1988
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 (SF 349), from: Papierski Portfolio 1973/84
By Sam Francis
Located in London, GB
SAM FRANCIS 1923-1994 San Mateo, California 1923 – 1994 Santa Monica (American) Title: Untitled (SF 349), from: Papierski Portfolio 1973/84 Technique: Original Hand Signed and Insc...
Lithograph
Untitled (SFE-081) - 1992 - American Abstract Expressionism
By Sam Francis
Located in London, GB
SAM FRANCIS 1923-1994 San Mateo, California 1923 – 1994 Santa Monica (American) Title: Untitled (SFE-081), 1992 Technique: Original Hand Signed and Numbered Aquatint in Colours on ...
Etching, Aquatint
Trietto III
By Sam Francis
Located in London, GB
SAM FRANCIS 1923-1994 San Mateo, California 1923 – 1994 Santa Monica (American) Title: Trietto III, 1991 Technique: Original Hand Signed and Numbered Etching and Aquatint in Colour...
Etching, Aquatint
Untitled SF80-1191
By Sam Francis
Located in London, GB
SAM FRANCIS 1923-1994 San Mateo, California 1923 – 1994 Santa Monica (American) Title: Untitled SF80-1191, 1980 Technique: Stamp Signed Acrylic on tissue thin Japan paper Paper si...
Acrylic
Untitled SF85-19 - Painting American Abstract Expressionism
By Sam Francis
Located in London, GB
This is an oil painting on canvas by Sam Francis. It was painted in 1985. It is hand signed and dated in red pencil by the artist “Sam Francis 85” [2985], verso. This work is ident...
Canvas, Oil
Untitled SF73-681 - American Abstract Art 1973
By Sam Francis
Located in London, GB
This is an acrylic painting on wove paper by Sam Francis. It was painted in 1973. It is stamp signed with the two ink stamps of the Sam Francis Estate, verso. This work is identifi...
Paper, Acrylic
Untitled
By Sam Francis
Located in London, GB
Sam Francis Untitled 1968 Lithograph, Edition of 3, experimental proof 66 x 47 cms (26 x 18 1/2 ins) SF15155
Lithograph
Untitled (SF-344)
By Sam Francis
Located in New York, NY
Untitled (SF-344), 1990 Signed and numbered with publisher's chop mark Lithograph in 5 colorson PTI #120 Waterleaf paper; torn and deckled edges 47.25 x 30 inches Edition of 50
Lithograph
Untitled
By Sam Francis
Located in London, GB
86.4 x 71.8 cms (34 x 28.25 ins) Edition of 17 Paper: Somerset Textured Proofs: 9 AP, I CTP (on handmade paper) Signed right, under image; numbered left, under image; publisher's chop lower right Publisher: The Litho Shop Inc., Santa Monica, California Printed by Jacob Samuel...
Aquatint, Color
Untitled (SFE-081)
By Sam Francis
Located in London, GB
Aquatint in colours, 1991, on wove paper, signed in pencil, numbered from the edition of 27, 61.6 x 44.5 cm.
Aquatint
Untitled
By Sam Francis
Located in London, GB
Sam Francis Untitled 1991 Etching in colours, Edition of 27 61.6 x 44.5 cms (24.3 x 17.5 ins) SF17884
Etching
Untitled
By Sam Francis
Located in London, GB
Sam Francis Untitled 1984 Etching and aquatint in colours, edition of 30, this is a colour trial proof 74.6 x 43.2 cms (29 3/8 x 17 ins) SF15201
Etching, Aquatint
