Savarin 5 (Corpse and Mirror)

1978

Savarin Suite: Savarin 5 (Corpse and Mirror), 1978. Jasper Johns (American, b. 1930), printed and published by Universal Limited Art Editions. Lithograph; The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland 1983.219.5 © Jasper Johns / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY Since 1960 Jasper Johns has frequently depicted a Savarin coffee can filled with his paintbrushes, a reference to his studio practice. The image is typical of Johns’s work, which features everyday objects imbued with meaning through his handling of materials. By expressively layering lithographic ink or using his own fingerprints as a compositional element, Johns made his presence evident throughout the series. These personal connections to the artist’s practice suggest that the image may function as a symbolic self-portrait. Nearly two decades before making this print, Jasper Johns created a sculpture with the same image of paintbrushes in a Savarin coffee can.