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.
$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
$14,554
"umbrella girl series" Blue- Gold Edition No.14, Painting, 21st Century, Acrylic
By Roger König
Located in Dessau-Rosslau, Sachsen Anhalt
Set against a rich midnight blue background, luminous gold leaf creates a refined dialogue between elegance, depth and timeless luxury Gold Edition - with real gold leaf, 23,75 cara...
Clay, Acrylic
$3,024Sale Price|25% Off
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
$20,000
Louise Bourgeois - Horseshoe (with accompanying horseshoe), signed & inscribed
Located in New York, NY
Engraving by Louise Bourgeois, 2002, hand signed, numbered and inscribed to her longtime printer Judith Solodkin of Solo Impressions, accompanied by an actual horseshoe gifted by the...
Metal
Original-Peony Summer-New Abstract-Awarded Woman Artist-Gold Leaf and oil paper
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
This Gold Leaf and Oil on paper, named Peony Summer is a part of New Abstract Series by Award winning British artist Shizico Yi. She created the painting in her garden painted plein...
Gold Leaf
Held by Morning 1, Original abstract botanical, blue, blue gray
Located in Cumming, GA
Held by Morning 1 captures the quiet beauty of daybreak through soft botanical forms, layered texture, and a luminous palette of pale blue-gray and white. Inspired by the restorative...
Canvas, Acrylic
Girlhood Secrets
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 97×97 cm (Total canvas size including stretching margins: 107×107 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled This painting immerses the viewer into an atmos...
Canvas, Acrylic
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
original lithograph
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original lithograph. Printed in 1971 for the art revue Derriere le Miroir (issue number 190) and published in Paris by Maeght. Size: 15 x 22 inches (380 x 560 mm). This litho...
Lithograph
21 (Gestural Abstract, Warm, Soft, 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
$1,058Sale Price|30% Off
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
$420
Infinity Pool Water Reflections, Blue & White Pattern, Handmade Cyanotype Print
By Kind of Cyan
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype. "Infinity Pool" is a sophisticated image that captures the water reflections shimmering over a swimming pool. We're proud ...
Emulsion, Watercolor, Photographic Paper, C Print, Lithograph, Monotype
Sanctuary for Two
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 142×142 cm (overall size with stretching 152×152 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled This painting is a visual meditation on preserving one's inner wo...
Canvas, Acrylic
Presence
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 140×97 cm (overall size with stretching 150×107 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled Painting Title: "Presence" Series Title: "The Inviolable Reserve" ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,344Sale Price|30% Off
Large Mid Century Modern Abstract Impressionist Landscape Oil Painting
Located in AIGNAN, FR
An original signed and dated oil painting by Alfred Levy 'Alvy' (1915-1970) depicting a harbour-side arcade scene in the artist's characteristic modern French style. It's entitled,...
Oil
Green Haven
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 97×110 cm (overall size with stretching 107×120 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled The painting is built on an expressive visual contrast between mon...
Canvas, Acrylic
Enigma, Contemporary Abstract Geometric Painting by Sophie Dumont
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
French contemporary artist Sophie Dumont creates layered oil paintings that balance structure, atmosphere, and emotion. Her work is held in private and museum collections and is reco...
Oil
$3,139
Teresa Vicens, Contemporary Minimalist Figurative Painting with Female Nude
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Contemporary figurative painting featuring a group of female nude figures in a minimalist composition. Created by Spanish artist Teresa Vicens, this large-scale work explores themes ...
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
Hand-Painted large Canvas Limited Edition#6/10–Sunshine Factory-Awarded Artist
By Shizico Yi
Located in London, GB
This stunning large hand-painted Limited canvas edition is created in oil by Shizico Yi and is 95% hand painted directly onto canvas. Signed on the front and signed and numbered on ...
Gesso, Canvas, Oil, Acrylic, Giclée, Archival Pigment
1990s Abstract Offset Print: Brown and Orange on Slate, Unframed
By (after) Mark Rothko
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This high-quality reproduction of Brown and Orange on Slate faithfully captures Mark Rothko’s signature exploration of color, light, and emotion. Rothko’s artistic process was deeply...
Offset
Chanson - large, colourful, gestural abstract, acrylic on canvas
Located in Bloomfield, ON
Harold Feist’s gloriously colorful acrylic abstract painting called Chanson radiates joy. Known for his innovative color field work, Feist has chosen a bright rainbow palette in broa...
Canvas, Acrylic
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
Leo Castelli Gallery offset lithograph invitation, 1969
By Frank Stella
Located in New York, NY
Offset lithograph poster invitation Unframed and unsigned Published by Leo Castelli Gallery at 4 East 77th Street on the occasion of the exhibition in November, 1969 The artwork dep...
Lithograph, Offset
Glimmer
Located in Zofingen, AG
“Glimmer” captures a moment of transition, where tension slowly dissolves into light. The work explores a subtle boundary between heaviness and ease, where silence becomes a space fo...
Canvas, Acrylic, Oil
Soul-to-Soul Conversation
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 90×97 cm (overall size with stretching 100×107 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled At the center of this narrative lies an intimate scene unfolding am...
Canvas, Acrylic
White folds 9. 3D abstraction
Located in Zofingen, AG
The painting, created on canvas with clay, depicts soft, flowing folds that create the impression of draped fabric. The entire piece is rendered in a pure white color, giving it eleg...
Clay, Canvas, Acrylic
$3,481
Correspondances, Modern Abstract painting, Geometric, Original Oil on Canvas
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Sophie Dumont is a contemporary French painter recognized for her layered oil paintings, where structure and material create refined, architectural compositions collected internatio...
Oil
“Set Out”
By Iryna Rets
Located in Zofingen, AG
The works from this series were exhibited at ART KYIV Fair 2026 and later presented as part of the artist’s solo exhibition “Points of View” at MODI Art & Wine Gallery, Kyiv. “Set ...
Canvas, Acrylic
"umbrella girl series" Gold Edition No.13, Painting, 21st Century, Acrylic
By Roger König
Located in Dessau-Rosslau, Sachsen Anhalt
Gold Edition - with real gold leaf, 23,75 carat Art measures 7.87“ x 7.87“ inches Frame measures 13“ x 13“ x 2.36“ inches Framed in a high-quality contemporary wooden moulding. Color...
Clay, Acrylic
Sold
Construction intime, Contemporary Abstract Geometric Painting by Sophie Dumont
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Born in Paris in 1964, French contemporary painter Sophie Dumont creates richly layered oil paintings that explore abstraction through structure, rhythm, and memory. Her works are he...
Oil
$5,050
The Wellspring III - Large Scale Contemporary Colorful Abstract Oil Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Harrison Gilman's large original artworks begin with a layer of fast-paced gestural abstraction followed by organic shapes and geometric structures. Some of his paintings remain in t...
Canvas, Oil
original lithograph
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original lithograph. Printed in 1971 for the art revue Derriere le Miroir (issue number 190) and published in Paris by Maeght. Size: 15 x 11 inches (380 x 278 mm). There is p...
Lithograph
Between the Waves
Located in Zofingen, AG
Between the Waves Sometimes, even in the most beautiful places, we do not find inner peace. The heroine of this work exists in a moment of quiet pause, alone with her thoughts and em...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
$3,050
Follow Me My Little Ones! - Original Colorful Abstract Landscape Oil Painting
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Jane Harington is a Saskatoon-based contemporary painter whose expressive oil paintings explore landscape, florals, and place through color, memory, and emotion. Shaped by an interna...
Canvas, Oil
The Tale of a Rose
Located in Zofingen, AG
The Tale of a Rose This work is part of the Infinity Map series, dedicated to exploring the inner world and the search for personal points of reference. Beneath a star-filled sky, th...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic
L'equilibre des voix, Contemporary Large Abstract Oil Painting, 42x42 in
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
L’Équilibre des Voix Sophie Dumont L’Équilibre des Voix, 2026 Oil on canvas 100 x 100 cm (39.4 x 39.4 in) Framed: 107 x 107 cm (42.1 x 42.1 in) Signed by the artist Black or natural...
Canvas, Oil
$2,800
Art Card: Frank Stella The Fossil Whale (Hand Signed by Frank Stella), Framed
By Frank Stella
Located in New York, NY
Offset lithograph card Hand signed and dated '93 by Frank Stella on the front Gorgeous card depicting abstract expressionist artist Frank Stella's "The Fossil Whale" on the front cov...
Postcard
$850
Mysterious Sea, Abstract Seascape Painting in Orange, School of Fish Patterns
Located in Barcelona, ES
“Mysterious Sea ” is a contemporary abstract painting inspired by the fluid motion of ocean currents. Layers of teal, green, and orange tones intertwine with flowing yellow lines, ev...
Paper, Acrylic, Monotype
A Quiet Evening Garden
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 quiet, intimate moment set within a lush ...
Canvas, Acrylic
$3,481
Terres de lumiere, Contemporary Abstract Landscape Painting in Earthy tones
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Terres de Lumière (Lands of Light) French contemporary painter Sophie Dumont is renowned for her richly layered oil paintings inspired by landscape, memory, and the passage of time....
Oil
$2,154
The Shadow Within, Contemporary Abstract Geometric Painting by Sophie Dumont
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
The Shadow Within Sophie Dumont is a French contemporary painter whose work explores the dialogue between geometry, light, and material through richly layered oil paintings. Built o...
Oil
The Vigilant Guardian
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 130×97 cm (overall size with stretching 140×107 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled the series "The Inviolable Reserve" This artwork explores the them...
Canvas, Acrylic
$469Sale Price|30% Off
Green Happy Life Abstract Painting, Mixed Media on Canvas, 60x75 cm
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
"Green happy life" is an abstract painting distinguished by its texture and interwoven layers of color. Green tones predominate, complemented by flashes of blue, red, and green. It f...
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
Protected Serenity
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 142×142 cm (overall size with stretching 152×152 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled This evocative painting immerses the viewer into a realm of absol...
Acrylic, Canvas
$1,214Sale Price|25% Off
Vibrant Abstract with Bold Colours French 20th Century Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Abstract Expressionist Composition by Gilbert Pelissier (French born 1924) oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas size: 15 x 31.5 inches condition: overall very good, a few minor su...
Canvas, Oil
$3,075
Quiet Serenade - abstracted figurative art - underwater expressive oil painting
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Canvas, Oil
Summer After Winter, Abstract Painting
By Kajal Zaveri
Located in San Francisco, CA
Artist Comments
Inspired by the transition from winter's stillness to the abundance of summer, this painting celebrates nature's renewal and vitality. Layers of vibrant green e...
Acrylic
L'ordre des tomes, Contemporary textured Oil on Canvas, Abstract library
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Born in Paris in 1964, French contemporary painter Sophie Dumont creates richly textured oil paintings inspired by landscapes, artists' studios and her celebrated library series. Her...
Oil
Pub and Bus-original modern London cityscape oil painting-contemporary art
By Lisa Bisbee
Located in London, Chelsea
We offer complimentary worldwide shipping and cover all tariffs and import taxes for this artwork. This exceptional artwork is currently on display and available for sale at Signet C...
Canvas, Oil
White folds 12. 3D abstraction
Located in Zofingen, AG
The painting, created on canvas with clay, depicts soft, flowing folds that create the impression of draped fabric. The entire piece is rendered in a pure white color, giving it eleg...
Clay, Canvas, Acrylic
Temps suspendu, Contemporary Abstract Painting by Sophie Dumont
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Oil on Canvas 40 x 40 cm (15.7 x 15.7 in) 47 x 47 cm framed (18.5 x 18.5 in) Available with a choice of black or natural wood floating frame. In Temps Suspendu, French contemporary ...
Oil
$5,589
Vers l'equilibre, Contemporary Large Abstract Geometric Oil Painting, 34 x 34 in
Located in LANGRUNE-SUR-MER, FR
Vers l'Équilibre - Oil on canvas Unframed: 80 x 80 x 2 cm (31.50 x 31.50 x 0.79 in) Framed: 87 x 87 x 3.5 cm (34.25 x 34.25 x 1.38 in) Black or natural wood floater frame available S...
Canvas, Oil
Exhale
By Iryna Rets
Located in Zofingen, AG
Exhale is part of the series From Simple to…, which focuses on simple things that help people restore their inner balance. The sheep conveys a sense of calm, trust in the present mom...
Acrylic, Canvas
AWH 353 - Abstract Minimalist Textured Layered Colorfield Oil Painting on Canvas
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Bernhard Zimmer produces deeply layered, subtly textured abstract paintings that contain diametrically opposed elements—order and chaos, abstraction and representation, boldness and ...
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Green Daze, Contemporary Abstract Painting, original painting
Located in Deddington, GB
Rebecca's work is inspired by a lifelong love of nature, colour, and pattern. Growing up in Kew, she was deeply influenced by the beauty of Kew Gardens and its rich abundance of bota...
Canvas, Acrylic
$420
Miami Art Deco Pool, Blue Cyanotype on Paper, Abstract Shapes Water Reflections
By Kind of Cyan
Located in Barcelona, ES
This is an exclusive handprinted limited edition cyanotype. "Miami Art Deco Pool" shows the movements of water over a tiled swimming pool floor. Details: + Title: Miami Art Deco Poo...
Emulsion, Watercolor, Photographic Paper, C Print, Lithograph, Other Medium
The Way Home
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 97×97 cm (overall size with stretching 107×107 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled This new piece from the “Past Passing Me By” series is a visual med...
Canvas, Acrylic
White folds 10. 3D abstraction
Located in Zofingen, AG
The painting, created on canvas with clay, depicts soft, flowing folds that create the impression of draped fabric. The entire piece is rendered in a pure white color, giving it eleg...
Clay, Canvas, Acrylic
Umbrella - Silent Rain No.12, Abstract Painting, 21st Century, Acrylic, Clay
By Roger König
Located in Dessau-Rosslau, Sachsen Anhalt
A timeless composition defined by luminous whites and expressive black gestures. The restrained palette enhances the work’s elegance, creating a sophisticated statement for distingui...
Clay, Acrylic
Slow Soft Summer: Floral, Abstract, Contemporary, Nature, Soft tones, Original
By Karnish Art
Located in Pretoria, Gauteng
Title: Slow Soft Summer Floral, Abstract, Contemporary, Nature, Soft tones, Original, Authentic, Investment In this gentle, though lively acrylic painting, I connected to the joys ...
Gesso, Canvas, Wood, Glaze, Acrylic, Stretcher Bars
The Italian-American’s 2020 abstract painting “The Hoe” personifies his “art of not knowing.”
Beneath the inky blackness, the painter’s irrepressible energy electrifies this pair of intaglio prints.
The New York Botanical Garden, in the Bronx, has mounted a multifaceted show honoring the polymath modernist's legacy, including new work by contemporary landscape maker Raymond Jungles.
In his current show at New York's Lehmann Maupin gallery, the Puerto Rican–born talent reveals new paintings with a semiautobiographical aspect.