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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.

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Style: Abstract
Returnable Items Only
Mid-century Abstract Expressionist painting
Mid-century Abstract Expressionist painting

Mid-century Abstract Expressionist painting

By Hoi Lebadang

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Beautiful ca. 1960-70 abstract painting in the style of Vietnamese artist, Hoi Lebadang (1921-2015) Oil on canvas measures 22 x 28 inches. Framed measurement 29.5 x 33.5 inches. Un...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

Ocean's Jewels, Abstract Oil Painting
Ocean's Jewels, Abstract Oil Painting

Ocean's Jewels, Abstract Oil Painting

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
A layer of emerald green rests atop a base of purple, pale blue, and white, creating a striking contrast of light and dark. Scratches and marks added while the ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

State of Blue
State of Blue

State of Blue

By Amy Van Winkle

Located in Santa Fe, NM

Encaustic on panel. blue teal aqua white yellow orange navy Red green chartreuse It's simple; I create art because it makes me happy. I try not to overthink the process of what I...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Encaustic

Turning Point
Turning Point

Turning Point

Located in Burlingame, CA

Eleanor Rahim’s work explores the emotional and perceptual power of water through painting and drawing. Her images do not describe a specific place so much as a state of being, where...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Francoise Gilot - Window on Another Dimension signed lithograph Picasso mistress
Francoise Gilot - Window on Another Dimension signed lithograph Picasso mistress

Francoise Gilot - Window on Another Dimension signed lithograph Picasso mistress

By Françoise Gilot

Located in New York, NY

Françoise Gilot Window on Another Dimension, 1981 Lithograph on Arches mould made Johannot paper Signed and numbered in graphite pencil; also bears artist's monogram with date, edition of 60 Unframed 27.25 inches by 19.75 inches Francoise Gilot was not just Picasso's muse; she was an accomplished artist in her own right, and at age 100, the New York Times dubbed her the art world's latest "It Girl".! Signed and numbered in graphite pencil; also bears artist's personal monograph with date. Held in original vintage frame under plexiglass. Charmingly, there is a sticker label on the back of the frame, from the "Picasso Gallery Custom Framing" in D.C. This silkscreen is based upon Gilot's eponymous painting, also done in 1981 Excerpt from Alan Riding's 2023 New York Times obituary on Gilot: " Françoise Gilot, an accomplished painter whose art was eclipsed by her long and stormy romantic relationship with a much older Pablo Picasso, and who alone among his many mistresses walked out on him, died on Tuesday at a hospital in Manhattan. She was 101...But unlike his two wives and other mistresses, Ms. Gilot rebuilt her life after she ended the relationship, in 1953, almost a decade after it had begun despite an age difference of 40 years. She continued painting and exhibiting her work and wrote books. In 1970, she married Jonas Salk, the American medical researcher who developed the first safe polio vaccine, and lived part of the time in California. Still, it was for her romance with Picasso that the public knew her best, particularly after her memoir, “Life with Picasso,” written with Carlton Lake, was published in 1964. It became an international best seller, and so infuriated Picasso that he broke off all contact with Ms. Gilot and their two children, Claude and Paloma Picasso. Ms. Gilot’s frank and often-sympathetic account of their relationship — she dedicated the book “to Pablo” — provided much of the material for the 1996 Merchant-Ivory movie, “Surviving Picasso,” in which she was played by Natascha McElhone, with Anthony Hopkins as Picasso. If Ms. Gilot’s book sold well, so has her art. With her work in more than a dozen museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Centre Pompidou in Paris, her paintings fetched increasingly higher prices well into her later years. As recently as June 2021, her painting “Paloma à la Guitare” (1965), a blue-toned portrait of her daughter, sold for $1.3 million in an online auction by Sotheby’s. That surpassed her previous record price, $695,000, paid for “Étude bleue,” a 1953 portrait of a seated woman, at a Sotheby’s auction in 2014.. And in November 2021, her abstract 1977 canvas “Living Forest” sold for $1.3 million as part of a retrospective of her work at Christie’s in Hong Kong. Lisa Stevenson, the head of curated sales for Sotheby’s in London, told ARTnews after the 2021 auction, “It isn’t commonly known that Gilot’s commitment to art was present long before her relationship with Pablo Picasso, and she was sadly often left in his shadow.”.. Marie Françoise Gilot was born into a prosperous family on Nov. 26, 1921, in Neuilly-sur-Seine, a suburb of Paris, the only child of Emile Gilot, an agronomist and chemical manufacturer, and Madeleine Renoult-Gilot. Her 19th-century ancestors had owned a couturier house of fashion whose clientele included Eugenia, the wife of Emperor Napoleon III. Marie Françoise was drawn to art from an early age, tutored by her mother, who had studied art history, ceramics and watercolor painting. Her father, however — recalled by Ms. Gilot as an authoritarian who had forced her to write with her right hand, though she was left-handed — had other ideas. Envisioning a career in science or the law for his daughter, he persuaded her to enroll at the University of Paris, where she received her bachelor’s degree in 1938 at age 17. She went on to study at the Sorbonne and the British Institute in Paris and receive a degree in English literature from Cambridge University. As war crept closer to France in 1939, her father sent her to the city of Rennes, northwest of Paris, to enroll in law school. All the while she continued working on her paintings. Then came the German occupation of Paris, in June 1940, and she joined other students in an anti-German protest march at the Arc de Triomphe. In a clash with the French and German authorities, Ms. Gilot was arrested, briefly detained and put under watch. “From day one, we were not the kind of people who would become collaborators,” she said of her family. She continued her law studies at the University of Paris, but after taking her second-year examinations, in June 1941, she lost interest and abandoned the field, deciding to devote herself to art. She began private lessons with a fugitive Hungarian Jewish painter, Endre Rozsda...

Category

1980s Abstract Art

Materials

Lithograph

The Beginning
The Beginning

The Beginning

Located in Zofingen, AG

“The Beginning” Oil on linen, multilayer technique This work captures the moment when form is born out of silence. Translucent layers of oil, laid one upon another like breaths of t...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Original Air France Greece (Grece) vintage travel poster
Original Air France Greece (Grece) vintage travel poster

Original Air France Greece (Grece) vintage travel poster

By Georges Mathieu

Located in Spokane, WA

Original Air France Grece vintage travel poster. Linen-backed original travel poster by Air France to Greece. Stylized Greek columns and the Parthenon in Athens, Greece sit on a mediterranean blue background. Very good condition, A- Ready to frame. Edges were trimmed at the time of linen backing. The creation of this poster was part of a larger series initiated by Pierre Sautet, the Deputy Commercial Director of Air France. Mathieu began working on these posters a year earlier and completed the series in 1967. Air France is France's flag carrier airline, one of the world's largest and most well-known airlines. Established in 1933, the airline has a rich history and has played a significant role in the development of international air travel. Air France often featured a distinctive style that reflected the cultural and artistic trends of the time. From the Art Deco elegance of the 1930s to the vibrant colors and bold designs of the 1960s, these posters represent the changing aesthetics over the decades. Due to their artistic quality and historical significance, Air France vintage posters...

Category

1960s Abstract Art

Materials

Offset

Ruz   Gray and Black Diptych  Very Big  original abstract canvas  acrylic
Ruz   Gray and Black Diptych  Very Big  original abstract canvas  acrylic

Ruz Gray and Black Diptych Very Big original abstract canvas acrylic

By Rafael Ruz

Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL

El brote- original abstract canvas diptic acrylic painting. virtual frame , Rafael (Barcelona 1956) While contemplating the painting of Ruz, we are inclined to talk about real ‘psyc...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Boats in Harbor (French Riviera painting)
Boats in Harbor (French Riviera painting)

Boats in Harbor (French Riviera painting)

Located in Wilton Manors, FL

Michel Colin (b.1934). Boats in Harbor, 1969. Gouache on paper, sheet measuring 16 x 20 inches. Signed and dated lower right. Sheet is unframed. Michel Colin, born in 1934, live...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Paper, Gouache

"Black Gouache" lithograph

"Black Gouache" lithograph

By (after) Sol LeWitt

Located in Henderson, NV

Medium: lithograph (after the gouache). Printed in 1992 by l'Imprimerie Karcher and published by Nouvelles Editions Seguier in an edition of 1000 for the Sol LeWitt "Black Gouaches" ...

Category

1990s Abstract Art

Materials

Lithograph

Expression 2, abstraction
Expression 2, abstraction

Expression 2, abstraction

Located in Zofingen, AG

The work is created in the fluid art technique on canvas, where the primary expressive element is the movement of paint. The composition is structured around a dynamic diagonal flow ...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

French Floral Abstract, Signed Oil Painting
French Floral Abstract, Signed Oil Painting

French Floral Abstract, Signed Oil Painting

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

French Floral Abstract, Signed Oil Painting French School, 20th Century Signed by the artist on the lower right hand corner Oil painting on the...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

Quiet Beauty in Nature, Abstract Oil Painting
Quiet Beauty in Nature, Abstract Oil Painting

Quiet Beauty in Nature, Abstract Oil Painting

By Ronda Waiksnis

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
This abstract painting invites quiet reflection, evoking the stillness of a misty landscape mirrored in calm waters. A gentle palette of greens and blues wash...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Oil

Vintage American Modernist Framed Abstract Painting in Antique Italian Frame
Vintage American Modernist Framed Abstract Painting in Antique Italian Frame

Vintage American Modernist Framed Abstract Painting in Antique Italian Frame

Located in Buffalo, NY

Vintage American modernist painting. Gouache on board. Signed. Framed. Measuring: 20 by 15 inches overall. Handsomely framed in an antique Italian frame. Excellent condition, read...

Category

20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Oil, Gouache, Board

Abstract 2562

Abstract 2562

Located in Zofingen, AG

In this piece, I let emotions flow freely through sweeping layers of soft blues and warm beiges, blending impressionistic textures with abstract forms. The contrasts evoke a serene y...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Oil, Acrylic

Paramount Ranch Oaks
Paramount Ranch Oaks

Paramount Ranch Oaks

By Karl Dempwolf

Located in Pasadena, CA

Acquired by the gallery directly from the artist UNFRAMED: 14" x 18" FRAMED: 20.25" x 24.25" x 1.5" Signed "K Dempwolf" on lower right Artist Statement "This is a movie ranch whe...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Board

Rose Madone — Large Neutral Abstract Minimal Earth Diptych on Canvas (Set of 2)
Rose Madone — Large Neutral Abstract Minimal Earth Diptych on Canvas (Set of 2)

Rose Madone — Large Neutral Abstract Minimal Earth Diptych on Canvas (Set of 2)

Located in Barcelona, Barcelona

Onirisme organique (Diptych), 146 × 114 cm each panel, Acrylic on raw canvas. Total size of the two panels: 146 × 228 cm. At Escat Gallery, we are committed to maintaining the highe...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Pigment

French 20th Century Dual Bright Abstract Kitchen Scene Large Painting
French 20th Century Dual Bright Abstract Kitchen Scene Large Painting

French 20th Century Dual Bright Abstract Kitchen Scene Large Painting

Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Abstract Expressionist Composition by Gilbert Pelissier (French born 1924) signed oil painting on canvas, unframed inscribed verso canvas size: 35 x 46 inches condition: overall very...

Category

Late 20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Original-Primary Blue-Sunlit Series-Gold Leaf-British Awarded Artist
Original-Primary Blue-Sunlit Series-Gold Leaf-British Awarded Artist

Original-Primary Blue-Sunlit Series-Gold Leaf-British Awarded Artist

Located in London, GB

Primary Colour Series- Blue is Shizico Yi's on going project, inspired by Japanese woodblock Print and the a nod to calligraphy tradition. The series is a continuation of her "Sunli...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Gold Leaf

One Way or Another
One Way or Another

One Way or Another

Located in Brooklyn, NY

This black and white abstract acrylic painting is inspired by the mid-century masters like Franz Kline. Framed in a beautiful wood frame, wired and ready to hang, 17 in. wide x 21 in...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic

Caribbean Sandy Shore Triptych, Blue Tones Seascape, Sunny Waves Cyanotype Print
Caribbean Sandy Shore Triptych, Blue Tones Seascape, Sunny Waves Cyanotype Print

Caribbean Sandy Shore Triptych, Blue Tones Seascape, Sunny Waves Cyanotype Print

By Kind of Cyan

Located in Barcelona, ES

This series of cyanotype triptychs showcases the beauty of nature scenes, including stunning beaches and oceans, as well as the intricate textures of water, forests, and skies. These triptychs are large pieces that feature lush blues, making them an impressive addition to any beautifully designed space. Each triptych is printed by hand and carefully crafted to capture the unique essence of these natural environments, with a focus on the interplay of light and shadows, and the subtle nuances of tone and texture. The beach and ocean scenes depict the dynamic beauty of waves crashing against the shore, with the cyanotype process lending a dreamy, ethereal quality to the images. Similarly, the forest and wood scenes offer a glimpse into the hidden depths of nature, with the cyanotype process lending a sense of mystery and wonder to the images, while the lush blues of cyanotypes imitate the sky and clouds perfectly. These triptychs are perfect for anyone who loves to surround themselves with the beauty of nature, and they make an excellent centerpiece for any beautifully designed space. Details: + Title: Pleasant Waters in Tulum Beach...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Monotype, Paper, Lithograph

Signed Antique Painting: 'Still Life of Fruit and Flowers'
Signed Antique Painting: 'Still Life of Fruit and Flowers'

Signed Antique Painting: 'Still Life of Fruit and Flowers'

Located in St. Albans, GB

Mary Armour 1902 – 2000 Signed. Oil Paint on Board. Picture size: 24 x 24 inch (61 x 61 cm) Mary Nicol Neill Armour, née Steel, (27 March 1902 – 5 July 2000) was a Scottish landsc...

Category

20th Century Abstract Art

Materials

Board, Oil

"Doves for the Dorians I" (pink, green, white, Greek warrior. sword, painting)
"Doves for the Dorians I" (pink, green, white, Greek warrior. sword, painting)

"Doves for the Dorians I" (pink, green, white, Greek warrior. sword, painting)

By Nicholas Evans

Located in Paris, IDF

The Dorians played a significant role in the development of the Greek city-states during the Bronze Age -- and Doves are widely recognized as symbols of peace, primarily in the bibli...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Dye, Oil, Acrylic

Open Spaces, Abstract Painting
Open Spaces, Abstract Painting

Open Spaces, Abstract Painting

Located in San Francisco, CA

Artist Comments
Soft whites and cool blues create a tranquil, expansive space. Accents of orange and fine linework bring contrast and gentle energy. Minimalist abstract forms i...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Acrylic

Original-Rosarian-La Vie en Rose: Summer Bloom Serie-British Awarded Artist
Original-Rosarian-La Vie en Rose: Summer Bloom Serie-British Awarded Artist

Original-Rosarian-La Vie en Rose: Summer Bloom Serie-British Awarded Artist

Located in London, GB

Rosarian — La Vie en Rose is part of Shizico Yi’s ongoing Summer Bloom Series, a body of work in which she explores the magical qualities of roses and the complex challenge of painti...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Gesso, Canvas, Oil, Acrylic

Blue Hibiscus
Blue Hibiscus

Blue Hibiscus

Located in Zofingen, AG

This painting, created with acrylic on canvas and adorned with golden accents, presents a stylized interpretation of a hibiscus. Instead of the traditional red, the flower appears in...

Category

2010s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Abstract Geometric Painting by Dave Braden
Abstract Geometric Painting by Dave Braden

Abstract Geometric Painting by Dave Braden

Located in San Francisco, CA

No two shapes are alike. Yet they work together as a harmonious whole. Painter David Braden has described his vision overall in abstract terms. Inspired by individuality, he especial...

Category

1990s Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Magical Mycorrhiza - Original Art - Vibrant Exploration of Nature and Connection
Magical Mycorrhiza - Original Art - Vibrant Exploration of Nature and Connection

Magical Mycorrhiza - Original Art - Vibrant Exploration of Nature and Connection

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...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Art

Materials

Canvas, Charcoal, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Fabric

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.