Red Sunset, Old Pond Concerto

Bands of color rise in loose vertical strokes across the canvas, with deep reds dominating the surface while patches of blue, teal, and cream break through the rhythm, giving the whole composition a sense of pulsing warmth and movement. The piece, titled Red Sunset, Old Pond Concerto, was created in 1970 and is held at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Its maker, Alma Thomas (1891–1978), was an American artist associated with the Washington Color School and Color Field painting, and she also worked as an art educator and draftsperson. Looking closely, the strokes are not uniform; each one varies slightly in width and tone, so the eye catches small interruptions of cooler color threaded through the dominant red, creating a flickering, mosaic-like texture across the vertical stripes.