Wright Auction

  • Auctions
      • Auctions
      • Upcoming
      • Past
      • Publications
      • Catalogs
      • Books
      • Upcoming Auctions
        • Essential Design
  • Artists & Designers
      • Artists & Designers
      • VIEW ALL
      • Featured Artists & Designers
        • Louis Sullivan
        • Märta Måås-Fjetterström
        • George Nakashima
        • Paul Evans
        • John Dickinson
        • Leo Amino
  • Buying & Selling
      • Buying
      • Bidding
      • Shipping
      • Payment
      • Terms of Sale
      • Selling
      • Sell With Wright
      • Private Sales
      • Trusts, Estates & Appraisals
      • Free Evaluations
      • Submit Your Items Now
  • Contact
      • Information
      • About Wright
      • Contact Us
      • NYC Gallery
      • Send Feedback
      • Job Opportunities
      • Sign Up For Emails
      • Sign up for auction alerts & news!
log in

Artists & Designers (0)

No Results

Upcoming Items (0)

No Results

Past Items (0)

No Results

Resources (4)

  • View our Auctions

  • About Us

  • Looking to consign an item? We offer Free Evaluations

  • Have another question? Contact us

Artist: Jesús Rafael Soto
follow artist

  • About
  • Items (37)
  • Auctions (29)

Jesús Rafael Soto
1923–2005
follow artist

Jesús Rafael Soto was a Venezuelan sculptor and painter whose optical art blurred the lines between reality and illusion. He received a scholarship to attend the Escuela de Artes Plásticas y Artes Aplicadas in Caracas from 1942 to 1947 where he met fellow students Carlos Cruz-Diez and Omar Carreño. He then served as the director of the Escuela de Bellas Artes in Maracaibo, Venezuela until 1950. The same year he moved to Paris and became associated with the New Realists, later his work was exhibited at the Galerie Denise René in the groundbreaking exhibition “Le Mouvement” alongside works by kinetic artists including Yaacov Agam, Alexander Calder, Marcel Duchamp, Jean Tinguely, and Victor Vasarely.

A leader in optical art, Soto’s geometric works interact with the viewer and environment. He often created large-scale installations and public works including commissions for the hall of the UNESCO building in Paris and the Forum of the Centre Pompidou in Paris. In the late 1960s, he experimented with industrial and synthetic materials such as nylon and steel to create his works. He founded the Jesús Soto Museum of Modern Art in his hometown of Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela in 1973 with the mission to promote the appreciation of arts and culture. Soto’s works are included in prestigious collections around the world including the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes in Buenos Aires, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Tate Gallery in London, and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. Jesús Rafael Soto died in Paris in 2005.
A leader in optical art, Soto’s geometric works interact with the viewer and environment. He often created large-scale installations and public works including commissions for the hall of the UNESCO building in Paris and the Forum of the Centre Pompidou in Paris. In the late 1960s, he experimented with industrial and synthetic materials such as nylon and steel to create his works. He founded the Jesús Soto Museum of Modern Art in his hometown of Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela in 1973 with the mission to promote the appreciation of arts and culture. Soto’s works are included in prestigious collections around the world including the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes in Buenos Aires, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Tate Gallery in London, and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. Jesús Rafael Soto died in Paris in 2005.

close

Sign up for auction alerts & news!
  • Upcoming Auctions
  • Artist & Designers
  • Sell with Wright
  • Contact

© Rago Wright, LLC 2025


  • Cookie Policy
  • Cookie Settings
  • CA Privacy Notice

  • Terms of Sale
  • Privacy Policy
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • SMS Policy

  • Accessibility Widget

A network of independent auction houses

0

List price does not include shipping or sales tax; sales tax will be calculated based on your shipping address.

If you have any further questions, please contact us at 312 563 0020 or sales@wright20.com

Please note items will remain in your cart for 24 hours and are subject to availability.