Three Flags

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Artist/Maker	Johns, Jasper (artist)
Place of origin	USA (made)

Early in his career Johns chose the flag as his primary motif. He continued to use the image of a flag, representing it in in a range of different media because, as a familiar object and a symbol, it was a kind of abstract picture in itself, and a means to explore pictorial illusion. Here, using only tonal modulation, he mimics the effects of colour, and thus of painting.

Object details

Category	Drawings
Object type	Drawing
Title	Three Flags (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques	Graphite on paper Graphite Drawn
Brief description	Pencil drawing by Jasper Johns, Three Flags, 1959
Physical description	Pencil drawing of three flags of diminishing size, laid one over another.
Dimensions	Height: 35.5cm Width: 58.5cm Dimensions given are of the entire sheet, including folded section
Marks and inscriptions	'Jasper Johns' (signed bottom right of sheet) There are pin pricks in the top left area of the drawing marking the position of each star.
Object history	This drawing is related to the painting Three Flags, 1958, at the Whitney Museum of American Art, NYC.
Subject depicted	Flag
Summary	Early in his career Johns chose the flag as his primary motif. He continued to use the image of a flag, representing it in in a range of different media because, as a familiar object and a symbol, it was a kind of abstract picture in itself, and a means to explore pictorial illusion. Here, using only tonal modulation, he mimics the effects of colour, and thus of painting.
Associated object	circ.135A-1966 (Frame)
Bibliographic references	Jasper Johns: drawings, London, Arts Council of Great Britain, 1974 p.25 Taken from Departmental Circulation Register 1966
Collection	Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number	Circ.135-1966

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Record created	November 1, 2004
Record URL	https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O106970/three-flags-drawing-johns-jasper/

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