Blue Violet 1963

Sam Francis made this abstract painting in the latter half of the 20th century, using fluid applications of color on canvas to create a dynamic visual experience. Francis was an American artist, but he spent a lot of time in Europe and Asia. This cosmopolitanism is apparent in his work, which draws on diverse influences such as Abstract Expressionism, French Impressionism, and Asian calligraphy. The gestural abstraction, the emphasis on the spontaneous and the accidental mark, was initially forged in the New York art world of the 1940s. But Francis, like many of his generation, pushed beyond the New York School to forge a more international style. By engaging with different cultural traditions, Francis challenges the dominance of Western art and opens up new possibilities for cross-cultural exchange. The art historian's role is to trace these complex connections and to understand how artists like Francis negotiate their place within a globalized art world.