Hans HofmannAmerican, 1880–1966Smaragd Red and Germinating Yellow
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “Smaragd Red and Germinating Yellow” now? Collection: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland. Not on view at present. Checked September 29, 2026.
Cleveland, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the painting
Smaragd Red and Germinating Yellow shows Hofmann's ability to suggest space, movement, formal structure, and visual tension with color. His works are filled with the depiction of opposites, juxtaposing two-dimensional surface plane with the illusion of shallow three-dimensional space. In this painting, he included only two clearly defined rectangles, a favorite motif. The most persistent is an acid yellow one surrounded by a turbulent field of heavily encrusted opaque color. These flat planes, along with the broadly brushed, built-up areas of paint, appear to move forward or recede. The resolution of this visual tension was achieved through the artist's celebrated principle of composition—called "push, pull"—in which various visual conflicts within the work were harmoniously balanced.
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Details
- Accession number
- 1960.57
In the catalog
Sources
- The Cleveland Museum of Art
- Image: The Cleveland Museum of Art — © Estate of Hans Hofmann / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
