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, Iron pearl, Cédric Lopez

Iron pearl

Cédric Lopez

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

CHF 487

Painting, Pluto, Rico Sab

Pluto

Rico Sab

Painting - 60 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

CHF 282

Painting, Yeah...be happy, Rico Sab

Yeah...be happy

Rico Sab

Painting - 60 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

CHF 282

Painting, Happy yeah, Rico Sab

Happy yeah

Rico Sab

Painting - 60 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

CHF 282

Painting, Musik Snoop, Rico Sab

Musik Snoop

Rico Sab

Painting - 60 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

CHF 282

Painting, Street Love, Aiiroh

Street Love

Aiiroh

Painting - 150 x 150 x 3 cm Painting - 59.1 x 59.1 x 1.2 inch

CHF 13,631

Painting, sans titre, Medra

sans titre

Medra

Painting - 130 x 97 x 2 cm Painting - 51.2 x 38.2 x 0.8 inch

CHF 1,850

Painting, Boom!, Shokkobo Popart

Boom!

Shokkobo Popart

Painting - 80 x 80 x 1.9 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0.7 inch

CHF 1,889

Painting, Bang, Shokkobo Popart

Bang

Shokkobo Popart

Painting - 54 x 60 x 10 cm Painting - 21.3 x 23.6 x 3.9 inch

CHF 1,013

Painting, Nuit blanche, Zokatos

Nuit blanche

Zokatos

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

CHF 3,310

Painting, Nuit blanche, Zokatos

Nuit blanche

Zokatos

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

CHF 3,310

Painting, Blablabla, Jéko

Blablabla

Jéko

Painting - 65 x 50 x 0.2 cm Painting - 25.6 x 19.7 x 0.1 inch

CHF 1,168

Painting, Sunygital, Reyes

Sunygital

Reyes

Painting - 110 x 77 x 0.1 cm Painting - 43.3 x 30.3 x 0 inch

CHF 662 CHF 596

Painting, Street Abstraction, Reyes

Street Abstraction

Reyes

Painting - 70 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch

CHF 662 CHF 596

Painting, Original Chrome, Reyes

Original Chrome

Reyes

Painting - 70 x 70 x 4 cm Painting - 27.6 x 27.6 x 1.6 inch

CHF 652

Painting, Ghost city, Reyes

Ghost city

Reyes

Painting - 70 x 70 x 4 cm Painting - 27.6 x 27.6 x 1.6 inch

CHF 672 CHF 605

Painting, Paysage tagué, Zafi

Paysage tagué

Zafi

Painting - 65 x 50 x 1 cm Painting - 25.6 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch

CHF 1,753

Painting, Gilda, Patricia Gadisseur

Gilda

Patricia Gadisseur

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

CHF 876

Painting, People, Patricia Gadisseur

People

Patricia Gadisseur

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

CHF 876

Painting, Fight the power, Keny

Fight the power

Keny

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

CHF 779

Painting, Mister Love, Rico Sab

Mister Love

Rico Sab

Painting - 130 x 195 x 2.5 cm Painting - 51.2 x 76.8 x 1 inch

CHF 2,142

Painting, Simple Days, Rico Sab

Simple Days

Rico Sab

Painting - 130 x 195 x 2.5 cm Painting - 51.2 x 76.8 x 1 inch

CHF 2,142

Painting, Wonder woman, Rico Sab

Wonder woman

Rico Sab

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

CHF 263

Painting, Croco car, Seb Paul Michel

Croco car

Seb Paul Michel

Painting - 89 x 116 x 2 cm Painting - 35 x 45.7 x 0.8 inch

CHF 1,188

Painting, Zone, Speedy Graphito

Zone

Speedy Graphito

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

CHF 19,278

Painting, Abus de couleurs, MAM

Abus de couleurs

MAM

Painting - 60 x 60 x 4 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 1.6 inch

CHF 1,090

Painting, Look at, Cédric Lopez

Look at

Cédric Lopez

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

CHF 487

Painting, La Nuit Commence, Nebay

La Nuit Commence

Nebay

Painting - 80 x 80 x 4 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 1.6 inch

CHF 3,408

Print, Amathe, Shake

Amathe

Shake

Print - 80 x 60 x 0.1 cm Print - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0 inch

CHF 633

Print, Sans titre, Piotre

Sans titre

Piotre

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

CHF 145

Painting, Je nage, Jéko

Je nage

Jéko

Painting - 150 x 150 x 0.5 cm Painting - 59.1 x 59.1 x 0.2 inch

CHF 4,479

Print, Flowarh$, Mr Brainwash

Flowarh$

Mr Brainwash

Print - 61 x 61 x 5.1 cm Print - 24 x 24 x 2 inch

CHF 3,233

Painting, Mario golf, Rico Sab

Mario golf

Rico Sab

Painting - 80 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch

CHF 438

Painting, Yo mario, Rico Sab

Yo mario

Rico Sab

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

CHF 263

Painting, So kult, Rico Sab

So kult

Rico Sab

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

CHF 263

Painting, Hello betty, Rico Sab

Hello betty

Rico Sab

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

CHF 263

Print, Camo XL-4C-M2, Invader

Camo XL-4C-M2

Invader

Print - 74 x 101 cm Print - 29.1 x 39.8 inch

CHF 17,525

Painting, La loterie infernale, Keymi

La loterie infernale

Keymi

Painting - 95 x 95 x 3 cm Painting - 37.4 x 37.4 x 1.2 inch

CHF 5,550

Painting, Wanted, Patricia Gadisseur

Wanted

Patricia Gadisseur

Painting - 100 x 150 x 3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 59.1 x 1.2 inch

CHF 1,460

Painting, Panda art, Vincent Bardou

Panda art

Vincent Bardou

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

CHF 2,726

Painting, BLUE FIRE, L'Atlas

BLUE FIRE

L'Atlas

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

CHF 12,365

Painting, Sadako, La Pointe

Sadako

La Pointe

Painting - 100 x 73 x 3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 28.7 x 1.2 inch

CHF 1,168

Painting, Perroquets, Sabrina Viola

Perroquets

Sabrina Viola

Painting - 120 x 150 x 4 cm Painting - 47.2 x 59.1 x 1.6 inch

CHF 4,089

Painting, Everyday Life, Mr Brainwash

Everyday Life

Mr Brainwash

Painting - 76 x 56 x 0.3 cm Painting - 29.9 x 22 x 0.1 inch

CHF 12,170

Painting, Yellow, Muriel Deumie

Yellow

Muriel Deumie

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

CHF 565

Painting, I love you!, Mr Brainwash

I love you!

Mr Brainwash

Painting - 61 x 61 x 1 cm Painting - 24 x 24 x 0.4 inch

CHF 10,710

Painting, Tags and abstract, JP Malot

Tags and abstract

JP Malot

Painting - 96 x 130 x 3 cm Painting - 37.8 x 51.2 x 1.2 inch

CHF 2,921

Painting, Goldorak, Tarek

Goldorak

Tarek

Painting - 55 x 46 x 2 cm Painting - 21.7 x 18.1 x 0.8 inch

CHF 925

Painting, Africa, Tarek

Africa

Tarek

Painting - 50 x 20 x 3 cm Painting - 19.7 x 7.9 x 1.2 inch

CHF 370

Print, Ketaye, Shake

Ketaye

Shake

Print - 80 x 60 x 0.1 cm Print - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0 inch

CHF 633

Painting, Maniac's Struggle 4, Skwak

Maniac's Struggle 4

Skwak

Painting - 20.32 x 29.21 x 0.1 cm Painting - 8 x 11.5 x 0 inch

CHF 1,168

Print, Serigraphie I, Piotre

Serigraphie I

Piotre

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

CHF 438

Painting, Flux, Muriel Deumie

Flux

Muriel Deumie

Painting - 80 x 80 x 4 cm Painting - 31.5 x 31.5 x 1.6 inch

CHF 1,266

Painting, Sauvage, Muriel Deumie

Sauvage

Muriel Deumie

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

CHF 1,451

Painting, Full Colors, Zenoy

Full Colors

Zenoy

Painting - 96 x 78 x 1 cm Painting - 37.8 x 30.7 x 0.4 inch

CHF 3,408

Painting, Basketeam, Rico Sab

Basketeam

Rico Sab

Painting - 130 x 97 x 1.8 cm Painting - 51.2 x 38.2 x 0.7 inch

CHF 1,314

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