Composition in Red
- Artist: Egill Jacobsen
- Date: 1948
- Medium: Oil paint on canvas
- Dimensions: support: 960 × 765 mm
- Museum: Tate Modern
- Collection record: Tate Modern website
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About this artwork
This is the “Composition in Red” by Egill Jacobsen. Created in 1948, the painting is an oil on canvas that bursts with a single, vivid hue. It was painted during a post‑war stay in the South of France, a time when Danish artists were channeling the fresh energy of a world emerging from conflict. Jacobsen’s work is built around the mask, an ancient symbol of human expression that he saw as a bridge between cultures. In this piece a broad, oval mask sits above a central, body‑like structure, all woven together by rhythmic, almost musical lines. The strong red runs through the whole composition, creating a sense of vitality and optimism that was a hallmark of Jacobsen’s post‑war period.
See it in person
Composition in Red is in the collection of Tate Modern on Bankside, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
