Way Down Blue

Balcomb Greene, Way Down Blue, 1945, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Patricia and Phillip Frost, 1986.92.44
Copied Balcomb Greene, Way Down Blue, 1945, oil on canvas, 20 x 29 15⁄16 in. (50.8 x 76.0 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Patricia and Phillip Frost, 1986.92.44

Artwork Details

Title
Way Down Blue
Artist
Date
1945
Location
Dimensions
20 x 29 15⁄16 in. (50.8 x 76.0 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Patricia and Phillip Frost
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Keywords
  • Figure female
  • Abstract
Object Number
1986.92.44
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1986.92.44

Artwork Description

Many of the lines and shapes in Balcomb Greene’s abstract paintings suggest recognizable forms. In Way Down Blue the zigzagging line through the center of the image evokes the horizon of a surreal landscape, and the curved black shape to the left resembles a female figure standing against a long white wall. Greene created a dramatic sense of depth by painting the white shapes so that they appear to recede into the distance. He plays with the relationships between the forms, painting lines and shadows to highlight the space between them.