Thinking of giving art for Christmas?

Explore our gift guide

Abstract artworks

Abstract art was born at the beginning of the 20th century, more specifically between 1911 and 1917 with the work of four influential painters: Frantisek Kupka, Vassily Kandinsky, Kasimir Malevich and Piet Mondrian . Although each of these artists formulated their own vision of abstract art, a shared historical context explains the concurrent emergence of this artistic movement.

The scientific discoveries of the early 20th century completely revolutionized man's perception of the world. These artists, who were literary and cultured men, were well aware of scientific progress. As Paul Valéry put it, "in the last twenty years neither matter nor space nor time has been what it was from time immemorial". People needed a new language to both express and to comprehend this "new world". These four artists demonstrated a keen interest in the esoteric and occult, which explains why the abstract is presented as a research of another type of truth, a way to elevate one's mind and soul towards new horizons, uncovering the deepest mysteries of humankind. The realm of music truly fascinated these artists; they identified with it and, several of them, especially Kandinsky, used it as inspiration. Music is the epitome of the imponderable and the intangible; it suggests meanings while escaping from reality at the same time.

The influence of artistic movements such as Fauvism and  also served as references for the development of the abstract's aesthetic research. Abstraction did not attempt to represent the visible world, but rather to become a "visual language". However, it is essential to bear in mind that each of these four painters took a different path, and that they independently formulated their conception of abstract art.

Abstract art wanted to display an "abstract image," a non-figurative representation, outside of reality. They wanted to create art that was self-sufficient, that could look to itself to find the resources needed to support its existence. Abstract creation often required the artists to unleash their consciousness, to break free of instinctive visual associations. This approach produced powerful artworks which, although free of any literal meaning, retained the ability to provoke strong sensations and feelings in the viewer. The triumph of color, of subjectivity and the lack of conventions, foreshadowed the advent of an art that was liberated and free of any restrictive conventions. Abstract art manifestos laid the foundations of its aesthetic. Kandinsky's letters to the music composer Schönberg demonstrated the porous nature of the genres at a time where serial music was emerging. Both music and painting followed a path of growing “dissonance within the arts". These abstract artworks can demand collector to approach them in a particular. Although the interplay of shapes and colours in abstract art make it a visually accessible style, it is also important to reflect on the works more deeply. They invite the viewer to escape from reality, to consider things according to the prism of the absolute, of essence and absence. They might encourage viewers to adopt a new outlook on the world, where everything is astonishing and where our consciousness is constantly wonderstruck by the world around us.

“Art does not reproduce the visible; it makes visible." - Paul Klee

Read more
Painting, Untitled, Viacheslav Malyna

Viacheslav Malyna

Painting . 70 x 100 x 3 cm Painting . 27.6 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch

€793

Painting, Spectre, Alexandre Idier

Alexandre Idier

Painting . 48 x 85 x 25 cm Painting . 18.9 x 33.5 x 9.8 inch

€3,700

Painting, Focus, Stéphane Chauvin

Stéphane Chauvin

Painting . 73 x 60 x 3 cm Painting . 28.7 x 23.6 x 1.2 inch

€1,150

Painting, Multi Mesk N°31, Papa Mesk

Papa Mesk

Painting . 55 x 38 x 2 cm Painting . 21.7 x 15 x 0.8 inch

€1,500

Print, Ankos, Antoni Clavé

Antoni Clavé

Print . 76 x 56 cm Print . 29.9 x 22 inch

€1,800

Print, EM-57 White Tara, Bill Kane

Bill Kane

Print . 213.36 x 60.96 x 3.81 cm Print . 84 x 24 x 1.5 inch

€7,860

Fine Art Drawings, Botanic, Pascal Marlin

Pascal Marlin

Fine Art Drawings . 21 x 14 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 8.3 x 5.5 x 0 inch

€95 €76

Fine Art Drawings, Botanic, Pascal Marlin

Pascal Marlin

Fine Art Drawings . 21 x 14 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 8.3 x 5.5 x 0 inch

€95 €76

Fine Art Drawings, Botanic, Pascal Marlin

Pascal Marlin

Fine Art Drawings . 21 x 14 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 8.3 x 5.5 x 0 inch

€95 €76

Fine Art Drawings, Botanic, Pascal Marlin

Pascal Marlin

Fine Art Drawings . 21 x 14 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 8.3 x 5.5 x 0 inch

€95 €76

Fine Art Drawings, Botanic, Pascal Marlin

Pascal Marlin

Fine Art Drawings . 21 x 14 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 8.3 x 5.5 x 0 inch

€95 €76

Painting, Skipstep (ef), Macyn Bolt

Macyn Bolt

Painting . 51 x 46 cm Painting . 20.1 x 18.1 inch

€2,495

Sculpture, Storm 3, Guillaume Roche

Guillaume Roche

Sculpture . 30 x 30 x 17 cm Sculpture . 11.8 x 11.8 x 6.7 inch

€1,900

Painting, Skipstep (de), Macyn Bolt

Macyn Bolt

Painting . 51 x 46 cm Painting . 20.1 x 18.1 inch

€2,495

Painting, Pow Abstract, JP Malot

JP Malot

Painting . 50 x 70 x 1 cm Painting . 19.7 x 27.6 x 0.4 inch

€900

Photography, Trace # 201901, Paul Snell

Paul Snell

Photography . 120 x 49 cm Photography . 47.2 x 19.3 inch

€5,365

Photography, Trace # 201902, Paul Snell

Paul Snell

Photography . 120 x 49 cm Photography . 47.2 x 19.3 inch

€5,365

Photography, Trace # 201903, Paul Snell

Paul Snell

Photography . 120 x 49 cm Photography . 47.2 x 19.3 inch

€5,365

Photography, Hover # 201914, Paul Snell

Paul Snell

Photography . 80 x 80 cm Photography . 31.5 x 31.5 inch

€4,117

Photography, Hover # 201915, Paul Snell

Paul Snell

Photography . 80 x 80 cm Photography . 31.5 x 31.5 inch

€4,117

Fine Art Drawings, Botanic, Pascal Marlin

Pascal Marlin

Fine Art Drawings . 21 x 14 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 8.3 x 5.5 x 0 inch

€95 €86

Fine Art Drawings, Botanic, Pascal Marlin

Pascal Marlin

Fine Art Drawings . 21 x 14 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 8.3 x 5.5 x 0 inch

€95 €86

Fine Art Drawings, Botanic, Pascal Marlin

Pascal Marlin

Fine Art Drawings . 21 x 14 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 8.3 x 5.5 x 0 inch

€95 €86

Fine Art Drawings, Botanic, Pascal Marlin

Pascal Marlin

Fine Art Drawings . 21 x 14 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 8.3 x 5.5 x 0 inch

€95 €86

Fine Art Drawings, Botanic, Pascal Marlin

Pascal Marlin

Fine Art Drawings . 21 x 14 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 8.3 x 5.5 x 0 inch

€95 €86

Fine Art Drawings, Botanic, Pascal Marlin

Pascal Marlin

Fine Art Drawings . 21 x 14 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 8.3 x 5.5 x 0 inch

€95 €86

Fine Art Drawings, Botanic, Pascal Marlin

Pascal Marlin

Fine Art Drawings . 21 x 14 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 8.3 x 5.5 x 0 inch

€95 €86

Print, Estels, Antoni Clavé

Antoni Clavé

Print . 91 x 67 x 1 cm Print . 35.8 x 26.4 x 0.4 inch

€2,200

Print, Estel blanc, Antoni Clavé

Antoni Clavé

Print . 91 x 67 x 1 cm Print . 35.8 x 26.4 x 0.4 inch

€2,200

Painting, Skipstep (aa), Macyn Bolt

Macyn Bolt

Painting . 51 x 46 cm Painting . 20.1 x 18.1 inch

€2,495

Painting, BI Blumpbs, JP Malot

JP Malot

Painting . 50 x 70 x 1 cm Painting . 19.7 x 27.6 x 0.4 inch

€1,100

Print, Farandole, Hans Hartung

Hans Hartung

Print . 59 x 87 cm Print . 23.2 x 34.3 inch

€3,000

Fine Art Drawings, Manifest 1, Margaret Neill

Margaret Neill

Fine Art Drawings . 74.93 x 106.68 cm Fine Art Drawings . 29.5 x 42 inch

€2,433

Painting, RT21, Anouck Botteron

Anouck Botteron

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

€1,600

Painting, Lumière (MR17), Marie Aimer

Marie Aimer

Painting . 80 x 80 x 3 cm Painting . 31.5 x 31.5 x 1.2 inch

€4,500

Fine Art Drawings, Crabe en panier, Ji-Yun

Ji-Yun

Fine Art Drawings . 42 x 29.7 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings . 16.5 x 11.7 x 0.1 inch

€800

Painting, Paysage, Anton

Anton

Painting . 100 x 81 x 2 cm Painting . 39.4 x 31.9 x 0.8 inch

€800

Fine Art Drawings, Untitled #10, Aliona Koroliova

Aliona Koroliova

Fine Art Drawings . 50 x 35 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 19.7 x 13.8 x 0 inch

€400

Fine Art Drawings, Untitled #9, Aliona Koroliova

Aliona Koroliova

Fine Art Drawings . 50 x 35 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 19.7 x 13.8 x 0 inch

€400

Fine Art Drawings, Untitled #8, Aliona Koroliova

Aliona Koroliova

Fine Art Drawings . 50 x 35 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 19.7 x 13.8 x 0 inch

€400

Fine Art Drawings, Papiers, Karin Boinet

Karin Boinet

Fine Art Drawings . 70.5 x 50 x 0.01 cm Fine Art Drawings . 27.8 x 19.7 x 0 inch

€2,600

Painting, Gesture N9, Vahan Roumelian

Vahan Roumelian

Painting . 190 x 160 x 2 cm Painting . 74.8 x 63 x 0.8 inch

€7,200

Painting, A2418, Thierry Benzaid

Thierry Benzaid

Painting . 19 x 27 x 1 cm Painting . 7.5 x 10.6 x 0.4 inch

€200

Sculpture, Silent Vortex, Maria Ruisi

Maria Ruisi

Sculpture . 50 x 50 x 5 cm Sculpture . 19.7 x 19.7 x 2 inch

€490

Sculpture, Undine, Hakan Trulsson

Hakan Trulsson

Sculpture . 30 x 10 x 5 cm Sculpture . 11.8 x 3.9 x 2 inch

€460