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LEON POLK SMITH (1906-1996)

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<div><font face=Lato size=3>Leon Polk Smith’s "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red" (1968) is a striking example of the artist’s radical exploration of form and color in postwar abstraction. Executed in acrylic on canvas, the work consists of four rounded-square panels arranged in a diamond formation. Each panel bears a crisp division of color: black at the outer edge, paired with one of four luminous hues—blue, violet, green, and red—creating a rhythmic interplay of symmetry and variation. </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3>Smith was a central figure in the development of hard-edge painting and geometric abstraction, aligned with contemporaries such as Ellsworth Kelly and Carmen Herrera. His "Constellation" series, begun in the 1960s, was groundbreaking for its use of multiple shaped canvases installed directly on the wall, eschewing traditional frames in favor of compositions that expand dynamically into surrounding space. </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3>While Smith was highly prolific in both works on paper and monumental single-panel paintings, multi-panel "Constellation" works remain less common within his oeuvre. Today, his paintings are represented in major institutions including The Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Brooklyn Museum. In "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red", the clarity of Smith’s vision is on full display—color and geometry united in a constellation that feels both precise and expansive, disciplined yet alive with visual energy. </font></div>
<div><font face=Lato size=3>Leon Polk Smith’s "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red" (1968) is a striking example of the artist’s radical exploration of form and color in postwar abstraction. Executed in acrylic on canvas, the work consists of four rounded-square panels arranged in a diamond formation. Each panel bears a crisp division of color: black at the outer edge, paired with one of four luminous hues—blue, violet, green, and red—creating a rhythmic interplay of symmetry and variation. </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3>Smith was a central figure in the development of hard-edge painting and geometric abstraction, aligned with contemporaries such as Ellsworth Kelly and Carmen Herrera. His "Constellation" series, begun in the 1960s, was groundbreaking for its use of multiple shaped canvases installed directly on the wall, eschewing traditional frames in favor of compositions that expand dynamically into surrounding space. </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3>While Smith was highly prolific in both works on paper and monumental single-panel paintings, multi-panel "Constellation" works remain less common within his oeuvre. Today, his paintings are represented in major institutions including The Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Brooklyn Museum. In "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red", the clarity of Smith’s vision is on full display—color and geometry united in a constellation that feels both precise and expansive, disciplined yet alive with visual energy. </font></div> <div><font face=Lato size=3>Leon Polk Smith’s "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red" (1968) is a striking example of the artist’s radical exploration of form and color in postwar abstraction. Executed in acrylic on canvas, the work consists of four rounded-square panels arranged in a diamond formation. Each panel bears a crisp division of color: black at the outer edge, paired with one of four luminous hues—blue, violet, green, and red—creating a rhythmic interplay of symmetry and variation. </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3>Smith was a central figure in the development of hard-edge painting and geometric abstraction, aligned with contemporaries such as Ellsworth Kelly and Carmen Herrera. His "Constellation" series, begun in the 1960s, was groundbreaking for its use of multiple shaped canvases installed directly on the wall, eschewing traditional frames in favor of compositions that expand dynamically into surrounding space. </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3>While Smith was highly prolific in both works on paper and monumental single-panel paintings, multi-panel "Constellation" works remain less common within his oeuvre. Today, his paintings are represented in major institutions including The Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Brooklyn Museum. In "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red", the clarity of Smith’s vision is on full display—color and geometry united in a constellation that feels both precise and expansive, disciplined yet alive with visual energy. </font></div> <div><font face=Lato size=3>Leon Polk Smith’s "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red" (1968) is a striking example of the artist’s radical exploration of form and color in postwar abstraction. Executed in acrylic on canvas, the work consists of four rounded-square panels arranged in a diamond formation. Each panel bears a crisp division of color: black at the outer edge, paired with one of four luminous hues—blue, violet, green, and red—creating a rhythmic interplay of symmetry and variation. </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3>Smith was a central figure in the development of hard-edge painting and geometric abstraction, aligned with contemporaries such as Ellsworth Kelly and Carmen Herrera. His "Constellation" series, begun in the 1960s, was groundbreaking for its use of multiple shaped canvases installed directly on the wall, eschewing traditional frames in favor of compositions that expand dynamically into surrounding space. </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3>While Smith was highly prolific in both works on paper and monumental single-panel paintings, multi-panel "Constellation" works remain less common within his oeuvre. Today, his paintings are represented in major institutions including The Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Brooklyn Museum. In "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red", the clarity of Smith’s vision is on full display—color and geometry united in a constellation that feels both precise and expansive, disciplined yet alive with visual energy. </font></div> <div><font face=Lato size=3>Leon Polk Smith’s "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red" (1968) is a striking example of the artist’s radical exploration of form and color in postwar abstraction. Executed in acrylic on canvas, the work consists of four rounded-square panels arranged in a diamond formation. Each panel bears a crisp division of color: black at the outer edge, paired with one of four luminous hues—blue, violet, green, and red—creating a rhythmic interplay of symmetry and variation. </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3>Smith was a central figure in the development of hard-edge painting and geometric abstraction, aligned with contemporaries such as Ellsworth Kelly and Carmen Herrera. His "Constellation" series, begun in the 1960s, was groundbreaking for its use of multiple shaped canvases installed directly on the wall, eschewing traditional frames in favor of compositions that expand dynamically into surrounding space. </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3>While Smith was highly prolific in both works on paper and monumental single-panel paintings, multi-panel "Constellation" works remain less common within his oeuvre. Today, his paintings are represented in major institutions including The Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Brooklyn Museum. In "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red", the clarity of Smith’s vision is on full display—color and geometry united in a constellation that feels both precise and expansive, disciplined yet alive with visual energy. </font></div> <div><font face=Lato size=3>Leon Polk Smith’s "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red" (1968) is a striking example of the artist’s radical exploration of form and color in postwar abstraction. Executed in acrylic on canvas, the work consists of four rounded-square panels arranged in a diamond formation. Each panel bears a crisp division of color: black at the outer edge, paired with one of four luminous hues—blue, violet, green, and red—creating a rhythmic interplay of symmetry and variation. </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3>Smith was a central figure in the development of hard-edge painting and geometric abstraction, aligned with contemporaries such as Ellsworth Kelly and Carmen Herrera. His "Constellation" series, begun in the 1960s, was groundbreaking for its use of multiple shaped canvases installed directly on the wall, eschewing traditional frames in favor of compositions that expand dynamically into surrounding space. </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3>While Smith was highly prolific in both works on paper and monumental single-panel paintings, multi-panel "Constellation" works remain less common within his oeuvre. Today, his paintings are represented in major institutions including The Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Brooklyn Museum. In "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red", the clarity of Smith’s vision is on full display—color and geometry united in a constellation that feels both precise and expansive, disciplined yet alive with visual energy. </font></div> <div><font face=Lato size=3>Leon Polk Smith’s "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red" (1968) is a striking example of the artist’s radical exploration of form and color in postwar abstraction. Executed in acrylic on canvas, the work consists of four rounded-square panels arranged in a diamond formation. Each panel bears a crisp division of color: black at the outer edge, paired with one of four luminous hues—blue, violet, green, and red—creating a rhythmic interplay of symmetry and variation. </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3>Smith was a central figure in the development of hard-edge painting and geometric abstraction, aligned with contemporaries such as Ellsworth Kelly and Carmen Herrera. His "Constellation" series, begun in the 1960s, was groundbreaking for its use of multiple shaped canvases installed directly on the wall, eschewing traditional frames in favor of compositions that expand dynamically into surrounding space. </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3>While Smith was highly prolific in both works on paper and monumental single-panel paintings, multi-panel "Constellation" works remain less common within his oeuvre. Today, his paintings are represented in major institutions including The Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Brooklyn Museum. In "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red", the clarity of Smith’s vision is on full display—color and geometry united in a constellation that feels both precise and expansive, disciplined yet alive with visual energy. </font></div> <div><font face=Lato size=3>Leon Polk Smith’s "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red" (1968) is a striking example of the artist’s radical exploration of form and color in postwar abstraction. Executed in acrylic on canvas, the work consists of four rounded-square panels arranged in a diamond formation. Each panel bears a crisp division of color: black at the outer edge, paired with one of four luminous hues—blue, violet, green, and red—creating a rhythmic interplay of symmetry and variation. </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3>Smith was a central figure in the development of hard-edge painting and geometric abstraction, aligned with contemporaries such as Ellsworth Kelly and Carmen Herrera. His "Constellation" series, begun in the 1960s, was groundbreaking for its use of multiple shaped canvases installed directly on the wall, eschewing traditional frames in favor of compositions that expand dynamically into surrounding space. </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3>While Smith was highly prolific in both works on paper and monumental single-panel paintings, multi-panel "Constellation" works remain less common within his oeuvre. Today, his paintings are represented in major institutions including The Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Brooklyn Museum. In "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red", the clarity of Smith’s vision is on full display—color and geometry united in a constellation that feels both precise and expansive, disciplined yet alive with visual energy. </font></div> <div><font face=Lato size=3>Leon Polk Smith’s "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red" (1968) is a striking example of the artist’s radical exploration of form and color in postwar abstraction. Executed in acrylic on canvas, the work consists of four rounded-square panels arranged in a diamond formation. Each panel bears a crisp division of color: black at the outer edge, paired with one of four luminous hues—blue, violet, green, and red—creating a rhythmic interplay of symmetry and variation. </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3>Smith was a central figure in the development of hard-edge painting and geometric abstraction, aligned with contemporaries such as Ellsworth Kelly and Carmen Herrera. His "Constellation" series, begun in the 1960s, was groundbreaking for its use of multiple shaped canvases installed directly on the wall, eschewing traditional frames in favor of compositions that expand dynamically into surrounding space. </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3>While Smith was highly prolific in both works on paper and monumental single-panel paintings, multi-panel "Constellation" works remain less common within his oeuvre. Today, his paintings are represented in major institutions including The Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Brooklyn Museum. In "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red", the clarity of Smith’s vision is on full display—color and geometry united in a constellation that feels both precise and expansive, disciplined yet alive with visual energy. </font></div> <div><font face=Lato size=3>Leon Polk Smith’s "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red" (1968) is a striking example of the artist’s radical exploration of form and color in postwar abstraction. Executed in acrylic on canvas, the work consists of four rounded-square panels arranged in a diamond formation. Each panel bears a crisp division of color: black at the outer edge, paired with one of four luminous hues—blue, violet, green, and red—creating a rhythmic interplay of symmetry and variation. </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3>Smith was a central figure in the development of hard-edge painting and geometric abstraction, aligned with contemporaries such as Ellsworth Kelly and Carmen Herrera. His "Constellation" series, begun in the 1960s, was groundbreaking for its use of multiple shaped canvases installed directly on the wall, eschewing traditional frames in favor of compositions that expand dynamically into surrounding space. </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3>While Smith was highly prolific in both works on paper and monumental single-panel paintings, multi-panel "Constellation" works remain less common within his oeuvre. Today, his paintings are represented in major institutions including The Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Brooklyn Museum. In "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red", the clarity of Smith’s vision is on full display—color and geometry united in a constellation that feels both precise and expansive, disciplined yet alive with visual energy. </font></div> <div><font face=Lato size=3>Leon Polk Smith’s "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red" (1968) is a striking example of the artist’s radical exploration of form and color in postwar abstraction. Executed in acrylic on canvas, the work consists of four rounded-square panels arranged in a diamond formation. Each panel bears a crisp division of color: black at the outer edge, paired with one of four luminous hues—blue, violet, green, and red—creating a rhythmic interplay of symmetry and variation. </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3>Smith was a central figure in the development of hard-edge painting and geometric abstraction, aligned with contemporaries such as Ellsworth Kelly and Carmen Herrera. His "Constellation" series, begun in the 1960s, was groundbreaking for its use of multiple shaped canvases installed directly on the wall, eschewing traditional frames in favor of compositions that expand dynamically into surrounding space. </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3>While Smith was highly prolific in both works on paper and monumental single-panel paintings, multi-panel "Constellation" works remain less common within his oeuvre. Today, his paintings are represented in major institutions including The Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Brooklyn Museum. In "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red", the clarity of Smith’s vision is on full display—color and geometry united in a constellation that feels both precise and expansive, disciplined yet alive with visual energy. </font></div>
Constellation Blue Violet Green Red196836 x 36 1/4 in.(91.44 x 92.08 cm) acrylic on canvas
Provenance
Lisson Gallerry, New York
Private Collection, purchased from the above
Leon Polk Smith’s "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red" (1968) is a striking example of the artist’s radical exploration of form and color in postwar abstraction. Executed in acrylic on canvas, the work consists of four rounded-square panels arranged in a diamond formation. Each panel bears a crisp division of color: black at the outer edge, paired with one of four luminous hues—blue, violet, green, and red—creating a rhythmic interplay of symmetry and variation.


 


Smith was a central figure in the development of hard-edge painting and geometric abstraction, aligned with contemporaries such as Ellsworth Kelly and Carmen Herrera. His "Constellation" series, begun in the 1960s, was groundbreaking for its use of multiple shaped canvases installed directly on the wall, eschewing traditional frames in favor of compositions that expand dynamically into surrounding space.


 


While Smith was highly prolific in both works on paper and monumental single-panel paintings, multi-panel "Constellation" works remain less common within his oeuvre. Today, his paintings are represented in major institutions including The Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Brooklyn Museum. In "Constellation Blue Violet Green Red", the clarity of Smith’s vision is on full display—color and geometry united in a constellation that feels both precise and expansive, disciplined yet alive with visual energy.
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