Artwork Page for Mardi Soir

Details / Information for Mardi Soir

Mardi Soir

1973

Carmen Herrera

(American, b. Cuba, 1915–2022)
Culture
America
Medium
Acrylic on canvas
Measurements
106.7 x 162.6 cm (42 x 64 in.)
Credit Line
Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund 2022.39
Copyright
© Carmen Herrera
This artwork is known to be under copyright.
Location
224A Contemporary Corridor
Print
?

Did You Know?

Carmen Herrera did not sell her first painting until she was 89 years old.

Description

A groundbreaking abstract artist who worked for decades—with formal forays remarkably ahead of her male counterparts in the Minimalist and concrete art movements—Herrera’s work was underappreciated for much of her lifetime. For this reason, she did not achieve commercial success until she was in her 90s, and her first major museum retrospective occurred when she was 100. The saturated cobalt blue hue used in this painting is striking, and typical of the jewel-toned palette that the artist frequently used, off-set with black or white to create rhythmic compositions. The zig-zag pattern is indicative of the dynamism of forms, and movement beyond the painting’s frame, reinforced by the painted edges of her work. This detail entices viewers to the front of the painting, activating the three-dimensional space that connects viewer to object, and encouraging multiple vantage points. The title is in French, translating to "Tuesday evening." This painting is part of Herrera’s larger investigation of the affective qualities of color and how they relate to time and memory.
A horizontal acrylic painting features sharp geometric forms in solid black and vibrant blue. Two large black triangles extend from the top and bottom edges, their points reaching inward. A wide blue band zigzags across the surface, cutting between the black shapes and extending to the left and right borders. Crisp diagonal lines define the jagged arrangement, where flat colors meet to create a stark, minimalist contrast across the canvas.

Mardi Soir

1973

Carmen Herrera

(American, b. Cuba, 1915–2022)
America

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