Clyfford Still

American, 1904-1980

1957-D-No. 1

Clyfford Still (American, 1904-1980). 1957-D-No. 1, 1957. Oil on canvas, 113 x 159 inches (287 x 403.9 cm). Collection Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York; Gift of Seymour H. Knox, Jr., 1959 (K1959:26). © City and County of Denver / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

© City and County of Denver / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

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© City and County of Denver / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Image downloads are for educational use only. For all other purposes, please see our Obtaining and Using Images page.

1957-D-No. 1, 1957

Artwork Details

Currently on View

Collection Highlight

Materials

oil on canvas

Measurements

support: 113 x 159 inches (287.02 x 403.86 cm); framed: 114 3/4 x 161 1/2 x 2 5/8 inches (291.47 x 410.21 x 6.67 cm)

Collection Buffalo AKG Art Museum

Credit

Gift of Seymour H. Knox, Jr., 1959

Accession ID

K1959:26

Dramatic in its scale and sharp contrasting colors, 1957-D-No. 1 (PH-48) exemplifies Clyfford Still’s ability to create visually complex yet balanced compositions—each jagged jolt of yellow and beige seamlessly interconnects with the dense black surface. The work’s paradox lies in the way that the opposition between color and black creates an energetic tension between advancing and receding space. 

1957-D-No. 1 is one of two paintings by Still that entered the museum’s collection in the late 1950s. Gordon M. Smith, then the museum’s director, and Seymour H. Knox, Jr., worked hard to win Still's trust and finally convinced him of their sincere interest in his work. After Smith invited Still to organize his own large-scale survey, the artist’s first, at the museum in 1959, Still donated thirty-one paintings to the Albright-Knox in 1964.

Label from Shade: Clyfford Still / Mark Bradford, May 26–October 2, 2016