Red and Blue Composition

Ad Reinhardt, Red and Blue Composition, 1941, oil on fiberboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Patricia and Phillip Frost, 1986.92.76
Ad Reinhardt, Red and Blue Composition, 1941, oil on fiberboard, 23 1229 12 in. (59.774.9 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Patricia and Phillip Frost, 1986.92.76

Artwork Details

Title
Red and Blue Composition
Artist
Date
1941
Dimensions
23 1229 12 in. (59.774.9 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Patricia and Phillip Frost
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on fiberboard
Classifications
Subjects
  • Abstract
Object Number
1986.92.76

Artwork Description

Ad Reinhardt rejected any associations between his work and the world around him, believing that the paintings should express only themselves and not attempt to imitate nature. Here, he used vibrant shades of red and blue against a dark background to create an image that jumps forward from the surface. The pure white shapes appear luminous, as if a bright light is shining through the canvas. We notice the red, white, and blue shapes immediately, but the black background also creates a geometric pattern in the spaces between the colors.

Works by this artist (81 items)

East Baltimore Documentary Survey Project
Dateca. 1975
gelatin silver print
Not on view
Linda Rich, Houses were built in close proximity to packing houses and canneries at the turn of the century, 1977-1980, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the National Endowment for the Arts, 1983.63.1098, © 1975, George Jadowski
Houses were built in close proximity to packing houses and…
Date1977-1980
gelatin silver print
Not on view
Linda Rich, McElderry Park, 1979, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the National Endowment for the Arts, 1983.63.1161, © 1975, George Jadowski
McElderry Park
Date1979
gelatin silver print
Not on view
Linda Rich, Neighborhood boys by the Bankard-Gunther Mansion, Butchers Hill. The mansion, built in 1864, was originally the home of a well-to-do butcher who amassed his fortune during the Civil War by selling his beef and pork products to the Union Army, 1977-1980, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the National Endowment for the Arts, 1983.63.1154, © 1975, George Jadowski
Neighborhood boys by the Bankard-Gunther Mansion, Butchers…
Date1977-1980
gelatin silver print
Not on view

More Artworks from the Collection

Bently
Dateca. 1975
gelatin silver print
Not on view
Lure of the Sea
Dateca. 1975
gelatin silver print
Not on view
Eugene Von Bruenchenhein, Untitled, ca. 1945-1950, gelatin silver print, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Lewis and Jean Greenblatt, 2002.86.9
Untitled
Dateca. 1945-1950
gelatin silver print
Not on view