Vibrant Jazzy 1968 Op Art Abstract Geometric Painting - A Hymn to Life, French St Germain Artist Oil on Canvas

Just a fabulous example of 1960s geometric/op art, displaying all the fun, playfulness and vibrancy of the style. Op art, short for optical art, is a style of visual art that uses optical illusions. Typically, they give the viewer the impression of movement, hidden images and vibrating patterns. Its roots can be traced back to Cubism, Futurism, Constructivism and Dada.

The maker of this stunning piece is Tony Gonnet (1909-2004) an artist close to those who shaped modern art and its history. Working in Casablanca in 1940 he met André Breton and Saint-Exupéry, who were both on their way to America. Unable to obtain a visa for himself, Gonnet returned to Paris in January of 1942. Living on Rue de Seine, he became one of the figures of Saint-Germain-des-Prés and numbered amongst his many friends Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Jean Genet – who prefaced his first Parisian exhibition in 1952 – as well as Albert Camus, Simone Signoret, Boris Vian, Jacques and Pierre Prévert and many others.

In 1941, in the ennui of Casablanca, Tony Gonnet had started to draw, and then paint, in a Surrealist style. In 1946 he abandoned figurative surrealism in favour of abstraction, making sole use from then on of geometric forms and shaded tones, in his own unique style. His works aim to achieve harmony of shapes and colours, and thus to bring joy. Tony Gonnet loved life, and said that each of his works was an offering made to it.

With solo shows in major Paris galleries almost every year between 1950 and the 1990s, Gonnet also had one man shows in Germany, Switzerland, the UK and in Turkey.

Most recently, two retrospective exhibitions of his work were held in 2019.

Our vibrant, jazzy painting from 1968 is an oil on board measuring 33 x 46 cm. It is signed and dated at the lower right. It was originally acquired most probably from the Galerie Jacques Casanova, Paris.

Presented in its original frame, the overall framed size is 46 x 60 cm. A second work by the artist is available in a separate listing

Nous parlons français, und wir sprechen auch Deutsch! Paintings may be viewed in Norwich and in Paris, as well as in London and Cambridge by appointment. Please contact us if you would like further details and images of an artwork.