Talks & Conversations

Finding Awe: Agnes Martin’s Untitled #2

Narrow, horizontal bands of oyster white, pale blue, and faint peach, separated by denim-blue lines like a ruled sheet of paper, fill this square painting. The white, peach, and blue bands do not make a pattern, and there are a few areas where several white rows are clustered, including along the bottom edge.
Agnes Martin, Untitled #2, 1981, acrylic and blue pencil on canvas, Robert and Jane Meyerhoff Collection, 1992.28.6

Let yourself be fully present with a work of art that explores stillness and transcendence. Discover what emerges when we look and discuss together.

Take a 90-minute pause from your daily routine: we’ll explore Agnes Martin’s Untitled #2. Look slowly and mindfully, wonder, and share your insights with the group. You’ll leave with “awe practices” that you can bring to everyday life.  

Research shows that experiencing awe helps support our mental and physical wellbeing, inspire creativity, and deepen empathy. Explore awe at the National Gallery of Art.

Registration full? Check back on the mornings of November 6 and November 8 for last-minute passes.
Chairs provided, assistive listening devices available
Questions? Email us at [email protected].

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This appears to be a painting surrounded by an intricate custom frame. The central painting features a hilly green landscape under a blue sky filled with different creatures and objects. In the center, a person wearing a fuzzy pink cloak and wearing a purple face mask appears to hold a musical triangle in one hand and a small wand or rod in the other. This person faces the left, and they have pale skin and brown hair tied into a thick bun behind their head. Below the triangle, facing us, seems to be a small robot, decorated in shades of red, white, blue, and black. A long snake emerges from below one foot of the robot. The snake is covered in red, black, and yellow stripes, and it winds down towards the bottom right corner, where a gray statue sits. There is a green parrot on top of the statue, and a small green figurine or doll stands by the bottom of the statue. In the bottom left corner are two wolves or dogs, one white and one gray. In the top left corner, a small light-brown creature that looks vaguely like a monkey sits in a hammock, and in the top right corner a colorful parrot sits in another hammock. In the background there are two white structures that look like goals. The bottom of the painting is filled with many lines of text against a white background, with blue wave shapes below them. Surrounding this painting is an elaborate, intricate frame composed of organic, root-like structures extending outward. These appendages are off-white with blackened tips, creating a dynamic web effect. Below the painting, a colorful snake slithers across the frame, and there are some small shells woven into the fibers.

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Registration Required
This appears to be a painting surrounded by an intricate custom frame. The central painting features a hilly green landscape under a blue sky filled with different creatures and objects. In the center, a person wearing a fuzzy pink cloak and wearing a purple face mask appears to hold a musical triangle in one hand and a small wand or rod in the other. This person faces the left, and they have pale skin and brown hair tied into a thick bun behind their head. Below the triangle, facing us, seems to be a small robot, decorated in shades of red, white, blue, and black. A long snake emerges from below one foot of the robot. The snake is covered in red, black, and yellow stripes, and it winds down towards the bottom right corner, where a gray statue sits. There is a green parrot on top of the statue, and a small green figurine or doll stands by the bottom of the statue. In the bottom left corner are two wolves or dogs, one white and one gray. In the top left corner, a small light-brown creature that looks vaguely like a monkey sits in a hammock, and in the top right corner a colorful parrot sits in another hammock. In the background there are two white structures that look like goals. The bottom of the painting is filled with many lines of text against a white background, with blue wave shapes below them. Surrounding this painting is an elaborate, intricate frame composed of organic, root-like structures extending outward. These appendages are off-white with blackened tips, creating a dynamic web effect. Below the painting, a colorful snake slithers across the frame, and there are some small shells woven into the fibers.

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Registration Required