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Open 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Visit
Open today 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Admission is always free

6th and Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20565

Sculpture Garden Extended Hours

Open late until 8:00 p.m. on select nights
Starting June 3
Exhibitions & Events
Featured event:

Block Party
Join us June 6
Art & Artists
Open Call

Artists Reimagining the Collection
Meet the 50 makers selected from more than 1,600 submissions

Circles of Confusion

1965

James Rosenquist

Associated Names

James Rosenquist

Artist, American, 1933 - 2017

The image shows multiple overlapping circular shapes, creating a blurred effect with soft, curved lines. It includes repeated circular logos displaying the letters "GE" like small medallions scattered throughout. The circles give the appearance of light diffusing through a foggy surface, similar to viewing a cityscape through a rain-speckled window. Light and shadow enhance the abstract quality of the image, with familiar emblems standing out in a dreamlike setting.

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Artwork overview

Medium

charcoal and graphite on wove paper
Credit Line

Gift of Richard L. Feigen, in Honor of the 50th Anniversary of the National Gallery of Art
Dimensions

sheet: 104.78 × 75.25 cm (41 1/4 × 29 5/8 in.)
Accession Number

1991.160.1

Artwork history & notes

Exhibition History

1970

The Drawing Society National Exhibition 1970, Circulated by The American Federation of Arts, 1970-1972, no. 64.

1992

Dürer to Diebenkorn: Recent Acquisitions of Art of Paper, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1992, no. 90.

2003

James Rosenquist: A Retrospective, The Menil Collection and Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 2003, no. 214.

Inscriptions

lower left in graphite: Circles of Confusion; lower right in graphite: James Rosenquist 1965

Wikidata ID

Q64580697

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