Object with Number 1

Object with Number 1 — Joaquín Torres-García. 1932.

Medium: Oil and nails on wood. Dimensions: 47 × 22.5 × 9.2 cm (18 1/2 × 8 7/8 × 3 5/8 in.).

Collection record: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago. Museum connection according to this source; current display unverified.

Joaquín Torres-García is a critical figure in the history of modern Latin American art, celebrated for his introduction of Constructivist aesthetics as a natural, indigenous language. In 1926 he settled in Paris, where he formulated the key principles of what he called Constructive Universalism. His maderas (wood pieces) ran counter to the prevailing notions of sculpture as well as abstraction at the time but played an important role in his work. Object with Number 1 suggests both an architectural and human form; indeed, the number 1 painted at the top reflects his theories about the unity of the individual and the cosmos.

Description: © Art Institute of Chicago, original record, CC BY 4.0. HTML formatting removed; wording retained. Other artwork metadata: CC0.

Source: official collection record. Metadata selected and normalized by Artline from the source export, accessed 10 September 2026; no museum endorsement. Reproduction rights are separate.