Famous Abstract Paintings

Beginning with the earliest Abstract artist who created artwork that spanned many mediums and techniques. There was nothing traditional about Abstract art it provided boundless freedom. Here are some of the most popular artwork created by some of the biggest names in art.

European Artists

Tableau I Piet Mondrain

Dutch artist Piet Mondrain created this most important abstract painting as Composition II in Red, Blue, and Yellow. The painting displays his philosophy that the universe is a harmonious collection of different objects and substances to be combined in geometric blocks and defined black lines. He only used primary colors. This artwork is used throughout pop culture.

Interchange Willem de Kooning

Dutch-American artist Willem de Koonings created this artwork as one of the his first landscape paintings. It is among the most expensive abstract painting to ever exchange hands. In an off market sale David Geffen of Geffen Records sold this artwork to billionare hedge fund manager Kenneth C. Griffin for $300 million in 2015. This was the artist's first major departure into more landscape or architecture based compositions.

1936 (White Relief) Ben Nicholson

English artist Ben Nicholson was mostly influenced by the Post-Impressionist and Cubist movements. He was inspired by Dutch artist Piet Mondrain to move away from painting techniques and representational art to create a series of geometric reliefs. This artwork became his finest abstract piece.

Abstract Painting 726 Gerhard Richter

German visual artist Gerhard Richter created this artwork in 1990 as a diptych comprised of two sections of canvas. The painting consists of horizontal forms with prominent colors of white, red, and orange.

Abstraktes Bild (809-1) Gerhard Richter

German visual artist Gerhard Richter created his painting which is considered to be a significant abstract artwork created in 1994. The artists is known for his artworks which include both photo-realistic paintings and abstract compositions. This painting is known for its dynamic interplay of color and form.

La Mancha Roja Joan Miro

Catalan Spanish artist Joan Miro created artworks that spaned many genres such as Surrealism, Fauvism, and Abstract art. He is most remembered for his abstract art. Among his most popular paintings is La Mancha Roja or The Red Spot. It crosses the boundaries between abstract art and surrealism. The artists mostly painted the images he created in his mind.

The Tilled Field Joan Miro

Catalan Spanish Artist Joan Miro created this oil on canvas painting between 1923 and 1924. It represents a stylized perspective of the farm where is family lived at Mont-roig-del-Camp in Catalonia.

Untitled (First Abstract Watercolor) Wassily Kadinsky

Russian artist Wassily Kadinsky created this artwork in 1910. It is considered to be among the first true abstract paintings. The artist created it in watercolor providing bright colors and it defined departure from the traditions of European art up to this point.

American Artists

Mountains and Sea Helen Frankenthaler

American abstract expressionist artist Helen Frankenthaler created this artwork in 1952 when she was only 23 years old. She created this painting using a soak-stain technique. Heavily thinned oil paints were used to stain a blank canvas. She painted this after a trip to Nova Scotia in the summertime.

Full Fathom Five Jackson Pollock

American artist Jackson Pollock had a profound impacts on the world of modern art with some 363 artworks. He became famous for his drip techniques where a canvas was placed on the floor and paint dripped onto it from above. The artist used regular wall paint since it did not need thinning.

This artwork was Pollock's earliest created using the drip style. A black under layer was painted and house paint dripped onto it from above. In it you can see ordinary objects like coins, cigarette butts, and other things that stand out. The name of the painting comes from a line in The Tempest by William Shakespeare.

No. 2 Blue Red Green Marc Rothko

Latvian American abstract artist Mark Rothko created artwork that was inspired by mythology and philosophy. His artworks were based on large portions of colors often washed. These washed canvases mostly only had three colors and became his signature artworks. This artwork can be seen as a transition between his light and dark phase.

Black Iris Georgia O'Keefe

American modernist artist Georgia O'Keefe artwork became some of the most discussed and analyzed abstract paintings of all time. Her abstract artworks have alwasys been associated with the female private parts. She has become the inspiration for young female artists all over the world.