Bridget Riley’s Bagatelle 3 (2015) is a captivating screenprint that exemplifies her mastery of optical abstraction and her enduring exploration of visual perception. As the final piece in her monochromatic Bagatelle series, this work holds a significant place in her oeuvre, marking a culmination of her black-and-white investigations before she reintroduced color into her practice.

Bagatelle 3 features a dynamic arrangement of triangles—some with straight edges, others subtly curved—creating a rhythmic pattern that challenges the viewer's perception. The title "Bagatelle," meaning a trifle or something considered insignificant, is intentionally ironic, as the composition is anything but trivial. The work invites viewers into a visual puzzle, where the interplay of shape and space induces a sense of movement and optical vibration.

This piece is a distilled segment of Riley's earlier painting Tremor (1962), recontextualized to engage with themes of repetition and variation. The monochromatic palette emphasizes form and structure, allowing the geometry to take center stage and interact with the viewer's visual processing. Bagatelle 3 stands as a testament to Bridget Riley's innovative approach to abstraction and her ability to engage viewers in a dynamic visual experience. Its precise execution and conceptual depth make it a valuable addition to any collection focused on contemporary printmaking and optical art.