Untitled c. 1940s - 1950s

Franz Kline made this untitled ink on paper work sometime in the mid-20th century. Kline emerged as a leading figure of Abstract Expressionism in New York, a movement that wrestled with the meaning of freedom and the role of the individual in post-war American society. The bold black strokes against the off-white ground convey energy and spontaneity. But these were also products of a specific institutional context: the art world. The Museum of Modern Art played a critical role in promoting the aesthetic of the New York School as the epitome of modern art, and that helped create a market for this kind of work. Abstract Expressionism was praised by some critics as the height of artistic freedom, but others saw it as a tool of cultural diplomacy during the Cold War. We can use sources like exhibition catalogs, period articles, and artists’ statements to understand the different ways in which the work was viewed at the time. It reminds us that art is always made and interpreted in specific social and institutional circumstances.