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.
Enchanted - Joy-bringers in Pink, Acrylic Abstract Painting, 61x91 cm
By Karnish Art
Located in Pretoria, Gauteng
Title: Enchanted - Joy-bringers in Pink - Floral Meadow Flowers Soft Abstract Invest Nature Joy Stillness In this vibrant acrylic painting, I've poured my passion for the abstrac...
Acrylic, Gesso, Canvas, Wood, Stretcher Bars
In the Warmth
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 92×92 cm (overall size with stretching 102×102 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: Ready to hang This painting evokes a profound sense of safety, tenderness,...
Canvas, Acrylic
$712Sale Price|20% Off
Fable Original Oil Painting on Canvas, Contemporary Art, 30x49" Free Shipping
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
Fable — Original Oil Painting Fable is an original contemporary oil painting that combines figurative and abstract elements to create a dreamlike scene featuring human and animal fo...
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
"umbrella girl series" Gold Edition No.19 , Abstract, 21st Century, Acrylic
By Roger König
Located in Dessau-Rosslau, Sachsen Anhalt
A solitary female figure beneath an umbrella emerges from a deeply textured dark blue surface. Rich golden accents define the figure and umbrella, creating a striking contrast with t...
Clay, Acrylic
Intervals n1, n3 and n2 Triptych. From The Intervals series
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The series explores the expansion of color as both a physical and emotional phenomenon. Water, as an indeterminate agent, displaces and transforms pigment on the surface, generating ...
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Intervals 3 and n2 Diptych. From The Intervals series
Located in Miami Beach, FL
The series explores the expansion of color as both a physical and emotional phenomenon. Water, as an indeterminate agent, displaces and transforms pigment on the surface, generating ...
Paper, Ink, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Coastal Equilibrium: Abstract Expressionist Oil and Acrylic Painting
Located in London, London
All the custom charges are included in the final price agreed. Turquoise, beige, red, lines, blue, fluid, movement. Abstract expressionist painting, large-scale contemporary art...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Attraction, Contemporary Geometric Abstract Oil Painting, 2026
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Attraction (2026) is a large-scale oil painting by French contemporary artist Sophie Dumont, part of her ongoing exploration of geometric abstraction and interior architecture. Buil...
Oil
Soft Surrender: Original Impressionism Floral Painting, Iris, Daisies, Light
By Karnish Art
Located in Pretoria, Gauteng
Title: Soft Surrender Flowers Landscape Unique Original Painting Peace Kindness Abundance This is a one-of-a-kind artwork by the established contemporary artist, Karnish. "Soft Su...
Gesso, Canvas, Wood, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
HandPainted Limited Edition-Framed-Strawberry Moon Field-Awarded British Artist
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
This Limited Edition is hand-painted and framed, ready to hang and highly collectibles for its unique and premium quality. It is made on a premium metal/aluminium panel. All its gold...
Metal, Gold Leaf
$8,200
Deconstructing Dystopia - Large Neutral Tone Original Abstract Expressive Art
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The original paintings of Bruce Rubenstein seamlessly marry sophistication with accessibility. His expressive abstract artwork "Deconstructing Dystopia" brings together fragmented fi...
Canvas, Charcoal, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$5,393Sale Price|24% Off
Red Bloom Acrylic Painting on Canvas, Modern Abstract Floral Art
Located in London, London
Floral vintage tapestry abstract decor Red flowers still-life. Artist: Katarina Joys Title: Red bloom Technique: acrylic on canvas Painted in London, UK, in 2025 Dimensions: 95x85...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$440
HandPainted Artist's Proof-Strawberry Moon Field-Awarded British Artist-GoldLeaf
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
This latest hand-painted Artist Proof ( the final Proof, No 2 of Two) is made on a premium metal/aluminium panel. All its gold-leaf parts are hand-painted and gilded by the artist he...
Metal, Gold Leaf
Soft Resonance Large-Scale Contemporary Abstraction
By Oksana Reva
Located in Zofingen, AG
Soft Resonance speaks not through bold statements, but through quiet whispers. Translucent layers of color, rich textures, and delicate traces of movement create a contemplative atmo...
Oil, Canvas
Évidence – Contemporary Geometric Abstract Oil Painting by Sophie Dumont
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Built upon a carefully structured geometric framework, the composition explores the relationship between proportion, balance and intuition. Curves, arcs, vertical divisions and recta...
Oil
A Corner of One's Own
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 122×142 cm (overall size with stretching 132×152 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled This artwork immerses the viewer in a warm, cozy domestic atmosph...
Canvas, Acrylic
$760Sale Price|20% Off
"The Doubt" Oil Painting on Canvas, Abstract Landscape, Signed, 30x36 Inches
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
An oil painting on canvas depicting a magical Andean being—an *Apu*—integrated into an abstract landscape composed of planes of color. The work is organized into distinct areas that ...
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$649Sale Price|20% Off
Original Diptych-Drawing Time: Garden Story-Brit Awarded Artist-Ink on paper
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
This special Diptych includes two original large ink drawings on Italian Fabriao paper, created by Shizico at the height of summer when her collection of lilies take centre stage in ...
Gold Leaf
Early 20th Century French Expressionist Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Holywell, GB
Early 20th Century Expressionist Landscape – “Le pique-nique” A vibrant landscape executed in the expressive style of early 20th-century Expressionism. Bold, confident brushstrokes ...
Oil
$2,188
Incidence – Contemporary Geometric Abstract Oil Painting by Sophie Dumont, 2026
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Incidence – Oil on canvas, 50 × 50 cm / 19.7 × 19.7 in, 2026 frame: natural wood floating frame or black collector's choice In Incidence, Sophie Dumont constructs a pictorial space ...
Oil
Measured Silence I, by Murray Duncan Mixed Media on Paper
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Measured Silence I by Murray Duncan Mixed Media on Paper Size: 32" × 40" Unframed, signed. Measured Silence I is a one-of-a-kind mixed-media work that explores the quiet relationsh...
Glaze, Oil Crayon, Acrylic, Pencil
$759Sale Price|20% Off
Original Set of 2-Le Bleu: Rosaria-British Awarded Artist-Impasto, Gold Leaf
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
This Set of 2 Oil impasto and Goldleaf on oil Papers, included 2 paintings: Night Roses-Rosarian Series Rosarian, 2026 (After Van Gogh) This pair is a part of Le Bleu Series by Award...
Gold Leaf
$7,820
The Big Lebowski - Colorful Abstract Expressive Mixed Media Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The paintings of Bruce Rubenstein seamlessly marry sophistication with affordability. His expressive abstract landscape artwork 'The Big Lebowski' features whimsical details and vibr...
Canvas, Charcoal, Oil Pastel, Mixed Media, Acrylic
Green Freshness. Abstraction
Located in Zofingen, AG
This abstract artwork is created with alcohol inks on synthetic paper. A rich palette of fresh green tones flows across the surface, ranging from delicate translucent shades to deep,...
Ink, Synthetic Paper
Le bleu des terres, Contemporary Abstract Landscape, Oil painting
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Le Bleu des Terres is an original oil painting by French contemporary artist Sophie Dumont. Inspired by the landscapes of the Normandy coastline, this abstract composition evokes th...
Oil
$3,500
Cosmic Soup - Large Scale Abstract Colorful Expressionist Textural Drip Painting
By Marc Raphael
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles artist Marc Raphael's abstract expressionism paintings are influenced by New York's abstract expressionist movement. After encountering Jackson Pollock’s work for the fir...
Canvas, Acrylic
Recueillement, Large Geometric Abstract Oil Painting, 2026
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Recueillement is a large contemporary geometric abstract oil painting by French artist Sophie Dumont, exploring architecture, silence and human presence. The composition is structur...
Oil
I Can Not Live With You, That Would Be Life By Jeanne Gentry Keck
Located in Lake Worth, FL
Paintings exploring themes of freedom, confinement, and the paradoxical search for structure within liberation. Time and my changing perspective of it are compelling to me. This inte...
Acrylic, Cotton
Quiet Hour
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 97×97 cm (overall size with stretching 107×107 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled This painting captures a moment of absolute peace and cozy domestic...
Canvas, Acrylic
Sunlit
Located in Zofingen, AG
A woman rests in golden light, her yellow dress blooming against a wild garden of color. Bold and radiant, it captures a moment of pure, sunlit calm. Ready on a stretcher bar, size 7...
Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Green-lilac abstraction.
Located in Zofingen, AG
This abstract composition explores the expressive nature of alcohol ink, where flowing pigments create organic forms that emerge without predetermined boundaries. Layers of deep char...
Ink
$2,950
I Want That Kind of Forever That Burns Bright - Bouquet Still Life Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Inspired by paintings created by old masters and the immersive nature she experienced in the Black Forest, German artist Katharina Husslein paints in a representational hyperrealisti...
Canvas, Oil
$2,600
Under - Original Impasto Thick Paint Beige Red Pink Textural Abstract Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Impasto-painted strokes of bright colors are the framework of artist Shiri Phillips’ abstract artworks. Her paintings are flooded with texture through the layering of acrylic paint i...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,325
Wild Skies 3 - Original Abstract Gold Leaf and Acrylic Painting on Wood Panel
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Adele Webster’s contemporary landscape paintings explore atmosphere, light, and the emotional presence of open space. Working with layered acrylic washes on wood panel, Webster creat...
Gold Leaf
$7,191Sale Price|24% Off
Eternal Abstract Expressionist Painting, XXL Oil & Acrylic on Canvas
Located in London, London
full size 211x159cm stretched size 200xx150cmx10cm All custom charges are included in the final price agreed. unframed, shipped rolled XXL, Extra-large painting, large painting, ab...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$473
"Summer Flora" Contemporary abstract expressionist floral acrylic painting
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
"Summer Flora" is a lively floral painting by French artist Natalya Mougenot. In this piece, she captures the feeling of a summer bouquet in full bloom, using color and movement to ...
Paper, Acrylic
$1,500
"Dream of Monet Lilly Pads" Colorful Impressionistic Oil Painting on Wood Framed
By Cindy Shaoul
Located in New York, NY
This painting depicts an impressionistic scene of Monet's home Lily Pond in Giverny, a poetic piece with beautiful details. The work reminds us of Claude Monet, with impressions capt...
Oil, Wood Panel
$482
Original-Strawberry Moon Night-Awarded British Artist-goldleaf with oil on paper
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
This oil and gold leaf on Georgian oil paper board is a part of Summer Bloom Series, an extension of the Sunlit in primary colour project. Captured Shizu's garden in the night in th...
Gold Leaf
The Endless Summer
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 66×97 cm (stretched canvas, ready to hang) Year: 2026 Materials: Acrylic on canvas Shipping: Stretched canvas, safely packed in Styrofoam and cardboard. This painting transpo...
Canvas, Acrylic
Simple Life (Gestural Abstract, Still Life, Warm, Soft, Summer, Vibrant)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Katherine Bello Simple Life (Gestural Abstract, Still Life, Warm, Soft, Summer, Vibrant) Oil and Oil Stick on Canvas 2021 Size: 20 x 20 x 1.5 inches (50.8 × 50.8 × 3.8 cm) Signed, da...
Canvas, Oil Pastel, Oil
July
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 91×66 cm (overall size with stretching 101×76 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled Svetlana Brazhnikova’s artwork "July" is an expressive, sun-drenched...
Canvas, Acrylic
$429Sale Price|20% Off
Original-Peony Summer-Impasto-British Awarded Artist-Oil, Goldleaf-plein air
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
This Oil impasto and Goldleaf on Paper, named Peony Summer, is a part of Summer Bloom Series by Award winning British artist Shizico Yi. She created the painting in her garden paint...
Gold Leaf
$7,675Sale Price|27% Off
Eternity Abstract Expressionist Painting, XXL Oil & Acrylic on Canvas
Located in London, London
full size 212x118cm full size canvas stretched size204x110x10cm All custom charges are included in the final price agreed. unframed, shipped rolled XXL, Extra-large painting, larg...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$260
Original Abstract Painting Serg Graff "The Primordial World" Surreal Fantasy Art
By Serg Graff
Located in Palm Coast, FL
"The Primordial World" is an original acrylic painting by contemporary American-based artist Serg Graff, whose imaginative visual language transforms abstract forms into extraordinar...
Acrylic
Our Own Way
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 132×142 cm (Total canvas size including stretching margins: 142×152 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled "Our Own Way" by Svetlana Brazhnikova is a pr...
Canvas, Acrylic
The Companion
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 132×142 cm (overall size with stretching 142×152 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled At the heart of the canvas is a laconic yet profound scene of qui...
Canvas, Acrylic
Large Abstract Expressionist Mid Century Modern Oil Painting on Canvas in Frame
Located in AIGNAN, FR
Large original abstract oil painting on canvas signed in the lower left and framed. A very attractive modern vintage abstract that cascades strong colour and form. Here, the artist...
Oil
Subtle balance
Located in Zofingen, AG
This work continues an exploration of silence as an inner space — a state where perception slows down and the boundaries between forms become soft and unstable. It is built on a bala...
Canvas, Mixed Media
$2,267Sale Price|20% Off
Original Set of 9 Garden Story-Le Bleu-British Awarded Artist-Gold leaf on Oil
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
This rare offer, Set of 9 latest collection of Garden Story in gold leaf and oil on oil paper board are a part of Le Bleu Series by award winning British artist Shizico Yi. She crea...
Gold Leaf
$6,800
Leaving the Pieces Alone, 2024, Original Mixed Media Painting by Murray Duncan
Located in Toronto, Ontario
'Leaving the Pieces Alone' - is an original mixed media painting by Canadian artist Murray Duncan. Measuring 48" H × 84" W, the composition features Duncan's signature gestural lin...
Glaze, Oil Crayon, Acrylic, Pencil
Original-Peony Summer-Green-Awarded Woman Artist-Oil, Gesso on paper-Impasto
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
This Oil on Paper, named Peony Summer in Green is a part of Summer Bloom Series by Award winning British artist Shizico Yi. She created the painting in her garden painted plein air ...
Gesso, Oil, Acrylic, Archival Paper
$836Sale Price|20% Off
Original Set of 3-Primary Colour series-Awarded artist-gold leaf with oil
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
Shizico Yi's "Primary Series" is a series where she explores the relationship between colours and emotion, particularly the colour yellow ( using gold leaf as the chosen material for...
Gold Leaf
Under the Wing
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 132×142 cm (Total canvas size including stretching margins: 142×152 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled This evocative painting immerses the viewer in...
Canvas, Acrylic
Large French Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting Bright Orange and Pastel Colour
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Large French Abstract Expressionist Oil Painting Bright Orange and Pastel Colours Composition by Marie Deloume (French, born 1942) signed verso French abstract expressionist oil pain...
Oil, Canvas
Tête-à-tête
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 132×142 cm (overall size with stretching 142×152 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled This painting captures a fragile, precious moment of genuine inti...
Canvas, Acrylic
Matrice, Contemporary Abstract Landscape, Oil painting
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Matrice is a contemporary geometric abstract oil painting by French artist Sophie Dumont, exploring creation, balance and the emergence of organic form. The composition is structure...
Oil
Kinfolk
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 110×97 cm (overall size with stretching 120×107 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled Kinfolk" is a profound visual reflection on the unconditional acce...
Canvas, Acrylic
$4,867Sale Price|31% Off
Kinko Abstract Expressionist Painting, Oil & Acrylic, 21st Century
Located in London, London
Chocolate Brown, Burgundy, and Earthy All custom charges are included in the final price agreed. large scale painting colourful flowers still-life. Artist: Katarina Joys 98x198c...
Canvas, Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
$3,200
Daylight Savings - Original Impasto Acrylic Colorful Textural Abstract Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Impasto-painted strokes of bright colors are the framework of artist Shiri Phillips’ abstract artworks. Her paintings are flooded with texture through the layering of acrylic paint i...
Canvas, Acrylic
21 (Gestural Abstract, Warm, Heart, Pink, Green)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Katherine Bello 21 Oil on Canvas 2021 Size: 40 x 30 x 1.5 inches (101.6 cm × 76.20 × 3.81 cm) Signed, dated and titled by hand COA provided *On Stretcher Frame, Gallery-wrapped - re...
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars
The Italian-American’s 2020 abstract painting “The Hoe” personifies his “art of not knowing.”
In his current show at New York's Lehmann Maupin gallery, the Puerto Rican–born talent reveals new paintings with a semiautobiographical aspect.