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, Sans titre, Jean Bazaine

Jean Bazaine

Print . 48 x 64.5 x 0.1 cm Print . 18.9 x 25.4 x 0 inch

CHF 777

Print, S/T, Gao Xingjian

S/T

Gao Xingjian

Print . 65 x 50 cm Print . 25.6 x 19.7 inch

CHF 1,360

Print, Dos Figuras, Rufino Tamayo

Rufino Tamayo

Print . 76 x 56 x 0.1 cm Print . 29.9 x 22 x 0 inch

CHF 5,636

Print, Hand (Truquoise), Smash137

Smash137

Print . 39 x 29 x 0.1 cm Print . 15.4 x 11.4 x 0 inch

CHF 1,139

Print, Contrepoint, Sonia Delaunay

Sonia Delaunay

Print . 62.5 x 47 x 0.2 cm Print . 24.6 x 18.5 x 0.1 inch

CHF 4,081

Print, MOD 3, Yannis Kounellis

Yannis Kounellis

Print . 64 x 76 cm Print . 25.2 x 29.9 inch

CHF 1,944

Print, Le Enfe, Roberto Matta

Roberto Matta

Print . 63 x 90 x 0.2 cm Print . 24.8 x 35.4 x 0.1 inch

CHF 1,166

Print, Untitled, Susana Solano

Susana Solano

Print . 65.5 x 50 cm Print . 25.8 x 19.7 inch

CHF 1,360

Print, Dutch Hearts, Jim Dine

Jim Dine

Print . 42 x 51 x 0.05 cm Print . 16.5 x 20.1 x 0 inch

CHF 2,332

Print, Square Series #2, L'Atlas

L'Atlas

Print . 75 x 75 x 0.05 cm Print . 29.5 x 29.5 x 0 inch

CHF 1,376

Print, Untitled, Wolf Vostell

Wolf Vostell

Print . 67 x 50 cm Print . 26.4 x 19.7 inch

CHF 2,375

Print, Chair, Robert Motherwell

Robert Motherwell

Print . 97 x 71 x 0.1 cm Print . 38.2 x 28 x 0 inch

CHF 3,693

Print, Sans-titre, Karel Appel

Karel Appel

Print . 59.5 x 79.5 x 0.1 cm Print . 23.4 x 31.3 x 0 inch

CHF 1,409

Print, Sans-titre, Daniel Humair

Daniel Humair

Print . 56 x 38 x 0.1 cm Print . 22 x 15 x 0 inch

CHF 292

Print, Fou I, André Lanskoy

André Lanskoy

Print . 100 x 70 cm Print . 39.4 x 27.6 inch

CHF 1,156

Print, Signs, Leo Guida

Leo Guida

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

CHF 292

Print, Untitled, Arturo Carmassi

Arturo Carmassi

Print . 70 x 49.5 x 0.1 cm Print . 27.6 x 19.5 x 0 inch

CHF 292

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 369

Print, Untitled, Will Faber

Will Faber

Print . 52 x 37 cm Print . 20.5 x 14.6 inch

CHF 1,846

Print, Sans titre 1, Jean Miotte

Jean Miotte

Print . 92 x 70 x 0.1 cm Print . 36.2 x 27.6 x 0 inch

CHF 583

Painting, Untitled, August Puig

August Puig

Painting . 55.5 x 70 x 5 cm Painting . 21.9 x 27.6 x 2 inch

CHF 1,166

Fine Art Drawings, Untitled, Josep Guinovart

Josep Guinovart

Fine Art Drawings . 72 x 50 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings . 28.3 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch

CHF 1,944

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, Still Life, Gino Severini

Gino Severini

Print . 38 x 51 x 0.1 cm Print . 15 x 20.1 x 0 inch

CHF 1,944

Print, Untitled, Joan Miró

Joan Miró

Print . 50 x 71 x 0.2 cm Print . 19.7 x 28 x 0.1 inch

CHF 1,749

Print, Bright Brains, Robert Longo

Robert Longo

Print . 80 x 60 x 0.5 cm Print . 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.2 inch

CHF 2,322

Print, Bound Man, Sandro Chia

Sandro Chia

Print . 78.7 x 66 cm Print . 31 x 26 inch

CHF 767

Print, Signes, Antoni Clavé

Antoni Clavé

Print . 35 x 29 x 0.1 cm Print . 13.8 x 11.4 x 0 inch

CHF 836

Print, Sans titre, Ken Denning

Ken Denning

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

CHF 559

Print, Trees, Joan Mitchell

Joan Mitchell

Print . 76.5 x 56.3 x 1 cm Print . 30.1 x 22.2 x 0.4 inch

CHF 6,025

Print, Untitled, Alberto Magnelli

Alberto Magnelli

Print . 64.5 x 49.5 x 0.1 cm Print . 25.4 x 19.5 x 0 inch

CHF 836

Print, Le soliste, Gen Paul

Gen Paul

Print . 36.6 x 27.8 x 0.1 cm Print . 14.4 x 10.9 x 0 inch

CHF 292

Print, Se4, Eusebio Sempere

Se4

Eusebio Sempere

Print . 76 x 56 x 0.02 cm Print . 29.9 x 22 x 0 inch

CHF 486

Print, Untitled, Enrico Prampolini

Enrico Prampolini

Print . 39 x 49 x 0.2 cm Print . 15.4 x 19.3 x 0.1 inch

CHF 923

Print, Composition, Gastone Breddo

Gastone Breddo

Print . 65.5 x 47 x 0.1 cm Print . 25.8 x 18.5 x 0 inch

CHF 923

Print, Perspective II, Renato Livi

Renato Livi

Print . 64 x 47 x 0.1 cm Print . 25.2 x 18.5 x 0 inch

CHF 311

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 437