The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 19, 2025

Ancient Garden (Night Garden)

1953–55

Louise Nevelson

(American, born Russian Empire [now Ukraine], 1900–1988)
America
etching, hand-colored with crayon
Platemark: 37.1 x 45.1 cm (14 5/8 x 17 3/4 in.)
John L. Severance Fund 1996.275
© Estate of Louise Nevelson / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Catalogue raisonné: Johnson 18
Location: Not on view

Description

During the late 1940s, Nevelson made trips to Mexico, as well as to Central and South America, where she was enthralled by elaborately carved pre-Columbian temples amid overgrown jungle landscapes. These inspired a series of prints with murky textures and mysterious forms that she later executed at Atelier 17 in New York. This impression of Ancient Garden is extremely rare in the artist’s use of hand coloring, including purple, green, yellow, and brown crayon.
  • Cutting Edge: Modern Prints from Atelier 17. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (April 9-August 13, 2017).
    From Rembrandt to Rauschenberg: Recently Acquired Prints. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 17-November 26, 2000).
  • {{cite web|title=Ancient Garden (Night Garden)|url=false|author=Louise Nevelson|year=1953–55|access-date=19 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1996.275