Untitled Possibly 1946

This small, untitled painting, probably made sometime in the mid-twentieth century, is by Frank K. Bacher and looks to be made with gouache or maybe acrylic on paper. It's a tumbling mix of white, black, and gray geometric shapes against a solid blue ground. The painting is really all about the interplay between these shapes and how they create a dynamic sense of depth and movement. The edges are sharp, precise, suggesting that this wasn’t necessarily about spontaneity, but about control, about seeing how far you can push it in terms of balance. Notice the sliver of gray at the bottom – it subtly angles in a way that feels like the key that locks the composition into place. It reminds me of some of Stuart Davis’s flat planes and hard-edged geometries, but with a slightly more playful, less formal approach. It’s a reminder that art is an ongoing conversation, with each artist riffing on the ideas of those who came before, making something new in the process.