Untitled (Abstracted sailboats) 1950

Emil Bisttram created this print of abstracted sailboats using pencil on paper. Bisttram, a Hungarian-American artist, was deeply involved in the Transcendental Painting Group, which sought to create non-objective art that expressed spiritual and emotional states. This print reflects Bisttram's interest in moving beyond representational art. Look at how the sailboats are depicted not realistically, but as geometric forms. How does this abstraction affect your experience of the artwork? Consider how the sharp angles and stark contrasts evoke a sense of modernity and dynamism, characteristic of the interwar period in which Bisttram developed his style. It's worth noting that artists like Bisttram were part of a broader cultural shift towards abstraction, as they sought to capture the inner, emotional realities of the human experience, rather than the external world. This print invites us to contemplate the relationship between the visible world and the realm of emotions and spirituality.