Untitled (Victor Food Shop) c. 1936

Max Arthur Cohn created this lithograph, "Untitled (Victor Food Shop)." Note the pervasive sense of quietude achieved through the masterful use of color and composition. Flat planes of green and purple dominate, creating a dreamlike interpretation of a mundane urban scene. The reflections on the wet pavement destabilize any fixed perspective, inviting the viewer to question the nature of perception itself. The 'Victor Food Shop' sign hovers almost hieroglyphically, becoming less about commerce and more a signifier within the artist's constructed reality. Cohn here seems less interested in accurately portraying a shop and more focused on exploring how geometric forms and subdued colors can generate a specific mood. The figures with umbrellas are mere structural components, each contributing to the overall balance. Cohn skillfully transforms a common street scene into an introspective exploration of form, reflection, and the interplay between the seen and the imagined. Through the deceptively simple arrangement of shapes and colours, Cohn nudges us to ponder the transient nature of reality.