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, Les amants, Sara Chelou

Les amants

Sara Chelou

Painting - 90 x 90 x 2 cm Painting - 35.4 x 35.4 x 0.8 inch

$1,071

Print, African beauty, SISC

African beauty

SISC

Print - 59 x 42 cm Print - 23.2 x 16.5 inch

$143

Painting, Street vibe, Allias

Street vibe

Allias

Painting - 91 x 49 x 3 cm Painting - 35.8 x 19.3 x 1.2 inch

$857

Print, Old school gal!, Jay-C

Old school gal!

Jay-C

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

$4,167

Painting, Way's art, Isaflo

Way's art

Isaflo

Painting - 100 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch

$1,429

Photography, Photograf, Hervé Pezzini

Photograf

Hervé Pezzini

Photography - 50 x 75 x 1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 29.5 x 0.4 inch

$535

Painting, Pinard, Lord Wilmore

Pinard

Lord Wilmore

Painting - 116 x 89 x 4 cm Painting - 45.7 x 35 x 1.6 inch

$5,953

Painting, Dream girl, Spaco

Dream girl

Spaco

Painting - 33 x 40 x 3 cm Painting - 13 x 15.7 x 1.2 inch

$286

Painting, Girls only, Sara Chelou

Girls only

Sara Chelou

Painting - 80 x 80 x 5 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 2 inch

$952

Painting, Love Street Art, Shelby

Love Street Art

Shelby

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

Sold

Painting, Hope Street Art, Shelby

Hope Street Art

Shelby

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

Sold

Painting, NYC taxis, Marta Zawadzka

NYC taxis

Marta Zawadzka

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

Sold

Painting, Bubble Orange, Seen

Bubble Orange

Seen

Painting - 77 x 61 x 2 cm Painting - 30.3 x 24 x 0.8 inch

Sold

Painting, Flowers, Moshe Leider

Flowers

Moshe Leider

Painting - 100 x 60 x 2.5 cm Painting - 39.4 x 23.6 x 1 inch

Sold

Painting, Innocence, Âme Sauvage

Innocence

Âme Sauvage

Painting - 30 x 30 x 0.3 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch

Sold

Painting, A good feeling, JonOne

A good feeling

JonOne

Painting - 90 x 74 x 2.5 cm Painting - 35.4 x 29.1 x 1 inch

Sold

Painting, Sunsplash, JonOne

Sunsplash

JonOne

Painting - 100 x 80 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 31.5 x 0.8 inch

Sold

Painting, Cosmic flower, Goddog

Cosmic flower

Goddog

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

Sold

Painting, Nuageuse, Arsen

Nuageuse

Arsen

Painting - 34 x 20 x 2 cm Painting - 13.4 x 7.9 x 0.8 inch

Sold

Painting, Stitch, Martin

Stitch

Martin

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

Sold

Painting, Coloramax 14, Keny

Coloramax 14

Keny

Painting - 50 x 50 x 2.5 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 1 inch

Sold

Painting, Mik Mak, Arsen

Mik Mak

Arsen

Painting - 78 x 15 x 2 cm Painting - 30.7 x 5.9 x 0.8 inch

Sold

Painting, Mixité, Arsen

Mixité

Arsen

Painting - 72 x 12 x 2 cm Painting - 28.3 x 4.7 x 0.8 inch

Sold

Painting, Barbouilleuse, Arsen

Barbouilleuse

Arsen

Painting - 34 x 20 x 2 cm Painting - 13.4 x 7.9 x 0.8 inch

Sold

Painting, Râleur, Arsen

Râleur

Arsen

Painting - 34 x 20 x 2 cm Painting - 13.4 x 7.9 x 0.8 inch

Sold

Painting, PiKOchu, Arsen

PiKOchu

Arsen

Painting - 34 x 20 x 2 cm Painting - 13.4 x 7.9 x 0.8 inch

Sold

Painting, Barbiche, Arsen

Barbiche

Arsen

Painting - 34 x 20 x 2 cm Painting - 13.4 x 7.9 x 0.8 inch

Sold

Painting, Silence, Arsen

Silence

Arsen

Painting - 64 x 15 x 2 cm Painting - 25.2 x 5.9 x 0.8 inch

Sold

Painting, Sana n° 225, Saname

Sana n° 225

Saname

Painting - 107 x 131 x 0.2 cm Painting - 42.1 x 51.6 x 0.1 inch

Sold

Painting, Rock n° 5, Saname

Rock n° 5

Saname

Painting - 127 x 107 x 0.2 cm Painting - 50 x 42.1 x 0.1 inch

Sold

Painting, Post no bills, Seen

Post no bills

Seen

Painting - 55 x 155 x 2 cm Painting - 21.7 x 61 x 0.8 inch

Sold

Sculpture, Panthera, Âme Sauvage

Panthera

Âme Sauvage

Sculpture - 14 x 43 x 7 cm Sculpture - 5.5 x 16.9 x 2.8 inch

Sold

Painting, The king, Marta Zawadzka

The king

Marta Zawadzka

Painting - 120 x 120 x 2 cm Painting - 47.2 x 47.2 x 0.8 inch

Sold

Sculpture, Calm cat, Âme Sauvage

Calm cat

Âme Sauvage

Sculpture - 19 x 6 x 9 cm Sculpture - 7.5 x 2.4 x 3.5 inch

Sold

Sculpture, Elegant cat, Âme Sauvage

Elegant cat

Âme Sauvage

Sculpture - 16 x 6 x 8 cm Sculpture - 6.3 x 2.4 x 3.1 inch

Sold

Sculpture, Orange fox, Âme Sauvage

Orange fox

Âme Sauvage

Sculpture - 25 x 15 x 17 cm Sculpture - 9.8 x 5.9 x 6.7 inch

Sold

Painting, Samy, Marta Zawadzka

Samy

Marta Zawadzka

Painting - 120 x 120 x 2 cm Painting - 47.2 x 47.2 x 0.8 inch

Sold

Painting, Laura, Marta Zawadzka

Laura

Marta Zawadzka

Painting - 160 x 120 x 2 cm Painting - 63 x 47.2 x 0.8 inch

Sold

Painting, Flowers, Moshe Leider

Flowers

Moshe Leider

Painting - 100 x 60 x 2.5 cm Painting - 39.4 x 23.6 x 1 inch

Sold

Painting, Flowers, Moshe Leider

Flowers

Moshe Leider

Painting - 122 x 61 x 2.5 cm Painting - 48 x 24 x 1 inch

Sold

Painting, Flowers, Moshe Leider

Flowers

Moshe Leider

Painting - 122 x 61 x 2.5 cm Painting - 48 x 24 x 1 inch

Sold

Painting, Astro Boy I, David Cumps

Astro Boy I

David Cumps

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

Sold

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

Sold

Painting, Angel, Marta Zawadzka

Angel

Marta Zawadzka

Painting - 160 x 120 x 2 cm Painting - 63 x 47.2 x 0.8 inch

Sold

Painting, Blue stars, Dam Domido

Blue stars

Dam Domido

Painting - 95 x 150 x 0.1 cm Painting - 37.4 x 59.1 x 0 inch

Sold

Painting, Junk Series, Cosmos

Junk Series

Cosmos

Painting - 140 x 200 x 4 cm Painting - 55.1 x 78.7 x 1.6 inch

Sold

Painting, Urban art, Muriel Deumie

Urban art

Muriel Deumie

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

Sold

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