt’s long career as a painter and sculptor ended w...
Oil Crayon, Pencil, Graphite
Tuba Patrol, colorful mixed media , w reds
By C. Dimitri
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Abstract and figurative, "Tuba Patrol" is an oil painting underpinned by a collage of drawings. iIt operates as a dense psychological field where time, memory, and communication coll...
Mixed Media, Oil, Wood Panel
Cuerpos Magnéticos #3. Wall sculpture
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Cuerpos Magnéticos was born searching for the relationship between nature and our bodies: we see rocks, bones, structures, flexibility, attractions, spaces, movement, stillness. Cuer...
Epoxy Resin
Tropical Kaleidoscope, square, mixed media, tropical, abstract
Located in Oslo, NO
This mixed media painting (acrylic and ink pencils) is inspired by the lush local flora of Singapore, where the artist currently resides, and particularly a coconut tree beside the a...
Canvas, Ink, Acrylic
$2,000
Victory /// Contemporary Abstract Geometric Minimalism Painting Colorful Modern
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Jack Graves III (American, 1988-) Title: "Victory" Series: Abstract *Signed by Graves lower right. It is also signed, titled, and dated on verso Year: 2022 Medium: Original ...
Canvas, Paint, Acrylic
$108Sale Price|20% Off
French Expressionist Abstract Original Painting Artists Studio Provenance
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Expressionist Composition by Jacques COULAIS (1955-2011) gouache painting on paper/ card unframed: 12.75 x 9.75 inches condition: excellent provenance: all the paintings we ...
Oil
$10,356
ABSTRACT Mirko Baricchi Oil Gestural Landscapes Flora Earth Tones Mixed media
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Mirko Baricchi (born 1970) is an accomplished Italian painter who currently lives and works between Vicenza and La Spezia, regions located in Veneto and Liguria, Italy, respectively....
Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Astra, abstract.
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Astra” is created on a round canvas using the acrylic pouring technique. The composition is built on the interplay of deep black, white, blue, and brown tones, enriched by two shad...
Canvas, Acrylic
Contemporary Abstract Surrealist Painting of a Green Pear in a Bathtub
Located in Houston, TX
Contemporary abstract surrealist painting of green pear lounging in a white bathtub with a single lightbulb hung over it. The scene is set against a ligh...
Acrylic
$1,600Sale Price|20% Off
Fleur en Rouge contemporary abstract colorful
Located in Palm Desert, CA
This painting was inspired by the many themes within my art. Duality is seen in the changing textures and colors creating a strong sense of depth, concave to convex as well as dark t...
Mixed Media
#64, 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
Horizontal and Vertical Figures, Contemporary Figurative Oil Painting
By John Emanuel
Located in Brecon, Powys
Warm sepia tones in this classic Emanuel painting. John Emanuel "it is the figure , not the nude I am interested in..." Oil on board. Signed. Black wood frame
Oil
#167, Abstract, Photography, Painting, Expressionism
Located in München, BY
Unique piece More sizes and an Essay from Lyle Rexer about this series on request. Joachim Schmeisser’s work rescues photography from the centuries-old straightjacket of realism to...
Pigment
Abstract Expressionist Watercolor Fiery Sky
Located in Surfside, FL
Genre: Expressionist Subject: Landscape Medium: Watercolor Surface: Paper Country: United States Dimensions w/Frame: 16" x 28" Murray Hantman (1904–1999) was a painter, muralist, an...
Watercolor
Untitled - Lithograph by Gustave Singier - 1960s
Located in Roma, IT
Unrtitled is an artwork realized by Gustave Singier (1909-1984). Lithograph , cm 32,5x25. Signed and numbered (copy 44/200) in pencil on the front. Very Good condition. Gust...
Paper, Lithograph
$3,883
ABSTRACT Geometry Grey Painting by Contemporary German Artist Carolin Kreutzer
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
At Escat Gallery we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of trust and professionalism for our collectors. Every artwork in our collection comes with a Certificate of Au...
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
#123, 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
$1,440Sale Price|20% Off
Colorful Abstract Geometrical Late 20th Century Painting by Ohio Artist
Located in Beachwood, OH
James Massena March (American, 1953-2021) Untitled Oil on canvas 30 x 24 inches "My paintings are about space, form and energy. I generally start ...
Oil
Fishing Boat in Storm (double-sided)
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
James Floyd Clymer (1893-1982), ca.1930. Watercolor and pencil on paper measures 15 x 20 inches. Signed lower margin. Tape residue marks on back. Glue marks at bottom left and ri...
Watercolor, Rag Paper, Pencil
Untitled, acrylic on paper. Abstract collage mixed media
Located in Miami Beach, FL
This series is born from a search to leave aside the narrative figurative and reduce the image to shape and color. Starts with both images found as well as her images, previous piece...
Paper, Acrylic
Never-Ending Spiral - Mixed Media by Jannis Kounellis - 2008
Located in Roma, IT
Lithograph realized by Yannis Kounellis in occasion of the Olympic Games of Beijing, China, in 2008. Hand signed and numbered, perfect condition. This work is from the portfolio Th...
Mixed Media
$3,883
Abstract Piece Minimalist Geometric Composition Neutral Tones Carolin Kreutzer
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
At Escat Gallery we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of trust and professionalism for our collectors. Every artwork in our collection comes with a Certificate of Au...
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
$423Sale Price|20% Off
Contemporary abstract acrylic woman's portrait on canvas "The power within"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
In "The Power Within", French artist Natalya Mougenot places a strong emphasis on authenticity, suggesting that true empowerment for women arises when they embrace their most genuine...
Acrylic, Cotton Canvas
$1,309Sale Price|20% Off
Neutral Abstract, Muted Colours, Signed Oil Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Neutral Abstract, Muted Colours, Signed Oil Painting By French artist 'Jean Briant', 20th Century Signed by the artist on the lower right hand corner ...
Oil
$900Sale Price|20% Off
Mid Century French Geometric Abstract in Blue Brown and White Signed
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Title: Mid Century French Geometric Abstract in Blue Brown and White Signed by Serge Guerin (b. 1916), French signed lower right “SG”, name stamped verso Acrylic and gouache on brown...
Ink, Acrylic, Gouache
$3,295
ABSTRACT Geometry Pink Painting by Contemporary German Artist Carolin Kreutzer
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
At Escat Gallery we are committed to maintaining the highest standards of trust and professionalism for our collectors. Every artwork in our collection comes with a Certificate of Au...
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
Sunset - Bright Layered Abstract Colorfield Painting
By Greet Helsen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Belgian artist Greet Helsen masterfully layers acrylic paint with the effervescent transparency of watercolors in her large mixed-media abstract paintings. Reminiscent of abstract ex...
Canvas, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Spring Bloom II
Located in Zofingen, AG
shipped in roll “Spring Bloom II” captures a quiet moment of connection between two young women surrounded by blooming spring trees. Soft dresses, fresh greens, and gentle light crea...
Canvas, Acrylic
$8,865
Step Inside My World - Contemporary Minimal Abstract Oil Painting with Collage
By Jenny Lock
Located in Kingsclere, GB
Jenny Lock b. 1949 Step Inside My World, 2023-24 oil and collage on canvas 120 x 100 cm 47 1/4 x 39 3/8 in signed and dated verso Jenny Lock came to painting later in life and the f...
Canvas, Oil
2106, Mix media on Canvas
Located in Miami Beach, FL
2106, 2022 by Alejandra Quintanilla Mix media on Canvas Image size: 120 cm. H x 160 cm. W One of a Kind Unframed Alejandra Quintanilla graduated with a degree in Arts from the Uni...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$322Sale Price|30% Off
20th Century Signed Lithograph of Country Side Farming Scene
Located in Belgrade, MT
This lithograph is part of my private collection. It is original and pencil signed and numbered by the artist.
Engraving, Lithograph
"Caress of Water, " Mixed Media Sculpture
Located in Chicago, IL
Based in Chicago, IL, contemporary artist Michael Thompson creates unique kites, collages and mixed media works assembled from material fragments of past and present collected in his...
Stone
End Of Summer Puzzle #3
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,...
Canvas, Acrylic Polymer, Ink, Acrylic
$9,000Sale Price|25% Off
'Interlinear K50' — Mid-Century Geometric Abstraction
By Josef Albers
Located in Myrtle Beach, SC
Josef Albers, 'Interlinear K50', zinc plate lithograph offset to stone printing, 1962, edition 20, Danilowitz 151. Signed, titled, dated, and numbered '14/20' in pencil. A superb, ri...
Lithograph
Measuring
Located in Dallas, TX
acrylic on birch panel
Birch, Acrylic, Panel