Meandres Belle-Isle 1951

Here is the story: Victor Vasarely made this painting, Meandres Belle-Isle, with gray paint. It’s all about shapes and lines, like a puzzle coming together. I can imagine Vasarely, brush in hand, carefully plotting each form. The upper white curve looks like a soft cloud; at the bottom, a dark mirror image. I'm thinking about why Vasarely made these rectangles in the middle all bendy—it’s like he’s saying nothing is ever quite still or straight. It's like the sensation of walking over cobblestones, feeling the ground shift and undulate beneath your feet. The gray palette makes you consider its subtle variations. The texture and color create a push and pull, a vibration, and a feeling of depth. Other Op artists, like Bridget Riley, were also exploring how we perceive shapes and space. Artists build on each other's ideas, responding to what came before. This piece invites us to see the world with new eyes, always questioning what we think we know.