C Major - Variations 19 — Acrylic on Paper by Arnaud Quercy

About This Artwork

This acrylic painting translates the C Major triad into visual form through harmonic-chromatic mapping, converting the notes C, E, and G into their corresponding colors based on the circle of fifths. The result is a small, concentrated study where a piano chord becomes a composition of red, yellow, and red-orange. As Variation 19 in the Research on Harmony series within the Harmonic Crossing collection, this piece continues an ongoing practice of rendering harmonic relationships as direct visual statements.

Orange-red fills most of the composition, anchoring the work with the warmth and clarity associated with the C Major chord. A block of muted rosy brown occupies the upper left, while a pale off-white rectangle sits below it, providing a cool counterpoint. A dark form — nearly black — holds the center-right area, bordered by a soft pink rounded shape. Below, a deep red and a vivid pink complete the lower register. The geometric forms sit close together, their edges clean and deliberate. The spread voicing of the chord finds its equivalent in how these color blocks open across the square format, each shape distinct yet connected to its neighbors.

Working at twenty-one by twenty-one centimeters on paper, Quercy keeps the scale intimate. The compact format rewards close viewing, where the relationships between warm and cool, saturated and muted, become clear. Acrylic on paper produces flat, opaque surfaces with defined edges, reinforcing the directness of the harmonic-chromatic translation. Each color block reads as a note in the chord — separate, identifiable, and part of a larger harmonic whole.

The work bears the artist's signature at the lower right and includes certificate of authenticity number 20251123-0115. This piece is held in a private collection in Zurich, Switzerland.