Abstract Art: History, Characteristics, and the Artists Who Defined It

That's where much of the appeal of abstract art lies. There's no need to decipher it as if it were hiding a correct answer. It's about observing what the shapes, colors, materials, and gestures do, and paying attention to what they evoke.

Table of Contents

1. What is abstract art and how did it emerge
2. History of abstract art: from Suprematism to Abstract Expressionism
3. Characteristics of abstract art: form, color, and emotion without reference
4. Movements within abstract art and their differences
5. Contemporary abstract art: relevance and new trends

What you will learn in this article

• What abstract art is, how it emerged, and some of its main characteristics.
• How it evolved through movements such as Suprematism, Abstract Expressionism, geometric abstraction, and informalism.
• How artists like Willem de Kooning, Sonia Delaunay, Antoni Tàpies, and Rafael Canogar explored different paths within abstraction.

By the end of this article: you’ll have a better understanding of what defines abstract art, be able to recognize some of its major movements, and learn how to approach a work of art by focusing on elements such as form, color, material, and gesture.

Reading time: 6 minutes | Level: introductory | For: art lovers and those interested in starting or expanding a collection

What is abstract art and how did it emerge

Abstract art does not aim to faithfully represent visible reality. Instead of accurately depicting people, places, or objects, it works with shapes, colors, lines, textures, and gestural marks. It may also start with a recognizable image and simplify it until only its essential structure remains.

Its emergence was neither a single moment nor the achievement of a single person. During the first decades of the 20th century, artists from different countries began to explore similar paths. The MoMA exhibition Inventing Abstraction, 1910–1925 studied those years as a decisive stage in the international formation of modern abstraction, developed through an international network that included figures such as Wassily Kandinsky, Piet Mondrian, and Kazimir Malevich.

The expansion of photography was one of the factors that modified the traditional function of painting. Along with Cubism, new theories of color, music, spirituality, and international exchanges, it contributed to numerous artists exploring possibilities different from naturalistic representation. The question ceased to be solely "what does this work represent?" and came to include "how does what I'm seeing work?".

History of abstract art: from Suprematism to Abstract Expressionism

Kazimir Malevich. Suprematism (Supremus No. 58), 1916, oil on canvas, 79.5 × 70.5 cm.

One of the first fully abstract movements was Suprematism, developed by Kazimir Malévich from approximately 1913 and publicly presented as an articulated proposal in 1915.

The Suprematist vocabulary was based on pure geometric forms: squares, circles, crosses, and lines, organized on generally light backgrounds. Malévich aspired to free painting from the representation of objects and to build a language based on the autonomous relationship between forms, colors, and what he called pure artistic feeling.

Kandinsky, Composition 8 (Komposition 8), 1923. Oil on canvas, 140 x 201 cm. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York.

At the same time, Kandinsky explored a more lyrical and expressive form of abstraction. For him, even the compositions furthest removed from reality retained an emotional content.

The comparison between both artists allows us to understand two paths that are still present in abstract painting: geometric construction and the expressive exploration of form and color.

Decades later, during the 1940s and 1950s, Abstract Expressionism made New York a fundamental center of modern art. Within the movement, different tendencies coexisted. Pollock and de Kooning developed dynamic compositions associated with gestural painting, while Rothko worked with large chromatic fields of a more contemplative nature.

Willem de Kooning, Untitled (Litho 8), 1966. Hand-signed lithograph, 56.5 × 76 cm. Edition of 50 copies. Work available in our Art Shop.

Works like Untitled (Litho 8) showcase the gestural lines and dynamic strokes that characterize the artist's visual language. This piece is part of a series of seven lithographs created in 1966, the editions of which were stored shortly after they were printed and remained virtually unknown for decades.

Characteristics of abstract art: form, color, and emotion without reference

Among the main characteristics of abstract art is the autonomy of its visual elements. A line can direct the gaze. A stain can create tension. A combination of colors can convey calm, movement, or instability without the need to tell a story.

Sonia Delaunay, Composition, 1965, Etching signed and numbered by hand, 36 x 40 cm, edition of 100 copies. Work available in our Art Shop.

Sonia Delaunay offers some of the clearest examples of abstract art to understand the role of color. During the 1910s, she researched simultaneous contrasts with Robert Delaunay: the way in which the perception of a color changes and intensifies its relationships depending on the surrounding colors. These investigations were central to the development of Orphism, an abstract style influenced by Cubism that Robert and Sonia Delaunay developed around 1912.

These serial works remind us of the importance of closely understanding the numbering in graphic works and learning to collect art prints safely, always protecting the value of our investment.

Looking at an abstract work takes time. It's advisable to observe it first from a certain distance and then get closer to discover layers, textures, and details. Those who wish to bring this experience into their own space can explore the abstract art section in our Art Shop, a carefully curated selection where we bring together works by some of the great referents of abstraction along with proposals by contemporary artists.

Movements within abstract art and their differences

Abstraction contains very different languages. Geometric abstraction uses defined lines, grids, and regular shapes. When these forms are organized in a space, they function as autonomous visual elements, without representing recognizable objects.

European informalism took a more physical and spontaneous direction. It included trends such as matter painting, tachism, and lyrical abstraction, and had a prominent presence during the 1940s and 1950s. In Spain, from the late 1950s onwards, Rafael Canogar developed a painting linked to informalism in which matter, order, and construction played a central role. This tradition laid the foundations for the subsequent boom of Spanish abstraction in the following decades, visible in key figures such as Spanish artists of the 80s.

American Abstract Expressionism shared this interest in gesture, although it tended to employ monumental canvases and a more expansive execution. Later, Minimalism reacted against this emphasis on gesture through reduced structures, repetition, and greater formal austerity.

Contemporary abstract art: relevance and new trends

Contemporary abstract art continues to renew itself through new techniques, materials, and forms of expression. Current artists revisit the historical principles of abstraction and reinterpret them from personal perspectives, connected with the concerns of the present.

After more than a century, abstraction retains its ability to surprise. It can be geometric or gestural, silent or overflowing, precise or accidental. Learning to recognize these differences can help you choose a work more consciously and personally.

In The Club by ArteGlobaL, we delve into these languages, share keys to observation, and help bring collecting into everyday life. Because understanding a work changes how you see it, but living with it opens up an entirely different conversation. If you want to take a step further in your relationship with contemporary art, discover all the benefits and join The Club by ArteGlobaL.

If, on the other hand, you wish to evaluate a specific piece or start a collection with professional guidance, you can  request personalized advice from one of our experts. At ArteGlobaL, we help you review the technique, edition, documentation, and suitability of the work for your collection goals.