Artist:

Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, born Bacsbarsod, Hungary 1895-died Chicago, IL 1946  Search this

Medium:

oil and pencil on canvas

Dimensions:

30 1/4 x 38 in. (76.9 x 96.5 cm.)

Type:

Painting

Date:

1946

Luce Center Label:

Leuk 5 evokes several different meanings, all of which may have had significance for László Moholy-Nagy. “Leuk” can mean light or brightness, which relates to his lifelong exploration of light and color in art and reflects the glowing hues in the image. It can also mean white, as in leukemia (white blood), which killed the artist in November 1946. The red and white ovals suggest blood cells, and the small black shape evokes an abnormal or cancerous cell. If so, then Moholy-Nagy might have magnified these microscopic particles to show how just a few tiny molecules can have a devastating effect on our bodies.

Topic:

Abstract  Search this

Credit Line:

Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Patricia and Phillip Frost

Object number:

1986.92.66

Restrictions & Rights:

Usage conditions apply

See more items in:

Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection

Department:

Painting and Sculpture

Data Source:

Smithsonian American Art Museum

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/vk7d9bbcd9f-a41d-4d5a-b96d-b9511a2188f0

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:saam_1986.92.66