Stele II

1973

Ellsworth Kelly

Sculptor, American, 1923 - 2015

A steel square with rounded corners sits upright on a grassy lawn in front of a row of trees under a blue sky. The metal is weathered and lightly pitted to a dark, bronze brown. It looms over the bushes behind it.
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After moving from Manhattan to the countryside in 1970, Ellsworth Kelly began to make large, outdoor sculptures. The distinctive shape of Stele II had already appeared in the artist's abstract paintings and is loosely based on a French kilometer marker, an object Kelly observed during his years in Paris after World War II. The title refers to a type of ancient stone monument that traditionally served a commemorative function. Like most stelae, this sculpture is also essentially planar and upright. Over time, the steel weathers from exposure to the elements, developing an evenly corroded, non-reflective surface.
Sculpture Garden, Northeast Quadrant
On View

Sculpture Garden, Northeast Quadrant

Artwork overview

More About this Artwork

Article:  Who Is Ellsworth Kelly? 10 Things to Know

The colorful life of one of the nation’s most important postwar artists.

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

The artist; purchased 12 February 1999 through (Matthew Marks Gallery, New York) by NGA.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1998

  • Ellsworth Kelly: On the Roof, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1998, unnumbered brochure, repro.

Bibliography

1982

  • Sims, Patterson, and Emily Rauh Pulitzer. Ellsworth Kelly: Sculpture. Exh. cat. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, 1982: 103, 105, no. 57, repro.

2013

  • Cigola, Francesca. Art Parks: A Tour of America’s Sculpture Parks and Gardens. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2013: 101.

Wikidata ID

Q63861755

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