Accession Number
1957/2.21

Title
Composition

Artist(s)
André Masson

Artist Nationality
French (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
circa 1950

Medium & Support
aquatint on paper

Dimensions
18 7/8 in x 14 3/4 in (47.94 cm x 37.47 cm);28 1/16 in x 22 1/16 in (71.28 cm x 56.04 cm);26 5/16 in x 19 15/16 in (66.83 cm x 50.64 cm);18 7/8 in x 14 13/16 in (47.94 cm x 37.62 cm)

Credit Line
Museum Purchase

Label copy
This print was pulled at the Atelier Lacourière, where Masson experimented with color. The differences in aquatint grain and variations in biting by the acid produce numerous textures and tones, which the artist exploited to suggest indeterminate dimensions. Whether or not there are here any vestiges of automatic procedures, the effect is one of freedom and energy.
Label copy from exhibition "Dreamscapes: The Surrealist Impulse," August 22 - October 25, 1998

Subject matter
Done in the latter part of Masson's career, this print is characteristic of his work exploring soft and transparent pastel colors and calligraphic forms. The somewhat unpredictable nature of the aquatint process may have appealed to Masson's interest in automatic writing and other Surrealist strategies. Influences may have included Impressionism, Zen Buddhism, and earlier artists like J.M.W. Turner, whose tonal color palette Masson seems to be inspired by here.

Physical Description
This is an abstract print, vertically oriented, with a multicolored background of yellow, orange, blue, and shades of black and brown. There are three large blue oval shapes towards the center with soft black lines and shapes over the colors.

Primary Object Classification
Print

Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary

Rights
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Keywords
Surrealism
abstraction
breasts
calligraphic drawings
form (composition concepts)
fragment
modern and contemporary art
stars