Artwork
Compoziție (1916-1920), II
Compoziție (1916-1920), II is an unspecified painting by Hans Mattis-Teutsch. It dates from 1918 and is held in the collection of the Țării Crișurilor Museum. Compoziție (1916‑1920), II is an abstract oil work by Romanian‑German painter Hans Mattis‑Teutsch, executed around 1918.
About this work
Overview
Compoziție (1916‑1920), II is an abstract oil work by Romanian‑German painter Hans Mattis‑Teutsch, executed around 1918. The canvas is part of a series indicated by its title, suggesting a systematic exploration of form and color rather than a narrative subject. It belongs to the collection of the Museum of Ethnography, where it is displayed among other early twentieth‑century avant‑garde pieces.
Subject & Meaning
The painting offers no recognizable objects; instead, it presents an arrangement of intersecting planes and swirling zones of pigment. The lack of figurative reference invites viewers to consider the interplay of color and line as the primary content, reflecting the artist’s interest in visual rhythm and the balance of opposing forces within a non‑representational field.
Technique & Style
Mattis‑Teutsch applied paint in thick, impasto strokes, giving the surface a tactile, sculptural quality. Bold hues of red, blue, green and yellow collide and merge, while sharp, linear divisions dissect the composition. The overall effect is one of dynamic tension, with the vigorous brushwork emphasizing the materiality of the medium and the autonomy of abstract form.
History & Provenance
Created during the turbulent years of World War I, the work marks a period when Mattis‑Teutsch was experimenting with abstraction and constructivist ideas. After changing hands several times, it entered the Museum of Ethnography’s holdings, where it has been conserved as part of the institution’s effort to document the development of early modernist painting in Central Europe.
Artist & collection
Artist
Hans Mattis-Teutsch made bold, rhythmic paintings and prints that feel like music turned into shapes.
