Originally organized by the Société Anonyme for the Brooklyn Museum, The International Exhibition of Modern Art traveled to the Albright Art Gallery in early 1927. The purpose of the Société Anonyme and the exhibitions they organized was educational: to promote the study of experimental modern art by increasing access to this work, much of which was being created in Europe. As artist and exhibition curator Katherine S. Dreier wrote in her introduction to the catalogue, “If any young talent has been safeguarded through this exhibition from misdirected efforts and has been helped to remain true to himself and not feel the need to compromise with the public, [which] does not yet understand, we feel that we have served our purpose.”

The International Exhibition of Modern Art featured more than three hundred contemporary works by 106 artists representing twenty-three countries, including Constantin Brancusi, Giorgio de Chirico, Naum Gabo, Juan Gris, Fernand Léger, El Lissitzky, Piet Mondrian, and Kurt Schwitters.