In Rhythm of Bird Flight Erika Giovanna Klien transformed a brightly feathered bird and its dynamic flight into an image of subtle harmony and vibrancy. Based in Austria throughout her early career, Klien was a leading artist associated with Viennese Kineticism, an avant-garde movement whose members were known for their abstract pictures based on familiar objects seen in motion. When the artist emigrated to New York in 1929, she continued to work in this style, making images of modern machines, such as an egg beater and a meat grinder. Unlike Klien’s work that focuses on patternsproduced mechanically, this painting takes inspiration from the natural world.