Artwork
Stone No 1
Stone No 1 is a print by J Belohorsky. It dates from 1950 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
It presents two pale figures on a dark, irregularly shaped ground, one tall and one smaller, positioned in a quiet, static interaction.
*Stone No 1* is a 1950 print by J. Belohorsky, executed in flat, bold tones with strong outlines. It presents two pale figures on a dark, irregularly shaped ground, one tall and one smaller, positioned in a quiet, static interaction. The composition is contained within a dark brown frame, and the artist’s red-and-white monogram appears as a signature. The work entered the museum’s collection through the Cyril Beaumont Bequest.
Subject & Meaning
The figures appear to engage in a silent, ritualistic gesture: the taller figure raises both arms, as if releasing something unseen, while the smaller one leans against them. A yellow disc hovers above, suggesting an object in motion or an abstract symbol. The lack of narrative detail invites interpretation—perhaps a moment of transition, release, or shared stillness—without anchoring meaning to a specific story.
Technique & Style
Belohorsky employs flat areas of color and sharp, unmodulated outlines to define form, rejecting modeling or chiaroscuro. The background and ground are rendered in muted browns, allowing the pale figures and yellow circle to emerge with graphic clarity. The absence of texture or gradation emphasizes simplicity and symbolic presence over realism.
History & Provenance
Created in 1950, the print was acquired by the museum as part of the Cyril Beaumont Bequest, a collection formed by the British dance historian and publisher. Its inclusion suggests the donor’s interest in modern graphic works with expressive, non-naturalistic qualities, though little is documented about the artist’s broader output or the print’s initial reception.
Context
Emerging in postwar Europe, the work aligns with a trend toward simplified, symbolic figuration in printmaking, distancing itself from academic traditions. While not tied to a named movement, its economy of form and emotional restraint reflect broader mid-century interests in abstraction and psychological minimalism within visual art.
Legacy
*Stone No 1* remains a quiet example of mid-century graphic art that prioritizes form over narrative. Its enduring presence in the museum collection underscores its value as a study in visual economy and symbolic suggestion, offering a counterpoint to more overtly expressive or detailed works of the period.
Artist & collection
Artist
J Belohorsky made stark, mid-20th-century prints that feel like silent stories in black and white.
