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
Copied 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?