Photo By Gail

Josef Albers’ Homage to the Square (1957) is a series study of the illusionistic effects of color. Starting with the rigorous geometry of nested squares, Albers created these works by applying paint directly from the tube and spreading it onto the Masonite board with a palette knife.

The juxtaposed slabs of colors play off one another, as some squares seem to recede into space while others float into the foreground. Albers pursued this study of color and perception from 1950 until his death, producing nearly a thousand canvases in the series.

Photographed in the Brooklyn Museum.