Victor Vasarely
Vasarely designed the Renault logo in 1972, with his son Yvaral. The angular diamond went onto cars from the Renault 5 onwards and lasted two decades.
Biography
He was born Vasarhelyi Gyozo in Pecs, Hungary, in 1906. He studied medicine for two years at university in Budapest before abandoning it for art, training at the Muhely school, widely regarded as the Budapest Bauhaus. He moved to Paris in 1930 and worked as a commercial graphic designer for years, successful enough to fund his private experiments in geometric abstraction.
His 1937 work Zebra, two interlocking black-and-white shapes that appear to oscillate, is considered one of the earliest examples of Op Art, decades before the movement had a name. The Vega series from the 1960s and 1970s, with their swelling, spherical distortions of grid patterns that seem to push out of the canvas surface, became his most recognisable works.
In 1982, 154 of his serigraphs were taken to space aboard the French-Soviet Salyut 7 spacecraft and later sold for the benefit of UNESCO. He died in Paris in 1997, aged ninety.
Timeline
- 1929Painted "Etudes Bauhaus A".
- 1929Painted "Etudes Bauhaus C".
- 1951Painted "Meandres Belle-Isle".
- 1958Painted "Cassiopée II NB".
- 1968Painted "Keple Gestalt".
- 1970Painted "Composition Carrée Relief".
Notable Works
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Where to See Victor Vasarely
5 museums worldwide.
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3 worksBuffalo AKG Art Museum
Buffalo, United States
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3 worksSolomon R. Guggenheim Museum
New York City, United States
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2 worksLos Angeles County Museum of Art
Los Angeles, United States
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2 worksMusée National d'Art Moderne
Paris, France
Next stop
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Victor Vasarely prints
Hand-finished archival prints from Victor Vasarely's body of work.
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See all Victor Vasarely prints →Frequently Asked Questions
How did victor vasarely create his work?
Victor Vasarely created optical illusions by using opposing systems of perspective and contrasting colours. This gave an impression of movement to the painting, making the shapes appear to shift under the eye. He was one of the pioneers of Optical art.Is victor vasarely still alive?
No, Victor Vasarely died in 1997.Victor vasarely art movement?
Victor Vasarely was one of the pioneers of Optical art. He developed a kind of modular art.What is victor vasarely famous for?
Victor Vasarely is famous for being one of the pioneers of Optical art. He is also known for using geometric shapes to create optical illusions.What was victor vasarely inspired by?
Victor Vasarely was introduced to Constructivism while at the Muhely in Budapest.When did victor vasarely died?
Victor Vasarely died in 1997 at the age of 91.When did victor vasarely start painting?
Victor Vasarely enrolled at the Poldini-Volkmann Academy of Painting in Budapest in 1927. In 1929, he entered the Muhely, known as the Bauhaus of Budapest.Who is victor vasarely?
Victor Vasarely was one of the pioneers of Optical art. He was born in Pecs, Hungary.Why did victor vasarely make op art?
Vasarely's art was intended to have a positive impact on society. He was not interested in creating intellectually complex content, nor in producing entirely dysfunctional decoration. He removed all anecdotal narrative from his work, replacing it with formal structures intended to appeal to the eye of the viewer through their impression alone.How did victor vasarely die?
Victor Vasarely died in 1997 at the age of 91.Victor vasarely art prices?
According to the text, Victor Vasarely's 'Yak' (1964) tempera, 31x31, is priced at 80x80.What was victor vasarely known for?
Victor Vasarely is known for being one of the pioneers of Optical art. His art was intended to have a positive impact on society through formal structures.
Sources
Editorial draws on the following primary and tertiary references for Victor Vasarely.
- [1] museum Milwaukee Art Museum Used for: museum holdings.
- [2] museum Toledo Museum of Art Used for: museum holdings.
- [3] museum Buffalo AKG Art Museum Used for: museum holdings.
- [4] museum Hungarian National Gallery Used for: museum holdings.
- [5] museum Städel Museum Used for: museum holdings.
- [6] museum Ulster Museum Used for: museum holdings.
- [7] book Beard, Lee, 1973- author, Butler, Adam, author; Van Cleave, Claire, author; Fortenberry, Diane, author; Stirling, Susan, author, Beard, Lee, 1973- author, Butler, Adam, author; Van Cleave, Claire, author; Fortenberry, Diane, author; Stirling, Susan, author - The Art Book_ New Edition, Mini Format Used for: biography, stylistic analysis.
- [8] book guggenheim-frantisekkupka00kupk Used for: biography.
- [9] book guggenheim-guhe00solo Used for: biography, stylistic analysis.
- [10] book guggenheim-masterp00solo Used for: biography.
- [11] book guggenheim-peggygu00alle Used for: biography.
- [12] book guggenheim-priguggen00solo Used for: biography.
- [13] book Masterpieces of western art : a history of art in 900 individual studies from the Gothic to the present day Used for: biography, stylistic analysis.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-07-15. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
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