In the 1940s, Philip Guston's art underwent significant transformations, marked by a departure from his earlier political mural work to a focus on more personal and abstract themes. This decade was pivotal in Guston's career, laying the groundwork for his later shifts between figuration and abstraction. Guston's early work in the 1940s continued his engagement with social and political themes, influenced by his experiences with the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression. His work from this period included murals that combined influences from Renaissance masters and Mexican muralists, demonstrating Guston's interest in blending historical art traditions with contemporary social commentary​ (The Art Story)​​ (Wikipedia)​. However, the latter part of the 1940s marked a significant shift in Guston's approach to art. He began to move away from the explicit political content of his murals, focusing instead on more abstract and symbolic forms. This transition was influenced by his interactions with other artists in New York, where he became part of the emerging Abstract Expressionist movement. Guston's work from this period explored the possibilities of abstraction, using color, form, and gestural brushwork to convey emotional depth and complexity rather than literal political messages​ (The Art Story)​. Despite these shifts, Guston's work remained deeply personal and reflective of his own experiences and observations of the world. The 1940s set the stage for Guston's later explorations of abstraction and figuration, demonstrating his willingness to challenge artistic conventions and explore new ways of expressing the human condition through art. The 1940s were a decade of exploration and transition for Guston, reflecting both his commitment to social engagement and his growing interest in the expressive possibilities of abstract art. His work from this period highlights the tensions and contradictions that would continue to define his career, as he navigated between the political and the personal, the figurative and the abstract​ (Wikipedia)​.