1963
Sam Francis was an American artist known for his exuberantly colorful, large-scale abstract paintings. His practice incorporated elements from Abstract Expressionism, Color Field painting, Impressionism and Eastern philosophy to create a unique style of painterly abstraction.
Influenced by Jackson Pollock and Clyfford Still, Francis is more closely associated to the work of Helen Frankenthaler, as he was more interested in the formal arrangement of the picture plane than the expressivity of the individual artist. “Painting is about the beauty of space and the power of containment,” Francis once reflected.
Born on June 25, 1923 in San Mateo, California, Francis briefly served in the US Air Force during World War II but was injured during a test flight. Returning to California, he received his BA and MA from UC Berkeley in botany and psychology before beginning to pursue a career in art. The artist traveled widely during his career, and he was closely aligned with the Art Informel movement while living abroad in Paris during the 1950s.
Francis died on November 4, 1994 in Santa Monica, California, at the age of 71. He was a founding trustee of Los Angeles’s Museum of Contemporary Art, and his paintings can be found in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Kunstmuseum Basel, and the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, among others.
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Untitled, 1985
By Sam Francis
Located in Palo Alto, CA
This aquatint is hand-signed by Sam Francis (California, 1923- California, 1994) in pencil in the lower right and is a unique color trial proof aside from the edition of 30. Francis...
Aquatint
Untitled, from the Pasadena Box, 1964
By Sam Francis
Located in Palo Alto, CA
This Sam Francis 1964, from the Pasadena Box, is lithograph in colors on wove paper, hand-signed by Sam Francis in pencil and annotated 'artist proof'. This striking lithograph from...
Lithograph
Monotype Untitled, 1983
By Sam Francis
Located in Palo Alto, CA
Historical Description Bright with shooting streak of intense yellows and oranges, Sam Francis Monotype Untitled, 1983 is filled with stunning emotion. Francis creates a beautiful sy...
Ink, Oil, Handmade Paper, Monotype
Senza Titolo II, 1987
By Sam Francis
Located in Palo Alto, CA
his Sam Francis Senza Titollo, 1987 is etching, aquatint and drypoint in colours hand-signed by Sam Francis (San Mateo, 1923- Santa Monica, 1994) in pencil in the lower right and num...
Etching, Aquatint, Drypoint
Untitled, 1994
By Sam Francis
Located in Palo Alto, CA
In Turn, Sam Francis Turn, 1972, demonstrates his masterful command of color, gesture, and spatial balance—qualities that made him one of the most influential figures of postwar Amer...
Lithograph
King Corpse, 1986
By Sam Francis
Located in Palo Alto, CA
Created in 1986, Sam Francis King Corpse, 1986 is a unique color trial proof screenprint on Arches cover paper hand signed by Sam Francis (San Mateo, 1923- Santa Monica, 1994) in the...
Screen
Untitled
By Sam Francis
Located in London, GB
67.3 x 88.9 cms (26.5 x 35 ins) Edition of 50 Signed lower right, numbered lower left. Published by Nantenshi Gallery, Tokyo. Printed by Harumi Sonoyama at Gendai hanga Kobo Co...
Color, Lithograph
UNTITLED
By Sam Francis
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Original Lithograph 38 3/8 x 28 inches Signed Lower Right Dated and Numbered 25/28 Lower Left
Lithograph
Untitled
By Sam Francis
Located in London, GB
114.3 x 70.5 cms (45 x 27.76 ins) Edition of 50
Color, Lithograph
Untitled
By Sam Francis
Located in London, GB
Sam Francis Untitled 1991 Etching in colours, Edition of 19, Colour Trial Proof 119.4 x 71.1 cms (47 x 28 ins) SF17883
Etching
Untitled Abstract Lithograph by Sam Francis, 1992, Artist's Proof
By Sam Francis
Located in Roma, IT
Untitled is an original artwork realized by Sam Francis in 1992. Mixed colored lithograph on velin paper. Hand signed on the lower margin. Artist's proof, aside of the numbered edi...
Lithograph
Untitled (SF-346)
By Sam Francis
Located in New York, NY
A very good impression of this color lithograph on Waterleaf white wove paper. One of 25 Roman numeral impressions, aside from the Arabic numeral edition of 100. Signed and numbered ...
Color, Lithograph
