Skip to Content
Closed now, next open tomorrow. Closed now, next open tomorrow.

Iron Sharpens Iron

A work made of oil on linen.

Image actions

  • A work made of oil on linen.

Date:

1993

Artist:

Louise Fishman
American, 1939-2021

About this artwork

In her bold and large-scale paintings, Louise Fishman expands the tradition of Abstract Expressionism through
continuous experimenting with composition and form. Exuding a dynamic interplay of fluid gesture and grid,
Iron Sharpens Iron exemplifies the vertically oriented compositions of the artist’s work of the early 1990s. Her brushstrokes evoke Chinese and Japanese calligraphy, inspired in part by her daily Buddhist meditation practice. The work’s formal iconography developed out of Fishman’s career-long investigations into the abstract and contemplative qualities of painting.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Contemporary Art

Artist

Louise Fishman

Title

Iron Sharpens Iron

Place

United States (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.

1993

Medium

Oil on linen

Dimensions

279.4 × 177.8 cm (110 × 70 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Robert Miller and Sarah Wittenborn Miller

Reference Number

1997.893

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.

Share

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.

Learn more

Image actions

Share