Eau-forte No. 1

Soulages is often referred to as “the painter of black.” He developed his signature style of precise, calligraphic brushstrokes in the late 1940s, after serving in World War II. Referring to his works as outrenoir (beyond black), he explained, “I saw that it wasn’t the black that made the picture come alive but the light reflected on the black surfaces.”

Whereas Abstract Expressionists embraced spontaneity, Soulages’s works are meticulously composed. The title of this work, Eau-fort (literally “strong water”) refers to the nitric acid used in the process of making an etching such as this.