Homage to the Square is the title of a series of paintings produced by Josef Albers between 1950 and his death in 1976.

In 1971, the paintings were the subject of the first solo show devoted to a living artist at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The Homage to the Square series focuses on geometrically based abstraction, stemming from his time at the Bauhaus.

[2] In addition to specificities of lighting and primer, Albers maintained a repetitive and methodical process in his creation of Homage to the Square.

He used unmixed paint directly from the tube, applying it with his palette knife, generally beginning work on the central square and moving out toward the edge of the panel.

The repetitive form allowed Albers to change one element of the piece in order to see how it impacted the greater artwork.

[9]: 85 Often Albers would use color in relation to moral character, which he explored through his Homage to the Square series.

Albers chose to use squares because they do not appear in nature, making the paintings seem man-made to the human eye.

[6]: 63 Albers's unique process in creating Homage to the Square has led to various issues in the conservation efforts of the series.

This has led conservators to mix dry pigments in order to replicate the high intensity colors.

[3]: 6 The series inspired future abstract artists such as Bridget Riley, Peter Halley, Donald Judd, and Robert Rauschenberg.