Victor Vasarely, Gordes Synthèse

Engraving (copperplate print), 1948

Limited edition of 250 (120/250)

Published by: Fondation Vasarely

Printer: Mourlot (Paris)

Catalogue: Benavides 169

72.00 cm × 62.00 cm (sheet size)

38.50 cm × 29.50 cm (image size)

Signed by the artist in pencil

Certificate of authenticity included

Condition: Excellent

Arches paper

Included in the "Gordes" album, completed in 1971

This work is held by our affiliated gallery in France. While the condition is considered excellent by French standards, please note that the criteria for evaluating the condition of vintage items may differ between France and Japan. Please consider purchasing only after acknowledging any signs of age and use (stains, discoloration, folds, wrinkles, tanning, etc.) typical of a vintage item. We have not personally inspected the physical item. The work is currently stored in France, and delivery after ordering will take 2 weeks or more. Due to the nature of the work, returns after purchase are not accepted.

About the Work

"Gordes Synthèse" is an extremely important work that illustrates Victor Vasarely's transition from figurative landscape representation to abstract visual research.

In 1948, Vasarely visited the hilltop village of Gordes in southern France and was deeply inspired by the relationship between light and shadow, plane and space created by its stone architecture. This experience was a decisive turning point that led him to re-conceptualize real landscapes as visual structures, eventually leading to Op Art.

In this work, the second in the "Gordes" album, while retaining the concrete outlines of castles and architecture, they are already organized and reconfigured, integrated into more essential forms. The coexistence of figurative elements and abstract composition clearly shows Vasarely's exploration of the order and rhythm hidden behind the landscape.

As the title "Synthèse" (synthesis/integration) suggests, this work is a significant culmination of the connection between real observation and abstract thought.

It is an indispensable work for understanding the development of Vasarely's art, harboring the nascent ideas of formative art that would lead to his later geometric Op Art.