Accession Number
1955/1.63

Title
The Town

Artist(s)
Vieira Silva

Artist Nationality
French (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
1952

Medium & Support
watercolor and graphite on paper

Dimensions
8 1/2 in x 13 3/16 in (21.59 cm x 33.5 cm);18 1/2 in x 22 1/8 in (46.99 cm x 56.2 cm);9 1/2 in x 14 7/8 in (24.13 cm x 37.78 cm)

Credit Line
Museum Purchase

Subject matter
The Town is an abstract landscape, a common style and theme for Maria Helena Vieira da Silva. She is known for her paintings and prints that study perspective and space.  She was born in Portugal where she began her art studies but attended a variety of schools in Paris and spent most of her life there. 

Physical Description
This abstract composition consists of small rectangles in tan, olive green, and dark brown, all vertically oriented and randomly spaced apart. Thin lines of the same colors also criss cross over the paper. The rectangles and lines are layered over an all grey background that stops before the edge of the composition, revealing the tan paper. A grid disappears under the paint but is visible on the edges of the paper.

Primary Object Classification
Painting

Additional Object Classification(s)
Drawing

Collection Area
Modern and Contemporary

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
Cityscapes
French (culture or style)
Portuguese (culture or style)
abstraction
buildings
city
landscapes (representations)
modern and contemporary art
square (shape)
squares
towns
townscapes (representations)