Second Theme

Burgoyne Diller

1938–40 · Oil on canvas · Modern and Contemporary Art

Influenced by the works of Piet Mondrian from the 1910s and 1920s, Diller devised his own abstract formats in the 1930s. Divided into groups called "first," "second," and "third" themes, Diller’s three series explore the movement generated by different arrangements of geometric forms within a square canvas. "Second" theme pictures, such as this, feature a grid system within which rectangular bands of differing widths extend across the canvas.

Artist

Burgoyne Diller

Date

1938–40

Medium

Oil on canvas

Department

Modern and Contemporary Art

Credit line

George A. Hearn Fund, 1963