Most Famous Abstract Artworks In The Last 100 Years

Abstract art may challenge our perception of reality, but that's precisely what makes it so captivating. While its origins are often debated—some tracing it back to the dreamy brushstrokes of Joseph Mallord William Turner in the mid-19th century—it wasn't until the early 20th century that abstract art truly found its voice.

Abstract art invites each viewer to interpret it in their own unique way. Its ability to spark personal interpretation is why it continues to resonate with broad audiences today.

Artworks are a reflection of personal taste and identity, with the ability to add energy to a space with a vibrant abstract painting, or evoke calm with a minimalist sculpture. They not only create focal points that inspire conversation, artworks elevate interiors and transform spaces into highly personalized environments.

Curating works for personalized projects requires partnering with a reliable art source like The Artling. We connect buyers to an extensive catalog of works from emerging and established artists worldwide, helping you find meaningful art that resonates with your vision.

Abstract art utilizes shapes, colors, and forms to create compositions unrelated to real-world references. Some key characteristics include non-representational forms and an emphasis on the artist's emotional experience. This genre evolved through movements like Cubism and was shaped by pioneers such as Wassily Kandinsky and Piet Mondrian.

The versatility of abstract art makes it ideal for modern interiors, as its varied styles, colors, and forms seamlessly fit diverse design aesthetics. Its openness harmonizes with contemporary design trends, enhancing any environment.

In this article, we've compiled key artworks that have made significant impacts on the abstract art genre.

Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944)
Composition X, 1939
Oil on canvas, 130 cm × 195 cm

Wassily Kandinsky is credited as one of the pioneers of abstraction in Western art. The Russian-born painter and theorist is known for creating some of the first purely abstract works, moving away from representational art to explore color and form as its own elements.

In his book Concerning the Spiritual in Art, he emphasized that colors evoke emotions and that art should express the artist’s inner feelings. His vibrant and dynamic forms laid the foundation for later movements like Abstract Expressionism and continue to inspire artists today.

Composition X is the last of the ten works that Kandinsky painted toward the end of his life. The predominant color of this piece is black, which symbolizes closure or an end for the artist. He likened this to musical compositions, with geometric shapes floating in the background, leaving the meaning open to the viewer’s interpretation.

Explore similar works to Composition X below, or click here to find more pieces inspired by Kandinsky.

Piet Mondrian (1872-1944)
Composition No. II, 1930
Oil on canvas, 45 cm x 45 cm

Piet Mondrian was a Dutch painter and a pioneer of abstract art in the 20th century. He co-founded the De Stijl movement and developed Neoplasticism, focusing on simple geometric forms and primary colors to express universal beauty.

By limiting his work to horizontal and vertical lines, along with red, blue, and yellow, Mondrian sought to create art that transcended reality. His influence extended beyond painting, shaping modernism in design, architecture, and fashion, and leaving a lasting impact on movements like Abstract Expressionism and Minimalism.

In 2022, Composition No. II sold for $51 million at Sotheby’s in New York, setting a new auction record for Mondrian’s work. The piece is one of the most significant in the collector’s market, featuring his signature blue, red, white, and yellow squares.

Explore similar works to Composition No. II below, or click here to find more pieces inspired by Piet Mondrian.

Joan Miró (1893 - 1983)
Peinture (Étoile Bleue), 1927
Oil on canvas, 115.5 cm × 89 cm

While often associated with Surrealism, Joan Miró’s paintings embrace abstraction, focusing on the essence of shapes and forms rather than realistic representation. He used organic shapes, geometric patterns, and simplified figures to engage the viewer’s imagination, creating works that express playfulness and spontaneity.

His blend of Surrealism and abstraction continues to inspire artists worldwide, challenge perceptions, and spark the imagination of many.

Peinture (Étoile Bleue) marked a key point in Miró’s transition from figurative to abstract art. In 2012, the painting sold for £23.5 million at Sotheby’s London, setting a record for the artist at that time. His works from this period are considered especially modern, timeless, and widely appealing.

Explore similar works to Peinture (Etoile Bleue) below, or click here to find more pieces inspired by Joan Miró.

Ben Nicholson OM (1894 – 1982)
1934 (relief), 1934
Oil paint on mahogany, 71.8 cm x 96.5 cm x 3.2 cm

Motivated by exploring how paintings can represent space, Ben Nicholson shifted from his figurative and abstract works, which were inspired by Post-Impressionism and Cubism, to experiment with abstract reliefs. These geometric sculptural reliefs, characterized by its hand-made quality, were typically painted white by the artist. 

The significance of 1934 (Relief) comes from its influences—Piet Mondrian and the sculptor Barbara Hepworth, who was his partner at the time. Nicholson's rapid transition from abstract paintings to reliefs was often attributed to meeting Mondrian the previous year, as well as inspiration from other abstractionists like Joan Miró and Alexander Calder. 

Explore similar works to 1934 (Relief) below, or click here to search for other abstract pieces.

Jackson Pollock (1912 - 1956)
Blue Poles, 1952 
Oil, enamel, aluminium paint, glass on canvas, 213 cm x 489.5cm

Over the course of his short 44 years, Jackson Pollock created an impressive 363 paintings. He is most famous for his drip technique, abandoning the conventional artists’ tools and methods by throwing paint on large canvases placed on the floor. Many of the dynamic works he produced have left a lasting mark on the art world, earning recognition as notable pieces.

No other work by Pollock is more significant or controversial than Blue Poles. In 1973, Australia’s then-Prime Minister authorized the purchase of the painting for $1.3 million for the National Gallery of Australia, making it the highest price ever paid for an American painting at the time and sparking a public uproar. According to a 2023 valuation by the gallery, it is now worth a staggering $500 million.

Explore similar works to Blue Poles below, or click here to find more pieces inspired by Jackson Pollock.

Helen Frankenthaler (1928 - 2011)
Mountains and Sea, 1952
Oil and charcoal on canvas, 219.4 cm × 297.8 cm

As the only female artist mentioned in this list, Helen Frankenthaler’s career spanned over 60 years, and was a key figure in the history of American painting. Mostly known as an Abstract Expressionist painter, Frankenthaler, like most women artists from the 1930s to the post-war period, faced significant challenges. Their works were often overlooked and were remembered for their relations to their more famous artist husbands.

At approximately 213cm by 305 centimeters, Mountains and Sea, which Frankenthaler created when she was 23, is often regarded as the starting point of the Color Field movement. Her signature stained technique involved using thinned out oil paints directly onto unprimed canvases, letting the paints soak into the fabric, creating watercolor-like effects.

Despite the painting’s significant role in the history of American art, Mountains and Sea remained in Frankenthaler’s personal collection and was not sold during her lifetime.

Explore similar works to Mountains and Sea below, or click here to find more pieces inspired by Helen Frankenthaler.

Zao Wou-Ki (1920 - 2013)
Juin-Octobre 1985, 1985
Oil on canvas, 280 cm x 1000cm

Zao Wou-Ki is one of the few artists from China whose career reached global acclaim. Born in Beijing, he became a member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris and graduated from the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou. In recent decades, there has been a resurgence of interest in Zao’s abstract works. In 2018, his painting Juin-Octobre 1985 sold for $65 million at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, far surpassing its $45 million estimate.

This monumental triptych, measuring 280 by 1000 centimeters, was commissioned by Zao’s close friend, Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei, known for designing Singapore’s iconic Raffles City complex. It is the largest artwork by Zao, created during a period when his artistic skills reached maturation. While triptychs are more commonly seen in Western art, the record-breaking sale places Zao alongside his American contemporaries, such as Willem de Kooning, Mark Rothko, and Barnett Newman.

Explore similar works to Juin-Octobre 1985 below, or click here to search for other abstract pieces.

Mark Rothko (1903 - 1970)
Orange, red, yellow (1961)
Oil on canvas, 236.2 cm x 206.4 cm

Born in Russian-ruled Dvinsk (now Daugavpil, Latvia), Mark Rothko emigrated to the United States in 1913 and moved to New York City in 1923. He is best known for his Color Field paintings and is primarily associated with the Abstract Expressionism movement in modern art. He started dividing his canvases into horizontal bands of color, applying multiple thin layers of paint to create a stain effect on the canvas.

In May 2012, Orange, red, yellow (1961) sold for $86.9 million at Christie’s in New York. The painting was part of the collection of Philadelphia retailer David Pincus, one of the leading American collectors in the second half of the 20th century, who owned the work for more than 40 years. At the time, this was the highest price ever achieved for a post-war contemporary at a public auction.

Explore similar works to Orange, red, yellow below, or click here to find more pieces inspired by Mark Rothko.

Chu Teh-Chun (1920 - 2014)
Evocation Hivernale A , 1988
Oil on canvas, 100 cm x 73 cm

Chu Teh-Chun, along with Zao Wou-Ki and Wu Guanzhong, are often referred to as the "Three Musketeers" of modern Chinese art for their pivotal role in bringing Chinese aesthetics into the international art scene. After moving to Paris in the 1950s, Chu transitioned from figurative painting to abstract art, integrating traditional Chinese calligraphy techniques with Western color palettes. He became the first ethnic Chinese artist to be inducted into the prestigious Académie des Beaux-Arts in France.

Throughout his career, Chu created over 2,500 works, including oils on canvas, works on paper, washes, calligraphy, and ceramics. Some of his most iconic pieces emerged in the 1980s, after a transformative experience in Switzerland where he witnessed a snowstorm from a train window. This natural phenomenon profoundly influenced his work, with Evocation Hivernale A being one such piece, reflecting nature’s immense power and beauty.

Explore similar works to Evocation Hivernale A below, or click here to search for other abstract pieces.

Gerhard Richter (1932 - )
Abstract Painting 599, 1986
Oil on canvas, 300 cm x 250 cm

Gerhard Richter is a multidisciplinary artist known for his abstract art, photorealistic paintings, photographs, and glass works. Regarded as one of the most important artists of his generation, he began creating abstract paintings in the late 1970s, using a variety of styles and innovative techniques. His “squeegee technique” broke away from the conventional artists’ brushes, as he used the tool to scrape and smear paint across the canvas, exposing underlying layers of color. He has continued to explore the dynamic relationship between painting and photography throughout his career.

Abstract Painting 599 is one of Richter’s favorite works. It was sold to an anonymous buyer for $46.3 million in 2015, making it the second-most expensive work by a living artist ever sold at an auction.

Explore similar works to Abstract Painting 599 below, or click here to find more pieces inspired by Gerhard Richter.

Robert Motherwell (1915 - 1991)
Elegy to the Spanish Republic 108, 1965-67
Oil on canvas, 208.2 x 351.1 cm

As one of the founders of the American Abstract Expressionist movement, Robert Motherwell was among the youngest and most eloquent members of the New York school. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy from Stanford University and later studied at Harvard, and Columbia University.

Although Motherwell was only 21 when the Spanish Civil War broke out, its atrocities had a profound impact on him. In 1948, he began creating oil sketches and paintings inspired by the war and contemporary poetry, resulting in his renowned Elegies to the Spanish Republic series. The series consisted of more than 100 variations, mostly in black and white, symbolizing mourning and radiance, as well as death and life.

Explore similar works to Elegy to the Spanish Republic 108 below, or click here to search for other abstract pieces.

Christine Ay Tjoe (1973 - )
Small Flies and Other Wings, 2013
Oil on canvas, 165.3 cm x 150.5 cm

Christine Ay Tjoe is a leading figure in Indonesian contemporary art, recognized as one of the most prominent abstract artists of her generation. Her works are deeply evocative, characterized by her distinctive use of overlapping lines and vibrant colors. Upon closer inspection, her works reveal biological forms - reflecting the artist’s thoughts about the fragility of life.

One of her notable pieces, Small Flies and Other Wings, is imbued with frenzied energy, marked by expressive gestures and translucent depictions of flies and wings. In 2017, it was sold for $1.25 million at Phillip’s 20th Century & Contemporary Art & Design Evening Sale—an impressive 700% over its estimated price.

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Cy Twombly (1928 - 2011)
Leda and the Swan, 1962
Oil, pencil, and crayon on canvas, 190.5 cm x 200 cm

An American painter, sculptor and photographer, Cy Twombly is best known for his large-scale works featuring scribbled, calligraphy and graffiti-like marks. He traveled across Europe, Central Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East, and was fascinated by classical antiquity. While some critics dismissed his style as “silly”, others praised his calligraphic expressions as genius.

Inspired by Greek mythology, the seemingly unintelligible yet elegant scrawls in Leda and the Swan capture the essence of the myth’s central character. The mix of swirls and marks depicts the story of Zeus taking on the shape of a swan to seduce the Spartan queen, Leda. The title of the artwork is scribbled in the lower right, with a few recognizable symbols subtly incorporated into the composition.

Explore similar works to Leda and the Swan below, or click here to search for other abstract pieces.

These artists showcase a broad range of abstract art that has endured for over a century. Their iconic artworks continue to inspire artists today who build on these foundations, offering endless possibilities for the art-buying community.

When sourcing art for your projects, it is important to recognize that abstract art adds depth and complexity to interiors, encouraging viewers to engage with the space. It complements today’s contemporary and minimalist designs offering flexibility through its ability to set the mood through colors, forms and energy. The potential is limitless when selecting abstract works for your designs.

In this article, we have highlighted curated collections of abstract art specifically tailored for designers to consider. The Artling’s catalog features a vast selection of artists creating abstract works. If you have a perfect piece in mind, we can also commission customized artworks to suit your needs.

Choosing the right artwork is essential to elevate the spaces you design. The Artling’s user-friendly platform is an excellent resource to help you with this. To explore our services we have to offer, sign up for our Trade Program today.