Object number1960.4.2
Lyric
Datec. 1951
Artist
Joan Mitchell
(American, 1925-1992)
CultureAmerican
MediumOil on canvas
DimensionsUnframed: 68 1/8 × 72 7/16 in. (173 × 184 cm)
Framed: 69 × 73 5/8 × 1 1/2 in. (175.3 × 187 × 3.8 cm)
Framed: 69 × 73 5/8 × 1 1/2 in. (175.3 × 187 × 3.8 cm)
Credit LineGift of William Rubin
On View
On viewPeriod20th c
Classification(s)
SignedSigned (BL): J. Mitchell
BibliographyNobuyuki, Okabe, "Paris--New York; Modern Paintings in 19th and 20th Century Master Works from the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, Vassar College," (Japan: Yamagata Museum of Art) Cat. no. 79, p. 137;
Roberts, Sarah, and Katy Siegel. Joan Mitchell. Baltimore, MD: The baltimore Museum of Art, and San Francisco, CA: San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 2020, p. 58 reprVassar Exhibitions
Exhibition HistoryJapan, Shimane Art Museum, "Paris--New York; Modern Paintings in 19th and 20th Century Master Works from the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York," March 7 - May 11, 2008. Cat. no. 79, p 137;Japan, Ishibashi Museum of Art, "Paris--New York; Modern Paintings in 19th and 20th Century Master Works from the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York," May 17 - July 20, 2008. Cat. no. , p .
Japan, Yamagata Museum of Art, "Paris--New York; Modern Paintings in 19th and 20th Century Master Works from the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York," July 30 - August 31, 2008. Cat. no. , p;
Japan. Fuchu Art Museum, "Paris--New York; Modern Paintings in 19th and 20th Century Master Works from the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York," September 6 - November 3, 2008. Cat. no. , p;
Japan, Miyazaki Prefectural Art Museum, "Paris--New York; Modern Paintings in 19th and 20th Century Master Works from the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York," November 14 - December 14, 2008. Cat. , p;
Middlebury, Vermont, Middlebury College Museum of Art, Middlebury College, " Rudy Burckhardt and Friends," January 16- March 18, 2001;
"Twentieth Century American Women Artists", September 18 - November 2, 2007. (Park Avenue Bank: New York);
Poughkeepsie, New York, The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, Vassar College, "Pictures of Nothing: Abstract Art from the Permanent Collection," July 12 - September 8, 2013;
Poughkeepsie, NY, FLLAC, Vassar College, "XL: Large-scale Paintings from the Permanent Collection," Jan 30 - March 29, 2015;
Joan Mitchell, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA, September 4, 2021 - January 17, 2022; Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, MD, March 6 - August 14, 2022;
Label TextJoan Mitchell, one of the most significant painters of the New York School, had a successful career that spanned five decades. Her paintings, with their vigorous, expressive brushwork in lush colors on a broad expanse of white, convey her affinity for nature and self-expression. The year this painting was completed Mitchell participated in the 9th Street Exhibition of Paintings and Sculpture organized by Leo Castelli and the Artists' Club along with such artists as Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, and Robert Motherwell. She was about 20 years younger than her male counterparts and was inspired by their use of color, line, and gesture to create dynamic visual rhythms that expressed her emotions and life experiences. “The freedom in my work is quite controlled,” she once explained. “I don’t close my eyes and hope for the best.” Lyric features a burst of bold color, energetic lines, and angular forms, yet the overall feel of the composition possesses a gracefulness that reflects the title. Mitchell’s interest in lyric poetry, which began during her years at Smith College, is also referenced in the title.
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge.
To help improve this record, please email
loebcollections@vassar.edu
Lillian Faye Barker
