Composition monumentale 1919

Auguste Herbin created this untitled composition with oil on canvas. Herbin was one of many artists in the early 20th century who turned away from depicting the real world toward abstraction. This image creates meaning through a specific combination of visual codes. It invites us to consider how the image’s non-representational qualities might comment on the social structures of its time. Herbin began his artistic career in France as a Fauvist. Fauvism’s emphasis on bold colours and simplified forms was a rejection of academic art traditions. Later Herbin co-founded the group Abstraction-Création, which promoted non-figurative art. This turn away from conventional, representational art was associated with progressive politics. The grid-like composition and geometric shapes suggest the increasing rationalization of modern life. Art historians use manifestos, exhibition reviews, and artists’ letters to understand art as something contingent on social context.