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Victor VasarelyBlack and White Lithograph "L'echiquier" (the Chessboard) by Victor Vasarely 1969
1969
About the Item
Victor Vasarely, the Hungarian-French artist and pioneer of the Op Art movement, is renowned for integrating geometric abstraction and optical illusions in his artwork. The Chessboard, an original lithograph from 1969, hand-signed and numbered in pencil 10 on 100, is a major example of Vasarely's signature style.
The artist, an optical illusion master, used a strict black-and-white grid pattern to create an intricate puzzle-like composition that challenges the viewer's perception. The top and bottom blocks display a smaller version of the grid, while the middle block is filled with a knight, a rook, and a queen that seem to pop out of the flat chessboard background. Outside of the central grid are two other knights – one fully black facing the white one – and a single white rook, already outside of the game.
This piece is executed with precision and finesse, showcasing Vasarely's mastery of black and white form and his ability to create chromatic tension from the juxtaposition of these two equally intense colors. The sharp lines and stark contrast in the Chessboard create a hypnotic visual effect that transforms and morphs perception depending on the viewing angle. The tension is so deep that it prevents the viewer's eye from resting long enough on any one part of the surface to interpret it literally.
- Creator:Victor Vasarely (1906 - 1997, French, Hungarian)
- Creation Year:1969
- Dimensions:Height: 35 in (88.9 cm)Width: 28.5 in (72.39 cm)Depth: 1.5 in (3.81 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:Original black lacquer frame.(see detail picture).
- Gallery Location:Pasadena, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU654312045292
Victor Vasarely
Widely considered the grandfather of Op art, the French-Hungarian painter Victor Vasarely (1906–97) created eye-popping geometric abstractions that play with the viewer’s perception of depth, perspective and motion. A classic example is the 1937 Zebra, which consists of undulating black and white stripes that suggest the form of the titular animal through optical trickery. The work is often credited as the earliest Op art painting.
Such illusions were more than pleasing tricks for Vasarely, who insisted that “pure form and pure color can signify the world.” He wanted to “democratize” art by producing works in large editions at reasonable prices that were understandable across national and cultural boundaries. In the 1960s, he developed an alphabet plastique, or fine art alphabet, consisting of elementary visual building blocks that could be used in endless combinations to create original compositions. By employing this universal visual vocabulary and stripping away topical references, he sought to create what he called a “Planetary Folklore.”
Embodying Vasarely’s singular belief that art should serve a social function, accessible to all, these innovations may perhaps be his greatest contribution to 20th-century art.
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