Vasarely's novelistic century

Victor Vasarely is one of the most significant figures in 20th-century fine art, the most important creator of "optical painting", or op-art. His works were a huge success everywhere, not only in galleries and exhibitions, but also in the advertising industry and fashion, and in popular culture. This novel biography reveals where he started and where he ended up, from his birth in Pécs, from his childhood in Péstýn in the Hungarian Highlands, through his student years in Budapest, to his settlement in France. We follow him from poverty to wealth, from obscurity to world fame, we see the advertising graphic artist and the emerging artist at work. From the spicy family legends, we learn about his loves and passions, and we also learn how art, business and love were connected in his life. In addition, mid-20th-century Paris comes alive before us with its bustling cafés, smoky and stuffy salons, galleries, the greatest painters and musicians of the time, filmmakers, art legends, and sophisticated gallery owners. We see France and Hungary during World War II, the changing role of Paris in the international art world and art trade, the growing appeal of America, and the glitter of New York full of opportunities. Finally, we witness the old age spent in the French countryside, the growing up of children and grandchildren, and the fulfillment of an artist family that is not free from conflicts. Pierre Vasarely does not carve an antique statue of his grandfather with the help of journalist Philippe Dana, but writes a pulsating family history in which the small and large history of the 20th century swirls, and in which the world of the artistic elite and the Sunday guinea fowl can also fit. The end result is the story of the life and work of the inventive master, Victor Vasarely, a creator who finds exciting opportunity in everything.