C & O

Name: C & O
Brand: Franz Kline
Price: 189.0 USD
Availability: InStock

1958 · oil · Franz Kline

From $49.00

To the Trade

Trade members save up to 30% off retail.Log in or apply for Trade Membership to see your price.

See it in a room

C & O by Franz Kline, shown at 28 × 42 in (71.1 × 106.7 cm) in Ramino Opaque White, den — Shown at 28 × 42 in (71.1 × 106.7 cm) · Framed paper, Ramino Opaque White · Den

C & O by Franz Kline, shown at 28 × 42 in (71.1 × 106.7 cm) in Ramino Night Silver, media room — Shown at 28 × 42 in (71.1 × 106.7 cm) · Framed paper, Ramino Night Silver · Media room

C & O by Franz Kline, shown at 28 × 42 in (71.1 × 106.7 cm) in Ramino Satin Black, boardroom — Shown at 28 × 42 in (71.1 × 106.7 cm) · Framed paper, Ramino Satin Black · Boardroom

Story

Dark, heavy black strokes sweep across the canvas, slashing and curving with force, while patches of white break through underneath them. Scattered touches of red, blue, and yellow punctuate the dense black field, giving the composition small bursts of color against the overall darkness. The painting, called C & O, was made by Franz Kline in 1958, using oil paint, and is held today at the National Gallery of Art. It came into the collection as a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Burton Tremaine. Kline, who lived from 1910 to 1962 and worked in the United States, painted within the abstract expressionist and action painting movements, favoring large, forceful gestures over recognizable imagery. One detail worth noticing is how the black strokes seem to collide and overlap, creating a sense of structure and motion built almost entirely from a few sweeping marks and the sparing use of bright color.