Existing comment:
Morris Hirshfield
Tiger, 1940
Perhaps influenced by the artist's work in textile manufacturing, the highly textured surface of this painting recalls the tactility of fabrics, and its repeating forms, symmetrical composition, thick outlines, and bold colors evoke the patterning and print motifs often seen on textiles. Hirshfield placed the tiger -- based on an illustration in a children's book -- within an imaginary and highly stylized natural landscape, transforming a simple image into what MoMA's founding director, Alfred H. Barr, Jr., called the most "unforgettable animal picture." |