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Sam Francis Paintings

American, 1923-1994

Sam Francis was an American artist known for his exuberantly colorful, large-scale abstract paintings. His practice incorporated elements from Abstract Expressionism, Color Field painting, Impressionism and Eastern philosophy to create a unique style of painterly abstraction.

Influenced by Jackson Pollock and Clyfford Still, Francis is more closely associated to the work of Helen Frankenthaler, as he was more interested in the formal arrangement of the picture plane than the expressivity of the individual artist. “Painting is about the beauty of space and the power of containment,” Francis once reflected.

Born on June 25, 1923 in San Mateo, California, Francis briefly served in the US Air Force during World War II but was injured during a test flight. Returning to California, he received his BA and MA from UC Berkeley in botany and psychology before beginning to pursue a career in art. The artist traveled widely during his career, and he was closely aligned with the Art Informel movement while living abroad in Paris during the 1950s.

Francis died on November 4, 1994 in Santa Monica, California, at the age of 71. He was a founding trustee of Los Angeles’s Museum of Contemporary Art, and his paintings can be found in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Kunstmuseum Basel, and the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, among others.

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Creator: Sam Francis
Abstract Sam Francis Artist Proof Lithograph
Abstract Sam Francis Artist Proof Lithograph

Abstract Sam Francis Artist Proof Lithograph

By Sam Francis

Located in Palm Springs, CA

Abstract Sam Francis (1923-1994) Artist Proof lithograph from the early 1960s. This piece was acquired in 1984 from the Smith Anderson Gallery. Fram...

Category

1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Sam Francis Paintings

Materials

Paper

Sam Francis, Colored Lithograph, Pink Venus, Proof of Artist
Sam Francis, Colored Lithograph, Pink Venus, Proof of Artist

Sam Francis, Colored Lithograph, Pink Venus, Proof of Artist

By Sam Francis

Located in Toledo, OH

Sam Francis (American, 1923-1994) was dubbed "the hottest American Painter in Paris" by Time magazine in 1956 for introducing his exciting, colorful style of abstraction. Francis, who was born in 1923, in San Mateo, started making art as part of his therapy while he was hospitalized for spinal tuberculosis during World War II. In less than a decade, he would be hailed as a celebrity in Paris for introducing an exciting, modern idea to the city, and eventually he would win international acclaim for his bright, colorful abstractions, which have been described as colored spaetzli, platelets, and protozoa. Sam Francis, Colored Lithograph paint splatters of blue, green, yellow and red with the names and initials of MA2, Kiki, Pink Venus...

Category

20th Century Sam Francis Paintings

Materials

Paper

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Sam Francis paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Sam Francis paintings are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of paper and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Sam Francis paintings, although beige editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original paintings by Sam Francis were created in the mid-century modern style in united states during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider paintings by Arnold Weber, John B. Lear, and George Renouard. Prices for Sam Francis paintings can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $5,995 and can go as high as $12,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $8,998.