André Lanskoy was a Russian painter most closely associated with the Abstract School of Paris and Tachism movement that began in the 1940s. Arriving in Paris after sustaining an injury during his military service in the Russian Civil War, Lanskoy began his painting career in the figurative style inspired by Van Gogh, Matisse and Soutine. By 1942 he was painting only abstract works, with the interaction of form and colour becoming a major theme in his works. This piece is an important example of an abstract composition from Lanskoy’s post-war abstract period. The intensity and saturation of colours, tactile richness and compositional clarity creates a powerful impression on the viewer.
