Untitled by Sam Francis

Sam Francis
1923-1994 | American

Untitled

Signed and dated "Sam Francis 1965" (en verso)
Oil on canvas

This striking painting hails from the renowned Edge Paintings series by important Abstract Expressionist Sam Francis. Untitled was created in 1965, a pivotal period in his career during which Francis shifted his focus to the dynamic interplay between the canvas’s center and its edges. This work stands as a powerful reflection of Francis’s exploration of space, light and color—elements that became hallmarks of his vast body of work that was pivotal in defining the legacy of American abstraction.

This mesmerizing work displays Francis's signature technique of juxtaposing vibrant, painterly washes of color against vast expanses of white. While the center of the canvas remains almost completely empty save for incidental splatters of paint, the edges are alive with bursts of saturated primary hues, creating a tension between the void at the center and the colorful borders. This structural contrast encourages the viewer to contemplate the delicate balance between fullness and emptiness, between color and space. In this composition, Francis invites us into an experience where the boundaries become as vital as the space they frame.

A giant of the Abstract Expressionist movement and true cosmopolitan artist, Francis was deeply influenced by his international experiences. During the 1950s and 1960s, he traveled extensively, establishing studios in Los Angeles, Paris and Tokyo, each of which informed his artistic vision. The Edge Paintings series, to which this work belongs, was deeply influenced by his time in Japan, where he became captivated by the interplay of empty space and form seen in traditional Japanese aesthetics.

Sam Francis’s life was as vibrant and varied as his paintings. Born in San Mateo, California, in 1923, his journey as an artist began under extraordinary circumstances. After being diagnosed with spinal tuberculosis in his 20s, Francis spent three years encased in a full-body cast. It was during this time of immobility that he taught himself to paint, launching a prolific career that spanned over five decades. Known for his large-scale, color-drenched canvases, Francis became one of the most successful painters of his time, starring in over 100 solo exhibitions and commanding the highest prices of any living painter in the late 1950s to mid-1960s.

Today his works can be seen in the most important public collections of modern of art, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Tate in London. His legacy extends beyond the canvas: he founded a publishing company, a holistic medical research center, and even a wind energy company that is still operational today. When he passed in 1994, Francis left behind not only a staggering body of more than 10,000 works but also a lasting impact on both the art world and the broader cultural landscape.

Dated 1965

Canvas: 54" high x 25 1/8" wide (137.16 x 63.82 cm)
Frame: 56 3/8" high x 27 3/8" wide x 2 7/8" deep (143.19 x 69.53 x 7.30 cm)

Provenance:
Studio Sam Francis, Santa Monica
Private collection, Bern, acquired directly from above
Private Collection, The Netherlands

Literature:
Debra Burchett-Lere, Sam Francis: Catalogue raisonné of Canvas and Panel Paintings, 1946-1994, no. 411 (Francis Archive SFP65-68)

Exhibitions:
Dublin 1967, Royal Dublin Society, ROSC '67: The Poetry of Vision - An International Exhibition of Modern Painting and Ancient Celtic Art, cat. no. 40 (illustrated)
Davos 1999, Kirchner Museum, Werke aus einer Privatsammlung, cat. no. 160 (illustrated)
Bern 2006, Kunstmuseum, Sam Francis und Bern, p. 101 (illustrated)