Bird Cage Variation II by Hans Hofmann

A wire cage hangs empty, its grid echoed in the paint. Hans Hofmann’s *Bird Cage Variation II* turns geometry into light. Rectangles of ochre and slate float behind the cage’s black lines. A slash of cadmium red cuts through, sharp as a beak. Hofmann layers the bars over blocks of color, so the cage feels both trapped and free. Hang it where afternoon sun can catch the red—above a mid-century credenza or beside a reading chair.