Number 23, 1951
Artist
Jackson Pollock
(American, 1912-1956)
Date1951
MediumEnamel on canvas
Dimensions58 1/2 × 47 in. (148.6 × 119.4 cm)
Overall, Frame: 60 3/4 × 49 1/4 × 2 1/4 in. (154.3 × 125.1 × 5.7 cm)
Overall, Frame: 60 3/4 × 49 1/4 × 2 1/4 in. (154.3 × 125.1 × 5.7 cm)
ClassificationsModern art
Credit LineGift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.
Object number83.592
Terms
- Abstract
- anthropomorphic
- Black
- White
- Abstract Expressionist
- New York
Collections
On View
On viewLabel TextJackson Pollock American, 1912–1956 Number 23, 1951, 1951 Enamel on canvas Jackson Pollock gained international acclaim by dripping paint directly onto canvas to create immensely colorful works. In 1951, he temporarily turned away from his signature technique to make a group of exclusively black “pourings.” Here, thinned enamel paint, flung or squirted from a large basting syringe, seeped into the unprimed canvas and dried very slowly, blending and combining the artist’s gestural swirls. While some previous works had been non-representational—complete abstractions—Pollock’s black paintings often included mysterious figures from his subconscious, like the face, breasts, or hands seen here. This work, thus, shows his interest in psychology, as well as his ongoing experiments with the materials and processes of painting. Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. 83.592
