C Major - Variations 20 — Acrylic on Paper by Arnaud Quercy

About This Artwork

This painting translates a piano étude into color. Arnaud Quercy maps the C Major triad — notes C0, C2, G3, G4, E5, E6, E7 — onto a range of reds, yellows, and oranges using a harmonic-chromatic system drawn from piano studies and cycle of fifths mapping. The work belongs to the C Major series within the Harmonic Crossing collection, which explores how musical harmony can be expressed through color relationships.

Warm yellow-orange tones fill the largest areas of the composition, spreading across broad rectangular zones that anchor the surface. Red-orange passages — ranging from burnt sienna through deep firebrick — appear throughout, building a sustained chromatic tension with the warmer ground. The image shows these zones organized as flat geometric blocks: large rectangles and a partial arc form, separated by thin dark lines. A deep black area occupies the lower left, pulling the composition toward shadow. Orange and pale yellow-cream accents appear in narrower vertical bands near the center. Dusty mauve and very dark red tones surface at the edges and in smaller sections, completing the chromatic range. The paint is applied in acrylic on paper, with visible brushwork giving the flat fields a slightly textured surface.

The work measures 21 × 21 cm and weighs 0.1 kg. It is the twentieth variation in the C Major series. Certificate number 20261002-0182 is associated with this work. It was created on 2 October 2026 at the Rue du Dragon studio in Paris. The work was first shown publicly at Les Portes du Dragon, the open studio event at Art Quam Anima, Paris, from 2 to 4 October 2026. The work is currently available.