Bortnyik Sándor, Komposition 922 

Sandor Bortnyik made this watercolor painting of geometric shapes sometime around 1922 in Weimar Germany. It was a time of great social upheaval, and many artists like Bortnyik were questioning traditional artistic values and searching for new ways to express themselves. The Bauhaus, an influential art and design school, was at its peak, promoting the idea that art should be integrated with technology and industry. Bortnyik's painting reflects this spirit with its clean lines and emphasis on basic shapes, which suggests a rejection of ornamentation. Does the composition of the image create a harmonious balance, or does it challenge our expectations? Understanding the context in which this work was created, the kind of political and social forces in play at the time, helps us interpret the painting. By consulting archives, period publications, and other primary sources, we can explore how artists of the time were responding to a rapidly changing world.