F minor - Variation 5 — Oil on Linen Canvas by Arnaud Quercy

About This Artwork

Variation 5 marks the first slower-paced work in the F minor series, arriving after four consecutive faster variations. Where the preceding works moved at pace, this painting holds still. Arnaud Quercy applies harmonic-chromatic mapping to translate a piano étude into color: each note of the F minor triad — F2, C5, Ab5, Ab6 — corresponds to a specific color family, converting the chord's internal relationships into visual form. The work belongs to the Harmonic Crossing collection, which organizes paintings around the color translations of musical keys and harmonic structures.

Red-violet tones, deep and close to black, anchor the lower register of the composition. They spread across a large portion of the surface, functioning as the root of the chord made visible. Warm red-orange tones — ranging from rosy mid-tones to softer, lighter blush — fill most of the remaining area, shifting gradually from darker to lighter passages. Dusty mauve and deeper red tones appear in supporting areas, adding weight without competing with the dominant warm range. A pale, near-white red-orange zone provides contrast near the upper portion of the composition. Very dark violet, almost indistinguishable from black, holds the left vertical edge. A small burnt sienna accent appears among the geometric forms at center-left, and a single steel-gray note — the only cool tone in the work — provides a precise accent against the otherwise warm field. The painting is executed in oil on linen canvas, with geometric rectangular forms arranged vertically, referencing the upward arch of the étude from F2 at the bass to Ab6 at the crest.

The work measures 73 × 60 cm and carries certificate number 20240602-0095. It was created in January 2024 at the artist's studio in Paris. Variation 5 is the fifth work in the F minor series, part of the Harmonic Crossing collection. The painting has been exhibited at the Marché de la Création – Paris Montparnasse, the Salon d'art contemporain Metamorphose at the Halle des Blancs Manteaux, and is included in the Permanent Collection 2025 – Resonance in Form. It is currently available.