C minor - Variation 5 — Acrylic on Linen Canvas by Arnaud Quercy

About This Artwork

This painting translates the C minor triad into color. Each pitch in the chord — C2, Eb3, G4, G5, D5 — corresponds to a specific hue through a systematic color-to-pitch mapping. The work belongs to the Synesthetic Explorations collection and sits within the C minor series. Its starting point is Miles Davis's "Solar," used here as a harmonic source rather than a melodic one. The painting treats the chord's internal structure as a color system, not a mood or impression.

Warm red-orange tones dominate the surface, appearing across large flat areas of the composition. Orange tones fill substantial portions of the canvas alongside them. A deep blue-violet block occupies a significant section, providing the strongest contrast to the warm field. Dark brown — nearly black — appears as a vertical band, anchoring the center of the composition. Cooler, muted tones of tan and salmon bridge the transitions between these zones. A very dark red accent appears at small scale, concentrated near the lower edge. The forms are geometric and flat, with clean edges between color areas. Acrylic on linen canvas allows the color fields to read as distinct and even, with visible brushwork in places where the paint was applied more openly.

The painting measures 100 × 100 cm on linen canvas, classified as large in scale. It was created in early 2024 at the artist's studio at 17 avenue d'Italie, Paris. The work carries certificate number 20240718-0193. It has been shown at the Marché de la Création – Paris Montparnasse, the Salon d'art contemporain Metamorphose at the Halle des Blancs Manteaux, and is part of the Permanent Collection 2025 – Resonance in Form. Latest exhibitions include Through the Aperture — Research on Harmony at Art Quam Anima, Paris. The work is currently available.