The Great Gallery
← All collections
🌀

Style & movement

Abstract Art

Abstract art is painting without a picture of something. Instead of a person, tree or boat, you get colors, lines and shapes that make you feel something, like music you can see. A few artists in the early 1900s, in Munich, Moscow, Paris and Stockholm, realized that paint didn't have to copy the world. This collection takes you from the painters who were nearly there, through the pioneers, to playful corners like Klee's cats and fish and Schwitters's collages made from trash. Try asking: what does this sound like? What would it feel like to step inside?

161 paintings

How it began: roads to abstraction

Long before anyone painted a pure shape, some artists were already letting color, light and feeling take over from the subject. These are the stepping stones.

Rain, Steam and Speed – The Great Western Railway Rain, Steam and Speed – The Great Western RailwayJ. M. W. Turner · 1844 Nocturne in Black and Gold – The Falling Rocket Nocturne in Black and Gold – The Falling RocketJames McNeill Whistler · 1875 Impression, Sunrise Impression, SunriseClaude Monet · 1872 The Starry Night The Starry NightVincent van Gogh · 1889 Mont Sainte-Victoire seen from Bellevue Mont Sainte-Victoire seen from BellevuePaul Cézanne · 1892 A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande JatteGeorges Seurat · 1884 Starry Night Starry NightEdvard Munch · 1893 The Great Wave off Kanagawa The Great Wave off KanagawaKatsushika Hokusai · 1830

Color and feeling: Kandinsky and the Blue Rider

Wassily Kandinsky believed colors work like music: yellow is a trumpet, blue is a cello. He and his friends in Munich, the Blue Rider group, painted feelings, sounds and dreams instead of things.

The Blue Rider The Blue RiderWassily Kandinsky · 1903 Colorful Life Colorful LifeWassily Kandinsky · 1907 Improvisation 26 Improvisation 26Wassily Kandinsky · 1912 Improvisation 19 Improvisation 19Wassily Kandinsky · 1911 Impression lll (Concert) Impression lll (Concert)Wassily Kandinsky · 1911 Composition IV Composition IVWassily Kandinsky · 1911 Composition V Composition VWassily Kandinsky · 1911 Composition VI Composition VIWassily Kandinsky · 1913 Composition VII Composition VIIWassily Kandinsky · 1913 Composition VIII Composition VIIIWassily Kandinsky · 1923 On White II On White IIWassily Kandinsky · 1923 Yellow-Red-Blue Yellow-Red-BlueWassily Kandinsky · 1925 Several Circles Several CirclesWassily Kandinsky · 1926 In Grey In GreyWassily Kandinsky · 1919 Upward UpwardWassily Kandinsky · 1929 Red Spot II Red Spot IIWassily Kandinsky · 1921 Black Grid Black GridWassily Kandinsky · 1922 Accent on Pink Accent on PinkWassily Kandinsky · 1926 Picture with a Black Arch Picture with a Black ArchWassily Kandinsky · 1912 Gorge GorgeWassily Kandinsky · 1914 Church at Murnau Church at MurnauWassily Kandinsky · 1910 Blue Horse I Blue Horse IFranz Marc · 1911 Yellow Cow Yellow CowFranz Marc · 1911 The Tower of Blue Horses The Tower of Blue HorsesFranz Marc · 1913 The Large Blue Horses The Large Blue HorsesFranz Marc · 1911 Blue horse Blue horseFranz Marc · 1912 Fox FoxFranz Marc · 1911 The Foxes The FoxesFranz Marc · 1913 Porträt mit Äpfeln: Frau des Künstlers Porträt mit Äpfeln: Frau des KünstlersAugust Macke · 1909 Woman in Green Jacket Woman in Green JacketAugust Macke · 1913 Mode: Woman with Parasol in front of Milliner's Shop Mode: Woman with Parasol in front of Milliner's ShopAugust Macke · 1914 Large Bright Showcase Large Bright ShowcaseAugust Macke · 1912 Girls under Trees Girls under TreesAugust Macke · 1914 Zoological Garden I Zoological Garden IAugust Macke · 1912 Donkey Rider Donkey RiderAugust Macke · 1914 People by a Blue Lake People by a Blue LakeAugust Macke · 1913 Tunisian Landscape Tunisian LandscapeAugust Macke · 1914 Abstract Head Abstract HeadAlexej von Jawlensky · 1921 Medusa MedusaAlexej von Jawlensky · 1923 The Humpback I The Humpback IAlexej von Jawlensky · 1911 Into the Night Into the NightMarianne von Werefkin · 1910 Selfportrait I Selfportrait IMarianne von Werefkin · 1910

Squares, grids and straight lines

What happens if you throw away everything except shape and color? Malevich painted a black square, Mondrian a grid of red, yellow and blue, and Russian artists built whole imaginary worlds out of lines and planes.

Black Square (1915) Black Square (1915)Kazimir Malevich · 1915 Suprematist Composition Suprematist CompositionKazimir Malevich · 1916 Red Square Red SquareKazimir Malevich · 1915 Black Cross Black CrossKazimir Malevich · 1915 Black Circle Black CircleKazimir Malevich · 1924 Suprematist Composition: White on White Suprematist Composition: White on WhiteKazimir Malevich · 1918 Dynamic Suprematism Dynamic SuprematismKazimir Malevich · 1916 The Knife Grinder The Knife GrinderKazimir Malevich · 1912 An Englishman in Moscow An Englishman in MoscowKazimir Malevich · 1914 The Red Tree The Red TreePiet Mondrian · 1909 Gray Tree Gray TreePiet Mondrian · 1911 Still Life with Gingerpot 2 Still Life with Gingerpot 2Piet Mondrian · 1912 Composition 10 in Black and White Composition 10 in Black and WhitePiet Mondrian · 1915 Composition with Large Red Plane, Yellow, Black, Grey and Blue Composition with Large Red Plane, Yellow, Black, Grey and BluePiet Mondrian · 1921 Composition XIV Composition XIVPiet Mondrian · 1913 Composition A: Composition with Black, Red, Gray, Yellow, and Blue Composition A: Composition with Black, Red, Gray, Yellow, and BluePiet Mondrian · 1920 Composition with Grid 1 Composition with Grid 1Piet Mondrian · 1918 Tableau I Tableau IPiet Mondrian · 1921 Composition IX Composition IXTheo van Doesburg · 1917 Counter-Composition of Dissonances XVI Counter-Composition of Dissonances XVITheo van Doesburg · 1925 Card Players Card PlayersTheo van Doesburg · 1916 Proun 19D Proun 19DEl Lissitzky · 1920 Proun 93 (Conical) Proun 93 (Conical)El Lissitzky · 1923 Painterly Architectonic Painterly ArchitectonicLyubov Popova · 1917 Architectonic Painting Architectonic PaintingLyubov Popova · 1917 Portrait of a Philosopher Portrait of a PhilosopherLyubov Popova · 1915 Green Line Green LineOlga Rozanova · 1917 Suprematism SuprematismOlga Rozanova · 1916 Non-Objective Composition Non-Objective CompositionOlga Rozanova · 1917 Red Circle on a Black Surface Red Circle on a Black SurfaceIlya Chashnik · 1925 Spherical Suprematism Spherical SuprematismIvan Kliun · 1923 Three-Color Suprematist Composition Three-Color Suprematist CompositionIvan Kliun · 1917 Theatrical Composition Theatrical CompositionAleksandra Ekster · 1925

Circles, spirals and rainbows of light

Hilma af Klint painted glowing spirals and flowers years before anyone else dared, and Robert Delaunay made color itself the subject, circling and dancing across the canvas.

Windows Open Simultaneously (First Part, Second Motif) Windows Open Simultaneously (First Part, Second Motif)Robert Delaunay · 1912 Champs de Mars, the Red Tower Champs de Mars, the Red TowerRobert Delaunay · 1911 Hommage to Blériot Hommage to BlériotRobert Delaunay · 1914 The City, No. 2 The City, No. 2Robert Delaunay · 1910 Colorful Symphony Colorful SymphonyRobert Delaunay · 1915 Portuguese Woman Portuguese WomanRobert Delaunay · 1916 Carousel of Pigs Carousel of PigsRobert Delaunay · 1922 The Towers of Laon The Towers of LaonRobert Delaunay · 1912 The Eiffel Tower The Eiffel TowerGeorges Seurat · 1889 The Ten Largest, No. 1, Childhood The Ten Largest, No. 1, ChildhoodHilma af Klint · 1907 The Ten Largest, No. 2, Childhood The Ten Largest, No. 2, ChildhoodHilma af Klint · 1907 The Ten Largest, No. 3, Youth The Ten Largest, No. 3, YouthHilma af Klint · 1907 The Ten Largest, No. 4, Youth The Ten Largest, No. 4, YouthHilma af Klint · 1907 The Ten Largest, No. 5, Adulthood The Ten Largest, No. 5, AdulthoodHilma af Klint · 1907 The Ten Largest, No. 6 The Ten Largest, No. 6Hilma af Klint · 1907 The Ten Largest, No. 7, Adulthood The Ten Largest, No. 7, AdulthoodHilma af Klint · 1907 The Ten Largest, No. 8, Adulthood The Ten Largest, No. 8, AdulthoodHilma af Klint · 1907 The Ten Largest, No. 9, Old Age The Ten Largest, No. 9, Old AgeHilma af Klint · 1907 The Ten Largest, No. 10, Old Age The Ten Largest, No. 10, Old AgeHilma af Klint · 1907 Tree of Knowledge, No. 1 Tree of Knowledge, No. 1Hilma af Klint · 1915 Tree of Knowledge, No. 2 Tree of Knowledge, No. 2Hilma af Klint · 1915 Sentimental Music Sentimental MusicArthur Dove · 1913 Movement No. 1 Movement No. 1Arthur Dove · 1911 Sails SailsArthur Dove · 1912 Sunrise, Northport Harbor Sunrise, Northport HarborArthur Dove · 1929 George Gershwin-I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise George Gershwin-I'll Build a Stairway to ParadiseArthur Dove · 1927 Portrait of a German Officer Portrait of a German OfficerMarsden Hartley · 1914 Movement No. 5, Provincetown Houses Movement No. 5, Provincetown HousesMarsden Hartley · 1916 Abstraction AbstractionMarsden Hartley · 1914 Himmel HimmelMarsden Hartley · 1914 Painting No. 48 Painting No. 48Marsden Hartley · 1913 Forms (Peinture) Forms (Peinture)Patrick Henry Bruce · 1919 Composition II Composition IIPatrick Henry Bruce · 1916

Paul Klee: playful lines and secret worlds

Paul Klee said that drawing is like taking a line for a walk. His pictures are full of tiny jokes: cats and birds, twittering machines, fish that glow, houses that spin.

Senecio SenecioPaul Klee · 1922 Twittering Machine Twittering MachinePaul Klee · 1922 Angelus Novus Angelus NovusPaul Klee · 1920 Sumpflegende SumpflegendePaul Klee · 1919 Cat and Bird Cat and BirdPaul Klee · 1928 Fish Magic Fish MagicPaul Klee · 1925 The Goldfish The GoldfishPaul Klee · 1925 Villa R Villa RPaul Klee · 1919 Rotating House Rotating HousePaul Klee · 1921 Resting Ships Resting ShipsPaul Klee · 1927 Architecture ArchitecturePaul Klee · 1923 Highway and Byways Highway and BywaysPaul Klee · 1929 Limits of Reason Limits of ReasonPaul Klee · 1927 Ab ovo Ab ovoPaul Klee · 1917 Variations (Progressive Motif) Variations (Progressive Motif)Paul Klee · 1927 Omega 5 (Traps) Omega 5 (Traps)Paul Klee · 1927 Flower Family V. Flower Family V.Paul Klee · 1922 Little Jester in a Trance Little Jester in a TrancePaul Klee · 1929 Rose Garden Rose GardenPaul Klee · 1920

Cubism and Futurism: breaking the world into pieces

Cubists showed an object from many sides at once. The Futurists added speed: cyclists, soccer players and racing cars smeared across the canvas.

The City Rises The City RisesUmberto Boccioni · 1910 The Street Enters the House The Street Enters the HouseUmberto Boccioni · 1911 Dynamism of a Cyclist Dynamism of a CyclistUmberto Boccioni · 1913 Dynamism of a Soccer Player Dynamism of a Soccer PlayerUmberto Boccioni · 1913 States of Mind I: The Farewells States of Mind I: The FarewellsUmberto Boccioni · 1911 Visioni simultanee, 1912 Visioni simultanee, 1912Umberto Boccioni · 1912 Materia MateriaUmberto Boccioni · 1912 Racing car Racing carLuigi Russolo · 1913 Lightning LightningLuigi Russolo · 1910 The Bottle of Anís del Mono The Bottle of Anís del MonoJuan Gris · 1914 Violin and Playing Cards on a Table Violin and Playing Cards on a TableJuan Gris · 1913 Still Life with a Guitar Still Life with a GuitarJuan Gris · 1913 Harlequin with a Guitar Harlequin with a GuitarJuan Gris · 1917 L'Homme au hamac (Man in a Hammock) L'Homme au hamac (Man in a Hammock)Albert Gleizes · 1913 Woman with Phlox Woman with PhloxAlbert Gleizes · 1910 Coney Island Coney IslandJoseph Stella · 1914 Battle of Lights, Coney Island, Mardi Gras Battle of Lights, Coney Island, Mardi GrasJoseph Stella · 1913 Steel Mill Steel MillJoseph Stella · 1919 Little Falls, New Jersey Little Falls, New JerseyOscar Florianus Bluemner · 1917 Flag Station, Elizabeth, New Jersey Flag Station, Elizabeth, New JerseyOscar Florianus Bluemner · 1925 Old Canal Port Old Canal PortOscar Florianus Bluemner · 1914

Cut, paste and build: collage

Kurt Schwitters glued tickets, scraps and bits of rubbish onto his pictures and called the result Merz. It was a new way to make art from whatever was lying around.

Merzbild 1A (The Psychiatrist) Merzbild 1A (The Psychiatrist)Kurt Schwitters · 1919 Merz 1925, 1. Relief in the Blue Square Merz 1925, 1. Relief in the Blue SquareKurt Schwitters · 1925 Abtraction 26. Delicate Symphony Abtraction 26. Delicate SymphonyKurt Schwitters · 1918 The Und-Picture The Und-PictureKurt Schwitters · 1919 Merzpicture 9 b (The Big Picture Of Me) Merzpicture 9 b (The Big Picture Of Me)Kurt Schwitters · 1919

More collections

🧒Art for Kids100✡️Jewish Artists94🇨🇦Canada93🇳🇴Norway86🇺🇸United States98🇫🇷France27🇮🇹Italy21🇪🇸Spain12🇳🇱Netherlands23🇩🇪Germany24🇬🇧United Kingdom39🇷🇺Russia38🇵🇱Poland11🇸🇪Sweden15🇩🇰Denmark20🇫🇮Finland11🇦🇹Austria12🇧🇪Belgium10🇯🇵Japan31🇨🇳China9🕌Middle East12🇲🇽Mexico13🇦🇺Australia11🌅Impressionism90🎨Post-Impressionism60⛰️Romanticism90🧑‍🌾Realism90🏛️Neoclassicism & Academic Art90🧚Pre-Raphaelites & Victorian Dreams76🌙Symbolism & Art Nouveau66🐯Expressionism & Fauvism: Wild Color74🏞️Hudson River School & American Landscape32🌊Ukiyo-e: Japanese Woodblock Prints13🎀Rococo & Eighteenth-Century Elegance53🏛️Renaissance Masters90🕯️Baroque: Light, Drama & Motion90🌷Dutch Golden Age90