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, Amex Simpson, N.Nathan

Amex Simpson

N.Nathan

Painting - 29 x 45 x 1 cm Painting - 11.4 x 17.7 x 0.4 inch

€1,250

Painting, Psycho Loop, Muriel Deumie

Psycho Loop

Muriel Deumie

Painting - 81 x 100 x 2 cm Painting - 31.9 x 39.4 x 0.8 inch

€1,800

Painting, Splendide, Muriel Deumie

Splendide

Muriel Deumie

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

€1,500 €1,350

Painting, Powerful, Muriel Deumie

Powerful

Muriel Deumie

Painting - 50 x 100 x 4 cm Painting - 19.7 x 39.4 x 1.6 inch

€900 €810

Painting, Nana de niki Colors, Spaco

Nana de niki Colors

Spaco

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

€180

Painting, King dog, Spaco

King dog

Spaco

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

€190

Painting, Tigre pochoir, Spaco

Tigre pochoir

Spaco

Painting - 21 x 15 x 0.1 cm Painting - 8.3 x 5.9 x 0 inch

€90

Painting, Karl Donaldfeld, Daru

Karl Donaldfeld

Daru

Painting - 101 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 39.8 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch

€1,914

Painting, Fatal, Speedy Graphito

Fatal

Speedy Graphito

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

€18,500

Painting, Vandal life, Daru

Vandal life

Daru

Painting - 101 x 70 x 2 cm Painting - 39.8 x 27.6 x 0.8 inch

€1,914

Painting, Elle habite au 6, Micowel

Elle habite au 6

Micowel

Painting - 20.3 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Painting - 8 x 12 x 0.1 inch

€800

Painting, Yellow Rose, Micowel

Yellow Rose

Micowel

Painting - 20.3 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Painting - 8 x 12 x 0.1 inch

€800

Painting, No limits, Micowel

No limits

Micowel

Painting - 20.3 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Painting - 8 x 12 x 0.1 inch

€800

Painting, Green Roses, Micowel

Green Roses

Micowel

Painting - 20.3 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Painting - 8 x 12 x 0.1 inch

€800

Painting, Flowers, Micowel

Flowers

Micowel

Painting - 20.3 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Painting - 8 x 12 x 0.1 inch

€800

Painting, Balade en forêt, Micowel

Balade en forêt

Micowel

Painting - 20.3 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Painting - 8 x 12 x 0.1 inch

€800

Painting, Green Forest, Micowel

Green Forest

Micowel

Painting - 20.3 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Painting - 8 x 12 x 0.1 inch

€800

Painting, Space Jump, Lose

Space Jump

Lose

Painting - 20.3 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Painting - 8 x 12 x 0.1 inch

€500

Painting, Nathan road, Lose

Nathan road

Lose

Painting - 20.3 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Painting - 8 x 12 x 0.1 inch

€500

Painting, Jungle fever, Lose

Jungle fever

Lose

Painting - 20.3 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Painting - 8 x 12 x 0.1 inch

€500

Painting, High Sunflower, Lose

High Sunflower

Lose

Painting - 20.3 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Painting - 8 x 12 x 0.1 inch

€500

Painting, Black or white, Lose

Black or white

Lose

Painting - 6.6 x 15.6 x 0.3 cm Painting - 2.61 x 6.14 x 0.1 inch

€800

Painting, 144p, Lose

144p

Lose

Painting - 20.3 x 30.5 x 0.3 cm Painting - 8 x 12 x 0.1 inch

€500

Painting, Crazy love, Dr. Love

Crazy love

Dr. Love

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

€120

Painting, Jesus Christ, Dr. Love

Jesus Christ

Dr. Love

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

€90

Painting, Boule 9, Yann Guinchan

Boule 9

Yann Guinchan

Painting - 40 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

€160

Painting, Boule 8, Yann Guinchan

Boule 8

Yann Guinchan

Painting - 40 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

€160

Painting, Boule 7, Yann Guinchan

Boule 7

Yann Guinchan

Painting - 40 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

€160

Painting, Boule 6, Yann Guinchan

Boule 6

Yann Guinchan

Painting - 40 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

€160

Painting, Boule 5, Yann Guinchan

Boule 5

Yann Guinchan

Painting - 40 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

€160

Painting, Boule 4, Yann Guinchan

Boule 4

Yann Guinchan

Painting - 40 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

€160

Painting, Boule 3, Yann Guinchan

Boule 3

Yann Guinchan

Painting - 40 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

€160

Painting, Boule 2, Yann Guinchan

Boule 2

Yann Guinchan

Painting - 40 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

€160

Painting, Boule 1, Yann Guinchan

Boule 1

Yann Guinchan

Painting - 40 x 40 x 2 cm Painting - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.8 inch

€160

Painting, Mickey the rebel, Dr. Love

Mickey the rebel

Dr. Love

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

€90

Painting, Pink heart, Dr. Love

Pink heart

Dr. Love

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

€70

Painting, Love heart, Dr. Love

Love heart

Dr. Love

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

€90

Painting, Kiss, Dr. Love

Kiss

Dr. Love

Painting - 30 x 21 x 0.2 cm Painting - 11.8 x 8.3 x 0.1 inch

€90

Painting, Be free!, Dr. Love

Be free!

Dr. Love

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

€90

Painting, Skull, M.Cros

Skull

M.Cros

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

€2,200

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