Lyrical Abstraction Movement

Lyrical abstraction first developed in Europe as a response to geometric abstraction and its systematic treatment of pictorial forms. Vassily Kandinsky can be considered the pioneer of lyrical abstraction with his “improvisations." However, this term was actually first established in 1947 by French painter, Georges Mathieu, who used it to refer to paintings intended to highlight artists' expressiveness and personal feelings. Like Surrealism, lyrical abstraction shares its spontaneity in expression, whilst its gestural painting style is reminiscent of abstract expressionism.

George Mathieu was at the heart of two exhibitions in Paris that were crucial in the development of lyrical abstraction.The first exhibition took place at the Palais du Luxembourg, and revealed a wide range of painters from Jean-Paul Riopelle and George Mathieu to Pablo Picasso and Hans Hartung. It was during this exhibition that the term 'lyrical abstraction' was first coined, and intended to communicate an art form that favoured expression and gestural painting.

George Mathieu a French painter and one of the fathers of lyrical abstraction, Matthieu created his works through an expressive vocabulary similar to that of calligraphy. He became well-known for his creation of large-scale paintings in front of an audience, exploring art as a performance; a concept already seen in Jackson Pollock's all-over paintings. In 1956, Mathieu created a 12-metre-long canvas called Hommage aux poètes du monde entier (tribute to the poets of the world) at the Sarah-Bernardt theatre in just twenty minutes. The spontaneity of his painting style can also be seen in his almost entirely monochrome piece, Les Capétiens partout ! (Capetians everywhere!).

Jean Paul Riopelle is an abstract Canadian expressionist best known for his non-figurative landscapes. He joined the lyrical abstraction movement after participating in one of George Mathieu's exhibitions. Riopelle worked predominantly with freshly squeezed paint, which he would liberally apply with a palette knife to produce dense and large-scale mosaics. His diverse work was inspired by Jackson Pollock's all-over paintings.

Nicolas de Staël

A unique artist who met a tragic end, Nicolas de Staël occupies a unique place in post-war art. Overcoming the "abstraction-figuration" conflict that characterised the art world at the time, he was met with both controversy and adoration. He quickly found fame on an international level, garnering interest from a continuously increasing audience. In his work, Nice, the city is depicted through juxtaposing squares and blocks of colour.

Hans Hartung

One of the most important figures in abstract art, Hartung was also the father of 'Tachism', a term derived from the French word 'tache' (stain). It was a French style of abstract painting, introduced by critic, Charles Estienne, which used dabs and splashes of colour. One of Hartung's most famous paintings, Untitled, is particularly striking due to its use of monochrome lines.

Lyrical abstraction is a movement that believes wholeheartedly in the power of the artist's gesture. Discover the contemporary artists on Artsper who place emotion and expression at the core of their pieces!

Search by Image

Save your search and find it in your favorites

9/11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Categories

Subcategories

Lyrical Abstraction Movement

New York

Le Prêtre 1983 The Priest COLLECTION LUBJANA MUSEUM SLOVENIA

Prophète sur ciel bleu 2000 Prophet on blue sky

1999 Religieuse en rose Nun on pink COLLECTION LUBJANA MUSEUM, SLOVENIA

Sans titre

Sans titre

La promenade

EN CE JARDIN

La mer

Oxygène

Icon XIII icône COLLECTION LUBJANA MUSEUM, SLOVENIA

Vif Argent Deux Prophètes 2002 Two Prophets on Silver COLLECTION LUBJANA MUSEUM, SLOVENIA

Le prophète des oiseaux 1979 Prophet of birds COLLECTION LUBJANA MUSEUM, SLOVENIA

La espera

Sans titre 14

Sans titre 12

GUERRE de Yougoslavie, prisonnier du camp de concentration YOUGOSLAVIA WAR, concentration camp prisonner

Appearance-IV

Pumpkins and peppers

Still Life with Hokkaido Pumpkin

Still Life with a Red Bottle

Red Still Life

Batiburillo

Danse de l'Oiseau Vert 1996 Green Bird

Guerre Légende des fils perdus War Legend of lost sons

Bios-PG-XVI

BIOS-PG-VIII

Paysage intime-II

Paysage intime-I

BIOS-G-III

Kakémono BIOS-PG-C-XIV Fleurs Bleues

Kakémono BIOS-PG-IX

BIOS-PG-N-XVII

BIOS-PG-VII

BIOS-PG-I

BIOS-PG-VI

Puente en la ciudad / Townbridge

Sans titre 20

Sans titre 11

Untitled

Rey de los pagaros 12

El palo y la chica

Taggio

Barcelona 3

Castillo

Rey de los pagaros 1

Rey de los pagaros

Rey de los pagaros 15

Rey de los pagaros 10

The swimmer

Untitled

Le concertiste

Talking About Love

Xylem II

Leaf Veins III

Xylem III

Xylem I

Kanashimi

New Sunrise

Power of Intention

Lys d'eau

Rouge baisers

Tiger

Somewhere

Bleu Heart

Estructures