“Silent Horizon” — 36×24 Acrylic on Paper by Petzlic | Minimalist Tonalist Landscape

This 36×24 acrylic-on-paper landscape by Hungarian-American painter Petzlic is a masterwork of minimalist tonal abstraction. Soft sands, grays, and muted lavenders drift across the horizon in layered horizontal strokes, creating a serene, meditative sense of atmosphere. A solitary tree cluster anchors the open expanse, balancing realism with poetic abstraction.

Signed and acquired from the retired Mitch Moore Gallery in NYC, this painting exemplifies Petzlic’s ability to merge European tonalism with the expansive quiet of American modernist landscapes. Ideal for collectors of atmospheric abstraction, minimalist landscapes, and post-war émigré artists.

DETAILED ARTWORK DESCRIPTION

Petzlic (Hungarian–American, mid-20th century)
Untitled Minimalist Tonal Landscape
Acrylic on Paper | 36 × 24 in. | Signed “Petzlic”
Provenance: Mitch Moore Gallery Inc., New York City

This 36×24 acrylic-on-paper landscape is one of the most minimalist and meditative compositions among your Petzlic works. It represents the extreme refinement of his mature tonal language—an atmospheric field of soft gradients and horizontal strokes that dissolve traditional landscape structure into pure mood and spaciousness.

Rendered in a restrained palette of warm sand, whisper-gray, pale fawn, muted lavender, sienna-beige, and soft cream, the composition unfolds as a serene expanse of layered bands. Each band—some translucent, some opaque—floats quietly across the picture plane like drifting geological shelves or distant plains seen through light fog.

Structural Elements

• A small, solitary tree cluster sits near the center, grounding the composition and giving scale to the vastness around it.

• The horizon dissolves into gentle tonal shifts, allowing sky and land to blend seamlessly.

• Brushstrokes are wide, horizontal, intentional—echoing Japanese and Korean minimalism, European tonalism, and the open, contemplative spaces of the American Southwest.

• Subtle glazing and dry-drag effects create a shimmering sense of depth, even in the most abstract passages.

This artwork exemplifies Petzlic’s unique ability to create landscapes that feel both real and unreal—evocative yet distilled. The image is a meditation on silence, distance, and the emotional resonance of open spaces.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY — PETZLIC

Petzlic emigrated from Hungary to the United States after World War II. A painting prodigy from age twelve, he continued his studies at the Art Students League of New York, gaining exposure to both European émigré modernism and American abstract expressionist approaches.

His work blends:

• Central European tonal landscape tradition,

• American Southwestern luminosity,

• A poetic form of abstracted horizon-painting,

• Soft atmospheric dissolves and broad gestures reminiscent of post-war modernism.

Petzlic exhibited in the U.S., Hungary, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland, and his works appear in private collections internationally.

Petzlic (Hungarian-American, mid-20th c.)
Silent Horizon
Acrylic on Paper | 36×24 in. | Signed
Provenance: Mitch Moore Gallery Inc., NYC
Minimalist tonal landscape with layered horizontal fields and small central tree cluster. Excellent vintage condition.

CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION

Artist: PETZLIC (Hungarian-American)
Title: Silent Horizon (assigned catalog title)
Medium: Acrylic on Paper
Dimensions: 36 × 24 in.
Signature: Lower right “Petzlic”
Date: c. 1960s–1980s
Provenance: Mitch Moore Gallery Inc., NYC → Artfind Gallery, Washington DC

Condition:
Excellent vintage condition; flat and clean paper surface; no tears, dents, foxing, or discoloration.

PROVENANCE CHAIN

1. Artist: Petzlic (Hungarian-American)

2. Gallery: Mitch Moore Gallery Inc., NYC (retired)

3. Private Dealer Transfer / Inventory Release

4. Current Owner: Artfind Gallery, Washington DC