128th Psalm (Study for "Five Psalms")

Abstract painter Henry Pearson developed his idiosyncratic linear style from drawing topographical maps of Japan during World War II. Characterized by repetitions of undulating parallel lines, his paintings and drawings evoke the optical effects typical of 1960s Op Art. The drawing is a study for an illustration for "Psalm 128" of the book "Five Psalms", published in 1969 by Brandeis University. This example of Pearson's work combines the rigor of a geometric system with suggestions of natural patterns in its intricate branching motif.