Artwork Page for Accent Grave

Details / Information for Accent Grave

Accent Grave

1955

Franz Kline

(American, 1910–1962)
Culture
America
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
Framed: 196 x 136 x 5 cm (77 3/16 x 53 9/16 x 1 15/16 in.); Unframed: 191.1 x 131.4 cm (75 1/4 x 51 3/4 in.)
Credit Line
Anonymous Gift 1967.3
Copyright
© The Franz Kline Estate / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
This artwork is known to be under copyright.
Location
Not on view
Print
?

Did You Know?

Although Kline’s paintings look like variations on Asian calligraphy, the artist denied the influence.

Description

Although Kline's paintings look as if they were executed in a spontaneous burst of activity, they were often painstakingly pre-planned through preliminary studies. Additionally, as in the case of Accent Grave, close inspection reveals passages of reworked areas - white over black and vice-versa - indicating that the final composition was carefully orchestrated. The painting's title derives from the downward sloping black shape in its upper region, which suggests an accent grave in French phonetics.
A vertically oriented abstract oil painting features thick swathes of black paint streaking across an off-white canvas. A wide, irregular horizontal band dominates the center, connected on the left by a heavy arc that curves downward to a thinner line at the bottom. A short diagonal slash angles from the top toward the middle. Visible brushwork and clusters of drips create textured, jagged edges, emphasizing the stark contrast and weight of the paint.

Accent Grave

1955

Franz Kline

(American, 1910–1962)
America

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