Colored artworks

The work of color is central in any artistic work. It is even one of the first tools of the artist. It is difficult to imagine a work that would exist without the working of color - even if it is the absence of color that the artist chooses to present. 

Through the ages and artistic movements, the use and meaning attributed to color evolves, but the essence of color remains the same. Every artist must master the properties of color in order to control his composition. In the restoration of paintings, color even becomes a science, because it is necessary to know the different molecules to find the colors and mixtures originally used by the artist. 

In the history of art, the importance of color fluctuates according to periods and geographical areas. During the Italian Renaissance, for example, there was a debate (called Paragone) between the authority of color versus drawing: according to the schools, it is the color, and not the line, that creates the emotion and visual power of a work of art. The colors thus take on an immense importance, and assume certain meanings: white symbolizes purity for example, and blue (systematically used to clothe the Virgin Mary) is associated with divinity. These symbols are not thought of randomly: the purple for example, is used since the Byzantine era to signify the highest rank of royalty. Unlike ochre, the purple pigment came from a specific shell, and was extremely difficult - and therefore rare, and expensive - to obtain.

More generally, colors can be divided into three categories: warm, cool, and neutral. As their name implies, these classes of colors give off an atmosphere that the painter can use to influence the emotion of his work. Baroque art, for example, manipulates the contrasts between warm and cold colors to capture the power of bodies. The play of light is exalted by the effects of color. For a long time, the traditional Western school of painting required painters to reproduce the colors of the environment around them. It was the Impressionists, in the 19th century, who explored other ways of seeing - and therefore of transcribing on canvas - their chromatic environment. By avoiding complex mixtures and painting spontaneously, in the open air, the Impressionists reinvented the use of color to reproduce reality.

It was not until abstract and subjective painting that art devoted itself to color as a subject. Mark Rothko, precursor of the Colorfield Painting movement and of abstract expressionism, sees in his paintings a living organism whose color is human and whose format is transcendent. Piet Mondrian, on the other hand, sought in his paintings to approach the very essence of nature through the purity of primary colors, to achieve abstraction. The founder of the Russian avant-garde movement of Suprematism, Kasimir Malevich, will disturb the senses of everyone with his work "White square on white background", in which the color is painted only for itself. Contemporary art, photography, collage, or pop art also use in their respective ways the resources of color, exploring indefinitely all its pluralities. As Picasso said, "When I have no blue, I use red." 

Artsper writes art in color: discover below a great selection of works that honor color and its properties. What better way to brighten up an interior? 

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Painting, Krilin, David Cumps

Krilin

David Cumps

Painting - 70 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch

$1,669

Painting, Punchy, Muriel Deumie

Punchy

Muriel Deumie

Painting - 80 x 80 x 4 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 1.6 inch

$1,311

Painting, Karl Donaldfeld, Daru

Karl Donaldfeld

Daru

Painting - 101 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 39.8 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch

$2,100

Painting, Eiffel 2, Yann Guinchan

Eiffel 2

Yann Guinchan

Painting - 100 x 81 x 4 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.9 x 1.6 inch

$656

Sculpture, La bombasse rouge, Capocci

La bombasse rouge

Capocci

Sculpture - 30 x 28 x 4 cm Sculpture - 11.8 x 11 x 1.6 inch

$1,431

Painting, Wall-E, Martin

Wall-E

Martin

Painting - 60 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch

$536

Painting, Pink City, Micowel

Pink City

Micowel

Painting - 20.3 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Painting - 8 x 12 x 0.1 inch

$954

Painting, Vache Rose, Micowel

Vache Rose

Micowel

Painting - 20.3 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Painting - 8 x 12 x 0.1 inch

$954

Painting, Tribute to Mirò, Dr. Love

Tribute to Mirò

Dr. Love

Painting - 40 x 30 x 0.2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch

$143

Painting, Sweet woman, Dr. Love

Sweet woman

Dr. Love

Painting - 40 x 30 x 0.2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch

$178

Painting, Game over, Flu

Game over

Flu

Painting - 80 x 40 x 3 cm Painting - 31.5 x 15.7 x 1.2 inch

$1,180

Painting, Esprit rebelle, Flu

Esprit rebelle

Flu

Painting - 80 x 40 x 3 cm Painting - 31.5 x 15.7 x 1.2 inch

$1,180

Painting, La vie est belle, Flu

La vie est belle

Flu

Painting - 75 x 35 x 3 cm Painting - 29.5 x 13.8 x 1.2 inch

$1,133

Painting, Spirit girl, Sylvie Cappe

Spirit girl

Sylvie Cappe

Painting - 85 x 53 x 0.5 cm Painting - 33.5 x 20.9 x 0.2 inch

$930

Painting, Reasonable, Youthone

Reasonable

Youthone

Painting - 68 x 101 x 0.1 cm Painting - 26.8 x 39.8 x 0 inch

$1,192 $1,073

Painting, Heart Face, Youthone

Heart Face

Youthone

Painting - 103 x 100 x 0.1 cm Painting - 40.6 x 39.4 x 0 inch

$1,204

Painting, Liberté, Taiyu Zhou

Liberté

Taiyu Zhou

Painting - 68 x 68 x 1 cm Painting - 26.8 x 26.8 x 0.4 inch

$1,431

Painting, Oracles II, Taiyu Zhou

Oracles II

Taiyu Zhou

Painting - 136 x 34 x 1 cm Painting - 53.5 x 13.4 x 0.4 inch

$1,788

Painting, Longévité, Taiyu Zhou

Longévité

Taiyu Zhou

Painting - 68 x 68 x 1 cm Painting - 26.8 x 26.8 x 0.4 inch

$1,431

Painting, Oracles, Taiyu Zhou

Oracles

Taiyu Zhou

Painting - 78 x 42 x 1 cm Painting - 30.7 x 16.5 x 0.4 inch

$1,788

Painting, Floraison, Taiyu Zhou

Floraison

Taiyu Zhou

Painting - 78 x 42 x 1 cm Painting - 30.7 x 16.5 x 0.4 inch

$1,788

Painting, Face2 - Bright, Max Ruela

Face2 - Bright

Max Ruela

Painting - 80 x 60 x 0.1 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0 inch

$775

Painting, Face2 - Brush, Max Ruela

Face2 - Brush

Max Ruela

Painting - 80 x 60 x 0.1 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0 inch

$775

Painting, Skull, Tarek

Skull

Tarek

Painting - 20 x 20 x 2 cm Painting - 7.9 x 7.9 x 0.8 inch

$191

Painting, Who's there, Onizbar

Who's there

Onizbar

Painting - 130 x 89 x 2 cm Painting - 51.2 x 35 x 0.8 inch

$1,192

Painting, Ice, Onizbar

Ice

Onizbar

Painting - 80 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch

$1,550

Painting, Luuux, Onizbar

Luuux

Onizbar

Painting - 100 x 73 x 2.5 cm Painting - 39.4 x 28.7 x 1 inch

$1,788

Painting, Nako, La Pointe

Nako

La Pointe

Painting - 100 x 73 cm Painting - 39.4 x 28.7 inch

$1,431

Painting, Yumi, La Pointe

Yumi

La Pointe

Painting - 20.3 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Painting - 8 x 12 x 0.1 inch

$1,431

Painting, Sakaru, La Pointe

Sakaru

La Pointe

Painting - 20.3 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Painting - 8 x 12 x 0.1 inch

$1,431

Painting, Saburo, La Pointe

Saburo

La Pointe

Painting - 20.3 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Painting - 8 x 12 x 0.1 inch

$1,431

Painting, Nakatsu, La Pointe

Nakatsu

La Pointe

Painting - 20.3 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Painting - 8 x 12 x 0.1 inch

$1,431

Painting, Misato, La Pointe

Misato

La Pointe

Painting - 20.3 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Painting - 8 x 12 x 0.1 inch

$1,431

Painting, Iruka, La Pointe

Iruka

La Pointe

Painting - 20.3 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Painting - 8 x 12 x 0.1 inch

$1,200

Painting, Sunset City, Papa Mesk

Sunset City

Papa Mesk

Painting - 60 x 20 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 7.9 x 0.8 inch

$1,431

Print, First Love ! - EA, Ske

First Love ! - EA

Ske

Print - 59.4 x 42 x 0.1 cm Print - 23.4 x 16.5 x 0 inch

$209

Painting, Bowie Space oddity, Spaco

Bowie Space oddity

Spaco

Painting - 30 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch

$227

Painting, L'oiseau, Flow

L'oiseau

Flow

Painting - 33 x 33 x 1 cm Painting - 13 x 13 x 0.4 inch

$715

Painting, Miss Bunny, Arsen

Miss Bunny

Arsen

Painting - 57 x 46 x 2 cm Painting - 22.4 x 18.1 x 0.8 inch

$1,073

Painting, Skull pink, Spaco

Skull pink

Spaco

Painting - 50 x 50 x 5 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 2 inch

$381

Print, La quête, Yohan Storti

La quête

Yohan Storti

Print - 70 x 49 x 0.1 cm Print - 27.6 x 19.3 x 0 inch

$106

Painting, Art attack, Pegaz

Art attack

Pegaz

Painting - 81 x 100 x 3 cm Painting - 31.9 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch

$2,384

Painting, Les 2 mains, Viza

Les 2 mains

Viza

Painting - 37 x 37 x 2 cm Painting - 14.6 x 14.6 x 0.8 inch

$465

Painting, Vandal Pop, Sara Chelou

Vandal Pop

Sara Chelou

Painting - 130 x 162 x 3 cm Painting - 51.2 x 63.8 x 1.2 inch

$2,623

Painting, Love, Shelby

Love

Shelby

Painting - 40 x 40 x 3 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 1.2 inch

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