Bb Major - Research on Harmony - Variation 2

About This Artwork

This monumental acrylic painting translates the Bb Major triad into color through chromesthetic mapping, drawing its harmonic source from rhythm changes — the foundational chord progression of jazz. Working at the piano through voicings of Bb Major, G minor, C minor, and F7, Arnaud Quercy found a particular richness in the cycle of tension and resolution that defines this progression. The bridge sequence — D7, G7, C7, F7 — traces a chromatic descent through his color system, moving from orange through red-orange and red into purple-red. This large-format canvas on linen captures the warmth and energy of that harmonic movement.

Orange tones fill much of the composition, appearing as burnt sienna and brighter peru across broad geometric planes. Deep purple occupies the right side of the canvas, anchoring the triad's root note of Bb. Between these two dominant zones, pink and mauve forms create a vertical structure of interlocking rectangular and curved shapes. Dark passages of near-black ground the lower right, while ochre and tan accents add warmth at transitional edges. The color transitions move smoothly across the surface, with high saturation throughout and an entirely warm temperature range. Acrylic on linen gives the paint a matte density that holds each color field with clarity.

At eighty-one by one hundred centimeters, the vertical format gives the composition a sense of height that suits the stacked geometry. The piece belongs to the Synesthetic Explorations collection, where each work converts specific musical structures into visual form using the circle of fifths. As Variation 2 in the Research on Harmony series, it focuses specifically on how jazz harmonic cadences translate into color relationships — purple for Bb, orange for D, and purple-red for F.

The work includes certificate of authenticity number 20240718-0190 and bears the artist's signature at the lower right corner.