This groundbreaking exhibition was key to establishing the pedigree for modern art proposed by Museum of Modern Art Founding Director Alfred H. Barr, Jr.—a narrative that continues to shape the Museum’s presentation of modernism to this day. In the introduction to the catalogue, Barr declared that the day’s most adventurous artists “had grown bored with painting facts. By a common and powerful impulse they were driven to abandon the imitation of natural appearance.” To demonstrate the breadth of this modernist impulse toward abstraction, Barr assembled a wide-ranging exhibition of nearly 400 works of painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, architecture, furniture, theater design, and typography. He also drew up a now-famous diagram of the origins and influences of modern art that was reproduced on the catalogue’s dust jacket.
Cubism and Abstract Art
Mar 2–Apr 19, 1936
MoMA

Publications
Artists
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Jean (Hans) Arp
French, born Germany (Alsace). 1886–1966116 exhibitions, 229 works online -
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
American, born Germany. 1886–196971 exhibitions, 1,856 works online -
Alexander Archipenko
American, born Ukraine. 1887–196428 exhibitions, 36 works online -
Georgii Stenberg
Russian, 1900–193317 exhibitions, 22 works online -
Roger de La Fresnaye
French, 1885–192545 exhibitions, 10 works online - There are 113 artists in this exhibition online.
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In 2018–19, MoMA collaborated with Google Arts & Culture Lab on a project using machine learning to identify artworks in installation photos. That project has concluded, and works are now being identified by MoMA staff.
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