House with Sunset

Aloys Wach · c. 1914–16

House with Sunset is a perfect example of the cross-fertilization of styles that existed in Europe just before the First World War. In its strong composition and bold use of color, it shows the influence of German Expressionism, which Wach was exposed to after moving to Berlin from his native Austria in the early 1910s. The luminous colors and radiating light suggest the canvases of Robert Delaunay, whose color abstractions the artist saw on a trip to Paris in 1912. In addition to this, the hatched brushstrokes and vibrating energy of the air recall the paintings of the Italian Futurists. While Wach is not well-known in artistic circles, this luminous watercolor fits squarely into the internationalist tendencies that defined early 20th-century modernism.