Artwork
Red Yellow Blue White and Black
Red Yellow Blue White and Black is an unspecified painting by the Abstract Expressionist artist Ellsworth Kelly. It dates from 1953 and is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1953, Red Yellow Blue White and Black is a painting by American artist Ellsworth Kelly. It consists of five vertical bands of solid color, blue, red, white, yellow, and black, arranged side by side. Each band spans the full height of the canvas but varies in width, producing a simple yet striking arrangement of primary and neutral hues.
Subject & Meaning
The work contains no representational imagery; its subject is the interaction of color and form themselves. By isolating each hue in a separate rectangle, Kelly invites viewers to consider the visual impact of pure color relationships and the spatial tension created by differing band widths.
Technique & Style
Executed with flat, unmodulated paint, the canvas exemplifies Kelly’s hard‑edge approach, where crisp edges and uniform surfaces dominate. The absence of brushwork or texture aligns the piece with Color Field and minimalist tendencies, emphasizing the formal qualities of line, shape, and chromatic balance over narrative content.
History & Provenance
The painting entered the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it remains on display. Its acquisition reflects the museum’s commitment to mid‑twentieth‑century American abstraction and to representing Kelly’s pivotal role in the development of post‑war minimalist painting.
Context
Red Yellow Blue White and Black emerged during a period when artists such as John McLaughlin and Kenneth Noland were also exploring pure color and geometric abstraction. While often linked to abstract expressionism, Kelly’s work diverges by stripping away gestural brushwork in favor of precise, non‑representational forms that foreground visual perception.
Artist & collection
Artist
Ellsworth Kelly (May 31, 1923 – December 27, 2015) was an American painter, sculptor, and printmaker associated with hard-edge painting, Color field painting and minimalism.
