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Black and White

A work made of oil on canvas.
© 2018 Estate of Ad Reinhardt / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

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  • A work made of oil on canvas.

Date:

1947

Artist:

Ad Reinhardt
American, 1913-1967

About this artwork

This visually electric work demonstrates Ad Reinhardt’s early exploration of the ways black and white paints
reflect and absorb light, appear when applied in thin washes or thick impasto, adhere to a canvas, and
respond to a brush. Black and White also reveals Reinhardt’s nuanced understanding of the sometimes surprising material and perceptual effects of color, which he rigorously addressed through the color black’s multiple optical possibilities. Although the artist largely abandoned gestural abstraction by the early 1950s in favor of rigid geometric structures, Reinhardt continued to pursue a robust argument in his paintings against the commonly perceived emptiness or invisibility of black.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Contemporary Art

Artist

Ad Reinhardt

Title

Black and White

Place

Hartford (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1947

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

152.4 × 101.6 cm (60 × 40 in.)

Credit Line

Purchased with funds provided by Dr. and Mrs. Edwin J. De Costa and the Walter E. Heller Foundation

Reference Number

1981.76

Copyright

© 2018 Estate of Ad Reinhardt / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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