Synchromy in Blue
Stanton Macdonald-Wright
American, 1890–1973
c. 1917-18
An oil on canvas abstraction in which Macdonald‑Wright arranges intersecting fields of color like musical chords, using hue and rhythm to build form rather than line or subject.
You first register a luminous mosaic of jewel‑toned planes—blues, pinks, greens, ochres—softly edged and layered so that color seems to pulse and carve space, creating a sense of movement and depth without any literal depiction.
An important example of Synchromism, this painting helped argue that color could be the primary structural and expressive force in modern art, pushing American abstraction forward alongside European avant‑garde experiments.
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
26 1/4 x 20 1/8" (66.4 x 51.1 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
The Sidney and Harriet Janis Collection
Accession
629.1967
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
