The Great American Nude #13 1961

Tom Wesselmann made this painting, Great American Nude #13, at an unknown date, using, what looks like, a mix of painting and collage. I look at this nude and I'm seeing big simplified shapes. I see a body suggested by a pinkish form that echoes Matisse’s nudes, but feels Pop! The flag, or its ghost, gives a backdrop of red, white, and blue. Wesselmann seems to be asking: what makes something American? Is it the nude? Is it the flag? Is it the colors? He seems to have been collaging different styles and source material as well as playing with signs and symbols. I feel that this approach—combining abstraction, figuration, and collage—must have been exciting and fresh, breaking down the rules in a really interesting way. It’s like he’s saying: “Hey, it’s all just paint and material, so let’s see what happens when we mix it all up!” It’s a conversation through material and form.