Modern artists of the 20th century have made immeasurable contributions to the rich, thriving world of exploratory art that we enjoy today. Their bold questions, experiments, and thought-provoking pieces continue to inspire future generations across the globe.

This post is written as an ode to two of the best modern artists that graced the 20th century – Georges Vantongerloo and Max Bill. While these two figures had distinct, occasionally contrasting styles, their friendship remains touching and worth talking about, even in 2022!

At SOA Arts, it’s in our best interests to stay as informed as possible about the art world and its most prominent characters. We’re proud to offer our art and interior design expertise to satisfied customers across the globe!

Modern Artists of the 20th Century

Theo van Doesburg
Counter-Composition VI 1925
Tate

Before we discuss Bill and Vantongerloo in detail, it’s worth touching on the context in which their work flourished. The modern art movement generally refers to the decades in the early 20th century where artists sought to produce art that better represented the hopes and dreams of an industrialized, modern society.

The work was bold, experimental, and often contrarian in its aesthetic and conceptual choices. The Tate Modern (UK) explores the era in a fantastic write-up that can be read here.

The Work of Max Bill

Max Bill in Montagnola, 1974 © Angela Thomas Schmid / 2019, ProLitteris, Zurich. Photo: Angela Thomas

The Swiss artist, ‘polymath’, and designer, Max Bill, is often referred to as the founder of the concrete art movement after hosting the first exhibition of its kind in 1944. The movement sought to bring previously unimagined forms into existence and to represent concepts and objects in a way that was both tangible and ‘sensuous’ in nature.

Max Bill, Ring-based Structures, 1942, White Marble, 39.2 x 39.9 x 39.9 cm / 15 3/8 x 15 3/4 x 15 3/4 inch,

Space-time Continuity

Exhibition Date:

December 16, 2021 -- January 22, 2022

Exhibition Venue:

Bahnhofstrasse 1

8001 Zürich

Strongly influenced by his training at the Bauhaus and his background in mathematics, Bill produced countless paintings and sculptures that incorporated geometric and mathematical concepts with an unrivaled flair for experimentation.

His work can still be enjoyed today in galleries around the world.

The Work of Georges Vantongerloo

Georges Vantongerloo in his studio, Paris, 1951 © Angela Thomas Schmid / 2019, ProLitteris, Zurich. Photo: Reinhart Wolf

Georges Vantongerloo was a sensational painter and sculptor from Antwerp, Belgium. He was seriously injured by a gas attack in the first world war, which meant he was discharged in 1914. His experience during the war, as well as his training and encounters across Europe, contributed to a rich artistic practice that deserves to be memorialized for future generations.

Georges Vantongerloo, Composition émanante de l’ovoïde (Composition from the Ovoid), 1917, Painted mahogany, 16.5 x 6.5 x 6.5 cm / 6 1/2 x 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch

Vantongerloo’s work focused on abstraction achieved largely through striking paintings and era-defining sculptures. The shapes and linework used by this artist are particularly noteworthy. He also designed bridges, airports, and similar projects that celebrated his love of geometric shapes and experimental concepts.

Their Iconic Friendship

Georges Vantongerloo and Max Bill at the first Athens Sculpture Biennial, September 18, 1965.

Georges Vantongerloo Documents, Bill's House, Chumicon.

Image: Max Bill and Georges Vantongerloo Foundation and Hauser & Wirth.

Photo: Carmen Martinez

Max Bill and Georges Vantongerloo first met in France in 1918, where they forged a lifelong connection fueled by their mutual love for artistic abstraction and its endless potentialities. Their art made contributions that are still felt to this day.

Max Bill helped to organize countless exhibitions that featured Vantongerloo’s work and continued to vouch for him after his death. This dedication to his friend’s art helped to maintain his reputation and share his experiments with a broader audience.

Georges Vantongerloo

Composition 13478 / 15

A rich correspondence between the two artists reveals the details and nature of their friendship. More information can be found in this great write-up from Hauser & Wirth.

Latest Art Exhibition

Max Bill & George Vantongerloo: Crossover
Exhibition Date:
From January 27 to March 26, 2022
Exhibition Venue:
Hauser Wirth New York 69th Street

Max Bill, Red and Green Emerging from Blue and Yellow, 1970, oil canvas, 120 x 60.5 cm / 47 1/4 x 23 7/8 in.

Photo: Max Bill and George Vantongerloo Foundation and Hauser & Wirth

Swiss artist Max Bill and Belgian artist Georges Vantongerloo formed a lifelong friendship and corresponded for many years. This allowed them to link their solo independent artistic creations with insights, pushing the boundaries of their work into new aesthetic realms. From January 27, 2022, Hauser Wirth 69th Street in New York will feature “Crossover”, a tribute to these two artists’ artistic achievements and inspirations.

George Vantongerloo, along with Piet Mondrian, was a central figure in the Dutch De Stijl movement; Max Bill was a student of Bauhaus and was closely linked to the Abstraction-Creation art group founded in Paris in 1933. A selection of 60 paintings and sculptures, and the exhibition highlights the duo’s influential artistic achievements.

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Modern Artists of the 20th Century – Max Bill and Georges Vantongerloo