1973
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.
Find a collection of Victor Vasarely prints, paintings, sculptures and other art on 1stDibs.
Victor Vasarely - Cithare
By Victor Vasarely
Located in Saint-Didier, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Victor VASARELY (1908-1997) - Zither Serigraphy on cardboard with silver background in relief signed lower right Height: 60 cm - Width: 40 cm 1973 900€
Paper
"L’échiquier" by Victor Vasarely
By Victor Vasarely
Located in Saint-Didier, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
The Exchequer - Victor Vasarely - 1935 Lithography Inscribed on the back "L'échiquier - Lithog (1935)". Paper size: 40x46cm Size of the work: 33x23cm Signature at bottom right in p...
Lithograph
Victor vasarely "Answers to Vasarely "1974
By Victor Vasarely
Located in Saint-Didier, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Artist Victor Vasarely Title of the work Answers to Vasarely - Folkota edition Period 1974 Technique Silkscreen printing Signature Hand-signed Edit...
Paper
Victor vasarely "Geometric structure black"
By Victor Vasarely
Located in Saint-Didier, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Victor vasarely Geometric structure black Silkscreen printing Numbered 16/50 Noted fv and signed by the artist Circa 1975 85x76 cms 1400 euros
Paper
Yvaral Lithograph "Structure géométrique 1" 1974.
By Yvaral (Jean-Pierre Vasarely)
Located in Saint-Didier, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Yvaral Lithograph Structure géométrique 1 Signed in pencil Numbered 209/225 Circa 1974 59x64 cms 950 euros
Paper
Jim Bird - tribute to Vasarely 16
By Jim Bird
Located in Saint-Didier, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Jim Bird - tribute to Vasarely 16 Photolithography 1972 Signed and numbered 58/75 Paper size : 68x68 Image size : 61x61 Perfect condition Published by Poligrafa, Barcelona 290€
Paper
Operenccia, Large OP Art Painting by Victor Vasarely
By Victor Vasarely
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Victor Vasarely, Hungarian (1908 - 1997) Title: Operenccia Year: 1954/1986 Medium: Acrylic on Board, signed, dated and titled in marker verso Size: 40 in. x 66 in. (101.6 cm ...
Acrylic
Untitled
By Victor Vasarely
Located in Miami, FL
Victor Vasarely Untitled Acrylic on wood 27 x 15 in Ed. EA
Wood, Acrylic
Linienspiel (Line Game)
By Victor Vasarely
Located in Palo Alto, CA
This original Plexiglas with linen is numbered 5/20 in black pen in the lower left on one side. An unexpected energy is conveyed by the broken black and white lines respectively por...
Lucite, Plexiglass, Screen
VICTOR VASARELY - OEUVRES PROFONDES CINETIQUES VIII - 1973
By Victor Vasarely
Located in Pembroke Pines, FL
Artist: Victor Vasarely Title: Profound Works VIII Year: 1973 Not signed or numbered, as published Dimensions: 12 in. by 12 in. Framed Edition: From the Rare Limited Edition Publisher: Editions du Griffon Neuchatel Suite: Profound Works Medium: 3D, Serigraph on Acitate Over Serigraph on Paper Condition: Excellent Victor Vasarely (French/Hungarian, 1906–1997) is known as the father of the Op Art movement. As a painter, he created intricate abstractions that suggested depth and dimensionality using a variety of optical illusions, with surfaces seeming to bulge out of the canvas. His works present color, form, and pattern as a single interconnected element—a concept that was critical to the foundation of the Op Art movement and the focus of his mature works. Vasarely initially studied medicine at the Budapest University in his early 20s, only to abandon his medical studies to attend to the Muhely Academy, the center of the Bauhaus movement in Budapest. While there, he was profoundly influenced by the work of color theorist and artist Josef Albers, as well as the Constructivist methods promoted by artists such as Wassily Kandinsky. While Vasarely’s earlier work was concerned more with color theory, during the 1950s and 1960s his work became more focused on the optical potential of the two-dimensional surface. He began to use complex and colorful patterns to actively engage the viewer’s eye, and to convey a sense of kinetic energy across the two-dimensional surface. Vasarely’s work was heavily influenced by his time spent at Breton Beach of Belle Isle...
Screen
Vonal
By Victor Vasarely
Located in Miami, FL
Victor Vasarely "Vonal", 1971 from Portfolio de 8 sérigraphies en couleurs. Ed. Griffon Serigraph 11 x 11 in with frame: 21 x 21 in The other pieces from this edition are available ...
Lithograph
VICTOR VASARELY - OEUVRES PROFONDES CINETIQUES I - 1973
By Victor Vasarely
Located in Pembroke Pines, FL
Artist: Victor Vasarely Title: Profound Works I Year: 1973 Not signed or numbered, as published Dimensions: 12 in. by 12 in. Framed Edition: From the Rare Limited Edition Publisher: Editions du Griffon Neuchatel Suite: Profound Works Medium: 3D, Serigraph on Acitate Over Serigraph on Paper Condition: Excellent Victor Vasarely (French/Hungarian, 1906–1997) is known as the father of the Op Art movement. As a painter, he created intricate abstractions that suggested depth and dimensionality using a variety of optical illusions, with surfaces seeming to bulge out of the canvas. His works present color, form, and pattern as a single interconnected element—a concept that was critical to the foundation of the Op Art movement and the focus of his mature works. Vasarely initially studied medicine at the Budapest University in his early 20s, only to abandon his medical studies to attend to the Muhely Academy, the center of the Bauhaus movement in Budapest. While there, he was profoundly influenced by the work of color theorist and artist Josef Albers, as well as the Constructivist methods promoted by artists such as Wassily Kandinsky. While Vasarely’s earlier work was concerned more with color theory, during the 1950s and 1960s his work became more focused on the optical potential of the two-dimensional surface. He began to use complex and colorful patterns to actively engage the viewer’s eye, and to convey a sense of kinetic energy across the two-dimensional surface. Vasarely’s work was heavily influenced by his time spent at Breton Beach of Belle Isle...
Screen
