Artist
Lee Krasner (American, 1908–1984)American, 1908–1984
CultureAmerican
Titles
- Blue and Black
Date1951–1953
PlaceNew York, United States
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions57 3/4 × 82 1/2 in. (146.7 × 209.6 cm)
Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by the Sarah Campbell Blaffer Foundation
Object number80.42
Current Location
The Nancy and Rich Kinder Building
Gallery 203
On view
Explore Further
Department
Modern and Contemporary ArtObject Type
was also profoundly engaged with the work
of Henri Matisse. She became acquainted
with his paintings during the 1930s, and the
1951–52 Matisse retrospective organized by
the Museum of Modern Art gave her further
opportunity to revisit his work. Blue and
Black is both a tribute to and a break from
this influence, echoing the French painter’s
Moroccan series in particular. However, Krasner
pushes further into pure pattern and abstraction. Close examination also reveals traces of
colorful underpainting, documenting Krasner’s
deliberate process of reduction as she established her signature style.
Provenance[Marlborough-Gerson Gallery, New York]; [The Pace Gallery, New York]; [Janie C. Lee Gallery, Houston]; purchased by MFAH, 1980.
Exhibition History“Lee Krasner: Large Paintings,” Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, November 13,1973–January 6, 1974.
“Woman’s Work-American Art ’74,” Museum of the Philadelphia Civic Center, Philadelphia, April 28–May 26, 1974.
“5 Action Painters of the ‘50’s,” Pace Gallery, September 21–October 13, 1979.
"Krasner/Pollock, A Working Relationship," Guild Hall Museum, East Hampton, New York, August 8–October 4, 1981; Grey Art Gallery and Study Center, New York University, November 4–December 12, 1981.
"Modern American Paintings," Pinacotheque National Musee Alexandre Soutzos, Athens, September 20–November 7, 1982.
"Lee Krasner: A Retrospective," The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, October 27, 1983–January 8, 1984; Chrysler Museum, Norfolk, Virginia, 1984; Phoenix Art Museum, 1984; Museum of Modern Art, New York, December 20, 1984–February 12, 1985.
"Abstract Expressionism: The Critical Developments," Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, September 19–November 1987.
"America: Painting a Nation," Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, November 8, 2013–February 9, 2014.
"Direction and Diversity: Twentieth Century Art in the Museum Collection,” The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, May 21–September 3, 1988.
"Lee Krasner - Jackson Pollack," Berner Kunstmuseum, Bern, Switzerland, November 24 1989–February 4, 1990.
"Texas Collects Willem de Kooning and His Contemporaries," The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, March 19–May 21, 1995.
"Modern and Contemporary Art: Spotlight on the Collection," The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, February 7–August 27, 2000.
"Art at Midcentury: Spotlight on the Collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston," The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, April 13–September 3, 2001.
"Action/Abstraction: Abstract Expressionism and Postwar America," The Jewish Museum, New York, May 4–September 21, 2008; Saint Louis Art Museum, Missouri, October 19, 2008–January 11, 2009; The Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York, February 13–June 16, 2009.
"Art Across America," National Museum of Korea, Seoul, Korea, February 4–May 19, 2013; Daejeon Museum of Art, Daejeon, Korea, June 17–September 1, 2013.
Catalogue raisonnéLandau, Ellen G. and Jeffrey D. Grove. Lee Krasner: A Catalogue Raisonné. New York: Abrams, 1995, no. 263, p. 128, illus. p. 129.
Cataloguing data may change with further research.
If you have questions about this work of art or the MFAH Online Collection please contact us.
Catherine Lee
1978
Oil, India ink, matte medium, and graphite on canvas
2009.461
