Which Op Art umetnik is the most famous?

First place goes to Victor Vasarely (#1); Bridget Riley (#2) and Maurits Cornelis Escher (#3) complete the podium.

Which five Op Art umetniki should everyone know?

Victor Vasarely (#1), Bridget Riley (#2), Maurits Cornelis Escher (#3), Martha Rosler (#4) in Lino Tagliapietra (#5).

When did the famous Op Art umetniki live?

Most umetniki in this list were born in the 1930s (2 of 12), between 1854 and 1954 overall.

Who are the most famous living Op Art umetniki?

The highest-ranked living umetniki in this list are Bridget Riley (#2), Martha Rosler (#4), Lino Tagliapietra (#5), Carles Delclaux Is (#8) in Linder Sterling (#12).

Who are the great women of Op Art?

The women of this list (4): Bridget Riley (#2), Martha Rosler (#4), [ A Y S H ] (#9) in Linder Sterling (#12).

Who was the earliest Op Art umetnik?

The earliest-born umetnik in this list is Henry Linder (#6), born in 1854.

What techniques did Op Art umetniki use?

“By twenty-five, he had ascended to the prestigious rank of maestro, a feat that signaled the arrival of a virtuoso capable of commanding the most temperamental of mediums.” — from our biography of Lino Tagliapietra (#5).

Which museums hold the most Op Art?

The museums holding the most key works of this list are Inter-American Development Bank (2), Bilbao Fine Arts Museum (1) in MoMA - Muzej moderne umetnosti (1).

Where were most Op Art umetniki born?

Madžarska: 1 of the 12 umetniki in this list were born there, then Združeno kraljestvo (1) in Slovenija (1).

Where can I buy Op Art?

Our catalogue holds 1,148 works by these umetniki.

Op Art umetniki, ranked

12 Famous Op Art Umetniki: The Definitive Ranking

The most famous Op Art umetnik is Victor Vasarely (1906–1997), known for Terek in Pal-Ket. Next come Bridget Riley, Maurits Cornelis Escher, Martha Rosler in Lino Tagliapietra. This ranking of the 12 most famous Op Art umetniki runs from Henry Linder (born 1854) to Linder Sterling (born 1954), across 7 countries.

By the WahooArt.com curators28 oktober 2026

How this list is ranked. Artists whose works our catalogue files under Op Art, in the order of our fame ranking of artists. Artists without a Wikidata identifier born after 1955 are left out until verified. The Wikipedia figure next to each name is the number of our 32 languages in which Wikipedia has an article on the artist.

1Victor Vasarely
2Bridget Riley
3Maurits Cornelis Escher

The essentials

Op Art at a glance

12Umetniki
1854–1954Leto rojstva
7Zemlje rojstva
4Ženske
5Živujoči umetniki
1.148Delo v našem katalogu

Mestov z največim številom novorojenčev: Pécs (1), Norwood (1), Ljubljana (1), Murano (1)
Muzeji z največ najpomembnejših del**: Inter-American Development Bank (2), Bilbao Fine Arts Museum (1), MoMA - Muzej moderne umetnosti (1), Tate Modern (1)
Ženske na tem seznamu: Bridget Riley, Martha Rosler, [ A Y S H ], Linder Sterling

Ranked, with their masterpieces

The ranking: 12 Op Art Umetniki and their key works

1of 12

Victor Vasarely 1906–1997

Born in Pécs Wikipedia in 27/32 languages

Rodjen kot Károly Vaszary 9. april 1906 v Péčsu na Madžarskem, je se človek, ki bo kasneje postal znan kot Victor Vasarely, svoj pot začel v povsem drugačnem področju. Leta 1925 se je odhodil v hodnike Univerze Eötvös Loránd v Budimpešti, kjer je študiral medicino. Med letoma 1929 in 1944 se je Vasarely posvečal grafičnemu delu, v katerem je skozi obdobje eksperimentiral z interakcijami med svetlobo, senco in preprostimi oblikami.

Key works · The 100 most famous works

2of 12

Bridget Riley rojen 1931

Angleška Born in Norwood Op Art Wikipedia in 17/32 languages

Bridget Louise Riley, rojena v Londonu (Norwood) leta 1931, predstavlja ključno figuro v zgodovini moderne umetnosti, znano po svojem pionirskem prispevku k op artu. Njena pot se je začela med spreminjajočimi se пейzaži predbojnega Britanije, z otroštvom, ki ga je zaznamovalo seljenje iz Londona v Lincolnshire in nato v Cornwalle med drugo svetovno vojno.

Key works · The 100 most famous works

3of 12

Maurits Cornelis Escher 1898–1972

Born in Ljubljana

Maurits Cornelis Escher, rojen leta 1898 v mirnem nizozemskem mestu Leeuwarden, ni bil sprva usojen umetniški slavi. Ta zgodnji nagib ni bil takoj usmerjen v likovno umetnost; sprva se je posvetil arhitekturi na Tehnični fakulteti v Delftu, a kmalu odkril pravo poklicanje na področju grafičnih umetnosti pod mentorstvom Samuela Jessuruna de Mesquite na Haarlemski šoli za arhitekturo in dekorativno umetnost.

Key works · The 100 most famous works

4of 12

Martha Rosler rojen 1943

American Conceptual Art

Rosler's work draws upon a diverse range of intellectual influences, including the critical theory of Walter Benjamin, particularly his writings on the reproducibility of images and their potential for political manipulation.

Key works · The 100 most famous works

5of 12

Lino Tagliapietra rojen 1934

Italian Born in Murano Abstract glass art; Venetian techniques

Through his work at institutions like the Pilchuck Glass School in Washington State, he became a vital conduit for international exchange, bringing the sophisticated, refined methods of Italy to the more sculptural, experimental landscapes of the United States, and extending that influence as far as Japan, China, and Australia.

Key works · The 100 most famous works

6of 12

Henry Linder 1854–1910

American Fauvism

This shift suggests a growing discomfort with the rigid conventions of Victorian photography, a desire to move beyond idealized representations towards something rawer and more truthful. The influence of Pictorialism – a movement emphasizing artistic vision over purely technical skill – is subtly present in his work, particularly in his masterful use of soft focus and evocative lighting.

Key works · The 100 most famous works · Henry Linder reproductions

7of 12

Carlos Cruz-Diez 1923–2019

Venezuelski Born in Caracas Kinetična in Op umetnost Wikipedia in 8/32 languages

Carlos Cruz-Diez, rojen v Caracasu v Venecueli leta 1923 in prepoklonjen leta 2019, ni bil le dejanski umetnik; bil je neprestani raziskovalec percepcije, filozof, ki je barvo uporabil kot svoj medij. Umetniška pot Cruz-Dieza se je začela z formalnim usavšanjem na Šoli plastike in uporabnih umetnosti v Caracasu leta 1940, kjer je do leta 1945 pridobil diplomo iz umetniške vzpitve in ročnega umetnosti.

Key works · The 100 most famous works

8of 12

Carles Delclaux Is rojen 1951

Catalan Born in Sant Cugat del Vallés Textile Art

His early training at the Aymat factory provided him with a profound, tactile understanding of fiber and thread, a foundation that would later be elevated by his studies at the prestigious Massana School of Fine Arts in Barcelona. Born in 1951 in the historic town of Sant Cugat del Vallès, Spain, Delclaux emerged from a unique intersection of industrial craftsmanship and academic fine art.

Key works · The 100 most famous works

9of 12

[ A Y S H ]

British-Cypriot ['Contemporary Art', 'CyberArt', 'Digital Art']

Müezzin’s formative years were steeped in a diverse cultural landscape, bridging the traditions of Scotland and Cyprus with the rapidly evolving world of digital technology. This experimental spirit led her towards CyberArt and New Media Art, where she found fertile ground for exploring themes of identity construction and the impact of technology on human interaction.

Key works · The 100 most famous works

10of 12

Polan Julian Stanczak

Polish Op Art & Geometric Abstraction

The canvas becomes a site of optical tension. He was the first to introduce undulating lines into his compositions, creating unsettling, quivering forms that appear to shiver and throb with light. The 1964 exhibition at the Martha Jackson Gallery in New York marks a definitive shift in the perception of optical art.

Key works · The 100 most famous works

11of 12

Ludwig Wilding 1927–2010

German Born in Grünstadt Op Art & Kinetic Art Wikipedia in 7/32 languages

Throughout his career, his work traveled from the prestigious halls of the Hayward Gallery in London to the Columbus Museum of Art in Ohio, proving that the language of optical illusion is universal.

Key works · The 100 most famous works

12of 12

Linder Sterling rojen 1954

British Wikipedia in 4/32 languages

Her work has been featured in group exhibitions at the Tate Modern, the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. In 2017, she was honored with the Paul Hamlyn Foundation Award. Her performance art has included works such as The Ultimate Form, a collaboration with choreographer Kenneth Tindall, and Children of the Stain.

Key works · The 100 most famous works

The paintings behind the names

Famous Op Art works and the artists who made them

Terek

Victor Vasarely

1951
Nataraja

Bridget Riley

1993
Circle Limit III

Maurits Cornelis Escher
Booby Trap from the series House Beautiful Bringing the War Home

Martha Rosler

1967
Dinosaur

Lino Tagliapietra

2011
Untitled

Henry Linder
Physichromie N o 436

Carlos Cruz-Diez
El sudari de Sant Is

Carles Delclaux Is

2011

Through time

A Op Art timeline in masterpieces

1951
TerekVictor Vasarely
1967
Booby Trap from the series House Beautiful Bringing the War HomeMartha Rosler
1976
UntitledLinder Sterling
1993
NatarajaBridget Riley
2011
DinosaurLino Tagliapietra
2011
El sudari de Sant IsCarles Delclaux Is

In figures

By the numbers

Država izvora
Madžarska	1
Združeno kraljestvo	1
Slovenija	1
Italy	1
Venezuela	1
Spain	1
Germany	1

Letniko roditve
1850s	1
1890s	1
1900s	1
1920s	2
1930s	2
1940s	1
1950s	2

Muzeji, ki v svojih zbirkah hranijo njihova ključna dela
Inter-American Development Bank	2
Bilbao Fine Arts Museum	1
MoMA - Muzej moderne umetnosti	1
Tate Modern	1

All of them, in order

Your questions, answered

Frequently asked questions

Which Op Art umetnik is the most famous?
First place goes to Victor Vasarely (#1); Bridget Riley (#2) and Maurits Cornelis Escher (#3) complete the podium.
Which five Op Art umetniki should everyone know?
Victor Vasarely (#1), Bridget Riley (#2), Maurits Cornelis Escher (#3), Martha Rosler (#4) in Lino Tagliapietra (#5).
When did the famous Op Art umetniki live?
Most umetniki in this list were born in the 1930s (2 of 12), between 1854 and 1954 overall.
Who are the most famous living Op Art umetniki?
The highest-ranked living umetniki in this list are Bridget Riley (#2), Martha Rosler (#4), Lino Tagliapietra (#5), Carles Delclaux Is (#8) in Linder Sterling (#12).
Who are the great women of Op Art?
The women of this list (4): Bridget Riley (#2), Martha Rosler (#4), [ A Y S H ] (#9) in Linder Sterling (#12).
Who was the earliest Op Art umetnik?
The earliest-born umetnik in this list is Henry Linder (#6), born in 1854.
What techniques did Op Art umetniki use?
“By twenty-five, he had ascended to the prestigious rank of maestro, a feat that signaled the arrival of a virtuoso capable of commanding the most temperamental of mediums.” — from our biography of Lino Tagliapietra (#5).
Which museums hold the most Op Art?
The museums holding the most key works of this list are Inter-American Development Bank (2), Bilbao Fine Arts Museum (1) in MoMA - Muzej moderne umetnosti (1).
Where were most Op Art umetniki born?
Madžarska: 1 of the 12 umetniki in this list were born there, then Združeno kraljestvo (1) in Slovenija (1).
Where can I buy Op Art?
Our catalogue holds 1,148 works by these umetniki.