Composition 1920

Janos Mattis-Teutsch, an artist born in what is now Romania, created this unnamed composition with oil paint. His life spanned a period of immense social and political transformation in Europe. As we look at this painting, consider the context in which it was created: a time of shifting social structures and cultural identities, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe. The vibrant colors—the blues, pinks, yellows, and greens—might evoke the emotional and spiritual quest that was central to early twentieth-century Expressionism. Mattis-Teutsch sought, through abstraction, to express inner emotional states and respond to the changing world around him. He once wrote about the need to capture the "inner necessity" of forms and colors, reflecting a desire to move beyond the surface of reality. While the painting lacks identifiable figures or settings, it invites us to explore the tensions between tradition and modernity. It reflects the artist's personal experiences of displacement, and a search for belonging in a world undergoing rapid change. It captures a sense of hope and the possibility of renewal.