The Painting toward architecture exhibition (1947-52) by the Miller Company Collection of Abstract Art: The artworks and designs (2016)

Artworks exhibited in Painting toward architecture (1947-52)

It is important to note that over the 28(+) venues of Painting toward architecture, the artworks— and presentation of photos of architecture starting after the 11th venue— were variable...

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Also, reflecting the era, many of the exhibiting spaces did not keep exhibition checklists, and sometimes they are not precise. Also, only three venues seem to have installation photos. So, there is a certain vagueness and a lot of room for error.

So, here’s how the list below works. First, the exhibition checklist for the Hartford viewing is below. Additional works mentioned, in news reports or seen in installation photos for the Hartford viewing, have been added to this list. In the second section, "B." additional works are listed that appear on checklists from later venues. There are several. "C." lists out photos of architecture.

If you are a researcher, do feel to contact artdesigncafe as we do understand there is a lot of confusion about the variably presented PtA.

A. Artworks that appeared at the originating institution, the Wadsworth Atheneum

Josef ALBERS. Flying man, (1929 / 1935). Oil on masonite, 23 1/2 x 17 3/4 in.

Leo AMINO. Figure composition, (1946). Plastic, (H) 13 1/4 in. (This work probably is also Spring (sculpture) also on exhibition checklists.)

Jean ARP / Hans ARP. Composition (relief), (1934). Wood, 19 1/2 x 19 1/2 in. (This work is in the Tremaine Collection 1984 exhibition catalogue, p. 46, with the title Form).

Jean ARP. Three navel man, (1920). Oil on cardboard. 41 1/2 x 31 in.

Harry BERTOIA. Composition [no. 8], (1944). Monoprint, 40 1/4 x 29 3/8 in.

Ilya BOLOTOWSKY. Perpendiculars and diagonals, (1945). Oil on canvas, 18 x 22 in.

Georges BRAQUE. Black rose, (1927). Oil on canvas, 20 x 37 in.

Alexander CALDER. Mobile, (undated). Sheet metal and wire, 20 1/2 in. high. (It’s not clear if this work was Antenna or not, as the titles across the checklists and titles used today may at times be different.)

Mary CALLERY. Amity (study), (1946). Bronze, 17 3/4 x 26 in.

Mary CALLERY. Water ballet, (1947). Bronze on glass, 24 x 48 in.

Stuart DAVIS. Composition (1863), (c. 1930). Gouache on paper, 20 1/2 x 28 in.

Stuart DAVIS. For Internal Use Only, (1945). Oil on canvas, 45 x 28 in.

Theo van DOESBURG. Space-time construction #3, (1923). Oil on canvas, 18 1/2 x 15 3/4 in.

> Also see (18 June 2018). "Theo van Doesburg artworks in Painting toward architecture (1947-52)", artdesigncafe.com.

Perle FINE. Midnight, (1942). Gouache and spray gun on cardboard, 11 x 9 3/4 in.

Juan GRIS. Still life with pears, (1913). Oil on canvas, 22 1/2 x 29 in.

James M. GUY. Three figures, (1944). Painted wood relief with wire, 23 x 17 in.

Jean HÉLION. Composition, (1934). Oil on canvas, 51 1/2 x 63 3/4 in.

Wassily KANDINSKY. Animated stability, (1935). Oil on canvas, 45 3/4 x 35 in.

Paul KLEE. Departure of the ghost, (1931). Oil on canvas, 43 x 30 in.

Paul KLEE. Structural II, (1924). Gouache, 10 1/2 x 8 1/2 in.

KUNISADA. Japanese actor, (1805). Color woodcut, 14 3/4 x 10 1/4 in.

Fernand LEGER. Petit Dejeuner, (c. 1921). Oil on canvas, 40 x 53 in.

Fernand LEGER. Les Plongeurs Circulaires, (1942). Oil on canvas, 59 x 51 in.

Jacques LIPCHITZ. Pegasus (study), (1944). Bronze, (H) 6 1/2 in.

John MARIN. A street seeing, (1928). Watercolor, 26 x 21 1/4 in.

Roberto MATTA. The splitting of the ergo, (1945-46). Oil on canvas, 77 1/2 x 96 in.

Carlos MERIDA. Sky over Texas, (1943). Oil on masonite, 24 1/2 x 20 1/2 in.

Joan MIRO. The cat’s whiskers, (1927). Oil on canvas, 59 1/2 x 46 1/2 in.

Joan MIRO. Personnages dans la nuit, (1940). Tempera, 7 x 8 in.

Piet MONDRIAN. Composition, (1935-42). Oil on canvas, 42 1/2 x 23 in.

Piet MONDRIAN. Victory boogie woogie, (1943). Oil and scotch tape on canvas.

> Also see (8 January 2018). "Piet Mondrian. Victory Boogie Woogie & Painting Toward Architecture", artdesigncafe.com.

Henry MOORE. Sketches for figures, (1934). Pencil, 14 1/2 x 10 5/8 in.

Ben NICHOLSON. Composition, (undated). (This might be Nicholson’s Still life (1947) with a name change across exhibition checklists across the show. If so and probably: oil on board, 6 3/8 x 7 1/2 in. (This work is in the Tremaine Collection 1984 exhibition catalogue, p. 58.)

Georgia O’KEEFFE. New York night, (1926). Oil on canvas, 48 x 30 in.

I. RICE PEREIRA. Transfluent lines, (1946). Oil on glass, front plane; probably tempera on compo board, rear plane, 24 x 18 in.

Pablo PICASSO. Drawing, (1916). Pencil and wash, 13 x 10 in.

Pablo PICASSO. Lady with the fan, (c. 1911 and 1918). Oil on canvas, 72 3/4 x 28 1/2 in.

Pablo PICASSO. New Hebrides Mask, (1929). Oil on canvas, 8 5/8 x 6 3/8 in.

Pablo PICASSO. Jeune fille au chapeau, (1939). Oil on canvas, 24 1/2 x 20 in.

Jose de RIVERA. Black, yellow, red, (1942). Painted metal, 17 x 30 in.

Charles SHEELER. On a theme of farm buildings, (1947). Tempera, 19 x 25 in.

Rufino TAMAYO. Clowns, (1942). Oil on canvas, 19 3/4 x 39 1/4 in.

Mark TOBEY. Pattern of conflict, (1944). Tempera, 13 1/4 x 19 in.

John TUNNARD. Avenue, (1944). Watercolor and gouache, 14 1/2 x 21 1/2 in.



B. Other works exhibited in Painting toward architecture after the Wadsworth appearing on exhibition checklists, news reports and or in exhibition photographs

Still in development

Jean ARP. Geometric torn paper, (1918). [In the Tremaine Collection 1984 exhibition catalogue, p. 183, a work entitled Duo collage (1918) is listed (Paper, 31 1/4 x 23 1/8 in.) with location unknown.]

Jean ARP. Collage (arranged according to law of chance), (1918). Paper. 21 1/2 x 9 1/2 in.

Roberto BURLE-MARX. Design for a garden, (1948). Gouache. 50 1/4 x 27 3/4 in.

Alexander CALDER. Bougainviller, (c. 1947). (Sometimes spelled "Bougainvillea".) Standing mobile: painted sheet metal and rod, wire and stone. 78 1/4 x 86 in. (This works first appears on the Milwaukee viewing checklist and on the Madison checklist. Given the variable nature of the show, this does not mean it was in all of the shows in between.)

LE CORBUSIER. Still life, (1925). Oil on canvas; 39 x 31 7/8 in. (This work first appears on the Milwaukee checklist through to Smith College, but perhaps not in all venues in between.)

Theo van DOESBURG. Composition, (1920). Oil on canvas. 36 1/2 x 27 1/2 in. (This work is on the exhibition checklist for the Madison, WI viewing, so it appeared in at least one venue.)

> Also see (18 June 2018). "Theo van Doesburg artworks in Painting toward architecture (1947-52)", artdesigncafe.com.

Max ERNST. A beautiful day, (1948). Oil on canvas; 39 1/2 x 39 1/2 in.

Lyonel FEININGER. Sailing ships (or Sailboat), (1944). Ink and watercolor; 7 x 10 3/8 in. (This work is on, at least, the exhibition checklist starting with the Portland Museum of Art viewing.)

Perle FINE. Climax, (1944). Ink, colored. 16 3/4 x 13 3/4 in. (This work first appears on the shipping list from the Milwaukee venue to the San Francisco venue.)

Jacques LIPCHITZ. Pierrot, (1916). Brush and black ink with colored chalks; 21 15/16 x 14 11/16 in. (This work is on, at least, the exhibition checklist for the Madison, WI viewing.)

Jacques LIPCHITZ. Still life, (1918). Oil on canvas; 21 5/8 x 13 1/16 in. (This work is on, at least, the exhibition checklist for the Madison, WI viewing.)

El LISSITSKY. Photodrawings, (undated). (Very little is known about these works at this juncture.)

Roberto MATTA. "Oil painting", (1942). Oil. (This work first appears to have been exhibited at Smith College and also in Madison, WI. It is unclear if the work was exhibited at all of the venues in between. "Oil painting" is thought to be Genesis (1942) by Roberto Matta, listed in the Tremaine Collection 1984 exhibition catalogue, p. 185.)

Roberto MATTA. "Collage", (1945). Oil. (This work first appears to have been exhibited at Smith College and also in Madison, WI. It is unclear if the work was exhibited at all of the venues in between.)

Carlos MERIDA. Secuenica de Danza No. 3, (1948). Oil. (This work is on the exhibition list for the Madison, WI viewing.)

Laszlo MOHOLY-NAGY. Farbgitter No. 1, (1922). Oil on canvas; 30 1/4 x 23 1/2. (From the very incomplete travelling exhibition documentation, this work starts to appear in the San Francisco viewing and is on the Madison, WI exhibition checklist and in many venues along the way. It cannot be assumed that the work was exhibited in all venues along the way.)

Piet MONDRIAN. Pier and ocean, (1914). (This work is on the exhibition checklist starting in Cincinnati and also for Madison, WI. It cannot be confirmed that the work appeared in the venues in between.)

Barnett NEWMAN. The Euclidian Abyss, (1946-47). "Oil and crayon fabric". (This work is on, at least, the exhibition checklist for the Madison, WI viewing. In the 1984 Tremaine collection catalogue, the work is "gouache on canvas board, 28 x 22 in.")

Carlos Orozco ROMERO. La danza (The dance), (1939). Oil on canvas; 15 3/4 x 12 1/2 in. (This work first appears to have been exhibited at Smith College and also in Madison, WI. It is unclear if the work was exhibited at all of the venues in between.)

Kurt SCHWITTERS. Merzbild, (c. 1922). Collage on paper. 7 x 5 5/8 in. (This work started being shown in the Milwaukee viewing.)

Kady WELLS. The rivers, (1948). Watercolor. (This work first appears to have been exhibited at Smith College and also in Madison, WI. It is unclear if the work was exhibited at all of the venues in between. This artist may be "Cady Wells".)

Additionally, there are three works that either appeared at the Hartford and/or later venues. These include something called "Lecturn boogie woogie"; an "oil transcription" of Victory Boogie Woogie by artist Perle Fine, and an interpretation of Victory Boogie Woogie and analytical charts of the Mondrian artwork, also by Fine, that was used at times to show VBW as a visual replacement, as the work was / is very fragile.

ALSO: Miller Company letterhead. (Glass-enclosed).



C. Photos of architecture that appeared in one/more of the 28(+) venues of Painting toward architecture

Alvar AALTO. Baker House / Senior house, MIT, Boston, (c. 1948). (On Smith College confirmation of works document received by RISD, May 1949.)

Le Corbusier. Ministry of Education, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, (1936). (On Smith College confirmation of works document received by RISD, May 1949.)

Le Corbusier. Villa Savoye (exterior). Poissy, France near Paris, (1929). (On Smith College confirmation of works document received by RISD, May 1949.)

Le Corbusier. Villa Savoye (vestible). Poissy, France near Paris, (1929). (On Smith College confirmation of works document received by RISD, May 1949.)

Walter Gropius. Bauhaus, exterior. Dessau, Germany, (1925). (On Smith College confirmation of works document received by RISD, May 1949.)

Walter Gropius. Bauhaus, director’s house. Dessau, Germany, (1925). (On Smith College confirmation of works document received by RISD, May 1949.)

Walter Gropius. Bauhaus, workshops. Dessau, Germany, (1925). (On Smith College confirmation of works document received by RISD, May 1949.)

Oscar Niemeyer. Church at Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, (completed 1943). (On Smith College confirmation of works document received by RISD, May 1949.)

J. J. P. Oud. Café de Unie, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, (1925). (On Smith College confirmation of works document received by RISD, May 1949, and in photos of West Virginia and Houston installations.)

Gerrit Rietveld. Schröder House, Utrecht, The Netherlands, (1924). (On Smith College confirmation of works document received by RISD, May 1949.)

Tecton. "Lubetkin House", (undated). (On Smith College confirmation of works document received by RISD, May 1949.)

Tecton. Penguin pool, (1934). (On Smith College confirmation of works document received by RISD, May 1949.)

Frank Lloyd Wright. Hickox House, Kankakee, Illinois, (1900). (On Smith College confirmation of works document received by RISD, May 1949, and in photo of installation in Houston.)



D. Other architectural designs in accompanying Painting toward Architecture book by Henry-Russell Hitchcock (1948)

Oscar Niemeyer. Tremaine House (unbuilt), Montecito, CA, (1948), (p. 53).

> Also see (31 December 2017). Oscar Niemeyer / Roberto Burle Marx. Tremaine House & Painting toward architecture, artdesigncafe.com.

Frank Lloyd Wright. Project for resort, Meteor Crater, Arizona (unbuilt), (1948), (p. 43).

> Also see (31 December 2017). Frank Lloyd Wright. Project for Meteor Crater & Painting toward architecture, artdesigncafe.com.



READ MORE:
Overview: Emily Hall Tremaine / Collection overview page | 1: Painting toward architecture - Miller Co. press release | 2: Painting toward architecture: Documentation and historical information | 3: Painting toward architecture - artworks and designs | 4: Article - "Rethinking ’Painting toward architecture’ (2017)" | 5: Article - "Painting toward architecture: Three works, three histories, three Modern mysteries" (2017) | 6: Article - "Van Doesburg artworks in PtA" | 9: Miller Co / Tremaine art & design in exhibitions (1945-present)