A Major - Variations 10 — Acrylic on Paper by Arnaud Quercy

About This Artwork

This acrylic on paper translates the A Major triad into color through chromesthetic mapping, converting the notes A, C-sharp, and E into their visual equivalents based on the circle of fifths. The three chord tones become yellow-orange, blue-green, and yellow — the colors the artist perceives when playing this chord at the piano. Working on twelve by eighteen centimetre paper, the piece captures the warmth and brightness specific to A Major as a direct visual experience.

Yellow-orange tones fill most of the surface, appearing as broad tan and golden areas that anchor the composition. A tall column of vivid blue-green rises along the left side, creating a strong vertical counterpoint. Bright yellow passages appear in the centre and lower portions, while white areas open up space between the color blocks. Dark outlines define the geometric shapes, and a concentrated passage of deep blue sits along the lower edge. A small area of orange appears at the lower right, grounding the warm palette. The acrylic medium produces flat, opaque surfaces with clean edges between color zones, giving each chord tone a distinct visual presence.

As Variation 10 in the Synesthetic Explorations collection — an ongoing practice of translating harmonic relationships into visual form — this piece continues the Research on Harmony series. The spread voicing of the A Major chord opens across the paper in the same way it opens across the keyboard, with each note occupying its own spatial zone. The compact format rewards close viewing, where the relationships between chord tones become clear through their color positions.

The work includes certificate of authenticity 20251231-0143 and bears the artist's signature at the lower right corner.