Sam Francis, Untitled, 1983

Artist: Sam Francis (1923 - 1994)
Title:Untitled, 1983
Reference:Bläse 277
Medium:Unique Original Monotype with oil paint, dry pigment, ink, and watercolor on handmade paper
Image Size:24 3/8 in x 29 1/2 in (62.7 cm x 74.8 cm)
Sheet Size:24 3/8 in x 29 1/2 in (62.7 cm x 74.8 cm)
Framed Size:35 5/16 in x 30 5/8 in (89.7 cm x 77.8 cm)
Edition:Unique Original Monotype with oil paint, dry pigment, ink, and watercolor on handmade paper
Signature:This work is hand signed by Sam Francis (San Mateo CA, 1923 – Santa Monica CA, 1994) in pencil on the verso.
Condition:This work is in excellent condition.
ID #w-6751

Historical Description

Sam Francis Untitled, 1983 gives color new life through dynamic layering and compositional depth. The rich darkness of the background creates visual depth, while its wooden texture conjures thematic relations to nature and the Earth. A green swirl animates the layers of color concentrated along the central axis of the work, evoking a sense of movement akin to the spinning of the Earth. Pink, blue, and orange blots dance along the outer edges of the central mass, which further play upon the illusionist movement of the swirl. Colorful thin lines draw spontaneous connections among the layers of color as well as fracture their solid surfaces. These visual connections via color and abstraction illustrate Francis’ fascination with the cosmos and how art can serve as a means of transportation.

Created in 1983, Sam Francis Untitled is a unique original monotype with oil paint, dry pigment, ink, and watercolor on handmade paper. The work is also hand signed by Sam Francis (San Mateo CA, 1923 – Santa Monica CA, 1994) in pencil on the verso.

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:
Sam Francis Untitled is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that will accompany the sale of the work).

1. Daco Verlag Günter Bläse, pub., The Monotypes of Sam Francis, Stuttgart, 1994, illustrated p. 277.
2. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this artwork.

About the Framing:
Framed to museum-grade, conservation standards Sam Francis Untitled, 1983 is presented in a complementary moulding and finished with silk-wrapped mats and optical grade Plexiglas.