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, Superman, Maxime Andriot

Superman

Maxime Andriot

Painting - 84 x 64 x 2 cm Painting - 33.1 x 25.2 x 0.8 inch

€1,100

Painting, LP marble brown, Marie KVK

LP marble brown

Marie KVK

Painting - 40 x 40 x 4 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 1.6 inch

€300

Painting, Goldo Story II, David Cumps

Goldo Story II

David Cumps

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

€2,700

Painting, Mario pix X, David Cumps

Mario pix X

David Cumps

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

€2,700

Painting, Skull of Goldorak, Tarek

Skull of Goldorak

Tarek

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

€350

Photography, Camo 44, Thandiwe Muriu

Camo 44

Thandiwe Muriu

Photography - 90 x 60 x 1 cm Photography - 35.4 x 23.6 x 0.4 inch

€8,000

Photography, Camo 46, Thandiwe Muriu

Camo 46

Thandiwe Muriu

Photography - 90 x 60 x 1 cm Photography - 35.4 x 23.6 x 0.4 inch

€9,000

Painting, Dark Vador, Noël Caizergues

Dark Vador

Noël Caizergues

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

€1,950 €1,658

Painting, Seeds of love, Dr. Love

Seeds of love

Dr. Love

Painting - 30 x 40 x 0.2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch

€90

Sculpture, Lego 6, Tarek

Lego 6

Tarek

Sculpture - 19 x 38 x 11.5 cm Sculpture - 7.5 x 15 x 4.5 inch

€160

Painting, Nana de niki Colors, Spaco

Nana de niki Colors

Spaco

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

€180

Painting, King dog, Spaco

King dog

Spaco

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

€190

Painting, Tigre pochoir, Spaco

Tigre pochoir

Spaco

Painting - 21 x 15 x 0.1 cm Painting - 8.3 x 5.9 x 0 inch

€90

Painting, Stitch Cool, Martin

Stitch Cool

Martin

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

€450

Painting, Tree of Life, Willy B

Tree of Life

Willy B

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

€800

Painting, Love, Willy B

Love

Willy B

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

€800

Painting, Live Your Art, Willy B

Live Your Art

Willy B

Painting - 12 x 8 x 0.1 cm Painting - 4.7 x 3.1 x 0 inch

€800

Painting, Girls of Summer, Willy B

Girls of Summer

Willy B

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

€800

Painting, Grenades, Willy B

Grenades

Willy B

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

€800

Photography, Recordings IX, Javier Rey

Recordings IX

Javier Rey

Photography - 80 x 58 x 0.1 cm Photography - 31.5 x 22.8 x 0 inch

€1,292

Painting, Funny Dog, Christof Monnin

Funny Dog

Christof Monnin

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

€1,500

Painting, Daisy, Martin

Daisy

Martin

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

€450

Painting, Donald - Furious, Martin

Donald - Furious

Martin

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

€450

Painting, Nemo, Martin

Nemo

Martin

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

€450

Painting, Sail with me, Art By Son

Sail with me

Art By Son

Painting - 110 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 43.3 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch

€4,500

Painting, Mona Lisa 3.0, Art By Son

Mona Lisa 3.0

Art By Son

Painting - 135 x 85 x 3 cm Painting - 53.1 x 33.5 x 1.2 inch

€3,450

Painting, Money, Romain Dorez

Money

Romain Dorez

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

€850

Painting, Marianne liberty obey, PyB

Marianne liberty obey

PyB

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

€290

Painting, Stronger, Esteban Vera

Stronger

Esteban Vera

Painting - 89.9 x 69.9 x 5.1 cm Painting - 35.4 x 27.5 x 2 inch

€2,321

Painting, Dark and light, Flu

Dark and light

Flu

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

€1,600

Painting, Théoria, Stratos

Théoria

Stratos

Painting - 65 x 54 x 4 cm Painting - 25.6 x 21.3 x 1.6 inch

€5,200

Painting, Profil, Albena Vatcheva

Profil

Albena Vatcheva

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

€175

Print, Death Ma22, Death NYC

Death Ma22

Death NYC

Print - 32 x 45 x 0.1 cm Print - 12.6 x 17.7 x 0 inch

€89

Painting, Words have power, MrKas

Words have power

MrKas

Painting - 125 x 107 x 0.2 cm Painting - 49.2 x 42.1 x 0.1 inch

€750

Print, DeathQ1010, Death NYC

DeathQ1010

Death NYC

Print - 45 x 32 x 0.1 cm Print - 17.7 x 12.6 x 0 inch

€89

Print, Death G312, Death NYC

Death G312

Death NYC

Print - 45 x 32 x 0.1 cm Print - 17.7 x 12.6 x 0 inch

€89

Print, Death M74, Death NYC

Death M74

Death NYC

Print - 45 x 32 x 0.1 cm Print - 17.7 x 12.6 x 0 inch

€89

Painting, Steve, Capocci

Steve

Capocci

Painting - 30 x 30 x 1 cm Painting - 11.8 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch

€420

Print, Death02609, Death NYC

Death02609

Death NYC

Print - 32 x 45 x 0.1 cm Print - 12.6 x 17.7 x 0 inch

€89

Painting, elegance, Gillian Brin

elegance

Gillian Brin

Painting - 92 x 65 x 2 cm Painting - 36.2 x 25.6 x 0.8 inch

€650

Painting, Inclination, Irene Mahon

Inclination

Irene Mahon

Painting - 73 x 60 x 2.5 cm Painting - 28.7 x 23.6 x 1 inch

€920

Painting, The life, Michael Edery

The life

Michael Edery

Painting - 97 x 130 x 2.3 cm Painting - 38.2 x 51.2 x 0.9 inch

€4,500

Painting, Spiderman (1), Spaco

Spiderman (1)

Spaco

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

€120

Painting, Grammy, Peter Max

Grammy

Peter Max

Painting - 121.92 x 91.44 x 2.54 cm Painting - 48 x 36 x 1 inch

€227,549

Painting, La Boum, Muriel Deumie

La Boum

Muriel Deumie

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

€1,500

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