Light Blue Nursery

Alma Thomas, Light Blue Nursery, 1966, acrylic on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1970.324
Alma Thomas, Light Blue Nursery, 1966, acrylic on canvas, 49 x 47 7⁄8 in. (124.4 x 121.5 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1970.324

Artwork Details

Title
Light Blue Nursery
Artist
Date
1966
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
49 x 47 7⁄8 in. (124.4 x 121.5 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of the artist
Mediums
Mediums Description
acrylic on canvas
Classifications
Highlights
Subjects
  • Abstract
Object Number
1970.324
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1970.324

Artwork Description

The chromatic impact of Light Blue Nursery is dramatic. Small blocks of irregularly configured primary colors dance across a bright white surface in horizontal rows that echo the ordered energy of a formal garden. Secondary and tertiary hues – pinks, purples, and greens – serve as borders and accents, reflecting Thomas’s conviction that she could play with perception and optical interaction in images drawn from her visual experience of the natural world. Although seemingly constructed of spontaneous strokes of the brush, the forms, like the colors, are thoughtfully calibrated.


African American Art: Harlem Renaissance, Civil Rights Era, and Beyond, 2012

Works by this artist (30 items)

View all artworks
Alma Thomas, Autumn Leaves Fluttering in the Breeze, 1973, acrylic on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of the artist, 1980.36.9
Autumn Leaves Fluttering in the Breeze
Artist
Date1973
acrylic on canvas
On view
Alma Thomas, Aquatic Gardens, 1973, acrylic on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of the artist, 1980.36.7
Aquatic Gardens
Artist
Date1973
acrylic on canvas
On view
Alma Thomas, Snoopy--Early Sun Display on Earth, 1970, acrylic on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Vincent Melzac, 1976.140.1
Snoopy – Early Sun Display on Earth
Artist
Date1970
acrylic on canvas
On view
Alma Thomas, Red Azaleas Singing and Dancing Rock and Roll Music, 1976, acrylic on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of the artist, 1980.36.2A-C
Red Azaleas Singing and Dancing Rock and Roll Music
Artist
Date1976
acrylic on canvas
On view

Exhibitions

Alma Thomas, The Eclipse, 1970, acrylic on canvas
Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas
September 15, 2023–August 4, 2024
Smithsonian American Art Museum
The exhibition Composing Color: Paintings by Alma Thomas provides an intimate view of Alma Thomas’ evolving artistic practices during her most prolific period from 1959 to her death in 1978.

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Katie Hondorf
Public Affairs Specialist
Detail of abstract painting showing different bands of different colors.
ExhibitionsFrom the Collection02/06/2024
In Focus: Light Blue Nursery
A garden blooms in Alma Thomas's exuberant painting.
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