Artwork
Homage to the square VII
Homage to the square VII is a print by Josef Albers. It dates from 1967 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1967, *Homage to the Square VII* is a silkscreen print by Josef Albers that presents three concentric squares rendered in flat, unmodulated color. The outer square appears in a pale teal, the middle in a muted gray‑blue, and the innermost in a warm, rusty red. Sharp edges and the absence of visible brushwork emphasize the work’s geometric precision.
Subject & Meaning
The composition explores the visual interaction of adjacent hues without blending, allowing each color to retain its identity while influencing the perception of the others. The central red square, though not overtly dominant, asserts its presence against the cooler surrounding tones, generating a subtle tension that invites contemplation of color relationships.
Technique & Style
Executed as a serigraph, the piece belongs to a series of twelve prints produced for Galerie Der Spiegel in Cologne. Albers applied separate screens for each color, ensuring uniform, matte surfaces and crisp boundaries. The work’s minimalist palette and strict geometry reflect the artist’s long‑standing investigation of color theory through repeated square forms.
History & Provenance
The print was issued in an edition of 125, each impression numbered and signed by Albers. It was packaged in a black cloth box lined in white, accompanied by documentation that details the production process. The box also contains references to Albers’s earlier eight‑piece lithograph suite *Midnight and Noon* (1964), created at the Tamarind Lithography Workshop.
Context
*Homage to the Square VII* forms part of Albers’s broader series of square studies, a visual laboratory for his theories on color interaction developed during his tenure at the Bauhaus and later at Black Mountain College. The 1960s saw him extending these investigations into print media, allowing wider dissemination of his systematic approach to hue and form.
Artist & collection
Artist
Josef Albers ( AL-bərz, US also AHL-, German: ; March 19, 1888 – March 25, 1976) was a German-born American artist and educator who is considered one of the most influential 20th-century art teachers in the United States.
