Eau-forte No. V

A prominent member of the School of Paris, French painter and printmaker Pierre Soulages is widely known for his bold minimalist abstractions composed of thick layers of black set against a light background. Using black as a primary formal element, he explores how light is reflected from the surfaces of his paintings and prints. By scraping, etching, and gouging these surfaces, he creates subtle textural variations that absorb or reflect light to varying degrees. On this effect, Soulages noted: “I like the authority of black. It’s an uncompromising color. A violent color, but one that encourages internalization. Both a color and a non-color. When light is reflected on black, it transforms and transmutes it. It opens up a mental field all of its own.” Soulages also believed that relying on more limited means resulted in a stronger expression. Eau-forte No. V is part of a large series of abstract intaglio prints Soulages produced in 1957. Characteristically, he uses gestural swashes of rich black set against a lighter background to formally evoke the desired effect of deep chiaroscuro.