Béla BIRKAS (1929-1973). Set of five abstract works including two gouaches and Indian ink on cardboard, a watercolor on paper signed, dated and located "64 Paris", a pastel on paper and a pastel and watercolor on paper. Height from 21 to 37 cm - Width: from 26.5 to 29 cm Provenance: Artist's studio Note: In 1962, Béla Birkàs left the United States to settle in Paris with his wife, in order to live more deeply his painting, which he knew to be "European". A fervent lover and connoisseur of the Italian Renaissance, he drew inspiration for his art from his travels in Italy. It was in the presence of the great masters such as Giotto, Paolo Uccello and Piero della Francesca that the artist was introduced to watercolor. Nourished by classical subjects, Béla Birkàs definitively emancipated himself from figuration and took the first step in his transition to figurative abstraction.