Abstract Paintings
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.
2010s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
Artist Comments
Artist Terri Bell creates an abstract piece that emphasizes linear textures and balance. Each section contains solid areas, serving as touchstones against the f...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Paper, Oil, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
1970s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Artist Comments
Three people stand closely together. Bold black strokes outline their figures, adding depth and definition. Through abstract shapes, vibrant colors, and confide...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
1960s Abstract Paintings
Oil, Paper
Early 2000s Abstract Paintings
Mixed Media
Late 20th Century Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Oil, Acrylic
Late 20th Century Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Late 20th Century Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Paper, Pastel
Early 2000s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
Late 20th Century Abstract Paintings
Copper
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Early 2000s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Varnish, Acrylic, Spray Paint
1970s Abstract Paintings
Mixed Media, Archival Paper, Gouache, Color Pencil
1980s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic, Board
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Mixed Media, Acrylic, Board
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Varnish, Acrylic, Spray Paint
1980s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1980s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic, Board
Early 2000s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
Early 2000s Abstract Paintings
Paint, Mixed Media
2010s Abstract Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Varnish, Acrylic
Early 2000s Abstract Paintings
Gesso, Canvas, Cotton, Paint, Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
1980s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic, Board
Early 2000s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
Early 2000s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
1980s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Ink, Acrylic, Rag Paper, Stretcher Bars
1980s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic, Board
Early 2000s Abstract Paintings
Paper, Pastel
2010s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
2010s Abstract Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Oil Pastel, House Paint, Acrylic, Charcoal
1970s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Gesso, Canvas, Oil, Acrylic, Wood Panel
2010s Abstract Paintings
Gold Leaf
1980s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Silver
2010s Abstract Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
Early 2000s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
Early 2000s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Paintings
Acrylic, Board
Late 20th Century Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Late 20th Century Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
Abstract paintings for sale on 1stDibs.
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