Composition

Maria Helena Vieira da SilvaWW-1936-029514

1936·Oil on canvas·81.6 × 100.7 cm (32 1/8 × 39 5/8 in.)

The many colorful patterns seen in Maria Helena Vieira da Silva's abstract painting Composition derive from azulejo, decorative ceramic tilework common in Portugal and Spain, which the artist collected and admired. Despite finding her inspiration for abstract paintings in the material world, she described her compositions as evoking "a thought form rather than a realistic form." Vieira da Silva insisted on the merits of abstraction even as the political situation in 1930s Europe seemed to demand artworks with a clear political message. She actively engaged in debates with the leftist intellectual group Amis du Monde on the political risks and merits of painting abstractly at this moment.

Catalogue

Year: 1936
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 81.6 × 100.7 cm (32 1/8 × 39 5/8 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Maria Helena Vieira da Silva

Artist

Maria Helena Vieira da Silva

Painting

Maria Helena Vieira da Silva was a Portuguese abstract painter. She was considered a leading member of the European abstract expressionism movement known as Art Informel. Her works feature complex interiors and city views using lines that explore space and perspective. She also worked in tapestry and stained glass.

Paris, France

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