Joseph Drapell Paintings

German, b. 1940

Joseph Drapell was born into the German- (and later Soviet-) occupied small town of Humpolec (near Prague) in 1940. His parents brought up their three boys not to believe in the official propaganda of the occupying regimes. Like the Czech novelist Milan Kundera, Drapell felt that life was elsewhere. Drapell escaped his birth country at his first opportunity at the age of twenty-five in order to develop his art in the free West. He landed in Halifax in 1966, grateful to Canada for accepting him. Drapell adopted an island (B-109) in Georgian Bay as his new spiritual home. The island has inspired (directly or indirectly) all his mature artistic developments to date. Drapell's aim was to contribute to the art of painting, rather than to merely make a living as an artist. Between 1968 and 1970, he studied under various visiting artists and lecturers at Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan. This is where he first started to develop his compression technique as a response to the paintings of Morris Louis. He settled in Toronto in 1970. Drapell walked the streets of New York with a roll of large paintings, until he was discovered by the Robert Elkon Gallery on Madison Avenue. After three exhibitions there (and several in Toronto where he was discovered by Jared Sable of the Dunkelman Gallery), Drapell achieved his first artistic breakthrough in 1974 with the Great Spirit Paintings. Joseph divides his time between Toronto and Georgian Bay (Lake Huron).

Artist: Joseph Drapell

Joseph DrapellFirst Nations - Abstract Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, 1990s, Signed, 1992

$10,500

First Nations - Abstract Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, 1990s, Signed

By Joseph Drapell

Located in Bloomfield, ON

This contemporary abstract painting is by one of Canada’s most important abstract artists, Joseph Drapell. Lauded by critics and art lovers alike, Joseph Drapell has been called â'a towering figure’ and 'one of the great masters of our age.’ At the age of 25, the Czech-born artist left behind his Russian-occupied village, convinced that he needed to be in the 'free world’ to pursue his art. Drapell is known for his innovative style and unique talent in creating emotive and dramatic abstract work. He developed a compression technique using trowels, serrated blades and his own fingers to add remarkable detail and depth to his paintings. Living on an island in Georgian Bay, Drapell learned to appreciate the powerful mystical culture of the First Nations residents living there. This is one of a series of paintings he created, named for Canada’s indigenous...

Category

1990s Abstract Joseph Drapell Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Joseph DrapellEquanimity - contemporary, impasto, gestural abstract, acrylic on canvas, 2003

$18,000

Equanimity - contemporary, impasto, gestural abstract, acrylic on canvas

By Joseph Drapell

Located in Bloomfield, ON

This large colourful abstract painting is by Joseph Drapell. Joseph Drapell is considered as one of the most important painters of his generation, an artist who continues to explore new frontiers in painting techniques. In the 1990’s he was a founding member of a group of artists called the New New Painters who exhibited their avant garde work on the international stage. In this intense and provocative painting, a rainbow of bright colours swirls around the canvas. Gradations of orange, purple, pink, lime green, sky blue and white draw the viewer into the center of this abstract piece. The Czech-born artist creates remarkably vibrant compositions using trowels...

Category

Early 2000s Abstract Joseph Drapell Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Joseph DrapellFlute - grey, white, green, brown, gestural abstract, acrylic on canvas, 1981

$16,000

Flute - grey, white, green, brown, gestural abstract, acrylic on canvas

By Joseph Drapell

Located in Bloomfield, ON

This grey, white, green, brown, gestural abstract, acrylic on canvas painting is by Canadian artist Joseph Drapell. Fute is considered an important work as it debuted at the artist’s...

Category

1980s Abstract Joseph Drapell Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Joseph DrapellDescent of Light - rich, dark, impasto, gestural abstract, acrylic on canvas, 1990s

$14,000

Descent of Light - rich, dark, impasto, gestural abstract, acrylic on canvas

By Joseph Drapell

Located in Bloomfield, ON

This deeply dramatic abstract painting is by the masterful Canadian expressionist Joseph Drapell. Thick layers of swirling paint in black with patches of red, green and turquoise are...

Category

1990s Abstract Joseph Drapell Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Joseph Drapell"In Memory of Clement Greenberg" - colourful, impasto abstract acrylic on canvas, 1984

$24,000

"In Memory of Clement Greenberg" - colourful, impasto abstract acrylic on canvas

By Joseph Drapell

Located in Bloomfield, ON

An explosion of colour radiates from one side of the canvas in this extraordinary abstract painting dedicated to renowned NY art critic, Clement Greenberg. As a student, Joseph Drapell met and was influenced by Greenberg while studying at an American art school. This piece is rendered in thickly applied waves of shiny orange, purple, plum, white, and turquoise. Holographic materials are also used. The Czech-born artist creates remarkably vibrant paintings using trowels...

Category

1980s Abstract Joseph Drapell Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Joseph DrapellAarons Galaxy - rich, dark, impasto, gestural abstract, acrylic on canvas, 2001

$18,000

Aarons Galaxy - rich, dark, impasto, gestural abstract, acrylic on canvas

By Joseph Drapell

Located in Bloomfield, ON

Acrylic with rhinestones on canvas. A compelling and inventive abstract painter, Joseph Drapell’s stunning work has long been considered masterful by art critics and collectors alike. The Czech-born artist creates remarkably vibrant paintings using trowels...

Category

Early 2000s Abstract Joseph Drapell Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Joseph DrapellDanish Middle, 1970

$28,000

Danish Middle

By Joseph Drapell

Located in Austin, TX

Waterline Fine Art, Austin, TX is pleased to present the following work: Acrylic on canvas. Signed, titled, and dated on verso. 34.25 x 87.5 in. 36 x 89.5 in. (framed) Custom framed in in a natural cherry floater. Provenance Dunkelman Gallery, Toronto Born Josef Drapell in German-occupied territory near Prague in the present-day Czech Republic, his interest in art was piqued as a young boy growing up in a country that traded one occupier for the next. Czechoslovakia - under communist Soviet control following the war - would never allow Drapell to enjoy true freedom of artistic expression. He eventually fled his homeland, first stopping in Vienna, before ultimately settling in Canada in 1966. After a brief spell at the venerable Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, MI, Drapell returned to Canada in 1970, settling in Toronto - though he frequently traveled between the two countries in pursuit of exhibition opportunities in both Toronto and New York. Those opportunities arrived almost immediately, as he enjoyed solo exhibitions with both Robert Elkon Gallery in New York, and Dunkelman Gallery back home in Toronto. Drapell splits time between his homes in Toronto and Georgian Bay on Lake Huron...

Category

1970s Abstract Expressionist Joseph Drapell Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Juanita Bellavance Glow 2, fantasy landscape, pink, blue, luminous, sunset, waterfall, 2019

$2,500

H 36 in W 36 in D 1.5 in

Glow 2, fantasy landscape, pink, blue, luminous, sunset, waterfall

By Juanita Bellavance

Located in Cumming, GA

"Glow 2" transports viewers into a mesmerizing fantasy landscape, where the boundaries of reality blur with the ethereal. Dominated by hues of pink ...

Category

2010s Abstract Impressionist Joseph Drapell Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Steve BalkinAbstract Painting on Canvas by Warhol Factory Artist Steve Balkin 'RAIN FOREST', 2007

$3,250

H 20 in W 16 in D 0.5 in

Abstract Painting on Canvas by Warhol Factory Artist Steve Balkin 'RAIN FOREST'

By Steve Balkin

Located in Hudson, NY

Steve Balkin (1938-2023) This painting was purchased from Balkin's estate. It came from his home in upstate NY. It is titled "Rain Forest", dated 8/2007 a...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Joseph Drapell Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Canvas

David TobeyCosmic Tango - Abstract Painting, 2020

$7,200

H 48 in W 36 in D 0.75 in

Cosmic Tango - Abstract Painting

By David Tobey

Located in New York, NY

The painting is unframed, acrylic on canvas. About the Artwork: The cataclysmic dance of cosmic forces. About the Artist: As a visual artist David has been painting and sculpting most of his life. He is also a Julliard trained violinist. David combines his love of music to create a bond between his two passions. His paintings and prints have been featured in many publications such as the New York Times and Art in America. 25 of his paintings are featured in the book “Beyond Faith.” David has had many one man show and group shows in Chelsea, Soho and in Westchester. His paintings of 9/11 “Fallen Angels” was acquired by The George Bush presidential Library. His painting has benefited The Julliard School, the American Cancer Society, The National Scholastic Chess Foundation and the Westchester Philharmonic. Surrealism, Mythical Oil Painting...

Category

2010s Abstract Impressionist Joseph Drapell Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Diane AyottBack and Forth, 2015

$6,400

H 32 in W 36 in

Back and Forth

By Diane Ayott

Located in Gloucester, MA

Diane Ayott’s abstractions on paper, canvas, and panel are luxuriously physical objects resulting from the accrual of layer after layer of paint, color, and pattern, launched by imag...

Category

2010s Abstract Joseph Drapell Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Mixed Media, Acrylic

Peter KeilStunning Gold Framed Portrait Painting on Canvas 'Berlin' with COA, 1977

$1,480

H 29 in W 17 in D 1 in

Stunning Gold Framed Portrait Painting on Canvas 'Berlin' with COA

By Peter Keil

Located in Hudson, NY

Peter Keil's painting on canvas. Canvas without frame measures 24"x12". Beautiful gold frame is included with this lovely piece. Peter Keil's paintings on canvas are becoming more ...

Category

Mid-20th Century Abstract Joseph Drapell Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

David TobeySoundings - Contemporary Painting, 2003

$8,500

H 60 in W 44 in D 0.75 in

Soundings - Contemporary Painting

By David Tobey

Located in New York, NY

The painting is unframed, acrylic on canvas. About the Artwork: Portrays the universal background radiation from the Big Bang. I call my paintings “Ima...

Category

Early 2000s Abstract Impressionist Joseph Drapell Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

David TobeyStorm - Abstract Painting, 2018

$6,800

H 40 in W 30 in D 0.75 in

Storm - Abstract Painting

By David Tobey

Located in New York, NY

The painting is unframed, acrylic on canvas. About the Artwork: The crashing of stormy waves. About the Artist: As a visual artist David has been painting and sculpting most of his life. He is also a Julliard trained violinist. David combines his love of music to create a bond between his two passions. His paintings and prints have been featured in many publications such as the New York Times and Art in America. 25 of his paintings are featured in the book “Beyond Faith.” David has had many one man show and group shows in Chelsea, Soho and in Westchester. His paintings of 9/11 “Fallen Angels” was acquired by The George Bush presidential Library. His painting has benefited The Julliard School, the American Cancer Society, The National Scholastic Chess Foundation and the Westchester Philharmonic. Surrealism, Mythical Oil Painting...

Category

2010s Abstract Impressionist Joseph Drapell Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Bandji Fall"Morning Melody" Original Acrylic Mixed Media Painting, 2023

$5,800

H 30 in W 24 in D 1 in

"Morning Melody" Original Acrylic Mixed Media Painting

Located in New York, NY

About the Artwork: "Morning Melody" is a mesmerizing acrylic painting on canvas, a captivating and serene depiction of an early morning flute song, designed to awaken positive memories and emotions. Through this painting, the artist invites viewers to pause and appreciate the beauty of simple moments, the tranquility of nature, and the power of music to evoke deep, heartfelt memories. The scene outside the artist’s window, framed by a clear blue sky and bathed in the soft light of dawn, serves as a reminder of the beauty and peace that can be found in everyday life. This artwork is a celebration of serenity, nostalgia, and the quiet joy of a new day’s beginning. The painting is on canvas and will be professionally packaged and shipped in a secured box. About the Artist: Bandji Fall...

Category

2010s Abstract Impressionist Joseph Drapell Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Patton BlackwellSoftly, 1992

$14,900

H 71 in W 126 in

Softly

Located in Gloucester, MA

Patton Blackwell's "Softly" comprises four gallery-wrapped canvases 71 x 31.5 in. each, 71 x 126 in overall. It can be hung on the wall as a painting,...

Category

1990s Abstract Joseph Drapell Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Carlos MercadoAbstract B2, 2020

$12,000

H 84 in W 60 in D 2 in

Abstract B2

By Carlos Mercado

Located in San Juan, PR

CARLOS MERCADO ABSTRACT Inspired in the work of Franz and Ives Klein This body of work was produced during the initial months of the lock down due to the pandemic. This tragedy crea...

Category

2010s Abstract Joseph Drapell Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Troy Smith StudioFeeling Good Abstract Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, 60x72 Inches, Unframed, 2017

$5,000

H 60 in W 72 in D 2.5 in

Feeling Good Abstract Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, 60x72 Inches, Unframed

By Troy Smith Studio

Located in Toronto, CA

"Feeling Good" is an explosion of colour and dynamic movement. This abstract composition features sweeping pallet strokes in vibrant blue, red, purple, and ochre hues that cascade ac...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Joseph Drapell Paintings

Materials

Gold, Silver, Brass, Copper

Troy Smith StudioAwakening Abstract Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, Signed, 21st Century, Unframed, 2020

$4,500

H 72 in W 26 in D 2 in

Awakening Abstract Painting, Acrylic on Canvas, Signed, 21st Century, Unframed

By Troy Smith Studio

Located in Toronto, CA

Title - Awakening. The painting is signed by the artist on the back and comes with a small brass plaque with the artist's name. Comes with a “Certificate of Authenticity” from the ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Joseph Drapell Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Previously Available Items

Joseph DrapellPearl Harbour - rich, colourful, impasto, gestural abstract acrylic on canvas, 1987

Sold

H 70 in W 29.75 in

Pearl Harbour - rich, colourful, impasto, gestural abstract acrylic on canvas

By Joseph Drapell

Located in Bloomfield, ON

In this dynamic work by the contemporary painter Joseph Drapell, swirls of shiny bright colours—pinks , purples, and plum dance around the canvas. The Czech-born artist creates uniquely beautiful paintings using innovative techniques--trowels, wide serrated blades, and his fingers to apply thick layers of paint or impasto. These grand highly textured pieces have remarkable depth. “In terms of real...

Category

1980s Abstract Joseph Drapell Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Joseph DrapellLithe Movements - bright, colourful pastels, gestural abstract acrylic on canvas, 1981

Sold

H 47 in W 100 in

Lithe Movements - bright, colourful pastels, gestural abstract acrylic on canvas

By Joseph Drapell

Located in Bloomfield, ON

Pastel colours of luminous mauve and yellow acrylic are drawn, fan like swaths that fill the picture plane. This area is anchored at a lower centre point by passages of coral, mauve,...

Category

1980s Abstract Joseph Drapell Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Joseph DrapellLife Fulfilled - Psychedelic abstract with bright pinks, purples and blues, 1988

Sold

H 71 in W 78 in

Life Fulfilled - Psychedelic abstract with bright pinks, purples and blues

By Joseph Drapell

Located in Bloomfield, ON

This fantastically psychedelic abstract painting by Joseph Drapell is created with acrylic paint and holographic additives. Wave-like textures ripple through the pink, purple, and bl...

Category

1980s Contemporary Joseph Drapell Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Joseph Drapell paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Joseph Drapell paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. If you’re browsing the collection of paintings 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, pink and other colors. You can also browse by medium to find art by Joseph Drapell in acrylic paint, canvas, fabric 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 Joseph Drapell paintings, so small editions measuring 30 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Fred Darge, Adolphe Lechtenberg, and Heinrich Richter (b.1884). Joseph Drapell paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $18,000 and tops out at $25,000, while the average work can sell for $18,000.