Marcel Mouly Oil

A winner of two of France’s highest honors, the Chevalier de L'Ordre des Arts et Lettres in 1957 and the Premier Prix de Lithographie in 1973, artist Marcel Mouly was associated with Fauvism and found inspiration in the Cubism of Pablo Picasso and the intense colors associated with the work of Henri Matisse. He began his journey to stardom within the dark confines of a German prison cell during the Second World War.

While Mouly studied drawing classes as a youth, it was not until he was placed in solitary confinement that he decided to dedicate his life to pursuing art.

Mistaken for a spy during WWII, Mouly was traveling through Normandy when he was questioned by German soldiers about his identity. He was subsequently imprisoned by the occupying forces in France and was released in 1943. Once free, he met French artist Edouard Pignon, with whom Mouly rented famous sculptor Jacques Lipchitz’s Boulogne studio. Mouly studied under Lipchitz and had his first showing of two paintings at the Salon d'Automne, alongside French painter, Henri Mattise.

In 1948, the French government acquired his Femme à la Lampe, and a flurry of exhibitions followed in Italy, Sweden, Denmark and elsewhere. Mouly’s work is held in the collections of more than 20 museums including the Musée Nationale d’Art Moderne, the Museum of Modern Art, Bibliothèque Nationale and the Los Angeles County Museum. 

Find original Marcel Mouly paintings, prints and other art on 1stDibs.

Painting is an art form that has spanned innumerable cultures, with artists using the medium to tell stories, explore and communicate ideas and express themselves. To bring abstract paintings, landscape paintings, still-life paintings and other original paintings into your home is to celebrate and share in the long tradition of this discipline.

When we look at paintings, particularly those that originated in the past, we learn about history, other cultures and countries of the world. Like every other work of art, paintings — whether they are contemporary creations or works that were made during the 19th century — can often help us clearly see and understand the world around us in a meaningful and interesting way.

Cave walls were the canvases for what were arguably the world’s first landscape paintings, which depict natural scenery through art. Portrait paintings and drawings, which, along with sculpture, were how someone’s appearance was recorded prior to the advent of photography, are at least as old as Ancient Egypt. In the Netherlands, landscapes were a major theme for painters as early as the 1500s. Later, artists in Greece, Rome and elsewhere created vast wall paintings to decorate stately homes, churches and tombs.

Today, creating a wall of art is a wonderful way to enhance your space, showcase beautiful pieces and tie an interior design together.

No matter your preference, whether you favor Post-Impressionist paintings, animal paintings, Surrealism, Pop art or another movement or specific period, arranging art on a blank wall allows you to evoke emotions in a room while also showing off your tastes and interests. A symmetrical wall arrangement may comprise a grid of four to six pieces or, for an odd number of works, a horizontal row. Asymmetrical arrangements, which may be small clusters of art or large, salon-style gallery walls, have a more collected and eclectic feel.

Download the 1stDibs app, which includes a handy “View on Wall” feature that allows you to see how a particular artwork will look on a particular wall, and read about how to arrange wall art. And if you’re searching for the perfect palette for your interior design project, what better place to turn than to the art world’s masters of color? 

On 1stDibs, you’ll find an expansive collection of paintings and other fine art for your home or office. Browse abstract paintings, portrait paintings, paintings by emerging artists and more today.