Topaz, from Lapidaire 1967

Victor Vasarely made ‘Topaz, from Lapidaire’ at an unknown date, using screen printing techniques. The interplay of flat shapes and vibrant colors creates a visual push and pull, a kind of optical dance. It's like he’s saying, ‘Hey, let's mess with perception!’ The colors themselves—those saturated reds, yellows, and purples—they aren't just sitting there; they’re buzzing. Look closely at where the black circle meets the red background in the top left corner. There's no blending, no gradient, just a clean, hard edge. That crispness, that precision, emphasizes the artificiality of the image. It’s like he’s reminding us that this is a construction, a deliberate arrangement of forms. Vasarely's work shares a kinship with Josef Albers. Both artists were fascinated by the way colors interact and create illusions of depth and movement. But where Albers was methodical, Vasarely feels a little more playful, a little more willing to let the geometry get funky.