A landscape reduced to clear colour

Landschaft in Blue and Lilac sets a pale lilac slope against a deep blue distance, with small dark trees at one edge. The broad areas remain largely unbroken. A few cloud forms and narrow horizontal marks establish space without the dense detail found in a more descriptive landscape.

The face within a network of lines

Euphoria, Self Portrait centres a head beneath intersecting straight lines, pale geometric areas and small coloured circles. The eyes remain a strong focus within the angular framework. Compare the carefully outlined features with the wider linear structure, which continues beyond the figure into the surrounding space.

Portrait and divided background

Collage II, The End places a woman’s face against red and orange planes crossed by dark horizontal and vertical bands. The face itself is divided into differently coloured areas. This close view gives the geometry a direct relationship to the sitter rather than using it to organise an open landscape.

Related artists and collections

Compare angular figures in Egon Schiele, intersecting forms in František Kupka and colour relationships in Wassily Kandinsky. The geometric abstract collection develops the constructed side of these works, while figurative art keeps the focus on faces, bodies and expression.

Read more in our guide to Karl Wiener.