Sometimes it seems like the story of the avant-garde is exhausted. Nothing could be further from the truth. Take the recently rediscovered oeuvre of Arthur Jacobs.

This pioneer of abstraction was active around 1920 in little-studied magazines such as Herleving and De Patroelje.

Jacobs created this abstract composition in 1922 for the score of Karel Albert’s Sonata in G. The new world demanded not only new forms, but also a new soundtrack. This artistic and musical drive for innovation comes together in Jacobs’ design.

Where the music betrays the influence of Satie and Poulenc, Jacobs’ imagery fits seamlessly with the experiments with abstract art in, for example, the Antwerp magazine Het Overzicht.

Karel Albert, Sonata in G, 1922, score with cover design by Arthur Jacobs. CBD-B-1049-17446, Collection Koninklijke Conservatoria Brussel