Tigres - Victor Vasarely

An early work by Victor Vasarely, Tigres uses rhythmic, multi-coloured stripes to distort and define organic forms, prefiguring his later Op Art experiments.

Tigres, created by Victor Vasarely around 1938, represents an early exploration into the optical effects that would later define his career. Before his full transition into the rigid geometric abstraction of the Op Art movement, Vasarely experimented with the distortion of organic forms through rhythmic, linear patterns. In this work, the figures of tigers are rendered not through traditional anatomical modelling, but through a series of undulating, multi-coloured stripes that wrap around the bodies of the animals.

The composition relies on the interaction between these stripes and the underlying form. By varying the curvature and density of the lines, Vasarely creates a sense of volume and movement. The colour palette, consisting of warm yellows, oranges, and deep greens, creates a rhythmic oscillation that draws the eye across the surface of the canvas. The background remains relatively dark and atmospheric, which allows the illuminated, striped forms to emerge with greater visual force.

This piece occupies a unique position in Vasarely's catalogue. It demonstrates his early interest in how the human eye perceives pattern and depth. While the subject matter is representational, the execution is purely formalist. The stripes function as a grid, anticipating the more mathematical approach he would adopt in his later kinetic works. By deconstructing the tiger into a series of graphic bands, Vasarely shifts the focus from the animal itself to the mechanics of visual perception. The result is a work that feels both organic and constructed, bridging the gap between his early graphic design training and his later contributions to modern art history.