Avignon c. 1925

Jan Matulka created this lithograph, titled "Avignon," on paper. Avignon is a city in France, famous for being the seat of the Catholic Popes in the 14th century, a rival to Rome. This image creates meaning through its visual codes, cultural references, and historical associations with the city. Matulka was a Czech-born American artist. He studied art in Prague and then New York. He visited Avignon in 1929. Looking at the image, we see a skyline punctuated by towers, which evoke the history of Papal power based there. The image may comment on the social structures of its own time, self-consciously evoking a medieval past. As a historian, researching the specific details of Matulka's biography, travel, and artistic training would allow for a richer understanding of the image. The meaning of art is contingent on social and institutional context.