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, Totem 2/5, Odin Pigelet

Totem 2/5

Odin Pigelet

Painting - 34 x 24 x 0.2 cm Painting - 13.4 x 9.4 x 0.1 inch

€120

Painting, Totem 1/5, Odin Pigelet

Totem 1/5

Odin Pigelet

Painting - 34 x 24 x 0.5 cm Painting - 13.4 x 9.4 x 0.2 inch

€120

Fine Art Drawings, Sauvons les baleines, Sely

Sauvons les baleines

Sely

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

€350

Painting, Balade, Loha

Balade

Loha

Painting - 29 x 21 x 1 cm Painting - 11.4 x 8.3 x 0.4 inch

€100

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

€900

Painting, Yúzó, La Pointe

Yúzó

La Pointe

Painting - 100 x 70 x 3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 27.6 x 1.2 inch

€1,200

Painting, Street art 3, Mr Garcia

Street art 3

Mr Garcia

Painting - 41 x 33 x 2 cm Painting - 16.1 x 13 x 0.8 inch

€200

Painting, Road Trip, Nicolas Clézio

Road Trip

Nicolas Clézio

Painting - 92 x 73 x 2.5 cm Painting - 36.2 x 28.7 x 1 inch

€2,600

Painting, Fluo orange, Hamed ENCS

Fluo orange

Hamed ENCS

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

€1,000

Sculpture, FlowerSkull Happy, VL.

FlowerSkull Happy

VL.

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

€100 €90

Painting, Real Human, Sara Chelou

Real Human

Sara Chelou

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

€1,200

Painting, Bomb Rider, Sara Chelou

Bomb Rider

Sara Chelou

Painting - 115 x 75 x 3 cm Painting - 45.3 x 29.5 x 1.2 inch

€990

Painting, Wild Style, Sara Chelou

Wild Style

Sara Chelou

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

€1,200

Photography, Urbanité, Florence Le Van

Urbanité

Florence Le Van

Photography - 16 x 21 x 1 cm Photography - 6.3 x 8.3 x 0.4 inch

€300

Painting, Art is Love, Sara Chelou

Art is Love

Sara Chelou

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

€1,200

Painting, Thug Life, Sara Chelou

Thug Life

Sara Chelou

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

€1,200

Painting, Vandal Pop, Sara Chelou

Vandal Pop

Sara Chelou

Painting - 130 x 162 x 3 cm Painting - 51.2 x 63.8 x 1.2 inch

€2,200

Painting, Rest, Kotaro Machiyama

Rest

Kotaro Machiyama

Painting - 45.5 x 65.2 x 2.5 cm Painting - 17.9 x 25.7 x 1 inch

€1,356

Painting, Sans titre, Odin Pigelet

Sans titre

Odin Pigelet

Painting - 20 x 30 x 0.1 cm Painting - 7.9 x 11.8 x 0 inch

€65

Design, Manège, AC 5

Manège

AC 5

Design - 52 x 60.5 x 19 cm Design - 20.5 x 23.8 x 7.5 inch

€430

Design, Rhum pirate, AC 5

Rhum pirate

AC 5

Design - 31 x 24 x 17 cm Design - 12.2 x 9.4 x 6.7 inch

€320

Design, Pirate, AC 5

Pirate

AC 5

Design - 33 x 15 x 10 cm Design - 13 x 5.9 x 3.9 inch

€220

Painting, Mini choco, Odin Pigelet

Mini choco

Odin Pigelet

Painting - 40 x 30 x 0.1 cm Painting - 15.7 x 11.8 x 0 inch

€90

Painting, Odile 1, Nadel

Odile 1

Nadel

Painting - 81 x 65 x 3 cm Painting - 31.9 x 25.6 x 1.2 inch

€1,145

Painting, Underground Spirit, Bonus

Underground Spirit

Bonus

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

€5,500

Painting, The Sky Chorus, Kev Munday

The Sky Chorus

Kev Munday

Painting - 60 x 90 x 4 cm Painting - 23.6 x 35.4 x 1.6 inch

€1,950

Painting, All here, Kev Munday

All here

Kev Munday

Painting - 80 x 120 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 47.2 x 0.8 inch

€3,400

Painting, Mickey Runner, Illian

Mickey Runner

Illian

Painting - 26 x 26 x 1 cm Painting - 10.2 x 10.2 x 0.4 inch

€140

Painting, Insiderz 4, Just

Insiderz 4

Just

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

€700

Painting, Houle, Allias

Houle

Allias

Painting - 113 x 85 x 3 cm Painting - 44.5 x 33.5 x 1.2 inch

€790

Painting, Saut à la corde, Florkey

Saut à la corde

Florkey

Painting - 71 x 71 x 2 cm Painting - 28 x 28 x 0.8 inch

€1,500

Painting, Street revolt, Allias

Street revolt

Allias

Painting - 68 x 56 x 2 cm Painting - 26.8 x 22 x 0.8 inch

€580

Painting, Street vibe, Allias

Street vibe

Allias

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

€720

Painting, Liberty pop, Illian

Liberty pop

Illian

Painting - 21 x 21 x 1 cm Painting - 8.3 x 8.3 x 0.4 inch

€150

Painting, Isabella, M.Cros

Isabella

M.Cros

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

€400

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

€3,500

Painting, Mickey H, Illian

Mickey H

Illian

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

€140

Fine Art Drawings, Teenager style, Odin Pigelet

Teenager style

Odin Pigelet

Fine Art Drawings - 15 x 20 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 5.9 x 7.9 x 0 inch

€50

Fine Art Drawings, Moka, Odin Pigelet

Moka

Odin Pigelet

Fine Art Drawings - 42 x 29 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 16.5 x 11.4 x 0 inch

€100

Painting, Acid letter, Allias

Acid letter

Allias

Painting - 112 x 84 x 3 cm Painting - 44.1 x 33.1 x 1.2 inch

€850

Painting, Venus Corridor 1, Mist

Venus Corridor 1

Mist

Painting - 130 x 80 x 3 cm Painting - 51.2 x 31.5 x 1.2 inch

€6,760

Painting, Graffiti, Hamed ENCS

Graffiti

Hamed ENCS

Painting - 76 x 30 x 1 cm Painting - 29.9 x 11.8 x 0.4 inch

€400

Painting, Soul Power, Flow

Soul Power

Flow

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

€690

Painting, Mickey lover, Illian

Mickey lover

Illian

Painting - 31 x 31 x 2 cm Painting - 12.2 x 12.2 x 0.8 inch

€140

Painting, Liberty pop, Illian

Liberty pop

Illian

Painting - 22 x 22 x 1 cm Painting - 8.7 x 8.7 x 0.4 inch

€150

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