Radiante

Olga Albizu, Radiante, 1967, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of JPMorgan Chase, 2013.17
Olga Albizu, Radiante, 1967, oil on canvas, 6862 in. (172.7157.5 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of JPMorgan Chase, 2013.17

Artwork Details

Title
Radiante
Artist
Date
1967
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
6862 in. (172.7157.5 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of JPMorgan Chase
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Highlights
Subjects
  • Abstract
Object Number
2013.17

Artwork Description

In Radiante, Albizu rhythmically applied large blocks of pigment against a yellow background to orchestrate what she called “a conversation between color and form.” Her vivid palette conveys that, like other abstract expressionists, she believed in the emotive power of color. Albizu’s works are recognized worldwide because her canvases graced the covers of several RCA and Verve jazz albums, including the bossa nova classic Getz/Gilberto (1964). One of the first Puerto Rican artists to embrace abstraction, Albizu studied with painter Esteban Vicente before moving to New York City. There she became a student of Hans Hofmann, the German émigré artist who had a decisive impact on midcentury American art.

Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art, 2013

Description in Spanish

En Radiante, Albizu aplicó en forma rítmica grandes bloques de pigmento sobre un fondo amarillo para orquestar lo que llamaba una conversación entre el color y la forma”. Su vívida paleta expresa que, al igual que otros expresionistas abstractos, la artista creía en el poder emotivo del color. La obra de Albizu es mundialmente reconocida y sus telas han adornado las cubiertas de varios álbumes de jazz de RCA y Verve, incluyendo el clásico de la bossa nova Getz/​Gilberto (1964). Entre los primeros artistas puertorriqueños en adoptar la abstracción, Albizu estudió con el pintor Esteban Vicente antes de mudarse a Nueva York. Allí se convirtió en estudiante de Hans Hoffmann, el artista emigrado alemán que tuvo un impacto decisivo en el arte estadounidense de mediados de siglo.

Nuestra América: la presencia latina en el arte estadounidense, 2013

Works by this artist (3 items)

Calvin Black, Ruby Black, Untitled (Possum Trot Doll), ca. 1953-1972, carved and painted wood and fabric, Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Margaret Z. Robson Collection, Gift of John E. and Douglas O. Robson, 2016.38.4
Untitled (Possum Trot Doll)
Dateca. 1953-1972
carved and painted wood and fabric
Not on view
Calvin Black, Ruby Black, Gladys (Possum Trot Doll), ca. 1953-1972, carved and painted wood, fabric, sequins, and foil bow, Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Margaret Z. Robson Collection, Gift of John E. and Douglas O. Robson, 2016.38.3
Gladys (Possum Trot Doll)
Dateca. 1953-1972
carved and painted wood, fabric, sequins, and foil bow
Not on view
Calvin Black, Ruby Black, Sylvia (Possum Trot Doll), ca. 1953-1972, carved and painted redwood with fabric, cord, and nails, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr. and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1986.65.233
Sylvia (Possum Trot Doll)
Dateca. 1953-1972
carved and painted redwood with fabric, cord, and nails
Not on view

Related Books

OurAmerica_500.jpg
Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art
Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art explores how Latino artists shaped the artistic movements of their day and recalibrated key themes in American art and culture. This beautifully illustrated volume presents the rich and varied contributions of Latino artists in the United States since the mid-twentieth century, when the concept of a collective Latino identity began to emerge. Our America includes works by artists who participated in all the various artistic styles and movements, including abstract expressionism; activist, conceptual, and performance art; and classic American genres such as landscape, portraiture, and scenes of everyday life. 

More Artworks from the Collection

Louise Todd Cope, Flax II, ca. 1970s, flax and linen, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Helen Williams Drutt English and H. Peter Stern in honor of the 35th anniversary of the Renwick Gallery, 2007.47.8
Flax II
Dateca. 1970s
flax and linen
Not on view
Unidentified, Untitled (Child's quilt), ca. 1930, cotton and wool, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Patricia S. Smith, 2016.57.1
Untitled (Child’s quilt)
Artist
Unidentified
Dateca. 1930
cotton and wool
Not on view
Unidentified, Untitled (Amish Doll), ca. 1940, cotton, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Patricia S. Smith, 2016.57.11
Untitled (Amish Doll)
Artist
Unidentified
Dateca. 1940
cotton
Not on view
Richard Timothy Evans, Miss Havisham (Scrap Doll), ca. 1975, muslin and lace, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase, 1975.138
Miss Havisham (Scrap Doll)
Dateca. 1975
muslin and lace
Not on view