Composition 1922

Janos Mattis-Teutsch made this painting, Composition, with oil on cardboard. Look at that hot pink ground, it's almost vibrating! And then these shapes emerge, like thoughts or feelings solidifying. I can imagine Mattis-Teutsch mixing these colours, maybe feeling a little audacious. It's so intuitive, isn't it? A yellow circle pushes against a teal shape, while a black line pierces through it all, creating tension and depth. It reminds me of Kandinsky, or maybe even Hilma af Klint, who were also exploring spiritual ideas through abstraction. What I love about painting is how an artist can put so much of themselves onto a surface, and how each little gesture can communicate something unique. This piece isn’t trying to represent reality but instead is exploring inner landscapes, making it a beautiful example of how painting can be a conversation across time, inspiring new ways of seeing and feeling.