Study for 1939 New York World's Fair Mural, Hall of Medical Science

Ilya Bolotowsky produced this abstract painting in preparation for a large-scale mural that was installed in the Hall of Medical Science at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. With its play of color and array of straight lines and gently curving forms, the work reflects the artist’s desire to create balanced, harmonious compositions. A founding member of the American Abstract Artists group in 1936, Bolotowsky and other leading artists promoted the value of nonobjective painting, including for public spaces. Fair organizers positioned the mural, along with three others by his peers, above the entryways to offer visual relief from the dense, scientific technical displays on view in the hall.