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, Vertical Beauty, Mr Cenz

Vertical Beauty

Mr Cenz

Painting - 90 x 90 x 4 cm Painting - 35.4 x 35.4 x 1.6 inch

$3,796

Fine Art Drawings, Collegiate, Tina Loiodice

Collegiate

Tina Loiodice

Fine Art Drawings - 20.3 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8 x 12 x 0.1 inch

$415

Painting, Crème, Mr Yerro

Crème

Mr Yerro

Painting - 73 x 54 x 6 cm Painting - 28.7 x 21.3 x 2.4 inch

$1,898

Print, Classy, Ciscø

Classy

Ciscø

Print - 10 x 18 x 1 cm Print - 3.9 x 7.1 x 0.4 inch

$439

Sculpture, Wild gorille 1255, Masaya

Wild gorille 1255

Masaya

Sculpture - 115 x 68 x 60 cm Sculpture - 45.3 x 26.8 x 23.6 inch

$12,457

Print, Slipstream, Mr Cenz

Slipstream

Mr Cenz

Print - 40 x 60 cm Print - 15.7 x 23.6 inch

$445

Painting, Mickey fuck, Illian

Mickey fuck

Illian

Painting - 80 x 80 x 1 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0.4 inch

$830

Photography, Paris, Nebulosa

Paris

Nebulosa

Photography - 132 x 88 x 1 cm Photography - 52 x 34.6 x 0.4 inch

$4,271

Painting, Azimut, Dize 156

Azimut

Dize 156

Painting - 30 x 120 x 2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 47.2 x 0.8 inch

$4,271

Sculpture, Youth Love, Zione99

Youth Love

Zione99

Sculpture - 77 x 20 x 15 cm Sculpture - 30.3 x 7.9 x 5.9 inch

$451

Design, Love bear, Flu

Love bear

Flu

Design - 25.5 x 24.5 x 20 cm Design - 10 x 9.6 x 7.9 inch

$475

Painting, Anital, Jordy Le Bruchec

Anital

Jordy Le Bruchec

Painting - 160 x 10 x 3 cm Painting - 63 x 3.9 x 1.2 inch

$7,118

Painting, Boule Pokémon, Mr Bou

Boule Pokémon

Mr Bou

Painting - 20 x 20 x 4 cm Painting - 7.9 x 7.9 x 1.6 inch

$534

Print, Résonance, Jawa

Résonance

Jawa

Print - 70 x 50 x 0.1 cm Print - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0 inch

$295

Sculpture, Bouddha Pop star, Narôme

Bouddha Pop star

Narôme

Sculpture - 36 x 18 x 18 cm Sculpture - 14.2 x 7.1 x 7.1 inch

$581

Design, Glam Box, Sylvie Cappe

Glam Box

Sylvie Cappe

Design - 31 x 30.5 x 30.5 cm Design - 12.2 x 12 x 12 inch

$332

Painting, Bertone, Pascal Astier

Bertone

Pascal Astier

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

$2,373

Sculpture, Tête pop, Mp Chery

Tête pop

Mp Chery

Sculpture - 30 x 16 x 22 cm Sculpture - 11.8 x 6.3 x 8.7 inch

$297

Painting, River style, Kaser

River style

Kaser

Painting - 60 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

$823

Print, Shiny People, Kev Munday

Shiny People

Kev Munday

Print - 42 x 52 x 0.3 cm Print - 16.5 x 20.5 x 0.1 inch

$475

Print, Love - Blue, Nacks

Love - Blue

Nacks

Print - 20 x 20 x 1 cm Print - 7.9 x 7.9 x 0.4 inch

$297

Painting, Drisme-6, Aero 82

Drisme-6

Aero 82

Painting - 20 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 7.9 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

$590

Photography, Pas, Hervé Pezzini

Pas

Hervé Pezzini

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

$528

Painting, Face #3, Hugo Baudouin

Face #3

Hugo Baudouin

Painting - 90 x 70 cm Painting - 35.4 x 27.6 inch

$1,329

Painting, City, Nadib Bandi

City

Nadib Bandi

Painting - 141 x 331 x 5.5 cm Painting - 55.5 x 130.3 x 2.2 inch

$30,723

Painting, The Big Ben Chief, Jakè

The Big Ben Chief

Jakè

Painting - 100 x 100 x 6 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 2.4 inch

$4,508

Painting, The Book of Style, Tones

The Book of Style

Tones

Painting - 150 x 240 x 3.5 cm Painting - 59.1 x 94.5 x 1.4 inch

$12,188

Fine Art Drawings, Yellow Man Car, Bault

Yellow Man Car

Bault

Fine Art Drawings - 18 x 13 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 7.1 x 5.1 x 0 inch

$261

Print, HPC, Lassana Sarr

HPC

Lassana Sarr

Print - 34 x 28 x 0.1 cm Print - 13.4 x 11 x 0 inch

$356

Painting, Timer 2, Timer

Timer 2

Timer

Painting - 141 x 460 x 4.5 cm Painting - 55.5 x 181.1 x 1.8 inch

$22,598

Painting, Street Marilyn, Kostar

Street Marilyn

Kostar

Painting - 165 x 125 x 4 cm Painting - 65 x 49.2 x 1.6 inch

$8,304

Fine Art Drawings, Etude Amour Désarmé, M.Chat

Etude Amour Désarmé

M.Chat

Fine Art Drawings - 65 x 50 x 0.2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 25.6 x 19.7 x 0.1 inch

$2,966

Painting, Icon #21, Ronald Hunter

Icon #21

Ronald Hunter

Painting - 110 x 90 x 5 cm Painting - 43.3 x 35.4 x 2 inch

$2,727

Painting, Multi Seen, Seen

Multi Seen

Seen

Painting - 70 x 180 cm Painting - 27.6 x 70.9 inch

$4,745

Print, Bises Bee, M.Chat

Bises Bee

M.Chat

Print - 61 x 68 x 0.01 cm Print - 24 x 26.8 x 0 inch

$652

Painting, Jardin, Charlotte Pivard

Jardin

Charlotte Pivard

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

$949

Painting, Mickey Peace, Shelby

Mickey Peace

Shelby

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

$949

Painting, New York City 1980, Seen

New York City 1980

Seen

Painting - 75.5 x 69.5 cm Painting - 29.7 x 27.4 inch

$1,424

Painting, Energy, Maria Esmar

Energy

Maria Esmar

Painting - 180 x 280 x 0.2 cm Painting - 70.9 x 110.2 x 0.1 inch

$12,694

Print, Baby Yoda, C215

Baby Yoda

C215

Print - 50 x 40 x 0.1 cm Print - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0 inch

$712

Painting, Street art, Âme Sauvage

Street art

Âme Sauvage

Painting - 73 x 100 x 2.4 cm Painting - 28.7 x 39.4 x 0.9 inch

$1,127

Painting, Graffitis, Âme Sauvage

Graffitis

Âme Sauvage

Painting - 100 x 73 x 2.4 cm Painting - 39.4 x 28.7 x 0.9 inch

$1,127

Print, Kids get away, JonOne

Kids get away

JonOne

Print - 70 x 50 cm Print - 27.6 x 19.7 inch

$1,424

Print, Kids getaway, JonOne

Kids getaway

JonOne

Print - 70 x 50 cm Print - 27.6 x 19.7 inch

$1,292

Painting, Happy life, Âme Sauvage

Happy life

Âme Sauvage

Painting - 50 x 40 x 2.4 cm Painting - 19.7 x 15.7 x 0.9 inch

$426

Print, Kakao Talk, JonOne

Kakao Talk

JonOne

Print - 75 x 105 x 0.2 cm Print - 29.5 x 41.3 x 0.1 inch

$1,898

Print, Blue (EP), JonOne

Blue (EP)

JonOne

Print - 75 x 75 x 0.2 cm Print - 29.5 x 29.5 x 0.1 inch

$2,610

Painting, Multitag, Seen

Multitag

Seen

Painting - 86.5 x 70 cm Painting - 34.1 x 27.6 inch

$1,661

Painting, Blue, Seen

Blue

Seen

Painting - 86 x 70 cm Painting - 33.9 x 27.6 inch

$1,661

Print, Spectre city, JonOne

Spectre city

JonOne

Print - 42 x 29.5 x 0.01 cm Print - 16.5 x 11.6 x 0 inch

$1,008

Painting, Batman, Seen

Batman

Seen

Painting - 104 x 103 x 0.2 cm Painting - 40.9 x 40.6 x 0.1 inch

$14,236

Painting, Sans titre, JonOne

Sans titre

JonOne

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

$6,169

Painting, Paris Text Me, JonOne

Paris Text Me

JonOne

Painting - 55 x 46 x 5 cm Painting - 21.7 x 18.1 x 2 inch

$5,813