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Josef Albers Art

American, German, 1888-1976

The German-born American painter, writer, and educator Josef Albers was a pioneer of 20th century modernism, and an innovative practitioner of color theory. With his wife, the textile artist and printmaker Anni Albers (1899–1994), he shaped the development of a generation of American artists and designers through his teaching at the experimental Black Mountain College in North Carolina, and later at Yale University School of Art, where he was the chairman of the department of design from 1950–1958. Albers is widely known for his series of prints and paintings "Homages to the Square," which he created between 1950 and 1975. His influential volume on color theory The Interaction of Color was published in 1963.

Albers was born in Bottrop, Germany, and as a young man he studied art education, earning certification from the Königliche Kunstschule in Berlin in 1915. He entered the legendary Bauhaus school in Weimar in 1920. The Bauhaus had been established by Walter Gropius in 1919, in the immediate aftermath of World War I, with the hope that its innovative curriculum would foster connections between architecture, art, and traditional crafts. In 1923 Albers began teaching the Vorkurs, the introductory class in which new students learned to work with each of the key artists’ materials, along with color theory, composition, construction and design.

Albers was a polymath, and the multidisciplinary environment of the Bauhaus was fertile ground for his artistic ambitions. When the school moved from Weimar to Dessau in 1925, he became a full professor, and in addition to glass and metal, he designed typefaces and furniture. While at the Bauhaus, Albers drew inspiration from the work of his colleagues, the color theorist Johannes Itten, and the painter, photographer, and designer László Moholy-Nagy, with whom he co-taught the Vorkurs.

In 1933, the Bauhaus was shut down due to pressure from the Nazi Party, which perceived the school as being sympathetic to communist intellectuals. As Albers’ wife Anni was Jewish, the couple resolved to leave Germany, and settled in rural North Carolina. The architect Philip Johnson helped make arrangements for Albers to join the faculty of Black Mountain College as the head of the painting program, where he remained until 1949. While at Black Mountain, both Josef and Anni Albers became influential mentors to American artists including Ruth Asawa, Cy Twombly, and Robert Rauschenberg, while working alongside fellow professors Buckminster Fuller, John Cage, Merce Cunningham and William de Kooning.

In 1950, Albers joined the faculty of the Yale University School of Art where he would head the newly established Department of Design until his retirement in 1958. In the 1950s, the Alberses began taking trips to Mexico, where the colors and forms of the local art and architecture inspired both artists.

In 1971, Albers became the first living artist whose work was the subject of a solo retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Though they worked in different mediums, Josef and Anni Albers’ work shares a fascination with color and geometry. Josef Albers’ compositions from the "Homages to the Square" series, such as Formulation: Articulation Portfolio II Folder 28 (B), from 1972, give deceptively simple shapes a novel vibrance as colors play off of one another. The hues in Articulation Portfolio II Folder 28 (B) work in concert to give the flat surface the distinct appearance of a tunnel or other three-dimensional space; while the form on the left appears to move towards the viewer, the form on the right seems to lead directly into the canvas. Similarly, Anni Albers’ designs for textiles use graphic design to lend a sense of dynamism to flat works. Her Study for Unexecuted Wall Hanging (Bauhaus), from 1984 is a Mondrian-like pattern for a weaving in which different colors alternately recede and advance into the foreground, giving the image a sense of complexity and uncanny depth.

Josef Albers also created works of public art, including a delicate, geometric gold leaf mural called Two Structural Constellations for the lobby of the Corning Glass building in New York City in 1959. He designed a work called Two Portals for the lobby of the Time & Life Building in 1961, in which which and brown bands move towards two square panels made of bronze. Walter Gropius invited Albers to create a piece for the Pan Am Building, which he was designing with the architectural firm of Emery Roth & Sons. Albers reworked an existing glass piece from his Bauhaus days called City, and, fittingly, renamed it Manhattan.

Find a collection of authentic Josef Albers art on 1stDibs.

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Artist: Josef Albers
Dealer: GALERIE BOISSERÉE
"Embossed linear constructions (ELC)" - Geometric, Embossing, White, Albers
By Josef Albers
Located in Köln, DE
Complete Portfolio "Embossed linear constructions (ELC)" of eight embossings by Josef Albers from 1969 on 300g Arches paper. The total edition comprises 116 copies. Sheet size eac...
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1960s Abstract Geometric Josef Albers Art

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Paper

"Structural Constellation" - Abstract, Drawing, Geometric, Black, White
By Josef Albers
Located in Köln, DE
Ink drawing "Structural Costellation" by Josef Albers from 1958. Josef Albers' works “Structural Constellations” were created from 1949 onwards. They demonstrate spatial perception...
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1950s Abstract Geometric Josef Albers Art

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Ink

from "Structural Constellations" - Abstract, engraving, geometric, black, white
By Josef Albers
Located in Köln, DE
Josef Albers' works “Structural Constellations” were created from 1949 onwards. They demonstrate spatial perception on flat surfaces ‘as a function of phenomenal vision anchored in p...
Category

1960s Abstract Geometric Josef Albers Art

Materials

Plastic, Laminate, Engraving

from "Structural Constellations" - Abstract, engraving, geometric, black, white
By Josef Albers
Located in Köln, DE
Josef Albers' works “Structural Constellations” were created from 1949 onwards. They demonstrate spatial perception on flat surfaces ‘as a function of phenomenal vision anchored in p...
Category

1960s Abstract Geometric Josef Albers Art

Materials

Plastic, Laminate, Engraving

from "Structural Constellations" - Abstract, engraving, geometric, black, white
By Josef Albers
Located in Köln, DE
Josef Albers' works “Structural Constellations” were created from 1949 onwards. They demonstrate spatial perception on the surface ‘as a function of phenomenal vision anchored in phy...
Category

1960s Abstract Geometric Josef Albers Art

Materials

Plastic, Laminate, Engraving

EK If from "Homage to the Square: Edition Keller I" - Abstract, Green, Geometry
By Josef Albers
Located in Köln, DE
Screen print "EK If" by Josef Albers from 1970 from the portfolio "Homage to the Square: Edition Keller I" The paper used was specially produced for the portfolio, all works with th...
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1970s Abstract Geometric Josef Albers Art

Materials

Screen

EK Id from "Homage to the Square: Edition Keller I" - Abstract, Red, Geometry
By Josef Albers
Located in Köln, DE
Screen print "EK Id" by Josef Albers from 1970 from the portfolio "Homage to the Square: Edition Keller I" The paper used was specially produced for the portfolio, all works with th...
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1970s Abstract Geometric Josef Albers Art

Materials

Screen

EK Ib from "Homage to the Square: Edition Keller I" - Abstract, Orange, Geometry
By Josef Albers
Located in Köln, DE
Screen print "EK Ib" by Josef Albers from 1970 from the portfolio "Homage to the Square: Edition Keller I" The paper used was specially produced for the portfolio, all works with th...
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1970s Abstract Geometric Josef Albers Art

Materials

Screen

I-S e - Josef Albers, Abstract, Screenprint, Square, Yellow
By Josef Albers
Located in Köln, DE
The present screenprint from 1970 is titled and numbered in pencil below the image on the left and monogrammed and dated on the right. Sheet Size: 54,6 x 54,6 cm Image Size: 34,9 x...
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1970s Abstract Geometric Josef Albers Art

Materials

Screen

SP VI from "SP" - Abstract, Screenprint, Square, Green, Grey, Yellow
By Josef Albers
Located in Köln, DE
Screenprint by Josef Albers from 1967 from the Portfolio "SP": portfolio with 12 colour screenprints on Schöllers Hammer Board. The edition comprises a total of 137 copies. Sheet s...
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1960s Abstract Geometric Josef Albers Art

Materials

Screen

SP I from "SP" - Abstract, Screenprint, Square, Brown, Blue, Green
By Josef Albers
Located in Köln, DE
This screenprint from 1967 is taken from the portfolio "SP": portfolio with 12 colour screenprints on Schöllers Hammer Board. The edition comprises a total of 139 copies. Sheet siz...
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1960s Abstract Geometric Josef Albers Art

Materials

Screen

Sheet 5 from "Hommage au carré" - Abstract, Screenprint, Square, Brown, Black
By Josef Albers
Located in Köln, DE
The present work is the fifth sheet from ‘Hommage au carré’: portfolio with 12 colour screenprints, a French foreword by Michael Seuphor, French and English annotations by Josef Albe...
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1960s Abstract Geometric Josef Albers Art

Materials

Screen

"Homage to the Square: Ten Works by Josef Albers" - Abstract, Set, Square
By Josef Albers
Located in Köln, DE
Set of 10 colour screenprints by Josef Albers. Edition of 250 copies on Mohawk Superfine Bristol. Sheet dimensions each: 43 x 43 cm Illustrations each: 28 x 28 cm All works labell...
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1960s Abstract Geometric Josef Albers Art

Materials

Screen

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He has executed installations at Museo Nivola, Orani, Sardinia (2021); Greene Naftali, New York (2019); Venice Biennale (2019); Lever House, New York (2018); Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt (2016); Disjecta, Portland (2012); the Gallatin School, New York University, (2008, 2017); the Museum of Modern Art, New York (1997); and the Dallas Museum of Art (1995). In 2005, Halley was also commissioned to create a monumental painting for Terminal D at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Texas. Halley served as professor and director of the MFA painting program at the Yale School of Art from 2002 to 2011. From 1996 to 2005, Halley published INDEX Magazine, which featured interviews with figures working in a variety of creative fields. Halley is also known for his essays on art and culture, written in the 1980s and 1990s, in which he explores themes from French critical theory and the impact of burgeoning digital technology. His Selected Essays, 1981 – 2001, was published by Edgewise Press, New York, in 2013.Halley’s writings have been translated into Spanish, French, and Italian. A catalogue raisonné, PETER HALLEY: Paintings of the 1980s, was published in 2018 by JRP Ringier. Halley’s work can be found in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; Broad Art Foundation, Los Angeles; Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; Boston Museum of Fine Arts; Dallas Museum of Art; Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo; Tate Modern, London; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Sammlung Marx, Berlin; Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid; Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo; Seoul Museum of Art, among others. More about Peter Halley Peter Halley was born in 1953 in New York. He began his formal training at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, from which he graduated in 1971. During that time, Halley read Josef Albers’s Interaction of Color (1981), which would influence him throughout his career. From 1973 to 1974 Halley lived in New Orleans, where he absorbed the vibrant cultural influences of the city, began using commercial materials in his art, and first became acquainted with the writings of earthwork artist Robert Smithson. In 1975 the artist graduated from Yale University, New Haven, with a degree in art history. After Yale, Halley returned to New Orleans, where he received an MFA in painting from the University of New Orleans in 1978. He had his first solo exhibition at the Contemporary Art Center, New Orleans, that same year. In 1978 Halley spent a semester teaching art at the University of Louisiana, Lafayette. He has continued to teach throughout his career. In 1980, Halley moved back to New York and had his first solo exhibition in the city at PS122 Gallery. At this time, Halley was drawn to the pop themes and social issues addressed in New Wave music. Inspired by New York’s intense urban environment, Halley set out to use the language of geometric abstraction to describe the actual geometricized space around him. He also began his iconic use of fluorescent Day-Glo paint. In 1984, Halley started to exhibit with the International With Monument gallery, becoming closely associated with the organization and its artists, who exhibited conceptually rigorous work in a market-savvy, coolly presented space that stood in stark contrast to the bohemian, Neo-Expressionist flair of the East Village art scene at the time. In 1986, an exhibition of four artists from International With Monument at the Sonnabend Gallery in New York heralded the group’s growing success. By the late 1980s, Halley was exhibiting with prominent galleries in the United States and Europe. In 1989, an exhibition of his paintings traveled to the Museum Haus Esters, Krefeld, Germany; Maison de la culture et de la communication de Saint-Étienne, France; and Institute of Contemporary Arts, London. From 1991 to 1992, a retrospective toured Europe, with presentations at the CAPC Musée d’art contemporain de Bordeaux, France; Musée d’art contemporain, Lausanne, Switzerland; Museo nacional centro de arte Reina Sofía, Madrid; and Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam. In 1992, the Des Moines Art Center hosted his first solo exhibition at a U.S. museum. While developing his visual language, Halley became interested in French post-structuralist writers, including Jean Baudrillard, Guy Debord, Michel Foucault, and Paul Virillio, all of whom shared his concern with the character of social spaces in a post-industrial society. In 1981, he published his first essay “Beat, Minimalism, New Wave, and Robert Smithson” in Arts, a New York–based magazine that would publish eight of his essays before the decade’s end. Halley’s writings became the basis for Neo-Geometric Conceptualism (also known as Neo-Geo), the offshoot of Neo-Conceptualism associated with the work of Ashley Bickerton, Halley, and Jeff Koons. In 1988, the artist’s writings were anthologized in Collected Essays, 1981–1987, and again in 1997 in a second anthology, Recent Essays, 1990–1996. In the mid-1990s, Halley began to produce site-specific installations for museums, galleries, and public spaces. These characteristically brought together a range of imagery and mediums, including paintings, wall-size flowcharts, and digitally generated wallpaper prints. Halley has executed permanent installations at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Texas, and the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at New York University. In 2011, his installation of digital prints Judgment Day...
Category

Early 2000s Abstract Geometric Josef Albers Art

Materials

Offset, Lithograph

Previously Available Items
Formulation : Articulation
By Josef Albers
Located in Köln, DE
"Formulation : Articulation" is the essence of Josef Albers' work and development in the abstract arts. It is a conclusion of his vocabulary of forms and colours. The artworks come a...
Category

1970s Abstract Geometric Josef Albers Art

Materials

Screen

Abstract Print "Rare Echo" by Josef Albers, Square, Orange, Yellow
By Josef Albers
Located in Köln, DE
Screenprint by Josef Albers. "Rare Echo", 1965 43,2 x 43,2 cm Copy 100/150 Edition of 154 Josef Albers (Bottrop 1888–1976 New Haven, Connecticut), explored the artistic dimension of colour and the relationship of colours to each other. Around 1950, he found the ideal form for colour in the square. Albers experimented with the interaction of colours, forms, lines and surfaces and found in colour a comprehensive artistic means that was capable of expressing everything. His famous series Homage to the Square was the result of his reflections on theories of perception. The individual works from this series consist of ostensibly superimposed squares of different colours and colour nuances. In his work, Albers was both a painter and a philosopher of colours. As a teacher as well as an artist, he was ground-breaking for an entire generation of American artists. Op Art, Kinetic Art, Colour Field Painting, New Abstraction and Minimal Art were all influenced by his work. Josef Albers participated in the first and fourth documenta exhibitions in 1955 and 1968; he was awarded altogether fourteen honorary doctorate degrees; in 1968, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and in 1973 to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 1968, he was also awarded the Grand Cross of Merit of the Order ‘Pour le Mérite...
Category

1960s Abstract Geometric Josef Albers Art

Materials

Screen

Abstract Print "FGa" by Josef Albers, Square, Orange, Grey, Op Art, Colour Field
By Josef Albers
Located in Köln, DE
Screenprint by Josef Albers. "FGa", 1968 43,2 x 43,1 cm Copy 49/100 Edition of 100 Josef Albers (Bottrop 1888–1976 New Haven, Connecticut), explored the artistic dimension of colour and the relationship of colours to each other. Around 1950, he found the ideal form for colour in the square. Albers experimented with the interaction of colours, forms, lines and surfaces and found in colour a comprehensive artistic means that was capable of expressing everything. His famous series Homage to the Square was the result of his reflections on theories of perception. The individual works from this series consist of ostensibly superimposed squares of different colours and colour nuances. In his work, Albers was both a painter and a philosopher of colours. As a teacher as well as an artist, he was ground-breaking for an entire generation of American artists. Op Art, Kinetic Art, Colour Field Painting, New Abstraction and Minimal Art were all influenced by his work. Josef Albers participated in the first and fourth documenta exhibitions in 1955 and 1968; he was awarded altogether fourteen honorary doctorate degrees; in 1968, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and in 1973 to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 1968, he was also awarded the Grand Cross of Merit of the Order ‘Pour le Mérite...
Category

1960s Abstract Geometric Josef Albers Art

Materials

Screen

Josef Albers art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Josef Albers art available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of art to introduce a pop of color in a neutral corner of your living room or bedroom, you can find work that includes elements of blue, orange, purple and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Josef Albers in screen print, lithograph, paper and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large Josef Albers art, so small editions measuring 9 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Kyohei Inukai, Nicholas Krushenick, and Sofie Swann. Josef Albers art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $169 and tops out at $24,300, while the average work can sell for $1,938.

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Questions About Josef Albers Art
  • 1stDibs ExpertNovember 20, 2024
    How much an Homage to a Square is worth depends on its size, history, condition and other factors. For example, Homage to the Square: White Nimbus sold for $2.2 million, while Study for Homage to the Square: With Saffron fetched $915,000. Josef Albers, the artist who produced these works, is widely known for his series of prints and paintings, "Homage to the Square," which he created between 1950 and 1975. He was an innovative practitioner of color theory and published a book on the subject in 1963. If you're in possession of an Albers piece, consider having a certified appraiser or knowledgeable art dealer help you with the valuation process. Explore a variety of Josef Albers art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertNovember 13, 2024
    A print of an original painting is usually called a reproduction or reproduction print. Today, many reproduction prints are giclée prints. To produce a giclée print, a printmaker first scans a painting, drawing or other work of art. Then, they use a high-quality inkjet printer to transfer the image onto canvas or paper. Explore a large selection of prints on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertJanuary 19, 2025
    The name of prints made so the artist can see the progress of the print is an artist's proof. Since they are made to test the printing process, artist's proofs sometimes vary slightly from regular edition prints. In some cases, the artist's proof is more valuable than a standard print due to its rarity. Shop a wide variety of prints on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Josef Albers is an artist associated with the Bauhaus movement who lived from 1888 to 1976. He developed an important color theory hypothesis and employed it in works like his "Homage to the Square" series. On 1stDibs, find a selection of Josef Albers art.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    To pronounce Josef Albers, say "JOW-suf ALL-burz." His first name is the German spelling of the English name Joseph and said in much the same way. His last name is also of German origin. On 1stDibs, find a range of Josef Albers art.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Josef Albers taught at more than one school during the course of his life. After a brief period of time as an elementary school teacher in Bottrop, Germany, he enrolled in the Bauhaus school and began teaching classes there within a few years. After moving to the U.S., he taught at Black Mountain College in North Carolina and the Yale University School of Art in Connecticut. Shop a range of Josef Albers art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Josef Albers's parents were Magdalena and Lorenz Albers. His father worked as a handyman, painting houses, performing repairs and doing carpentry jobs, and his mother came from a long line of blacksmiths. You'll find a variety of Josef Albers art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Josef Albers was born on March 19, 1888, in Bottrop, Germany. He would go on to become a leader of the modern art movement and to make huge strides in the area of color theory research. Shop a selection of Josef Albers art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    What inspired Josef Albers changed over the course of his life. During the Bauhaus period, his colleagues Johannes Itten and László Moholy-Nagy greatly influenced his work. In the 1950s, Albers and his wife, textile artist Anni Albers, frequently traveled to Mexico to draw inspiration from the local architecture and art. On 1stDibs, shop a range of Josef Albers art.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Josef Albers is known for his work as a painter, educator and writer. His work as an artist helped to define the modern period and advance color theory, changing the way future generations approached their own art. His "Homage to the Square" series contains his most famous pieces. On 1stDibs, find a variety of Josef Albers art.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Josef Albers usually painted with a palette knife instead of a paintbrush, liking how the increased level of control allowed him to create sharp, well-defined lines. He rarely used a palette, normally applying paint right from the tube. Usually, he produced his pieces on Masonite board to add texture to the compositions. On 1stDibs, find a collection of Josef Albers art.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Josef Albers framed his work in different ways throughout his career, but he is most well known for the compositions of his "Homage to the Square" series. These oil paintings featured bold squares in varying hues that demonstrated how colors impact one another. Albers framed the squares with mathematical precision, masterfully fusing geometry with art. On 1stDibs, find a selection of Josef Albers artistic expression.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Over the course of his long career, Josef Albers painted in more than one movement. His early work fits the characteristics of Bauhaus artists, while his later compositions are in line with the features of geometric abstraction. Find a collection of Josef Albers art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Josef Albers used the same materials throughout his career. Usually, he preferred oil paints, which he applied with a palette knife instead of a brush. Much of his work appears on textured masonite board. Find a selection of Josef Albers art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Josef Albers came to America in 1933 after the Nazis shuttered the Bauhaus. He and his wife, the textile artist Anni Albers, originally settled in North Carolina. During his time there, Albers taught at Black Mountain College. Shop a variety of Josef Albers art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Josef Albers's color theory holds that the only way to fully understand a single color is to view it alongside other colors. He believed that surrounding colors had the ability to change the perception of a hue, and he used his "Homage to the Square" series to demonstrate this. Find a variety of Josef Albers art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Josef Albers taught many subjects at the Bauhaus. When he began as a teacher, he oversaw the Vorkurs, the introductory course that reviewed composition, construction, design, color theory and other fundamentals. In later years, he became a full professor and expanded his course offerings. On 1stDibs, shop a selection of Josef Albers art.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    No, Josef Albers's art is generally not considered fauve. Fauvism refers to an art movement that lasted from 1904 to around 1910 and included artists like Henri Matisse and André Derain. Although these artists' use of color likely influenced Josef Albers, historians associate him with the Bauhaus movement that lasted from 1919 to 1933. On 1stDibs, shop a variety of Josef Albers art.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Josef Albers went to more than one school during the course of his life. He attended the Königliche Kunstschule in Berlin and earned a teaching certification after he graduated in 1915. In 1920, he enrolled at the Bauhaus school. Within three years, he began teaching the introductory course at the institution. Shop a collection of Josef Albers art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Josef Albers taught at the Yale University School of Art from 1950 until 1958. In addition to instructing classes, he served as the dean of the university's Department of Design. You can find a range of Josef Albers art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    To get Josef Albers paintings appraised, search for certified art appraisers in your area who are knowledgeable about works from the modern period. You may be able to get a rough idea of the value from an online search, but a true determination of what a painting is worth requires a close inspection by a professional. On 1stDibs, find a collection of expertly vetted Josef Albers art.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Josef Albers taught at an elementary school in the town of Bottrop, Germany, during the early 20th century. The name of the school is unknown. Albers would go on to teach at the Bauhaus and Yale University. On 1stDibs, shop a collection of Josef Albers art.

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