Abstract 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.
1980s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Mixed Media
20th Century Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
1960s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Jenn Williamson is an intuitive painter. In her work, she responds to her feelings and the way she is growing or changing to become a better human being. She loves to nurture and inspire others in their journey. And creativity has been at the core of how she processes situations and experiences. "I painted this during a season where I was focused on nurturing my spiritual and emotional sides," says Jenn. "Rather than being driven to succeed and produce results to feel valued, I find great strength in meditation."
About the Artist
Jenn Williamson expertly evokes the scenery of British Columbia in her soft abstract landscapes. She utilizes defining horizontal and vertical strokes, coupled with a skillful handling of color, to create significant depth in each piece. Her paintings, though abstracted, clearly convey the atmospheric attributes of the scene–rain, wind, clouds, fog. Jenn’s muted color palette transports the viewer to the Canadian west coast...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
1950s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Mixed Media, Permanent Marker, Graphite
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Oil, Linen
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Pigment
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Acrylic, Wood Panel
Mid-20th Century Abstract Abstract Paintings
Paper, Oil Pastel, Gouache
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Dye, India Ink
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Paper, India Ink
Late 20th Century Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Gold Leaf
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Wood, Oil
1980s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Linen, Oil
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Mixed Media, Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Joey Korom paints a green abstract composition. He combines unconventional shapes to give the work multiple layers. "Subtle collisions suggest parts of...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Pencil
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Paper, Acrylic, Watercolor, Monoprint
Artist Comments
Earthy tones contrast with soft pinks and greens, hinting at a floral presence. This abstract painting conveys dynamic movement and emotional depth, balancing s...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Mixed Media, Oil, Archival Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Spray Paint
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Mixed Media, Paper
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Paper, Ink, Acrylic, Watercolor, Color Pencil
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Acrylic
Late 20th Century Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Spray Paint
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Acrylic, Canvas, Glitter
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil, Stretcher Bars
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Wood, Mixed Media, Oil, Magazine Paper
1970s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Watercolor, Handmade Paper
20th Century Abstract Abstract Paintings
Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Linen, Oil
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Glaze, Oil Crayon, Acrylic
Early 2000s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Mixed Media
Artist Comments
Horizontal blackness could suggest hills in darkness, but the viewer must decide.
About the Artist
As a child in the 1950s, Patricia Oblack sat in front of the television and learned to draw with Jon Gnagy...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Wood, Oil, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Oil, Board
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Paper, Acrylic
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
Mid-20th Century Abstract Abstract Paintings
Oil
Artist Comments
Artist Ronda Waiksnis presents an abstract view of a winding stream that implies a feeling of nostalgia. "In this piece, I've appl...
21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Abstract Paintings
Oil
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Cotton Canvas, Oil
1950s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Acrylic
2010s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Canvas, Oil





