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

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Print, Joan Prats, Wifredo Lam

Wifredo Lam

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

CHF 1,069

Print, A jour, Sonia Delaunay

Sonia Delaunay

Print . 66.5 x 50.5 x 0.01 cm Print . 26.2 x 19.9 x 0 inch

CHF 3,790

Print, Sans-titre, Bernard Lorjou

Bernard Lorjou

Print . 67 x 44 x 0.1 cm Print . 26.4 x 17.3 x 0 inch

CHF 364

Print, L 108, Hans Hartung

Hans Hartung

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

CHF 1,458

Print, Spiral, Roberto Crippa

Roberto Crippa

Print . 50 x 35 x 0.2 cm Print . 19.7 x 13.8 x 0.1 inch

CHF 292

Print, Blue, Wassily Kandinsky

Wassily Kandinsky

Print . 32.3 x 27.8 x 1 cm Print . 12.7 x 10.9 x 0.4 inch

CHF 24,294

Print, Cercle II, Antoni Tapies

Antoni Tapies

Print . 55 x 74.5 x 0.1 cm Print . 21.7 x 29.3 x 0 inch

CHF 2,138

Print, Sans-titre, André Masson

André Masson

Print . 32.5 x 25 x 0.1 cm Print . 12.8 x 9.8 x 0 inch

CHF 340

Print, Pour Jorn, Karel Appel

Karel Appel

Print . 75 x 54 cm Print . 29.5 x 21.3 inch

CHF 1,555

Print, Untitled, Sam Francis

Sam Francis

Print . 64.2 x 49.2 x 0.2 cm Print . 25.3 x 19.4 x 0.1 inch

CHF 5,053

Print, Germination, Adolph Gottlieb

Adolph Gottlieb

Print . 56.5 x 76 x 0.1 cm Print . 22.2 x 29.9 x 0 inch

CHF 2,896

Print, Pradorama, Al Held

Al Held

Print . 74 x 93 cm Print . 29.1 x 36.6 inch

CHF 2,915

Print, Cadran, Vassilakis Takis

Vassilakis Takis

Print . 74 x 52 cm Print . 29.1 x 20.5 inch

CHF 194

Print, Double croix, Antoni Tapies

Antoni Tapies

Print . 33 x 51 x 0.1 cm Print . 13 x 20.1 x 0 inch

CHF 2,021

Print, Untitled, Sergi Barnils

Sergi Barnils

Print . 41 x 63.5 x 0.1 cm Print . 16.1 x 25 x 0 inch

CHF 534

Print, Tantrika II, Karel Appel

Karel Appel

Print . 76 x 56 x 0.05 cm Print . 29.9 x 22 x 0 inch

CHF 1,069

Print, Forêt, Bram van Velde

Bram van Velde

Print . 65 x 48.5 x 0.05 cm Print . 25.6 x 19.1 x 0 inch

CHF 1,360

Print, Untitled, Toti Scialoja

Toti Scialoja

Print . 69.5 x 49.5 x 1 cm Print . 27.4 x 19.5 x 0.4 inch

CHF 466

Print, Untitled, Antonio Saura

Antonio Saura

Print . 56 x 75 cm Print . 22 x 29.5 inch

CHF 1,749

Print, Kitchen Diva, Elvira Bach

Elvira Bach

Print . 49 x 34 x 0.5 cm Print . 19.3 x 13.4 x 0.2 inch

CHF 1,782 CHF 1,426

Print, Untitled, Titina Maselli

Titina Maselli

Print . 48 x 69.5 x 1 cm Print . 18.9 x 27.4 x 0.4 inch

CHF 369

Print, Untitled, Piero Dorazio

Piero Dorazio

Print . 62.5 x 89.5 x 1 cm Print . 24.6 x 35.2 x 0.4 inch

CHF 641

Print, HC L-52, Hans Hartung

Hans Hartung

Print . 75 x 105 cm Print . 29.5 x 41.3 inch

CHF 1,944

Print, Red Six, Lorenzo Indrimi

Lorenzo Indrimi

Print . 64 x 48 x 0.1 cm Print . 25.2 x 18.9 x 0 inch

CHF 292

Print, Untitled, Rufino Tamayo

Rufino Tamayo

Print . 38 x 53 cm Print . 15 x 20.9 inch

CHF 4,373

Print, Grand Palais, Jean Dubuffet

Jean Dubuffet

Print . 70 x 50 x 0.2 cm Print . 27.6 x 19.7 x 0.1 inch

CHF 865

Print, Untitled, Josep Guinovart

Josep Guinovart

Print . 75 x 99.5 x 1 cm Print . 29.5 x 39.2 x 0.4 inch

CHF 1,166

Print, Day, Pavel Pepperstein

Day

Pavel Pepperstein

Print . 57 x 41 x 1 cm Print . 22.4 x 16.1 x 0.4 inch

CHF 4,859

Print, Muffa, Alberto Burri

Alberto Burri

Print . 44.5 x 51.5 cm Print . 17.5 x 20.3 inch

CHF 4,859

Print, MP 61, Bram van Velde

Bram van Velde

Print . 61 x 47 x 0.1 cm Print . 24 x 18.5 x 0 inch

CHF 1,166