Oscar Bluemner, born in Prussia (now Germany) in 1867, worked as an architect before turning to painting full time in 1911. He was a frequent visitor to Alfred Stieglitz’s 291 gallery in New York, and eventually became a member of its circle of modern artists. The paintings Bluemner debuted in his inaugural exhibition at 291 in 1915 married prismatic, architectural forms with boldly saturated colors. He believed colors could stir feelings and mood, like music, which led him to develop a symbolism that identified specific colors with psychological states.
