Composition No. 3

canvas, Sam Francis's new ideas most often emerged in his watercolors. Around the time he made Composition No. 3, Francis became preoccupied by the balance of density and openness in his paintings. This fascination is revealed here through a vertical spine of color framed by unpainted white paper. A gifted colorist, Francis punctuated his composition with drips, splatters and dry brushstrokes. His colorful shapes became more clearly defined in the late 1950s. This shift was due to the influence on Francis's painting of French artist Henri Matisse's work with cut paper.

Gift of the Friends of Art Memorial Fund