Alex Katz

Black Brook

About this artwork

Alex Katz has painted scenes of the countryside in the American state of Maine throughout his career because its particular quality of light appeals to him. In this large painting he depicts the banks of a stream with the horizon out of view and the composition focusing instead on the reflections in the water. At the right side, a cluster of slender tree trunks establishes the viewer’s perspective into the image; in the water to their left, we see the reflections of trees on the opposite bank not included within the frame. The painting has a rhythmic quality created by the pattern of triangles repeated across the picture plane. Its smooth and stylised finish is typical of Katz’s large paintings.

Updated before 2020

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  • artist:
    Alex Katz (born 1927) American
  • title:
    Black Brook
  • date created:
    1988
  • materials:
    Oil paint on linen
  • measurements:
    214.00 x 457.70 x 4.50 cm
  • object type:
  • credit line:
    ARTIST ROOMS National Galleries of Scotland and Tate. Presented by the artist 2011
  • accession number:
    AR01176
  • gallery:
This artwork is part of Artist Rooms
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Alex Katz

Alex Katz