In James Daugherty’s vibrant portrait of the prominent industrial designer John Vassos, bands of bright, jolting color layer in abstract, pulsating forms around the figure. Daugherty, an early American modernist, felt that pure color was the most evocative means of creating powerful works of art. John Vassos was an icon of modern design best known for his 1933 subway turnstile design. He appears at ease in this portrait, leaning back in a traditional wood-slat chair—a curious, unrefined contrast to the art deco graphics and hard-edged industrial designs often associated with the sitter.