Homage to the Square (La Tehuana) - Josef Albers

A classic example of Josef Albers' Homage to the Square series, exploring the optical interaction of colour through nested geometric forms.

Josef Albers began his Homage to the Square series in 1950, continuing the project until his death in 1976. This specific work, La Tehuana, belongs to a body of paintings that explore the interaction of colour through a rigid, nested geometric format. Albers applied paint directly from the tube onto masonite panels, using a palette knife to achieve a flat, uniform surface that avoids visible brushstrokes. By placing squares of varying hues within one another, he forces the viewer to perceive how adjacent colours modify one another. The optical effect creates a sense of depth or recession, despite the physical flatness of the composition. Albers, a former teacher at the Bauhaus, maintained a disciplined approach to his practice. His methodology relied on the systematic application of colour theory, specifically the principles he later codified in his book, Interaction of Colour. In La Tehuana, the specific selection of tones reflects his interest in the visual culture of Mexico, where he travelled frequently. The title refers to the traditional dress of women from the Tehuantepec region, suggesting a connection between his abstract forms and the chromatic intensity found in regional textiles and environments. This print captures the precise boundaries and chromatic relationships of the original work. The composition relies on the mathematical ratio of the squares, which are positioned lower than the vertical centre to create a sense of balance. The work functions as a study in perception, where the viewer observes how the eye reacts to the shifting boundaries of the nested forms. By removing representational elements, Albers directs attention entirely to the physical properties of the paint and the psychological experience of colour.