Movement Lyrical Abstraction
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!
Antoni Clavé
Untitled
Antoni Clavé
Fine Art Drawings - 77 x 57 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 30.3 x 22.4 x 0.4 inch
€3,000
Stavri Kalinov
Charlie Chaplin - on camera
Stavri Kalinov
Sculpture - 30 x 8 x 8 cm Sculpture - 11.8 x 3.1 x 3.1 inch
€1,300
Graphic - Kalinov
Stavri Kalinov
Painting - 73 x 53 x 0.5 cm Painting - 28.7 x 20.9 x 0.2 inch
€1,100
Humanity connected with the nature
Stavri Kalinov
Print - 13 x 13 x 0.1 cm Print - 5.1 x 5.1 x 0 inch
€100
Kaliya Ka
All I want is a blue sky 2
Kaliya Ka
Painting - 100 x 100 x 3 cm Painting - 39.4 x 39.4 x 1.2 inch
€1,840
Akané Kirimura
Mémoire dans l'eau 10T-VIII
Akané Kirimura
Painting - 80 x 60 x 1 cm Painting - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.4 inch
€4,200
Jorge Castillo
Little Theater
Jorge Castillo
Fine Art Drawings - 20.3 x 25 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 8 x 9.8 x 0 inch
€1,200
Seyran Gasparyan
The tree of life
Seyran Gasparyan
Painting - 50 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 19.7 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
€1,173
Symphony in Color
Seyran Gasparyan
Painting - 70 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 27.6 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
€2,933
Emotional Eruption
Seyran Gasparyan
Painting - 45 x 35 x 0.2 cm Painting - 17.7 x 13.8 x 0.1 inch
€352
Circus performance
Seyran Gasparyan
Painting - 45 x 35 x 1 cm Painting - 17.7 x 13.8 x 0.4 inch
€342
Scarlet Reflections
Seyran Gasparyan
Painting - 24 x 30 x 2 cm Painting - 9.4 x 11.8 x 0.8 inch
€196
Le anh Tuan
The feeling of autumn
Le anh Tuan
Painting - 59.9 x 79.8 x 3 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.4 x 1.2 inch
€1,271
The feeling of autumn 1
Le anh Tuan
Painting - 56.9 x 79.8 x 3 cm Painting - 22.4 x 31.4 x 1.2 inch
€1,271
The feeling of autumn
Le anh Tuan
Painting - 59.9 x 79.8 x 3 cm Painting - 23.6 x 31.4 x 1.2 inch
€1,320
Blooming lilies pond
Le anh Tuan
Painting - 79.8 x 59.9 x 3 cm Painting - 31.4 x 23.6 x 1.2 inch
€1,760
Gregg Simpson
Figurated forest
Gregg Simpson
Painting - 137.2 x 170.2 x 3.8 cm Painting - 54 x 67 x 1.5 inch
€9,075
Meditations on modernism -3
Gregg Simpson
Painting - 81.3 x 101.6 x 2.5 cm Painting - 32 x 40 x 1 inch
€3,303
Joze Ciuha
La Frontière GUERRE WAR The border
Joze Ciuha
Painting - 70 x 100 x 0.5 cm Painting - 27.6 x 39.4 x 0.2 inch
€19,500
Mélancolie Melancoly Souvenirs de Slovenia Memories
Joze Ciuha
Print - 70 x 100 x 0.5 cm Print - 27.6 x 39.4 x 0.2 inch
€1,375
1983 Kafka Kabuki III Fallani Venezia
Joze Ciuha
Print - 35 x 24 x 0.5 cm Print - 13.8 x 9.4 x 0.2 inch
€1,250
1983 Kafka Kabuki IV Fallani Venezia
Joze Ciuha
Print - 35 x 24.5 x 0.5 cm Print - 13.8 x 9.6 x 0.2 inch
€1,250
Une belle soirée A beautiful evening
Joze Ciuha
Painting - 40 x 40 x 0.5 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.2 inch
€1,900
Sonia Domenech
Baños de luna (Moon Baths)
Sonia Domenech
Painting - 80 x 50 x 2 cm Painting - 31.5 x 19.7 x 0.8 inch
€1,170
El corazon se alegra
Sonia Domenech
Painting - 50 x 50 x 3 cm Painting - 19.7 x 19.7 x 1.2 inch
€900
Françoise Augustine
Coup de foudre sur l'ocean
Françoise Augustine
Painting - 60 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
€2,000
Hotel de la plage
Françoise Augustine
Painting - 60 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
€2,000
Geronimo dans la rade
Françoise Augustine
Painting - 60 x 60 x 2 cm Painting - 23.6 x 23.6 x 0.8 inch
€2,000