Albers, Josef 1888–1976, German-American painter, printmaker, designer, and teacher, b. Bottrop, Germany. After working at the Bauhaus (1920–33), Albers and his wife, the textile designer and weaver Anni Albers, emigrated to the United States when Hitler came to power. Albers taught throughout the Americas and Europe, headed the art department (1933–49) at Black Mountain College, and was director of the Yale School of Art (1950–58), where he was responsible for major innovations in art education. An extremely versatile artist, he is best known for his Homage to the Square, a series of paintings and prints begun in 1949. These serene works, quasiconcentric squares of subtly related colors, form an extensive examination of color properties.

Used with permission. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright © 2001 Columbia University Press

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