Sam FRANCIS (American, 1923-1994) Lot n° 54

Untitled (SF86-893), 1986 Acrylic and gouache on paper, signed and dated on the reverse 72.04 x 37 in.- 183 x 94 cm. This work is referenced in the Sam Francis Foundation inventory under the number SF86-893. Provenance Acquired from the artist by the previous owner Private Collection, Switzerland Exhibitions Bernard Jacobson, Sam Francis, 5 June - 31 July 2014, London. "My immagination will attempt the future..." S. Francis California-born abstract expressionist painter Sam Francis (1923-1994), is regarded as one of the 20th century's leading interpreters of light and color, known for his exuberant use of color. Sam Francis maintained studios in Bern, New York, Los Angeles, Paris, and Tokyo, making him the first post-World War II American painter whose reach was truly international. Throughout a long and prolific career, Francis created thousands of paintings as well as works on paper, prints, and monotypes. His work holds references to New York abstract expressionism (Mark Rothko, Arshile Gorky and Clyfford Still), color field painting, Chinese and Japanese art, French impressionism, and his own Bay Area roots. He quickly developed his own colorful abstract style after moving to Paris in 1950.