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Example Art Work
Elegy to the Spanish Republic, 70
(1961) Metropolitan Museum of Art.
By Robert Motherwell, who was
responsible for some of the
greatest 20th century paintings.
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Top 100 Abstract
Painters
Here is a list of selected abstract artists
who have made a significant contribution to the evolution and development
of non-representational art.
• JMW
Turner (1775-1851)
English painter whose avant-garde expressionism developed into abstraction.
• James McNeill Whistler
(1834-1903)
American painter, noted for semi-abstract tonal paintings.
• Paul Cezanne
(1839-1906)
His still lifes and landscapes are seen as important prototypes for abstraction.
• Paul Serusier (1864-1927)
Leader of Les Nabis, influenced by Gauguin.
• Wassily Kandinsky
(1866-1944)
One of the earliest pioneers of geometric abstraction.
• Georges Vantongerloo (1866-1965)
Belgian member of De Stijl, noted for his Elementarist painting.
• Henri Matisse
(1869-1954)
One of the pioneer colour-related abstract painters.
• Lyonel Feininger
(1871-1956)
Used Cubist methods to imply religious feeling.
• Frank Kupka
(1871-1957)
Czech painter, "colour symphonist", influenced by Futurism &
Orphism.
• Giacomo Balla
(1871-1958)
Italian Futurist painter, fascinated by modern technology & movement.
• Piet Mondrian
(1872-1944)
Geometric painter, member of De Stijl movement, inventor of Neo-Plasticism.
• Bart Van Der Leck (1876-1958)
Utrecht artist/designer, one of founders of De Stijl.
• Marsden Hartley
(1877-1943)
One of the great early American modernists.
• Kasimir Malevich
(1878-1935)
A pioneer geometric abstractionist, inventor of Suprematism.
• Louis Marcoussis (1878-1941)
Polish-French colourful Cubist painter, born Ludwig Markus.
• Paul Klee
(1879-1940)
Swiss fantasy artist.
• Francis Picabia
(1879-1953)
French painter with private income; Cubist, Dadaist, Surrealist.
• Franz Marc
(1880-1916)
Co-founder of Der Blaue Reiter. His animal images verge on abstraction.
• Patrick Henry Bruce (1880-1937)
Friend of Delaunay, associated with the Synchromists style of abstraction.
• Arthur Dove (1880-1946)
Painter/illustrator. His 1912 solo show was first showing of abstract
art in US.
• Hans Hofmann
(1880-1966)
German-born painter, important pioneer of abstract expressionist painting.
• Carlo Carra
(1881-1966)
Famous for his early abstract Cubist/Futurist painting.
• Albert Gleizes
(1881-1953)
Cubist painter, co-writer of Du Cubisme, the first book on Cubism.
• Fernand Leger
(1881-1955)
Innovative French painter, noted for his "Tubism" & geometric
abstraction.
• Mikhail Larionov
(1881-1964)
Co-inventor of Rayonism, launched at the Target Exhibition, Moscow, 1913.
• Natalia Goncharova
(1881-1962)
Larionov's husband, co-founder of Rayonism (Luchism).
• Pablo Picasso
(1881-1973)
Co-founder of Cubism. Virtuoso painter, master of abstract
sculpture.
• Percy Wyndham
Lewis (1882-1957)
Leader of British Vorticism movement.
• Auguste Herbin (1882-1960)
French painter, a Bateau-Lavoir neighbour of Picasso.
• Georges Braque
(1882-1963)
Co-founder of analytical and synthetic Cubism; inventor of collage.
• Mary Swanzy
(1882-1978)
Considered by most art experts to be the first Irish Cubist.
• Theo van Doesburg
(1883-1931)
Leader of Dutch De Stijl group, inventor of term 'concrete art'.
• Morgan Russell (1883-1953)
American painter active in Paris, co-founder of Synchromism.
• Jean Metzinger
(1883-1957)
Inspired by analytical Cubism; published Du Cubisme with Albert
Gleizes.
• Gino Severini (1883-1966)
Italian Futurist painter, stayed faithful to Cubist rigour, interested
in dance.
• Roger de la Fresnaye (1885-1925)
Used Cubist geometric simplification to make a nationalistic statements.
• Robert Delaunay
(1885-1941)
French abstract painter, inventor of Orphism (Simultanism/Orphic Cubism).
• Vladimir Tatlin
(1885-1953)
Founder of Constructivism, avant-garde painter in Neo-Primitivist style.
• Andre Lhote
(1885-1962)
Produced Cubist works filled with semi-geometric forms and interacting
planes.
• Sonia Delaunay-Turk (1885-1979)
Delaunay's wife, known for her colourful abstraction.
• Juan Gris
(1887-1927)
Spanish painter, leading theorist of Cubism.
• Jean Arp (1887-1966)
Abstract painter and one of the great organic abstract
sculptors.
• Johannes Itten (1888-1967)
Swiss geometric-style painter, noted for his exploration of colour.
• Josef Albers
(1888-1976)
Teacher at Bauhaus Design School;
see his Homage to the Square series.
• Lyubov Popova
(1889-1924)
Leading exponent of Constructivism, known for her Painterly Architectonics.
• Paul Nash
(1889-1946)
Noted for his abstract surrealist imagery.
• Bradley Walker Tomlin (1889-1953)
Abstract expressionist known for his huge grid-like works with inscriptions.
• Willi Baumeister (1889-1955)
German painter noted for his late paintings, dubbed 'abstract Surrealism.'
• El Lissitzky
(1890-1941)
Bauhaus, Suprematist painter, leading Constructivist, noted for geometric
'Proun' designs.
• David Bomberg (1890-1957)
British abstract painter influenced by Cubism, Futurism and Vorticism.
• Stanton MacDonald-Wright (1890-1973)
Co-founder of Synchromism, which like Orphism studied colour, light &
music.
• Mark Tobey
(1890-1976)
Famous for his late abstraction, a mix of "action painting"
and calligraphy.
• Man Ray (1890-1977)
American avant-garde Dada/Surrealist artist, painter, photographer.
• Alexander Rodchenko (1891-1956)
Russian painter, leading Constructivist.
• Joan Miro
(1893-1983)
Famous for his abstract Surrealism.
• Evie Hone (1894-1955)
One of the pioneer abstract
artists in Ireland.
• Stuart Davis
(1894-1964)
Early American abstract painter; a Robert Henri pupil, exhibited Armory
Show.
• Laszlo Moholy-Nagy
(1895-1946)
Hungarian Constructivist painter, sculptor, designer; Bauhaus instructor.
• Bram van Velde (1895-1981)
Dutch painter, noted for his existential, expressive abstract paintings.
• Andre Masson
(1896-1987)
French surrealist painter, acted as bridge to abstract expressionism.
• Mainie Jellett
(1897-1944)
Pioneer Irish Cubist painter; founder of Irish Exhibition of Living
Art.
• Jean Fautrier (1898-1964)
Famous for postwar 'Hostages' paintings, forerunners of Art Informel.
• Alexander Calder
(1898-1976)
Cartoonist and gouache painter; pioneer of Kinetic art (mobiles).
• Konstantin Medunetsky (1899-1935)
Russian Constructivist artist, famous for his Colour Constructions.
• Lucio Fontana (1899-1968)
Italian artist, founder of Spatialism, noted for gashed monochrome paintings.
• Yves Tanguy
(1900-55)
French abstract surrealist noted for his strange lunar imagery.
• Jean Dubuffet
(1901-85)
Avant-garde painter, pioneer of Art Brut known also as Outsider Art.
• Mark Rothko
(1903-70)
American abstract painter, co-founder of Colour
Field painting.
• Adolph Gottlieb
(1903-74)
American abstract expressionist, a founder of the Ten Group, New York.
• Arshile Gorky
(1904-48)
Armenian-born American abstract expressionist. Taught De Kooning &
Rothko.
• Jean Helion (1904-87)
French member of De Stijl; signed Doesburg's Manifesto of Concrete
Art.
• Clyfford Still
(1904-1980)
Co-founder with Rothko/Newman of Colour Field painting.
• Hans Hartung (1904-89)
German-French painter, one of the pioneers of Art Informel.
• Willem De
Kooning (1904-97)
Noted for his gesturalist "Woman" paintings.
• Jean Bazaine (1904-2001)
French Art Informel painter, leading exponent of Lyrical Abstraction.
• Maurice Esteve (1904-2001)
Abstract painter of the Ecole de Paris; paintings have stained glass 'glow'.
• Jiro Yoshihara (1905-72)
Industrialist & self-taught painter; founded & funded Gutai Group.
• Barnett Newman
(1905-70)
Had huge influence on Post-Painterly Abstraction.
• Serge Poliakoff (1906-69)
One of the leading abstract painters of the Ecole de Paris.
• Victor Vasarely
(1906-1997)
Painter, graphic designer; pioneer of kinetic art and founder of Op-Art.
• Lee Krasner
(1908-84)
Wife of Jackson Pollock, joint inventor of "action painting".
• Maria
Helena Vieria da Silva (1908-92)
Portugese member of Art Informel movement, known for architectural
imagery.
• Max Bill (1908-94)
Swiss architect/artist, promoter of non-objective art.
• Franz Kline
(1910-1962)
Noted for huge stark black/white canvases & calligraphic-style brushstrokes.
• Alfred Manessier (1911-93)
French painter, lithographer, tapestry designer; member of Art Informel.
• Matta (1911-2002)
Chilean surrealist painter, influenced by Yves Tanguy.
• Morris Louis (1912-62)
American Minimalist, explored "colour stain painting" with Helen
Frankenthaler.
• Philip Guston
(1913-80)
Took up abstraction when "action painting" appeared.
• Nicholas Schoffer (1912-80)
Hungarian-born French painter, leading theorist of Kinetic art.
• Agnes Martin
(1912-2004)
Minimalist painter, noted for her pencilled grids on monochrome ground.
• Jackson Pollock
(1912-56)
Inventor of 'action-painting'.
• Wols - Alfred Otto
Wolfgang Schulze (1913-51)
German Art Informel painter, Sartre's illustrator, acclaimed after early
death.
• Ad Reinhardt
(1913-67)
Known for his parallel red, blue, black rectangles.
• Tony O'Malley
(1913-2003)
Irish painter known for his colourful fantasy paintings of the Bahamas.
• William Scott
(1913-89)
Irish painter best known for his semi-abstract still lifes.
• Nicolas de
Stael (1914-1955)
Known for his Lyrical Abstraction.
• Asger Jorn
(1914-73)
Danish painter. Founder of abstract expressionist Cobra group.
• Robert Motherwell
(1915-91)
Famous for his Elegy to the Spanish Republic monochrome abstract
paintings.
• Jean Degottex (1918-88)
Calligraphy painter, noted for huge white monochrome paintings.
• Pierre Soulages
(b.1919)
French painter, one of leading exponents of Tachisme.
• Patrick Heron
(1920-99)
British abstract painter of the St Ives School,
noted for his vibrancy of colour.
• Karel Appel
(1921-2006)
Dutch gesturalist; member of Cobra Group
& Tachisme.
• Georges Mathieu
(1921-2012)
French painter, known as the 'Salvador Dali of Art Informel'.
• Jules Olitski (1922-2007)
Russian-American painter/sculptor; leading figure in Colour Field Painting.
• Sam Francis
(1923-1994)
American painter, member of Tachisme.
• Roy Lichtenstein
(1923-97)
Best known as comic-strip Pop Artist, he also produced several abstracts.
• Jean-Paul
Riopelle (1923-2002)
Leading Canadian abstract painter, active in Paris; member of Art Informel.
• Jesus Raphael Soto (1923-2005)
Kinetic artist, noted for using dots to explore optical reflectivity.
• Ellsworth Kelly
(b.1923)
An exponent of Post Painterly
Abstraction.
• Antoni Tapies
(b.1923)
Member of Catalan artist group Dau al Set; known for impastoed
abstracts.
• Ivan Picelj (b.1924)
Croatian geometrical abstract painter, leading figure in group EXAT-51.
• Kenneth Noland
(b.1924)
Minimalist painter associated with Hard
Edge Painting, colour & structure.
• Pierre Alechinsky (b.1927)
Belgian painter, noted for his expressive abstraction.
• Yves Klein
(1928-62)
Avant-garde artist, known for International Klein Blue (IKB) monochromes
and his Anthropometry paintings.
• Cy Twombly
(1928-2011)
Minimalist painter known for his calligraphic scribbles.
• Helen Frankenthaler
(b.1928)
Minimalist painter, developed "colour stain painting" for diaphanous
effects.
• Jo Baer (b.1929)
American painter best known for her 1960s and 70s minimalism.
• Antonio Saura (1930-98)
Spanish painter, founder of El Paso Group 1957; violent semi-abstract
style.
• Robert Ryman (b.1930)
American minimalist painter, noted for his white monochrome compositions.
• Peter Sedgley (b.1930)
British painter, Op-artist, noted for his concentric rings of colour.
• Richard Anuszkiewicz (b.1930)
American painter famous for his hallucinatory Op-art.
• Bridget Riley
(b.1931)
Leading figure in British Op-Art movement.
• Richard Smith (b.1931)
British painter in New York, known for abstract Pop-Art & shaped canvas.
• Frank Auerbach
(b.1931)
British semi-abstract portraitist.
• Gerhard Richter
(b.1932)
Contemporary abstract painter associated with Neo-Expressionism.
• Howard Hodgkin (b.1932)
English painter, Turner Prize Winner; noted for his colourful abstraction.
• Frank Stella
(b.1936)
Ex-abstract expressionist who went geometric after 1958.
• Robert Mangold (b.1937)
American painter noted for his minimalist paintings and shaped canvas.
• Brice Marden (b.1938)
One of the last abstract expressionists; noted also for his late gesturalism.
• Georg Baselitz
(b.1938)
Contemporary German painter, famous for his gesturalism & inverted
subjects.
• Anselm Kiefer
(b.1945)
German neo-expressionist painter, known for textured historical abstracts.
• Sean Scully
(b.1945)
Irish-American painter, famous for large-size, geometric-style compositions.
• Christopher
Wool (b.1955)
New York painter best-known for his text-based word painting.
TO FIND A BIOGRAPHY OF A PARTICULAR
ARTIST, BROWSE OUR A-Z
of ARTISTS
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