Composition (1942)

Nicolas De Staël is the artist behind "Composition", dated 1942. Historical background, 1942: The first decades of the twentieth century were a period of rapid experiment, with Fauvism, Expressionism, Cubism, Futurism, and the first abstract painting appearing within a few years of each other. Posters, magazines, and illustrated books were major ways for the public to meet new art and design. It is listed in the Abstract collection. The image is in landscape orientation. Background on Abstract: It emerged in the early twentieth century, when several artists in Europe and Russia developed non-representational painting during the 1910s. Movements of later decades, including Abstract Expressionism and geometric abstraction, carried non-representational ideas into new scales and materials.

Buying "Composition" means getting a digital file, not a physical print: Digital JPEG + PDF files, 300 DPI, delivered by email once payment is confirmed. A 300 DPI file is intended for printing at home or at a local print shop, where you can choose a matte, satin, or fine-art paper to suit the room. A landscape format suits wide, low wall spaces such as the stretch above a bed, mantel, or sideboard. A simple frame with a mat often helps an image settle comfortably into a room. Screens and printers render colour differently, so a small test print is a sensible way to check tones before committing to a large size. Hang the print away from direct sunlight, which over the years can fade any printed colour. Choosing a standard frame size and printing to fit it often saves the cost of custom framing.

French, 1914–1955

If you like the visual language of Nicolas De Staël, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.