756-A 

Maurice Esteve made this abstract watercolor, simply titled 756-A, at an unknown date. Looking at it, we can consider what this colorful arrangement meant to post-war Parisian culture. It is reminiscent of the artistic milieu where the formal language of art focused on abstract forms, pushing beyond established artistic conventions. We can understand it as a commentary on the established art institutions that were becoming increasingly focused on non-figurative art. What are the politics of abstraction? Was this artistic choice a conscious attempt to distance art from its more traditional functions? To dig deeper, one might want to investigate exhibition reviews or the writings of contemporary art critics. By looking at these historical sources, we can better appreciate how art's meanings are tied to their original cultural and institutional contexts.