Mare Imbrium

Nancy Grossman, Mare Imbrium, 1981-1982, paper, aniline dyes, ink, and graphite on board, sheet: 47 ¹⁄₂ x 60 ¹⁄₈ in. (120.5 x 152.6 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Sara Roby Foundation, 1985.30.20, © 1982, Nancy Grossman

Artwork Details

Title: Mare Imbrium
Artist: Nancy Grossman
Date: 1981-1982
Location: Not on view
Dimensions: sheet: 47 ¹⁄₂ x 60 ¹⁄₈ in. (120.5 x 152.6 cm)
Copyright: © 1982, Nancy Grossman
Credit Line: Gift of the Sara Roby Foundation
Mediums: graphite
paper
ink
Mediums Description: paper, aniline dyes, ink, and graphite on board
Subjects: Abstract
Object Number: 1985.30.20
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1985.30.20

Artwork Description

Mare Imbrium, Latin for “sea of showers,” is the name of a huge crater on the moon caused by a meteor hitting the lunar surface some 3.8 billion years ago. A patchwork of stained and pasted bits of paper, the surface of Grossman’s collage captures the earth-bound view of light and shadows that cross the ancient “ocean.”

Modern American Realism: The Sara Roby Foundation Collection, 2014