Hard Edge Painting
Hard edge painting is an abstract painting style from the 1960s, defined by the use of flat colours with precise and well-defined edges.
The term ‘hard-edge painting’ was coined by the Californian critic Jules Langsner in 1959. He used this term to describe the work of abstract painters, particularly those on the West Coast of the United States. These artists reacted against the more expressive and gestural forms of abstract expressionism by adopting a deliberately impersonal approach to applying paint. Their paintings featured monochromatic areas of colour with sharp, well-defined edges, emphasising the two-dimensionality of the canvas.
This style of hard-edged geometric abstraction has its roots in the art of Piet Mondrian and Josef Albers and can be considered a subset of post-painterly abstraction, which, in turn, evolved from colour field painting.
Prominent artists associated with hard edge painting include Ellsworth Kelly, Frank Stella, William T. Williams, and Sam Gilliam.
Other words in the glossary
Building your collection? We can help.
Your questions, answered
We collaborate with artists to create both limited editions and works on paper.
A limited edition is part of a unique series of pieces. Limited editions are fixed in quantity, meaning we will only ever produce a certain number.
Framing options vary for each piece and are listed on the individual artwork pages. All pieces are framed with 90% UV acrylic glass.
Yes, 100%. We work directly with our artists to create editions that accurately represent their body of work. Additionally, every artist personally reviews and approves their final editions.
Each edition comes with a numbered Certificate of Authenticity (COA) signed by the artist. Additionally every edition will be signed, marked, or numbered on the edition itself.
Works on paper and some originals don't come with a COA.
No—the copyright is not transferred to the purchaser of the edition.
All the ins and outs can be found on our orders and shipping page.
