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.
Save your search and find it in your favorites
Save your search to find it quickly
Saved search
Your search is accessible from the favorites tab > My favorite searches
Unsaved search
A problem occurred
Jean-Luc Herman
Fine Art Drawings - 20.5 x 27 x 0.02 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8.1 x 10.6 x 0 inch
$364
Vincenzo Di Giorgio
Fine Art Drawings - 35 x 54 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 13.8 x 21.3 x 0.1 inch
$339
Jose María Abad
Fine Art Drawings - 29.7 x 42 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.7 x 16.5 x 0 inch
$388
Contempologyc E.M.
Fine Art Drawings - 29.7 x 21 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.7 x 8.3 x 0 inch
$557
Antonietta Valente
Fine Art Drawings - 15.2 x 10.2 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 6 x 4 x 0.1 inch
$582
Jonathan Kwegyir Aggrey
Fine Art Drawings - 76.2 x 55.9 x 2.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 30 x 22 x 1 inch
$3,600
Emmanuel Lesgourgues
Fine Art Drawings - 107 x 144 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 42.1 x 56.7 x 0.1 inch
$5,454
Eduardo Vega de Seoane
Fine Art Drawings - 44 x 56 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 17.3 x 22 x 0.4 inch
$307
Tamta Chachanidze
Fine Art Drawings - 27 x 41 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 10.6 x 16.1 x 0 inch
$364
Edward Zelinsky
Fine Art Drawings - 55.9 x 76.2 x 0.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 22 x 30 x 0.2 inch
$525
Benoît Mauduech
Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 140 x 4 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 55.1 x 1.6 inch
$1,333
Ludovica Cholet
Fine Art Drawings - 40 x 30 x 0.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.2 inch
$727
Harrison Prignet
Fine Art Drawings - 120 x 100 x 4.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 47.2 x 39.4 x 1.8 inch
$3,030
Edith Basseville
Fine Art Drawings - 112 x 80 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 44.1 x 31.5 x 0 inch
$2,303
Julio Ramon Serrano Moreno
Fine Art Drawings - 45.7 x 61 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 18 x 24 x 0.4 inch
$1,454
Robert Malaval
Fine Art Drawings - 27 x 22 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 10.6 x 8.7 x 0.1 inch
$1,454
Juliette Wegrzyk
Fine Art Drawings - 21 x 30 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8.3 x 11.8 x 0 inch
$1,030
Mario Trimarchi
Fine Art Drawings - 50 x 70 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 19.7 x 27.6 x 0 inch
$3,030
Irina Bellaye BlanXs
Fine Art Drawings - 65 x 50 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 25.6 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch
$909
Sylvia Elharar-Lemberg
Fine Art Drawings - 67 x 48 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 26.4 x 18.9 x 0.1 inch
$606
Sarngsan Na Soontorn
Fine Art Drawings - 80 x 60 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0 inch
$582
Svetoslava Georgieva
Fine Art Drawings - 50 x 70 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 19.7 x 27.6 x 0 inch
$485
Guillaume Cavalier
Fine Art Drawings - 31 x 23 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 12.2 x 9.1 x 0 inch
$1,206
Lia Chechelashvili
Fine Art Drawings - 50.8 x 40.6 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 20 x 16 x 0.1 inch
$1,050
Sophie Duplain
Fine Art Drawings - 50 x 65 x 0.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 19.7 x 25.6 x 0.2 inch
$1,091 $927
Sophie Duplain
Fine Art Drawings - 65 x 50 x 0.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 25.6 x 19.7 x 0.2 inch
$1,091 $927
Sophie Duplain
Fine Art Drawings - 50 x 65 x 0.5 cm Fine Art Drawings - 19.7 x 25.6 x 0.2 inch
$1,091 $927
Agnès Tiollier
Fine Art Drawings - 100 x 70 x 0.18 cm Fine Art Drawings - 39.4 x 27.6 x 0.1 inch
$1,818
Sumit Mehndiratta
Fine Art Drawings - 76 x 56 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 29.9 x 22 x 0 inch
$1,091
Sumit Mehndiratta
Fine Art Drawings - 56 x 76 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 22 x 29.9 x 0 inch
$1,091
Sumit Mehndiratta
Fine Art Drawings - 65 x 127 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 25.6 x 50 x 0 inch
$1,818
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.