The artwork titled “Shapes in Black” is a creation by Hans Hofmann from the year 1944. Hofmann, an influential figure in Abstract Expressionism, employed oil on panel as his medium for this piece. The dimensions of the work are 77.5 by 104.1 centimeters. It is an abstract artwork, reflecting the characteristically expressive and non-representational style of its art movement.
In “Shapes in Black,” the viewer is presented with a composition dominated by a dark ground, upon which vivid bursts of color emerge. The abstract shapes and forms do not depict any identifiable object or scene, instead relying on the arrangement of these elements to evoke an emotional or aesthetic response. The colors vary from bright reds and blues to contrasting yellows and whites, dynamically interacting against the black backdrop. The swaths of color and the textural quality of the paint application give the artwork a sense of depth and movement, illuminating Hofmann’s exploration of the relationships between color and space.
