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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

The Direction of Water

1991

Pat Steir

Associated Names

Pat Steir

Artist, American, 1938 - 2026

The image contains various lines and shapes, including a grid-like, red-orange structure in the top section intersecting with diagonal lines. Spirals and curves in blue, pink, and yellow are scattered throughout the background. The elements create a dynamic landscape with movements and textures resembling an otherworldly terrain.

This object’s media is not available for download. Contact us about image usage.

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Artwork overview

Medium

color spitbite, soapground, soft-ground aquatint, and drypoint on Somerset textured paper
Credit Line

Gift of Crown Point Press and the Artist, in Honor of the 50th Anniversary of the National Gallery of Art
Dimensions

plate: 91.1 x 114 cm (35 7/8 x 44 7/8 in.)
sheet: 105.9 x 126.8 cm (41 11/16 x 49 15/16 in.)
Accession Number

1991.235.16

Artwork history & notes

Inscriptions

lower right in graphite: 14/30 PS 91

Markings

BS: Crown Point Press

Wikidata ID

Q75117790

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