David Stern Abstract Paintings

German, b. 1956

David Stern was born on February 3, 1956, in Essen, Germany and lives in New York. Stern has referred to himself as an “action painter,” echoing the artistic legacies of New York School painters Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, and Franz Kline. Yet, his human forms reach further back to histories of portraiture. After an apprenticeship as a sign painter, Stern attended the Dortmund Fachhochschule für Design and Art (1975–79) and the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf (1980–82). He then taught painting at the Dortmund Fachhochschule für Design and Art, while he developed his painting skills living in a village near the town of Münster. In 1986, he moved to Cologne, where he found his artistic voice. From 1987 on, Stern exhibited his work nationally and quickly entered the international scene in the early nineties, with shows in Austria, Hungary, the Netherlands, Belgium and Great Britain. Stern's 1992 retrospective exhibition, David Stern: Study for a Way at the Hungarian National Gallery in Budapest was the first exhibition by a contemporary Western artist after Hungary opened to the West. In 1993, Stern showed his work in the US for the first time, immigrated in 1994 and became naturalized in 2000. Since his arrival, he has been fascinated by his encounters with an intensely urban place defined by its energy, crowding, speed and cosmopolitanism. His national traveling exhibition, David Stern: The American Years (1995–2008) curated by Karen Wilkin, demonstrates shifts in form and content in Stern’s work since the artist moved to New York from Germany in 1995. Stern has exhibited widely in New York City, the US and Europe. His work can be found in public and private collections in the United States, Europe and Asia, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), the Kupferstichkabinett Dresden (Dresden, Germany), the National Museum (Poznan, Poland), Dresdner Bank (Cologne, Germany), the Kunstsammlung der Universität Göttingen (Göttingen, Germany), the Arkansas Art Center (Little Rock), the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville (Jacksonville, Florida), the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art (Sarasota, Florida), and the National September 11 Memorial & Museum (New York).

Artist: David Stern

David SternRage of Fury, 2020

$90,000

Rage of Fury

By David Stern

Located in New York, NY

David Stern (Germany, b. 1956) Acrylics on canvas 81 inches by 71 inches Hand signed by artist, certificate of authenticity available Key words used to describe this work by David: abstract figuration, expressionism cabalistic, mysticism, painting, action, pigments, acrylics David Stern was born on February 3, 1956 in Essen, Germany and lives in New York. Stern has referred to himself as an “action painter,” echoing the artistic legacies of New York School painters Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning and Franz Kline. Yet his human forms reach further back to histories of portraiture. After an apprenticeship as a sign painter...

Category

2010s Contemporary David Stern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

David SternPurple Robe, 2016

$75,000

Purple Robe

By David Stern

Located in New York, NY

David Stern (Germany, b. 1956), "Purple Robe", Oil/ Cotton, 71 x 82, 2016 David Stern was born on February 3, 1956, in Essen, Germany and lives in New Yor...

Category

2010s Contemporary David Stern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Cotton, Oil

David SternJumping off the Sun, 2020

$120,000

Jumping off the Sun

By David Stern

Located in New York, NY

David Stern (Germany, b. 1956) Acrylic on Canvas 91 x 81 inches Hand-Signed by the Artist Certificate of Authenticity Available A tour de force of scale, spirit, and painterly force...

Category

2010s Contemporary David Stern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

David SternThe Disciples, 2020

$120,000

The Disciples

By David Stern

Located in New York, NY

David Stern (Germany, b. 1956) Acrylics on canvas 71 inches by 81 inches Hand signed by artist, certificate of authenticity available Keywords: red, abs...

Category

2010s Contemporary David Stern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

David SternSnow Crash, 2016

$120,000

Snow Crash

By David Stern

Located in New York, NY

David Stern (Germany, b. 1956), "Snow Crash", Oil/ Cotton, 71 x 82, 2016 Keywords: figurative, cabalistic, mysticism, gestural, painting, action, pigments,...

Category

2010s Contemporary David Stern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Cotton, Oil

David SternThe Blue Table, 2025

$38,000

The Blue Table

By David Stern

Located in New York, NY

"The Green Table" David Stern (Germany, b. 1956) Acrylics and pigments on cotton 52 inches by 65 inches Hand-signed by the artist, certificate of authenticity available Colors: Green...

Category

2010s Contemporary David Stern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic, Pigment

David SternThe Split (paradise lost), 2024

$35,000

The Split (paradise lost)

By David Stern

Located in New York, NY

“The Split (Paradise Lost)” David Stern (Germany, b. 1956) Acrylics and Pigments on Cotton 52 x 65 inches Hand-Signed Certificate of Authenticity Included Color Palette: Purple, Blu...

Category

2010s Contemporary David Stern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic, Pigment

David SternKronos "Kronos", 2024

$35,000

Kronos "Kronos"

By David Stern

Located in New York, NY

Kronos "Kronos" David Stern (Germany, b. 1956) Acrylics and pigments on cotton 52 inches by 65 inches Hand signed by artist, certificate of authenticity available Colors: Purple, Bla...

Category

2010s Contemporary David Stern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic, Pigment

David SternCrash Out (Kronos), 2024

$35,000

Crash Out (Kronos)

By David Stern

Located in New York, NY

Crash Out - (Kronos) David Stern (Germany, b. 1956) Acrylics and pigments on cotton 52 inches by 65 inches Hand signed by artist, certificate of authenticity available Colors: Purple...

Category

2010s Contemporary David Stern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Cotton Canvas, Acrylic, Pigment

David SternThe Wager, 2024

$35,000

The Wager

By David Stern

Located in New York, NY

The Wager David Stern (Germany, b. 1956) Acrylics and pigments on cotton 52 inches by 65 inches Hand signed by artist, certificate of authenticity available Colors: Purple, Black, Or...

Category

2010s Contemporary David Stern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Cotton Canvas, Pigment

David SternThe Antagonists, 2024

$32,000

The Antagonists

By David Stern

Located in New York, NY

The Antagonists 2024 David Stern (Germany, b. 1956) Acrylics on canvas 60 inches by 39 inches Hand signed by artist, certificate of authenticity available Colors: Black, Brown, Ochre...

Category

2010s Contemporary David Stern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Cotton Canvas, Pigment

David SternThe Antagonists, 2024

$38,000

The Antagonists

By David Stern

Located in New York, NY

The Antagonists 2024 David Stern (Germany, b. 1956) Acrylics on canvas 65 inches by 52 inches Hand signed by artist, certificate of authenticity available Colors: Black, Brown, Ochre...

Category

2010s Contemporary David Stern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

David SternL'havdil, 2024

$38,000

L'havdil

By David Stern

Located in New York, NY

L'havdil David Stern (Germany, b. 1956) Acrylics on canvas 65 inches by 56 inches Hand signed by artist, certificate of authenticity available Colors: Purple, Brown, Blue Key words ...

Category

2010s Contemporary David Stern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

David SternThe Antagonists, 2023

$38,000

The Antagonists

By David Stern

Located in New York, NY

The Antagonists” David Stern (Germany, b. 1956) Acrylics on Canvas 60 x 64 inches Hand-Signed by Artist Certificate of Authenticity Included Dominant Colors: Purple, Yellow, Red, Blue A bold and psychologically charged painting by master expressionist David Stern, “The Antagonists” captures the primal tension of human duality with a force rarely achieved in contemporary painting. Executed in sweeping strokes of violet, crimson, and electric yellow, the work is a masterclass in emotive figuration and gestural abstraction. Stern’s background in both German and American schools—bridging European philosophical depth with New York...

Category

2010s Contemporary David Stern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

David SternWoman in a red blanket empty handed, 2023

$38,000

Woman in a red blanket empty handed

By David Stern

Located in New York, NY

Women in a Red Blanket Painting – Abstract Figuration, Expressionism, Mysticism by David Stern This striking abstract figuration and expressionist painting, titled Women in a Red Bl...

Category

2010s Contemporary David Stern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

David Stern... and castles made of sand ..., 2022

$52,000

... and castles made of sand ...

By David Stern

Located in New York, NY

... and castles made of sand..., 2022, David Stern (Germany, b. 1956) Acrylics on canvas 52 inches by 64 inches Hand signed by artist, certificate of authenticity available Colors: ...

Category

2010s Contemporary David Stern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

David SternSaint Vitus Dance, 2020

$45,000

Saint Vitus Dance

By David Stern

Located in New York, NY

Saint Vitus Dance, 2020, David Stern (Germany, b. 1956) Acrylics on canvas 51 inches by 63 inches Hand signed by artist, certificate of authenticity available Colors: Orange, Red, P...

Category

2010s Contemporary David Stern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

David SternArmored Morning, 2019

$40,000

Armored Morning

By David Stern

Located in New York, NY

David Stern (Germany, b. 1956) Acrylics on canvas 56 inches by 49 inches Hand signed by artist, certificate of authenticity available Key words used to describe this work by David: abstract figuration, expressionism cabalistic, mysticism, painting, action, pigments, acrylics David Stern was born on February 3, 1956 in Essen, Germany and lives in New York. Stern has referred to himself as an “action painter,” echoing the artistic legacies of New York School painters Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning and Franz Kline. Yet his human forms reach further back to histories of portraiture. After an apprenticeship as a sign painter...

Category

2010s Contemporary David Stern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

David SternDaughters of Man 1, 2020

$50,000

Daughters of Man 1

By David Stern

Located in New York, NY

David Stern (Germany, b. 1956) Acrylics on canvas 71 inches by 81 inches Hand signed by artist, certificate of authenticity available Keywords: red, abs...

Category

2010s Contemporary David Stern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

David SternThe Petitioners 1, 2016

$120,000

The Petitioners 1

By David Stern

Located in New York, NY

David Stern (Germany, b. 1956), "The Petitioners 1", Oil/ Cotton, 71 x 82, 2016 Keywords: figurative, cabalistic, mysticism, gestural, painting, action,...

Category

2010s Contemporary David Stern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Cotton, Oil

Jesse BlackDesert Dream - Abstract Color Drenched Figurative Pinup Painting on Canvas, 2025

$425

H 14 in W 11 in

Desert Dream - Abstract Color Drenched Figurative Pinup Painting on Canvas

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Jesse’s imagery often merges playful and gritty elements, blending floral patterns, vintage-inspired designs, and bold outlines with a touch of whimsy. His artwork exudes a sense of ...

Category

2010s Contemporary David Stern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Paint, Mixed Media, Acrylic

Maura Petersen"Sienna Summer" - Bright and Colorful Textural Contemporary Italian Street Scene, 2025

$7,500

H 45 in W 39 in D 1.5 in

"Sienna Summer" - Bright and Colorful Textural Contemporary Italian Street Scene

Located in Carmel, CA

Maura Petersen (American, born 1956) "Sienna Summer" 2025 Oil Paint, Canvas, Stretcher Bars The artist signed the bottom right of the painting. "Sienna Summer" by Maura Petersen cap...

Category

2010s Contemporary David Stern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars

Maho MaedaRemembrance #35 by Maho Maeda - Fiber Art and painting, Japanese, brown, 2025

$6,373

H 35.44 in W 60.63 in D 0.99 in

Remembrance #35 by Maho Maeda - Fiber Art and painting, Japanese, brown

Located in Paris, FR

Remembrance #35 is a work by the Japanese artist Maho Maeda. This work is composed of two assembled panels that give the work two different surfaces: canvas and wood. Acrylic, colore...

Category

2010s Contemporary David Stern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Textile, Cotton Canvas, Ink, Acrylic, Pencil

Courtney SimoneDreamgirl - Color Drenched Abstract Feminine Figurative Still Life Painting, 2025

$395

H 12 in W 9 in

Dreamgirl - Color Drenched Abstract Feminine Figurative Still Life Painting

By Courtney Simone

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Southern California native Courtney Simone seamlessly blends her passion for abstract art with the exploration of everyday beauty, resulting in exuberantly inspired abstract figurati...

Category

2010s Contemporary David Stern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic

Chelsea DavineEvanescence- 21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract, Oil Painting, Gold Leaf, 2022

$7,413

H 63.78 in W 44.89 in

Evanescence- 21st Century, Contemporary, Abstract, Oil Painting, Gold Leaf

By Chelsea Davine

Located in Barcelona, Catalonia

Oil and gold leaf on canvas For centuries, artisans and artists have turned to gold leaf as a way to make their creations shimmer and shine. Also many contemporary artists continue ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary David Stern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Gold Leaf

Marion J Denton"Carousel" Abstracted Horses with Texture in Acrylic on Canvas, 1991

$920Sale Price|20% Off

H 28 in W 22 in D 0.75 in

"Carousel" Abstracted Horses with Texture in Acrylic on Canvas

Located in Soquel, CA

"Carousel" Abstracted Horses with Texture in Acrylic on Canvas Dynamic composition of horses by Marion J. Denton (American, 20th Century). Two horses are shows in bold colors, with ...

Category

1990s Contemporary David Stern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Gesso, Canvas, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars

MOHAMED HUSSEIN"Community" Abstract Painting 59" x 55" inch by Mohamed Hussein, 2022

$6,000

H 59 in W 55 in D 1 in

"Community" Abstract Painting 59" x 55" inch by Mohamed Hussein

Located in Culver City, CA

"Community" Abstract Painting 59" x 55" inch by Mohamed Hussein Born 1989, Mohamed Hussein is a Fayoum native whose semi-abstract landscape and urban vistas are captured with a cult...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary David Stern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Lesley Anne Spowart"Happy Wife, Happy Life" by L A Spowart - Vibrant Pastel Tone Contemporary Art, 2025

$11,000

H 50 in W 55 in D 1.5 in

"Happy Wife, Happy Life" by L A Spowart - Vibrant Pastel Tone Contemporary Art

Located in Carmel, CA

Lesley Anne Spowart (American, born 1957) "Happy Wife, Happy Life" 2025 Acrylic Paint, Mixed Media, Canvas, Stretcher Bars, Wire The artist signed the bottom right and the back of th...

Category

2010s Contemporary David Stern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Wire

Steven H. Rehfeld"Unfinished Union" by Rehfeld - Very Large Stunning Figurative Abstract Painting, 2022

$65,000

H 91 in W 91 in D 1.5 in

"Unfinished Union" by Rehfeld - Very Large Stunning Figurative Abstract Painting

By Steven H. Rehfeld

Located in Carmel, CA

Steven H. Rehfeld (American, born 1954) "Unfinished Union" 2022 Oil Paint, Canvas, Stretcher Bars, Wire The artist signed the back of the painting. This large-scale painting by Stev...

Category

2010s Contemporary David Stern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Wire

Mariia Voronchak Golden autumn. Series "Vibrations of the Earth", 2017

$954

H 31.5 in W 23.63 in D 0.79 in

Golden autumn. Series "Vibrations of the Earth"

Located in Zofingen, AG

In "Silence," the notion of quiet unfolds as the Earth’s inner cosmos — not an absence of sound, but a deep concentration, a primal tension of being. The composition pulses with wave...

Category

2010s Contemporary David Stern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Maho MaedaRemembrance #36 by Maho Maeda - Fiber Art and painting, Japanese, red, 2025

$5,170

H 19.69 in W 49.61 in D 0.99 in

Remembrance #36 by Maho Maeda - Fiber Art and painting, Japanese, red

Located in Paris, FR

Remembrance #36 is a work by the Japanese artist Maho Maeda. This work is composed of two assembled panels that give the work two different surfaces: canvas and wood. Acrylic, colore...

Category

2010s Contemporary David Stern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Textile, Cotton Canvas, Ink, Acrylic, Pencil

Modernist Biomorphic Abstract Composition in Acrylic on Canvas, 21st Century

$1,950

H 34 in W 43 in D 1 in

Modernist Biomorphic Abstract Composition in Acrylic on Canvas

Located in Soquel, CA

Modernist Biomorphic Abstract Composition in Acrylic on Canvas Bright, rounded shapes suspended on a soft grey background by an unknown artist (20th Century). Several shapes of vary...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary David Stern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars

Previously Available Items

David SternSaint Vitus Dance, 2020

Sold

H 51 in W 63 in D 2 in

Saint Vitus Dance

By David Stern

Located in New York, NY

Saint Vitus Dance, 2020, David Stern (Germany, b. 1956) Acrylics on canvas 51 inches by 63 inches Hand signed by artist, certificate of authenticity ava...

Category

2010s Contemporary David Stern Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

David Stern abstract paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic David Stern abstract paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of abstract paintings to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of pink and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by David Stern in fabric, paint, acrylic paint and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large David Stern abstract paintings, so small editions measuring 42 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Udo Noger, Ahn Hyun-Ju, and Christine Keruth. David Stern abstract paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $38,000 and tops out at $120,000, while the average work can sell for $63,500.