(San Mateo/CA 1923–1994 Santa Monica/CA)
Untitled - SFP89–40, 1989, signed on the reverse Sam Francis, acrylic on canvas, stamped twice Sam Francis Foundation, numbered on the stretcher SFP89–40, 122 x 91 cm, framed

Certificate of Authenticity:
The Sam Francis Estate, Venice, CA, 29. February 2000

This work is registered with the identification number SFP89-40 in the Sam Francis: Online Catalogue Raisonné Project.

Provenance:
Estate of the artist, California (1994) – directly from the artist
Gallery Nico Delaive, Amsterdam (1996)
Gallery Guy Pieters, Knokke
Private collection, North Rhine-Westphalia - acquired from the above

Exhibited:
Galerie Jean Fournier, Paris, Sam Francis. Une exposition pour nos anniversaires, 16. March 1991 – 26. April 1991
Galerie Michael Haas, Berlin, Sam Francis. Late Works, 01. November 1996–30. November 1996 (label on the reverse)
Gallery Delaive, Amsterdam, Sam Francis, 19. October 1997–23.11.1997

"A sketch simply has to be spontaneous. That doesn’t apply to a painting, although it might do. I do not produce any preparatory drawings for a certain picture. I don’t prepare the painting, I prepare myself. […]”

Sam Francis from Pontus Hulten, Das Innere der Engel, in: Sam Francis, The Shadow of Colors, Ed. Ingrid Mössinger, Edition Stemmle, 1995, p. 18

U.S. artist Sam Francis, who died in 1994, is known for his exuberant, colorful, large scale, abstract paintings. He combined different styles and art movements, creating a unique style whose variety of forms and colours testify to the great energy with which he contributed to the advancement of abstract painting.

Heavily infl uenced by Jackson Pollock, Francis initially orientated himself towards Abstract Expressionism, fi nding his personal painting style during the 1950s, when he lived in Paris and was closely associated with the Informel movement. In the 1960s, he developed his style further creating an individual form of so-called ‘drip ping’. This is a painting technique in which the artist directs the colours over the pictorial support with circular and splashing movements. Sam Francis’ paintings de rive their powerful effect from the strong contrasts of the primary colours red, blue and yellow, whose luminosity is intensifi ed by a white background and a deliberate accentuation with black. The paintings reveal how Francis directed the colours ac ross the canvas - allowing the fl ow of paint a certain amount of freedom, whilst preserving full control of his circling and splattering movements.

His special technique led to ever new colour and form combinations that never fail to fascinate the viewer. The present painting illustrates particularly well both Francis’ dripping technique and his spontaneous, intuitive application of paint, captivating its viewers through its vivid chromatic contrasts. The work is especially characterised by the power of its expressive hues, fl owing into each other to form a colorful fabric that seems to fl oat on the white canvas. Francis’ special application of paint creates ever new combina tions of forms. The painting gives an impression of lightness, becoming a veritable visual experience.

The interplay of foreground and background of the individual colour fi elds creates depth, turning the canvas into a single colour space - a piece of infi nity captured in a picture.