As part of its “Made in Britain” sale on March 25, Sotheby’s London will auction Bridget Riley’s The Ivy Painting (1998). The British painter has explored many styles and techniques but is best known for her Op Art imagery. This painting, which was commissioned for the celebrity hot spot The Ivy restaurant in London, is an example. While Riley’s early forays into optical effects in the 1960s were done in black and white, she introduced color into her works during the same decade, experimenting with the perceptual relationships between different hues. The Ivy Painting is one of her “zig” paintings, characterized by planes divided vertically and diagonally by bold colors, which she began producing in the late ’80s.
The Ivy Painting by Bridget Riley, 28.5" w. x 44.75" h.; Sotheby’s, London, March 25; estimate $181,640 to $272,470. sothebys.com
* *
