Bridget Riley, Vein, 1985. Collection of Albright-Knox Art Gallery, gift of Seymour H. Knox Jr., 1985

40. Vein

ArtistBridget Riley
Year1985
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions6758 × 5614 in. (171.8 × 142.9 cm)
CollectionCollection of Albright-Knox Art Gallery, gift of Seymour H. Knox Jr., 1985

When Riley visited Egypt in 1979, she was struck by the stark color contrast of the blindingly bright desert against the green cultivation along the banks of the Nile River. This formative trip prompted Riley to make a new series of paintings with red, yellow, blue, turquoise, and green. These colors, seen here in Vein, are also associated with ancient Egyptian funerary art and architecture. This expansion of palette coincided with the artist’s return to the line as a vehicle to harness the instabilities of color relationships.