Photo By Gail

French born artist Jean Hélion (1904 – 1987) painted Standing Figure at a time when he was a central proponent of nonrepresentational art in the United Stares. In 1936,  Hélion was a founding member of the American Abstract Artists group, which counted among its members Willem de Kooning. In this painting, the body is interpreted in curved forms and shaded in tones of gray that resemble the metallic parts of a machine. Hélion’s depiction of the human figure is inspired by the quick-paced life of the city streets, and the presence of new technology in urban settings.

Photographed in the Metropolitan Museum on Art in NYC.