Sunflowers IV

1992

Sunflowers IV, 1992. Joan Mitchell (American, 1925–1992). Color lithograph; sheet: 144.5 x 104.5 cm (56 7/8 x 41 1/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Nancy F. and Joseph P. Keithley Collection Gift 2020.244.b © Estate of Joan Mitchell Abstract painter Joan Mitchell’s monumental lithographs convey her experience of the landscape and combine the complexity, intensity, and fluidity of abstracted lines that are fundamental to her work. She explored the theme of sunflowers throughout her career, inspired by the surroundings of her home in the Seine valley of France and by the iconic paintings of Vincent Van Gogh. This lithographic diptych tap into the energy, color, and spirit of Van Gogh’s paintings, while entirely liberating the older master’s line, composition, and gesture from a natural representation of the sunflower. To make this print, Mitchell painted clear sheets of Mylar, which allowed her to layer colors for printing and retain a sense of immediacy.