Composition 1922

This abstract 'Composition' by Janos Mattis-Teutsch is a fiery dance of color and form on what looks like a small canvas. I can imagine Mattis-Teutsch building up this image, layer by layer, starting with that pulsing red ground and then letting those dynamic green and yellow lines slice through the composition like shards of light. Those colors feel bold and playful, almost Fauvist in their intensity. It's not just about what he's depicting but how those colours and lines create a sense of movement and energy. The way the shapes interlock reminds me a little of Kandinsky, who was interested in the spiritual in art, using abstraction to get there. Mattis-Teutsch seems to be doing something similar, using these simple forms and colors to evoke some kind of primal feeling, perhaps even spiritual. Ultimately, it feels like artists like Mattis-Teutsch were figuring out new ways of seeing and experiencing the world and pushing painting to its limits.