1946‑H (Indian Red and Black)

Clyfford Still, 1946-H (Indian Red and Black), 1946, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase from the Vincent Melzac Collection through the Smithsonian Institution Collections Acquisition Program, 1980.5.10
Clyfford Still, 1946-H (Indian Red and Black), 1946, oil on canvas, 78 1⁄4 x 68 3⁄8 in. (198.8 x 173.7 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase from the Vincent Melzac Collection through the Smithsonian Institution Collections Acquisition Program, 1980.5.10

Artwork Details

Title
1946‑H (Indian Red and Black)
Artist
Date
1946
Location
Dimensions
78 1⁄4 x 68 3⁄8 in. (198.8 x 173.7 cm.)
Credit Line
Museum purchase from the Vincent Melzac Collection through the Smithsonian Institution Collections Acquisition Program
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Abstract
Object Number
1980.5.10
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1980.5.10

Artwork Description

Clyfford Still often worked using a painter's knife, creating surfaces that are thickly slathered and carved rather than brushed. He was one of the first artists in the United States to discard descriptive titles, using a combination of dates and letters to identify his works instead. He wanted viewers to approach his paintings without preconceptions. "I want no allusions to interfere with or assist the spectator," he stated. "I want [the viewer] to be on [their] own."

What do you see in the jagged shapes and rich color of 1946-H?

Works by this artist (314 items)

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Henry Wolf, Portrait of a Lady, 1906, wood engraving on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 1973.130.228
Portrait of a Lady
Artist
Date1906
wood engraving on paper
Not on view
Henry Wolf, Mrs. Alexander Campbell, 1913, photomechanical wood engraving on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 1973.130.282
Mrs. Alexander Campbell
Artist
Date1913
photomechanical wood engraving on paper
Not on view
Henry Wolf, Mrs. Deborah Franklin, 1898, wood engraving on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 1973.130.160
Mrs. Deborah Franklin
Artist
Date1898
wood engraving on paper
Not on view
Henry Wolf, Miss Eleanor Gordon, 1908, photomechanical wood engraving on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 1973.130.238
Miss Eleanor Gordon
Artist
Date1908
photomechanical wood engraving on paper
Not on view

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Artist
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linocut
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Claire Falkenstein, Untitled, 1976, embossed paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Falkenstein Foundation, 2019.27.18, ©1997, The Falkenstein Foundation
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Artist
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Claire Falkenstein, Mandala, 1977, lithograph, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Falkenstein Foundation, 2019.27.19, ©1997, The Falkenstein Foundation
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Artist
Date1977
lithograph
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Image Not Available
Les Quais de la Seine a Paris
Artist
Date1917
hand-colored etching on postcard
Not on view