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Three Flags

Drawing
1959 (made)
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
TitleThree 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 createdNovember 1, 2004
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O106970/three-flags-drawing-johns-jasper/
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