United States

This work is an important example from an extended series Hofmann commenced in the mid-1930s depicting the traditional subject of the artist’s studio. However, this real-world source of inspiration is merely the pretext for his explorations of form, line, space, and color. Hofmann’s still life is fundamentally a painting about painting, and its innovative treatment of a conventional subject was an inspiration to his students—many of whom became leading figures of Abstract Expressionism.

This work is an important example from an extended series Hofmann commenced in the mid-1930s depicting the traditional subject of the artist’s studio. However, this real-world source of inspiration is merely the pretext for his explorations of form, line, space, and color. Hofmann’s still life is fundamentally a painting about painting, and its innovative treatment of a conventional subject was an inspiration to his students—many of whom became leading figures of Abstract Expressionism.

This painting captures Hartley’s love of the landscape surrounding his home near North Lovell, Maine. He had moved to the area in the fall of 1908, working alone, enduring difficult winter conditions, and painting the seasonal changes he observed in the mountains and the Maine Woods. Hartley was encouraged to show these works to Alfred Stieglitz, who was so impressed that he exhibited them at his Gallery 291 in New York City the very next month—it was Hartley’s first significant solo exhibition.

This painting captures Hartley’s love of the landscape surrounding his home near North Lovell, Maine. He had moved to the area in the fall of 1908, working alone, enduring difficult winter conditions, and painting the seasonal changes he observed in the mountains and the Maine Woods. Hartley was encouraged to show these works to Alfred Stieglitz, who was so impressed that he exhibited them at his Gallery 291 in New York City the very next month—it was Hartley’s first significant solo exhibition.

Tanguy’s paintings depict hallucinatory, imaginary worlds and fantastic landscapes. The topography of this work, the alien terrain typical of Tanguy, invokes a world of dreams, while the smoothly applied paint contributes to a feeling of strange liquefaction. In contrast to the invented setting, the forms within this strange world are painted with a vivid clarity and realism. They appear to occupy the scene as towering monuments, casting strong shadows across the ground.

Tanguy’s paintings depict hallucinatory, imaginary worlds and fantastic landscapes. The topography of this work, the alien terrain typical of Tanguy, invokes a world of dreams, while the smoothly applied paint contributes to a feeling of strange liquefaction. In contrast to the invented setting, the forms within this strange world are painted with a vivid clarity and realism. They appear to occupy the scene as towering monuments, casting strong shadows across the ground.

Bloch typically included abstract religious imagery in his paintings. In this work, constellations of light evoke associations with the stars of heaven, the star of Bethlehem, and the falling stars of John’s apocalyptic book of Revelation. The shapes of these sparkling lights in the sky somehow feel both material and spiritual. In his poem “To My Palette,” Bloch described blue as a spiritual color, but this nocturnal vision of Munich appears, at first glance, to be firmly grounded on Earth.

Bloch typically included abstract religious imagery in his paintings. In this work, constellations of light evoke associations with the stars of heaven, the star of Bethlehem, and the falling stars of John’s apocalyptic book of Revelation. The shapes of these sparkling lights in the sky somehow feel both material and spiritual. In his poem “To My Palette,” Bloch described blue as a spiritual color, but this nocturnal vision of Munich appears, at first glance, to be firmly grounded on Earth.

This tabletop study was likely painted in Gile’s Oakland cabin on Chabot Road. The still life includes fresh fruit, a ginger jar filled with flowers, and an upright bowl, all set against a distant hill in the background and capturing the spirit of indoor/outdoor living that characterizes daily life in much of California. In this work, Gile showcases the tactile qualities of oil paint; working wet-into-wet, he sculpted his pigments to capture the material and emotional qualities of his subject.

This painting shows how Gile was able to combine the effects of French Impressionism with the distinctive pastoral landscape of the San Francisco Bay Area. The dominant feature in Spring is the large orchard tree, whose fresh blossoms explode outward like fireworks bursting into opalescent colors. A critic for the Oakland Tribune wrote in 1927, “Color is Gile’s God. And he plays with it until it is about as brilliant and clean and stimulating to look upon as a mortal can make it.”