THE COLLECTION
Relief with Blue
Ellsworth Kelly (American, born 1923)
1950. Oil on wood, 44 7/8 x 17 1/2" (114 x 44.5 cm). Fractional and promised gift of Donald L. Bryant, Jr. in honor of Kirk Varnedoe. © 2010 Ellsworth Kelly
2470.2001
Focus: Ellsworth Kelly
2007
In 1949 Kelly saw a Parisian repertory production of Hamlet that relied only on black and gray curtains of varying depths and widths for changes of scene and colored lights to change the mood. Kelly's sketch of one particular curtain design inspired this wood construction. The juxtaposition of the rectangle with the curvilinear panels is a formal theme that continued to preoccupy him, as did the bright light–blue color first used in this work. The curved wood components anticipate the shaped canvases of his New York work.
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