Curatorial Narrative In the autumn of 1923, Emile Othon Friesz’s “Bal AAAA” marked a pivotal moment in his oeuvre, as he began to infuse Art Deco with an air of modernist detachment. The linear brushwork that defines this work is characteristic of Friesz’s later style, where geometric forms are subtly nuanced by an almost imperceptible tremolo. As the viewer’s gaze wanders across the canvas, the flat planes of yellow and black seem to oscillate in a delicate spatial rhythm, as if suspended between two states of being. The chromatic structure is thus one of hesitant transition, the dark accents momentarily drawing attention away from the bright, sunlit surfaces that occupy the majority of the composition.When scaled up to 44×58 inches, “Bal AAAA” assumes an imposing presence, its architectural subject matter assuming a life-like quality that belies its flatness. The palette, hitherto relatively subdued, takes on a striking new dimens