Joachim Probst "Untitled (Two Figures)"

Joachim Probst was an artist who’s personal relationship with religion became the focus of an exceptional body of work. His style is distinctive in its dour and dramatic tone. He paints figures with their features unclear, as seeing articulated facial features doesn't further his artistic agenda. He wants us to focus on the color and emotion behind his artworks rather than the details. He also painted in a different style - one of complete abstraction - depicted in his series of black ink washes known as the "Night Works.” These paintings - among his many others - would go on to influence the works of Franz Kline and others of the day. In fact, Kline named one of his own works, Probst I, after Joachim. The work, currently located at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, takes on an aesthetic incredibly similar to Probst’s “Night Works”. The recent recognition of this series highlights the history of modern painting while also revealing Probst's underrated influence on American art as a whole.