Widely considered the grandfather of Op art, the French-Hungarian painter Victor Vasarely (1906–97) created eye-popping geometric abstractions that play with the viewer’s perception of depth, perspective and motion. A classic example is the 1937 Zebra, which consists of undulating black and white stripes that suggest the form of the titular animal through optical trickery. The work is often credited as the earliest Op art painting.
Such illusions were more than pleasing tricks for Vasarely, who insisted that “pure form and pure color can signify the world.” He wanted to “democratize” art by producing works in large editions at reasonable prices that were understandable across national and cultural boundaries. In the 1960s, he developed an alphabet plastique, or fine art alphabet, consisting of elementary visual building blocks that could be used in endless combinations to create original compositions. By employing this universal visual vocabulary and stripping away topical references, he sought to create what he called a “Planetary Folklore.”
Embodying Vasarely’s singular belief that art should serve a social function, accessible to all, these innovations may perhaps be his greatest contribution to 20th-century art.
Find a collection of Victor Vasarely prints, paintings, sculptures and other art on 1stDibs.
Coffee Table with Concealed Dry Bar by Ludovico Acerbis for Acerbis, Italy, 1970
By Acerbis
Located in amstelveen, NL
Elegant dry bar by Acerbis, executed in stainless steel and rotating smoked glass. Defined by its clean architectural lines and refined material palette, the design embodies the soph...
Chrome
Metafora coffee table by Massimo and Lella Vignelli for Casigliani Italy, 1970s
By Massimo and Lella Vignelli
Located in amstelveen, NL
Sculptural Metafora travertine coffee table designed by Lella and Massimo Vignelli. in the 1970s. Inspired by the four forms of Euclidean geometry, the cube, the pyramid, the cylinde...
Travertine, Marble
Rolf Middelboe & Gorm Lindum Mosaic Oak Coffee Table, Denmark, 1970s
By Tranekaer Furniture, Rolf Middelboe & Gorm Lindum
Located in amstelveen, NL
An exceptional Danish coffee table designed by Rolf Middelboe and Gorm Lindum for Tranekær Furniture in the 1970s. The tabletop is crafted from solid end grain oak, creating a stri...
Oak
Steel Tebe Coffee Table by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti Italia, Italy, 1970s
By Giovanni Offredi, Saporiti
Located in amstelveen, NL
Minimalist Tebe coffee table designed by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti Italia, executed in brushed stainless steel. The table features a square top with a distinctive central cut-o...
Stainless Steel
Finale 1790 Travertine Coffee Table by Peter Draenert, 1970s
By Peter Draenert
Located in amstelveen, NL
Finale 1790 travertine dining table by German designer Peter Draenert. From the 1970s. Characterized by its sculptural presence and refined materiality, this table embodies the perf...
Travertine
Mactan stone coffee table by Magnussen Ponte, 1980s
By Magnussen Furniture
Located in amstelveen, NL
Magnussen Ponte, Mactan stone coffee table, Belgium, 1980s. A solid, circular tabletop crafted from carefully selected natural stone, combined with a rugged, layered edge that reve...
Stone
Coffee Table by Emiel Veranneman and Victor Vasarely, Belgium 1960's
By Victor Vasarely, Emiel Veranneman
Located in Antwerp, Antwerp
Designed by Emiel Veranneman in collaboration with Victor Vasarely, this coffee table is among the earliest expressions of the dialogue between furniture and Op Art that both figures...
Wood
Carlo Hauner Coffee Table Made by Forma, Italy, 1961
By Carlo Hauner
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Highly versatile coffee table designed by Carlo Hauner and manufactured by Forma, Italy 1961. This coffee table has a white painted plywood structure, and it has seven tops with a bl...
Brass
Coffee Table by Dom Hans van der Laan, Netherlands, 1960s
By Dom Hans van der Laan
Located in Antwerp, BE
This coffee table was conceived within the close collaboration between Dom Hans van der Laan and the Dutch architect Jan de Jong during the postwar reconstruction period in the Nethe...
Copper
Vintage Coffee Table by Carlo Hauner for Forma, Italy 1961
By Forma, Carlo Hauner
Located in Piacenza, Italy
Vintage Coffee Table by Carlo Hauner for Forma, 1961 Designed by Carlo Hauner for Forma in 1961, this coffee table exemplifies the designer's ability to combine geometric clarity wit...
Wood
Low Table by Tobia Scarpa for Knoll
By Tobia Scarpa, Knoll
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A substantial square low table having a heavy gridded architectural steel base supporting a thick smoked glass top.
Steel
Mid-Century Dutch Space Age TZ09 Coffee Table by Claire Bataille, 1970s
By Claire Bataille
Located in Hamburg, DE
Coffee Table from the Dutch company t' Spectrum based on a design by Claire Bataille from the collection of 1969-1974. Here in a rare version with white coated table top. The design...
Metal
