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, Power Flow, Esteban Vera

Power Flow

Esteban Vera

Painting - 159.8 x 79.8 x 5.1 cm Painting - 62.9 x 31.4 x 2 inch

€3,595

Painting, Cosmic Legacy, Esteban Vera

Cosmic Legacy

Esteban Vera

Painting - 135.9 x 91.9 x 5.1 cm Painting - 53.5 x 36.2 x 2 inch

€3,413

Painting, Clint Eastwood, PyB

Clint Eastwood

PyB

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

€190

Painting, Tom Cruise, PyB

Tom Cruise

PyB

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

€190

Painting, Skull with horns, Dr. Love

Skull with horns

Dr. Love

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

€90

Painting, love, Dr. Love

love

Dr. Love

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

€90

Painting, wild and free, Dr. Love

wild and free

Dr. Love

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

€90

Painting, Sun & Sea, Daniel Jonez

Sun & Sea

Daniel Jonez

Painting - 105 x 80 x 0.1 cm Painting - 41.3 x 31.5 x 0 inch

€900

Painting, Free Jazz, Daniel Jonez

Free Jazz

Daniel Jonez

Painting - 105 x 80 x 0.1 cm Painting - 41.3 x 31.5 x 0 inch

€900

Painting, DNA 273, Humanfuel

DNA 273

Humanfuel

Painting - 35 x 35 cm Painting - 13.8 x 13.8 inch

€460

Painting, Taurus, Tarek

Taurus

Tarek

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

€6,300

Painting, Etude, Disek

Etude

Disek

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

€420

Painting, Savage, Rinalds Vanadzins

Savage

Rinalds Vanadzins

Painting - 111 x 78 x 1.8 cm Painting - 43.7 x 30.7 x 0.7 inch

€2,822

Painting, rat VIP Area, PyB

rat VIP Area

PyB

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

€120

Painting, Funky side, Pascal Merlin

Funky side

Pascal Merlin

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

€1,300

Painting, Love colors, Spaco

Love colors

Spaco

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

€190

Painting, M51 Van Gogh, Spaco

M51 Van Gogh

Spaco

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

€190

Painting, Amy Winehouse, Spaco

Amy Winehouse

Spaco

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

€190

Painting, The Remix, Muriel Deumie

The Remix

Muriel Deumie

Painting - 130 x 195 x 2 cm Painting - 51.2 x 76.8 x 0.8 inch

€4,000 €3,600

Sculpture, Playmobil, Socrate

Playmobil

Socrate

Sculpture - 60 x 30 x 15 cm Sculpture - 23.6 x 11.8 x 5.9 inch

€1,950

Painting, Girls love Banksy, Spaco

Girls love Banksy

Spaco

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

€190

Painting, Toy Love, Spaco

Toy Love

Spaco

Painting - 40 x 33 x 3 cm Painting - 15.7 x 13 x 1.2 inch

€220

Painting, Rolex colors, Spaco

Rolex colors

Spaco

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

€200

Painting, Madame Matisse, Spaco

Madame Matisse

Spaco

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

€190

Painting, Ketchup Heinz, Spaco

Ketchup Heinz

Spaco

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

€120

Painting, Bob Marley, Spaco

Bob Marley

Spaco

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

€120

Painting, Space fun, Rinalds Vanadzins

Space fun

Rinalds Vanadzins

Painting - 89.9 x 59.9 x 1.8 cm Painting - 35.4 x 23.6 x 0.7 inch

€2,048

Painting, Batman, PyB

Batman

PyB

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

€190

Painting, Graffiti Life I, Keny

Graffiti Life I

Keny

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

€300

Painting, Roy Lichtenstein Girl, PyB

Roy Lichtenstein Girl

PyB

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

€190

Painting, K. H., PyB

K. H.

PyB

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

€190

Painting, Coco Chanel, PyB

Coco Chanel

PyB

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

€190

Painting, Salvador Dali, PyB

Salvador Dali

PyB

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

€190

Painting, Jean Michel Basquiat, PyB

Jean Michel Basquiat

PyB

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

€190

Painting, Celine Dion, PyB

Celine Dion

PyB

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

€190

Painting, Salvador Dali, PyB

Salvador Dali

PyB

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

€190

Painting, R/027, Jean-Jacques André

R/027

Jean-Jacques André

Painting - 100 x 63 x 1 cm Painting - 39.4 x 24.8 x 0.4 inch

€360

Painting, C/007, Jean-Jacques André

C/007

Jean-Jacques André

Painting - 63 x 63 x 1 cm Painting - 24.8 x 24.8 x 0.4 inch

€280

Painting, C/005, Jean-Jacques André

C/005

Jean-Jacques André

Painting - 63 x 63 x 1 cm Painting - 24.8 x 24.8 x 0.4 inch

€280

Painting, R/023, Jean-Jacques André

R/023

Jean-Jacques André

Painting - 100 x 63 x 1 cm Painting - 39.4 x 24.8 x 0.4 inch

€360

Painting, R/002, Jean-Jacques André

R/002

Jean-Jacques André

Painting - 100 x 63 x 1 cm Painting - 39.4 x 24.8 x 0.4 inch

€360

Painting, All Dance, PyB

All Dance

PyB

Painting - 43 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 16.9 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch

€250

Painting, Don't Panic, Cacou

Don't Panic

Cacou

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

€850

Painting, R/082, Jean-Jacques André

R/082

Jean-Jacques André

Painting - 100 x 62 x 1 cm Painting - 39.4 x 24.4 x 0.4 inch

€360

Painting, R/081, Jean-Jacques André

R/081

Jean-Jacques André

Painting - 100 x 62 x 1 cm Painting - 39.4 x 24.4 x 0.4 inch

€360

Painting, R/080, Jean-Jacques André

R/080

Jean-Jacques André

Painting - 100 x 62 x 1 cm Painting - 39.4 x 24.4 x 0.4 inch

€360

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