Wladyslaw Strzeminski (1893 - 1952) - Unist Composition

This colour lithograph is based on a 1931 Unist composition by Władysław Strzemiński (1893–1952), one of the most influential figures in the Polish and European avant-garde. The work was reissued in 1973 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Abstraction-Création group, under official supervision by the Muzeum Sztuki w Łodzi.

Executed in a vibrant yellow palette with biomorphic linear forms, the print reflects Strzemiński’s radical theory of Unism, which sought total unity between artwork and surface. The visual balance and rhythmic structuring of the image showcase his commitment to non-representational purity and perceptual coherence—principles that place him alongside modernist pioneers such as Kazimir Malevich, László Moholy-Nagy, Theo van Doesburg, El Lissitzky, Sonia Delaunay, František Kupka, and Josef Albers.

Stamped with “W. Strzem” in the lower right corner and hand-numbered in pencil, this print was officially issued with the approval of the Muzeum Sztuki w Łodzi, as confirmed by the verso inscription: "D’après un tableau de W. STRZEMINSKI. Exécutée avec l’autorisation du Muzeum Sztuki w Łodzi."

Strzemiński was a central figure of the Polish Constructivist movement, closely associated with Katarzyna Kobro, Henryk Stażewski, Mieczysław Szczuka, Teresa Żarnower, and Karol Hiller. His theoretical and artistic legacy also echoes in the work of later Polish artists such as Roman Opałka, Wojciech Fangor, Ryszard Winiarski, and Jan Tarasin, and aligns with the abstract explorations of German contemporaries like Willi Baumeister, Fritz Winter, Ernst Wilhelm Nay, Heinz Mack, Otto Piene, Günther Uecker, Georg Baselitz, Sigmar Polke, and Gerhard Richter