Zeus | Yale University Art Gallery

1941

Not on view

Pablo Picasso's numerous paintings of single seated figures from 1938 onward are forcefully recalled in this composition by John Graham, yet the pose of Zeus clearly derives from French neoclassical painter Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres's famous Jupiter and Thetis of 1811. Picasso's earlier consideration of Ingres increased Graham's admiration, but several years after this work, Graham turned more overtly to the art of Ingres, Raphael, Leonardo, and Uccello, and he ironically denounced Picasso.

Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 29 7/8 × 23 7/8 in. (75.9 × 60.6 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of the Estate of Katherine S. Dreier
Accession Number: 1953.6.128
Geography: Made in New York City, New York, United States
Culture: American
Period: 20th century
Classification: Paintings
Disclaimer: Note: This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect the Yale University Art Gallery’s complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of records is ongoing.

Provenance

From the estate of KSD, 1953; gift of the artist 1942 (KSD to Graham, 12. Feb 1942)

Object copyright

In Copyright - Rights-Holder(s) Unlocatable or Unidentifiable

Additional information

Object/Work type

abstract (general art genre), human figures (visual works), portraits

Subject

chairs

Inscriptions

Verso: "Zeus" and on stretcher "Graham" and "Zeus"

Signed

LC "Graham/XXXXI"

Technical metadata and APIs