Fraktur 1935 - 1942

Albert Levone made this Fraktur with ink and watercolor on paper. The sepia tones in this piece are so warm and grounding, aren’t they? Look at the way Albert Levone repeats simple motifs: tulips, hearts, peacocks. He doesn’t sweat the details, which gives the whole thing a beautiful, homespun feel. You can tell he just loves making marks. I’m especially drawn to the peacocks that anchor the bottom corners of the piece. They’re rendered with such simple lines, almost like a child’s drawing, yet they have such personality. The way the feathers are just little circles reminds me of Guston’s late paintings. Like Levone, Guston embraced a kind of artlessness in his mark-making, finding beauty in the everyday. The imperfections, the little wobbles in the lines, the slight asymmetry of the design, all add to its charm. It’s a reminder that art doesn’t have to be perfect to be powerful.