1946‑H (Indian Red and Black)

Clyfford Still, 1946-H (Indian Red and Black), 1946, oil on canvas, 78 ¹⁄₄ x 68 ³⁄₈ in. (198.8 x 173.7 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase from the Vincent Melzac Collection through the Smithsonian Institution Collections Acquisition Program, 1980.5.10

Artwork Details

Title: 1946‑H (Indian Red and Black)
Artist: Clyfford Still
Date: 1946
Location: Smithsonian American Art Museum
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3rd Floor
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North Wing
Dimensions: 78 ¹⁄₄ x 68 ³⁄₈ in. (198.8 x 173.7 cm.)
Credit Line: Museum purchase from the Vincent Melzac Collection through the Smithsonian Institution Collections Acquisition Program
Mediums: oil
Mediums Description: oil on canvas
Classifications: Painting
Subjects: Abstract
Object Number: 1980.5.10
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1980.5.10

Artwork Description

Clyfford Still often worked using a painter's knife, creating surfaces that are thickly slathered and carved rather than brushed. He was one of the first artists in the United States to discard descriptive titles, using a combination of dates and letters to identify his works instead. He wanted viewers to approach his paintings without preconceptions. "I want no allusions to interfere with or assist the spectator," he stated. "I want [the viewer] to be on [their] own."

What do you see in the jagged shapes and rich color of 1946-H?