Roi d'eclair 1945

Enrico Donati created this abstract painting, Roi d'eclair, with oil on canvas. Looking at the painting, we can see the cultural associations of the mid-20th century, when non-objective art reached its apex. Made in the USA by an Italian-American artist, it shows us how New York became a haven for the artistic avant-garde during and after World War II. The artistic institutions of Europe were in disarray during that time, and many artists moved to the States, bringing with them the ideas and values of movements like Surrealism. Donati creates a biomorphic composition reminiscent of the paintings of Yves Tanguy, but with the bright colors of post-war abstraction. The cultural memory of a broken world is visible in the violent reds and yellows, but so is the optimism for a better future. Examining the journals and letters of the artists themselves is one way that art historians bring that lost world to light. We consider not only the artist's vision, but the institutions and cultural values that made that vision possible.