Meditative Color Field Canvases

“Through color, I have sought to concentrate on beauty and happiness, rather than on man’s inhumanity to man,” the painter Alma Thomas once said. Throughout the post-war era, artists like Mark Rothko, Lee Ufan, Sam Gilliam, and Yves Klein painted abstract, understated canvases designed to move viewers in profound ways. Below, discover standout color field paintings from this period, from immersive monochromatic works that elicit a sense of peace and meditation to colorful abstractions that represent the feeling of pure joy.