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Abstract Nude Drawings and Watercolors

ABSTRACT STYLE

Beginning in the early 20th century, abstract art became a leading style of modernism. Rather than portray the world in a way that represented reality, as had been the dominating style of Western art in the previous centuries, abstract paintings, prints and sculptures are marked by a shift to geometric forms, gestural shapes and experimentation with color to express ideas, subject matter and scenes.

Although abstract art flourished in the early 1900s, propelled by movements like Fauvism and Cubism, it was rooted in the 19th century. In the 1840s, J.M.W. Turner emphasized light and motion for atmospheric paintings in which concrete details were blurred, and Paul Cézanne challenged traditional expectations of perspective in the 1890s.

Some of the earliest abstract artists — Wassily Kandinsky and Hilma af Klint — expanded on these breakthroughs while using vivid colors and forms to channel spiritual concepts. Painter Piet Mondrian, a Dutch pioneer of the art movement, explored geometric abstraction partly owing to his belief in Theosophy, which is grounded in a search for higher spiritual truths and embraces philosophers of the Renaissance period and medieval mystics. Black Square, a daringly simple 1913 work by Russian artist Kazimir Malevich, was a watershed statement on creating art that was free “from the dead weight of the real world,” as he later wrote.

Surrealism in the 1920s, led by artists such as Salvador Dalí, Meret Oppenheim and others, saw painters creating abstract pieces in order to connect to the subconscious. When Abstract Expressionism emerged in New York during the mid-20th century, it similarly centered on the process of creation, in which Helen Frankenthaler’s expressive “soak-stain” technique, Jackson Pollock’s drips of paint, and Mark Rothko’s planes of color were a radical new type of abstraction.

Conceptual art, Pop art, Hard-Edge painting and many other movements offered fresh approaches to abstraction that continued into the 21st century, with major contemporary artists now exploring it, including Anish Kapoor, Mark Bradford, El Anatsui and Julie Mehretu.

Find original abstract paintings, sculptures, prints and other art on 1stDibs.

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Style: Abstract
Period: 1980s
Untitled nude (signed, dedicated & inscribed to Clement Greenberg)
Located in New York, NY
Anthony Caro Nude (signed, dedicated & inscribed to Clement Greenberg), 1986 Charcoal on Paper Hand-signed by artist, The drawing is inscribed, "To Clem, much love, from Tony" and si...
Category

1980s Abstract Nude Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Charcoal

"Happy Birthday, " Nude Watercolor and Pencil on Paper signed by Warren Brandt
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Happy Birthday" is a watercolor and pencil on paper nude portrait signed by Warren Brandt. The lounging woman reclines on a bed unclothed, saying in a word bubble, "Happy Birthday E...
Category

1980s Abstract Nude Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor, Pencil

Florescent Figurative Abstract
Located in Soquel, CA
Evocative figurative abstract in florescent hues by Louis Nadalini (American, 1927-1995). Signed lower right corner and dated "Louis E Nadalini 88" on verso. Unframed. Louis Nadali...
Category

1980s Abstract Nude Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Gouache, Paper, Pastel

Modernist Abstract Nude Pastel Cyan Figure Study
Located in Soquel, CA
Modern abstracted nude figurative study on a bold cyan background by Louis Nadalini (American, 1927-1995), 1987. Signed and dated "L Nadalini 87" in the low...
Category

1980s Abstract Nude Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pastel

Reclining Nude - Blue Abstract Figurative
Located in Soquel, CA
Abstract figurative reclining nude by Louis Nadalini (American, 1927-1995). This piece is unsigned, but was acquired with a collection of Nadalini work. Unframed (First image shows w...
Category

1980s Abstract Nude Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pastel, Pencil

Leda and the Swan
Located in Greenwich, CT
Classical mythology is fraught with stories of sexual misdeeds by Zeus, King of the Gods. Often Zeus would fall in love with a mortal woman and then transform himself into an animal before acting on his desires. These have been recreated by many masters though the millennia. Here, Reuben Nakian masterfully, yet tastefully, recreates the tale of Leda and the...
Category

1980s Abstract Nude Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Crayon

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Abstract nude drawings and watercolors for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Abstract nude drawings and watercolors available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add nude drawings and watercolors created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, green, red and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Antoni Janusz Pastwa, Carmen Cicero, Louis Nadalini, and Joseph Glasco. Frequently made by artists working with Paper, and Paint and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Abstract nude drawings and watercolors, so small editions measuring 7.5 inches across are also available. Prices for nude drawings and watercolors made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $250 and tops out at $12,500, while the average work sells for $782.

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