Drei Horizontal Gruppen mit gelben Zentrum Variation E 

Richard Paul Lohse made this geometric painting with oil paint. Lohse was a Swiss artist, designer, and theorist, who lived through both World Wars. This background is critical to understanding his art. After the trauma of war, artists like Lohse turned to abstraction. The grid structure of the image reflects the order that many sought in response to chaos. The artwork’s simplicity encourages an understanding of art as universally accessible. Lohse, like other artists of his generation, was interested in the public role of art. These artists asked whether art could be socially progressive and promote ideals like collaboration, equality, and democracy. The resources needed to answer these questions lie in the archives and libraries that hold the history of art. This history is essential to understanding art’s place in our world.