Curatorial Narrative Basler Gedenkfeier by Emil Beurmann presents an opportunity to engage with the Art Nouveau movement’s early endeavors in Switzerland during the 1890s. Executed in 1892, this work exemplifies the artist’s command of linear brushwork that yields a crisp, graphic quality, while its palette showcases a judicious deployment of red, white, and blue hues. These elements combine to create an atmosphere replete with civic pride, as befits a subject matter celebrating the city of Basel.As Basler Gedenkfeier is enlarged to 44×65 inches, its spatial rhythm comes into sharper focus. The artist’s composition, divided into distinct registers by means of a clear chromatic structure, assumes a more assertive presence within a room. Against a backdrop of rich textiles or paneling in complementary colors, the blue tonality assumes an added depth and luminosity that can be effectively balanced by strategically placed light sources.