Art of the 20's

Grab your cloche hats and ropes of pearls, girls. Guys, don your Arrow shirts and slick back your hair. We're entering the Way-Back Machine to the 1920's. Women had finally freed themselves from corsets for the first time in centuries (with some help from Paul Poiret). Travel abroad on massive luxury liners was the all the rage. The speakeasys were jumping with Jazz. And wow - was there a lot happening on the art scene in this brief, but so sweet, era between WWI and the Depression.

Expressionism

Here is Fairy Tales by Paul Klee (Swiss, 1879-1940). In watercolor and gouache on paper, this painting from 1920 perfectly represents Klee's sense of mythic escapism that characterizes all of his work. Sometimes I see dancing snowflakes, sometimes feathers on the wind, sometimes sparkling flowers, sometimes sea creatures, when I look at this picture. And the colors are magical!

Cubism

Of course, Picasso is the most famous of the Cubists, but I also love the work of Lyonel Feininger (American, 1871-1956). Here is the spectacular Hopfgarten (oil on canvas), painted in 1921. I love the prisms and facets of color, and the warm shades of the houses against the cool tonal values of the mountains in the background. Hopfgarten is a market town in the Tyrol, Austria.

Dada

Interest in the work of Man Ray (American, 1890-1976), the great avant-garde modernist photographer, is booming. Here is a 'rayograph' (a sort of camera-less photograph that he invented) titled Clock Wheels from 1925. Mechanical imagery in art was popular in the 20's. (Remember Fritz Lang's unforgettable film Metropolis from 1927?) I love the soft, dreamy greyness here.

Bauhaus

I've never seen a painting by Wassily Kandinsky (Russian, 1866-1944) that I didn't love. This is Black and Violet from 1923 (oil on cardboard). Kandinsky once stated that when he saw color, he heard music. His paintings are about as close as I've ever seen to music on canvas.

Precisionism

Georgia O'Keefe (American, 1887-1986) is of course most well-known for her wonderful floral studies and Southwestern themes. But some of my favorites painted by her were her views of New York City. This painting is called New York Night from 1929 (oil on canvas). O'Keefe loved depicting New York at night, and she always transformed the city in her work into a place of glittering, velvety peacefulness.

Surrealism

I cannot possibly show you an example of Surrealist art that isn't Salvadore Dali (Spanish, 1904-1989). Dali was Surrealism. Here is Venus with Cupids from 1925 (oil on canvas). Note the cubist influence here. I love that Dali's Venus is a strong, substantial, powerful figure.

Harlem Renaissance

I discovered this artist while digging up artwork for this post, and I just love this picture. It is entitled Jockey Club and was painted in 1929 by the African American artist Archibald Motley. The doorman in his red uniform against the blazing red glow of the club's interior is incredible. I wish I could see this painting in person, it must be amazing.

Art Deco

Erte, how do I love thee, let me count the ways. Oh beloved Erte! Romain de Tirtoff (Russian, 1892-1990) designed many costumes and sets for stage productions in the 20's. Here is a curtain design from 1927 for a production of Aladdin. So Twenties.