Description

Victor Vasarely was the father of “Op Art”—making images that we could easily create today with computers but that in the middle parts of the Twentieth Century required a magical combination of mathematical and creative genius to create.

This work highlights Vasarely’s extraordinary facility with color and shapes and movement.  It is an exemplar of op art. And it is made even more appealing by its beautiful application of paints, which are bright, smooth, and remarkably crisp.  Photographs simply do not show the beauty of this work.  It is one of Vasarely’s most compelling works.

This work is often referred to as if it were entitled “Arcay”.  In fact, that is not its title.  Vasarely spent some time working at Atelier Arcay in Paris.  Vasarely notated that a work had been printed at the atelier with the designation “e/a arcay”.  Thus, this is an Artist’s Proof (as designated by the “EA” (“épreuve d’artiste”) written by the artist in pencil en recto lower left) which was produced at Atelier Arcay.

We believe that this work may be part of Vasarely’s “VY-28” series of works.

When this work arrived at our shop, it was in a beautiful hardwood frame that had been silver-leafed by hand.  We removed the work from the frame, which we rebuilt for repair and strength.  We then reframed the work in that frame, matted with an 8-ply conservation-grade mat and glazed with UV-protective plexiglass.  The back is protected by a panel of Coroplast.  We have retained from the prior framing the gallery sticker from Vasarely’s long-time U.S. gallery, Nahan Galleries (New Orleans), which is preserved en verso.

There are many works by Vasarely available in the marketplace, across the price spectrum.  We work hard to present only extraordinary works, and this silkscreen certainly meets that standard.