Created in 1924, “Architektur 9” is a compelling example of the abstract research of Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, a central figure of the European avant-garde and a leading protagonist of the Bauhaus movement. Born in Hungary in 1895, Moholy-Nagy joined the Bauhaus in Weimar in 1923, where he played a decisive role in developing a new conception of art based on the integration of painting, architecture, design, and technology.
Executed in gouache, oil, and pencil on India paper, the work clearly reveals the geometric language that characterises his production of the 1920s. Circles, diagonal lines, triangles, and rectangular forms interact within a composition that is both rigorous and dynamic, where balance and movement coexist in constant tension. The use of vivid primary colours, such as blue, red, and yellow, directly recalls the Constructivist and Suprematist experiments that profoundly influenced the artist.
Moholy-Nagy regarded geometry not merely as a decorative device but as a tool for organising space and visual perception. Consequently, the composition assumes an almost architectural quality, closely aligned with the language of modern design suggested by the title “Architektur 9”. At the same time, the lightness of the marks and the transparency of the overlapping forms prevent the work from becoming mechanically rigid.
Through works from this period, such as “Architektur 9”, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy made a fundamental contribution to the development and dissemination of international geometric abstraction. Throughout his career, he produced some of the most significant works of modernism, exploring the relationship between art, spatial construction, and visual modernity.
Description: Mixed media in gouache, oil, and pencil on India paper, signed and dated lower left; bearing on the reverse the artist’s signature, date, a label with the customs stamp “Posta dell’Impero”, the Galerie d’Ars stamp, and the Swan symbol, H cm 57×42.5.
Provenance: Professor Carlo Alberto Favaretto Collection; Baccilieri Collection, Bologna.
Hammer Price: € 10.000,00
Auction 79 – February 10th 2025 – Modern and Contemporary Art
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