No. Impressionism is the most commonly known contributor to the start of abstract art. Painters like Monet and Cezanne reduced visual images into shapes in impressionism which led to further derivation in form. read more
It could be argued that the Renaissance should be considered the beginning of abstract art. Leo Steinberg, a brilliant art historian who made concrete connections between Renaissance art and the 20th Century. He discussed the invention of one-point perspective and the geometric arrangement of objects in space as the original abstraction in art. read more
Cubism was a truly revolutionary style of modern art developed by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braques. It was the first style of abstract art which evolved at the beginning of the 20th century in response to a world that was changing with unprecedented speed. read more
Cubism Is Considered the First Abstract Art Movement Although Seurat, Cézanne and many others had been moving toward abstraction since the late 1800s, Cubism is considered the first movement aimed at explicit attempts to abstract the subject matter of paintings. read more