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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Fine Art Drawings, No name #D208, Stéphane Rime

No name #D208

Stéphane Rime

Fine Art Drawings - 100 x 100 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0 inch

$345

Fine Art Drawings, No name #D209, Stéphane Rime

No name #D209

Stéphane Rime

Fine Art Drawings - 100 x 100 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 39.4 x 39.4 x 0 inch

$345

Painting, Benzema, PyB

Benzema

PyB

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

$226

Painting, The wave, Seb Paul Michel

The wave

Seb Paul Michel

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

$118

Sculpture, Lampe tag smilez, Keny

Lampe tag smilez

Keny

Sculpture - 23 x 13 x 21 cm Sculpture - 9.1 x 5.1 x 8.3 inch

$476

Painting, Lou, Istraille

Lou

Istraille

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

$1,429

Painting, Art attack, Pegaz

Art attack

Pegaz

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

$2,381

Painting, Fake news, Ykstreetart

Fake news

Ykstreetart

Painting - 75 x 115 x 2 cm Painting - 29.5 x 45.3 x 0.8 inch

$3,167

Painting, TinTin Story, Art By Son

TinTin Story

Art By Son

Painting - 210 x 130 x 4 cm Painting - 82.7 x 51.2 x 1.6 inch

$23,215

Painting, Licorne, Frany La Chipie

Licorne

Frany La Chipie

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

$1,500

Painting, Blue Peace, M. Koeur

Blue Peace

M. Koeur

Painting - 50 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

$1,310

Painting, CompliKoeur, M. Koeur

CompliKoeur

M. Koeur

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

$2,976

Painting, ovnis, Frany La Chipie

ovnis

Frany La Chipie

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

$2,143

Photography, 28 Flats, Barry Cawston

28 Flats

Barry Cawston

Photography - 110 x 120 x 2 cm Photography - 43.3 x 47.2 x 0.8 inch

$3,601

Painting, Space Dancer, Mr Cenz

Space Dancer

Mr Cenz

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

$3,453

Painting, Sans titre #4, Block513

Sans titre #4

Block513

Painting - 40 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

$357

Painting, Sans titre #3, Block513

Sans titre #3

Block513

Painting - 40 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

$357

Painting, Sans titre #1, Block513

Sans titre #1

Block513

Painting - 40 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

$357

Painting, Imagine, Block513

Imagine

Block513

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

$262

Painting, Back in the Street, Nacks

Back in the Street

Nacks

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

$952

Painting, Gainsbourg, PyB

Gainsbourg

PyB

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

$226

Painting, Petit prince, PyB

Petit prince

PyB

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

$214

Painting, No more love, LN Le Pape

No more love

LN Le Pape

Painting - 61 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 24 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

$357

Painting, L’amour de mère, Yu Fu

L’amour de mère

Yu Fu

Painting - 60 x 60 x 3 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 1.2 inch

$5,953

Sculpture, Saxocolor, PickWick

Saxocolor

PickWick

Sculpture - 46 x 14 x 14 cm Sculpture - 18.1 x 5.5 x 5.5 inch

$476

Sculpture, The way we love, PickWick

The way we love

PickWick

Sculpture - 34 x 10 x 13 cm Sculpture - 13.4 x 3.9 x 5.1 inch

$476

Painting, Tina, Françoise Souriau

Tina

Françoise Souriau

Painting - 92 x 73 x 2 cm Painting - 36.2 x 28.7 x 0.8 inch

$3,048

Painting, Regard, Viza

Regard

Viza

Painting - 35 x 35 x 1 cm Painting - 13.8 x 13.8 x 0.4 inch

$357

Fine Art Drawings, Portrait 2, Davide Cicolani

Portrait 2

Davide Cicolani

Fine Art Drawings - 70 x 50 x 2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

$1,310

Sculpture, Dog Spiderman, PyB

Dog Spiderman

PyB

Sculpture - 15 x 25 x 3 cm Sculpture - 5.9 x 9.8 x 1.2 inch

$298

Painting, Sans titre, Meteo Meteo

Sans titre

Meteo Meteo

Painting - 29.7 x 21 x 0.1 cm Painting - 11.7 x 8.3 x 0 inch

$125 $88

Painting, 3 Nigo, Nicolas Denigot

3 Nigo

Nicolas Denigot

Painting - 116 x 267 x 2 cm Painting - 45.7 x 105.1 x 0.8 inch

$8,215

Painting, Mirtille, Mr Yerro

Mirtille

Mr Yerro

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

$2,619

Painting, Sorry boys, Sylvie Cappe

Sorry boys

Sylvie Cappe

Painting - 100 x 73 x 2 cm Painting - 39.4 x 28.7 x 0.8 inch

$1,405

Painting, The Bat love, Loran Romain

The Bat love

Loran Romain

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

$2,381

Painting, Tigre, Viza

Tigre

Viza

Painting - 35 x 35 x 1 cm Painting - 13.8 x 13.8 x 0.4 inch

$357

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