New Canaan

Michael Goldberg, New Canaan, 1959, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift from the Vincent Melzac Collection, 1980.6.10
Copied Michael Goldberg, New Canaan, 1959, oil on canvas, 30 1⁄4 x 35 in. (76.8 x 88.9 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift from the Vincent Melzac Collection, 1980.6.10

Artwork Details

Title
New Canaan
Artist
Date
1959
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
30 1⁄4 x 35 in. (76.8 x 88.9 cm)
Credit Line
Gift from the Vincent Melzac Collection
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Abstract
Object Number
1980.6.10
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1980.6.10

Artwork Description

An abstract expressionist artist, Michael Goldberg was known for his aggressive, gestural canvases. In the mid-1950s he began painting with large brushes, spatulas, and trowels to bring greater speed and spontaneity to his work. In New Canaan, broad bands of black, brown, white, and yellow are layered on top of each other in the traditional vocabulary of foreground and background. The diagonal yellow band emphasizes the foreground and gives the painting a sense of depth. This blocky structuring of color shows the influence of Hans Hofmann, one of Goldberg's first teachers. The title could refer to the town of New Canaan, Connecticut, where Goldberg often spent his summers at vacation spots outside New York City. (Paul Schimmel et al., Action/Precision: The New Direction in New York 1955-60, 1984)

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