Waterloo Bridge, Sunlight Effect (ca. 1900 (dated 1903)) by Claude MonetMilwaukee Art Museum
A deep, Dionysian color of passion, purple is rich and sumptuous. Explore by Color lets you experience this luscious corner of the spectrum, but scroll on here for some hand-picked prime purples...
Bouquet of Flowers in a Glass Vase (1621) by Ambrosius BosschaertNational Gallery of Art, Washington DC
Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder brings together a bouquet of various types of flowers that would not bloom in the same season: iris, tulip, roses, cyclamen, and hidden in amongst the stems…
…a single, purple spotted fritillaria.
Dream of Spring (Rêve de printemps) (1901) by William-Adolphe Bouguereau (French, 1825-1905)Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields
William-Adolphe Bouguereaus' 1901 Dream of Spring recalls the richness of Roman purple to confer splendor on the allegorical figure of Spring. Sitting on the stone wall of a fountain, crowned with flowers, she appears like an empress or goddess.
Caprice in Purple and Gold: The Golden Screen (1864) by Artist: James McNeill WhistlerSmithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art
James Abbot McNeill Whistler puts a woman in a purple and red kimono against a golden folding screen. The casual decadence of her settings, the scattered art prints, and furniture suggest a wealthy subject. But, as ever, Whistler seems more concerned with the play of colors.
Waterloo Bridge, Sunlight Effect (ca. 1900 (dated 1903)) by Claude MonetMilwaukee Art Museum
Is it a coincidence that as Monet's eyesight deteriorated, his art became increasingly abstract? Has anyone ever seen London look like this? In this sea of purple, Monet captures the haze and the bustle of the end of the working day.
Horses on the seashore (1927/1928) by Giorgio de ChiricoMuseo Carlo Bilotti
With only a few colors to his palette, Giorgio de Chirico has created a haunting, dream-like image. A pair of horses stand on the shoreline, the ruins of a temple scattered around them. Is this the dusk or the dawn of a new day?
Untitled (Purple Petunia) (1925) by Georgia O'KeeffeGeorgia O'Keeffe Museum
Georgia O'Keeffe was known for her asceticism and hermit-like retreat to the desert. But before this, she indulged in large-format, close-up paintings of flowers, such as this purple petunia. It's easy to see why the folds and crevices of her flowers have been compared to flesh.
Waterloo Bridge, Sunlight Effect (ca. 1900 (dated 1903)) by Claude MonetMilwaukee Art Museum
Discover more purple artworks, or explore other parts of the color wheel, with Explore by Color
