Abstract Drawing for Sale
The start of the 20th century was an incredibly promising time for Western societies. Major technological and industrial breakthroughs brought about key societal changes and revolutionized the daily lives of entire populations. The two World Wars devastated the world during the first half of the 20th century and deeply scarred the generations who lived through them. Their violence had a profound influence on the art movements of the time.
Within art and literature, artists started to move away from rational thinking. In art, new movements emerged which completely broke away from traditional artistic conventions, including Surrealism, Dadaism, Figurative art, Expressionism, Cubism and also Abstract Art.
The first abstract tendencies were seen in Germany with Wilhem Worringer, who used abstract art, more specifically geometric shapes, as the means to express and portray his fears. Fauve artists had already used pure colors but this technique became even more commonplace in abstract works. The invention of photography also had a key impact on painters as it meant that they became less concerned about their work being realistic. The origins of the abstract movement are difficult to pin down as its several initiatives developed at the same time in several different countries, without any kind of dialogue unifying them.
It was a watercolor by Vassily Kandinsky, the figurehead of the abstract movement, which triggered the shift in artistic attitudes. Like a piece of cacophonous music, shapes and colors create a sense of movement in his abstracts paintings, communicating specific emotions. From this point on, new artists concentrated on trying to depict a 'contraction of reality', by simplifying shapes and drawing nothing more than its essence or the underlying idea.
Piet Mondrian decided to work with geometric shapes. As for Malévich, he chose to showcase the invisible in his highly symbolic and spiritual works, including his most famous painting 'Black Square.' In his own unique way, Jackson Pollock created nearly 700 impressive modern paintings. His brush rarely ever touching the canvas as he preferred the pouring technique, which involves pouring paint directly onto the painting from a paint pot or stick.
Just like oil painting or abstract sculpture, abstract drawing can come in various different forms. On Artsper, you will find a collection of works made with ink, gouache, watercolor, pen, charcoal, thin lead pencils or felt-tip pens and often on paper. Similar to painting, abstract drawing can highlight shapes, textures, lines or colors. What the artists decide to focus on is dependent on their artistic vision.
Discover abstract drawings by the abstract artists Paul Jenkins, Ellen Priest and Abigail Lazkoz on Artsper.
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Asya Fadeyeva
Fine Art Drawings - 29.7 x 22.5 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.7 x 8.9 x 0.1 inch
$1,211 $1,151
Mariam Okribelashvili
Fine Art Drawings - 55 x 180 x 2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 21.7 x 70.9 x 0.8 inch
$1,090
Helen Burkova
Fine Art Drawings - 26 x 36 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 10.2 x 14.2 x 0 inch
$250 $225
Nathalie Grenier
Fine Art Drawings - 54 x 50 x 3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 21.3 x 19.7 x 1.2 inch
$1,696
Michael Alan
Fine Art Drawings - 295.9 x 58.2 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 116.5 x 22.9 x 0.04 inch
$1,332
Yana Dmitrieva
Fine Art Drawings - 28.5 x 19.5 x 0.01 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.2 x 7.7 x 0 inch
$300
Rolph Scarlett
Fine Art Drawings - 10.16 x 10.8 x 2.54 cm Fine Art Drawings - 4 x 4.3 x 1 inch
$2,650
Marilina Marchica
Fine Art Drawings - 70.1 x 50 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0.1 inch
$1,250
Josep Maria Mejan
Fine Art Drawings - 14 x 10.7 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 5.5 x 4.2 x 0 inch
$787
Joséphine De Saint Seine
Fine Art Drawings - 50 x 40 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.4 inch
$3,028
Daniel Gibson
Fine Art Drawings - 22.86 x 30.48 x 2.54 cm Fine Art Drawings - 9 x 12 x 1 inch
$9,000
Eter Merkviladze
Fine Art Drawings - 32 x 27 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12.6 x 10.6 x 0.1 inch
$1,090
John Reitz
Fine Art Drawings - 31.5 x 38.5 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12.4 x 15.2 x 0.1 inch
$1,680
Laurent Anastay-Ponsolle
Fine Art Drawings - 76 x 56 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 29.9 x 22 x 0 inch
$1,151
Francis Besson
Fine Art Drawings - 50 x 65 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 19.7 x 25.6 x 0.1 inch
$1,696
Purvis Young
Fine Art Drawings - 27.9 x 21.6 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11 x 8.5 x 0.11 inch
$1,250
Wifredo Lam
Fine Art Drawings - 21.9 x 16.9 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8.6 x 6.7 x 0.1 inch
$38,755
Serge Charchoune
Fine Art Drawings - 19 x 28.3 x 0.02 cm Fine Art Drawings - 7.5 x 11.1 x 0 inch
$1,090
Tetiana Ocheredko
Fine Art Drawings - 57 x 76 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 22.4 x 29.9 x 0 inch
$1,100
Dali Nazarishvili
Fine Art Drawings - 35 x 47 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 13.8 x 18.5 x 0 inch
$2,422
Juan José Fuentes Reyes
Fine Art Drawings - 45 x 57 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 17.7 x 22.4 x 0 inch
$2,785
Genny Puccini
Fine Art Drawings - 50 x 50 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.1 inch
$1,029
Albert Gonzalo
Fine Art Drawings - 65.5 x 50.5 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 25.8 x 19.9 x 0 inch
$2,180
Frédérique Lanquetin
Fine Art Drawings - 30 x 30 x 0.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.2 inch
$606
Fredy Saul Serrano
Fine Art Drawings - 45 x 134.9 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 17.7 x 53.1 x 0.1 inch
$2,940
Nino Tolomashvili
Fine Art Drawings - 70 x 100 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 27.6 x 39.4 x 0 inch
$606
Claude André Thibaud
Fine Art Drawings - 22 x 36 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8.7 x 14.2 x 0 inch
$736
Jean-Michel Atlan
Fine Art Drawings - 37 x 27 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 14.6 x 10.6 x 0.1 inch
$18,166
Clara Crespin
Fine Art Drawings - 77 x 65 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 30.3 x 25.6 x 0.1 inch
$1,090
Stefano Mazzolini
Fine Art Drawings - 100 x 70 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 39.4 x 27.6 x 0.4 inch
$4,239 $2,967
Julius Bissier
Fine Art Drawings - 46.5 x 53 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 18.3 x 20.9 x 0 inch
$1,817
José Manuel Menéndez Rojas
Fine Art Drawings - 57 x 70 cm Fine Art Drawings - 22.4 x 27.6 inch
$2,180
Giorgi Kukhalashvili
Fine Art Drawings - 14.5 x 23 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 5.7 x 9.1 x 0 inch
$2,301
Paul Rotterdam
Fine Art Drawings - 106 x 75 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 41.7 x 29.5 x 0.1 inch
$3,633
Kristina Viera Wolf
Fine Art Drawings - 50 x 65 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 19.7 x 25.6 x 0.4 inch
$1,332
Discover the styles & movements
Discover the selection of our experts
Abstract art is the opposite of figurative art, which aims to represent the physical, visual world. Abstract art aims instead to represent the world through a different visual language, using shapes, symbols, lines, and color.
The origin of the practice of drawing is hard to trace, as it has existed since well before humans began recording historical information. However, it is believed to have originated during the Stone Age, when humans began experimenting with drawing as an art form. The earliest known example is an abstract crayon drawing on a piece of stone that was created around 73,000 years ago.
Some of the most influential abstract artists in art history are Jackson Pollock, Vassily Kandinsky, Piet Mondrian, and Helen Frankenthaler.
An abstract drawing is an artwork that does not represent recognizable objects or scenes but instead uses shapes, colors, and lines to express emotions or concepts. It focuses on visual language rather than realistic depiction.
The five main characteristics of abstract art are non-representational forms, emphasis on color and shapes, expressive brushwork, focus on composition, and the evocation of emotions rather than depicting reality.
Abstract art does not follow traditional rules of representation; it focuses on shapes, colors, and forms to express ideas or emotions. Artists have creative freedom, but coherence, balance, and intentionality are often valued.