Abstract Composition

1929

Not on view

Initially a painter who studied under Fernand Léger, Henri turned to photography in 1927 after attending a summer course at the Bauhaus with László Moholy-Nagy. The influence of both heritages is apparent in this powerful abstract image. Henri arranges smooth, industrially produced objects—a round ball and a metal grate—against mirrors to create a play of space and reflective surface. Simultaneously, she imbues her objects with stasis and poise that resonates with the universalizing impulse of Purism, a painting movement advocated and practiced by such artists as Léger, Amédée Ozenfant, and Le Corbusier, which sought to depict the simple, essential geometries of everyday objects.

Artwork Details

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Provenance

Exhibition History

Title: Abstract Composition
Artist: Florence Henri (American, 1893–1982)
Date: 1929
Medium: Gelatin silver print
Dimensions: 12.4 x 17.3 cm (4 7/8 x 6 13/16 in.)
Classification: Photographs
Credit Line: Ford Motor Company Collection, Gift of Ford Motor Company and John C. Waddell, 1987
Object Number: 1987.1100.63
Rights and Reproduction: © Galleria Martini & Ronchetti, Genoa, Italy; www.florencehenri.com
Curatorial Department: Photographs

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Robert Delaunay

Florence Henri

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