Riders of the Apocalypse

1943

Benton Murdoch Spruance

Associated Names
Benton Spruance

Artist, American, 1904 - 1967

Theodore Cuno

Printer, American, born Germany, active 20th century

The image shows a mix of angular and curved shapes intersecting across the scene. It has an abstract quality, with dark and light planes resembling planes or possibly airplanes. The shapes and lines may bring to mind structures and movements found in aviation, including tail fins, propellers, and airplane wings viewed from different angles. Some lines are bold and straight, resembling runways or flight paths, while others curve gently, suggesting aircraft bodies or their shadows against the sky. The composition conveys a sense of motion and mechanical complexity, evoking the world of flight and aeronautics.
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Artwork overview

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Reba and Dave Williams, Greenwich, CT; purchased 2008 by NGA

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2016

  • Three Centuries of American Prints: from the National Gallery of Art, National Gallery of Art, Washington; National Gallery in Prague, Prague 1; Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso, Mexico City; Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, 2016 - 2017, no. 82.

Bibliography

1986

  • Fine, Ruth and Robert F. Looney. The Prints of Benton Murdoch Spruance. Philadelphia: University of Philadelphia Press, 1986.

Inscriptions

lower left on stone: B.S. (underlined); lower left in graphite: Ed. 35; lower center in graphite: _Riders of the Apocalypse; lower right in graphite: Spruance 43-; lower right corner in graphite by unknown hand: 20-; upper left corner verso in graphite by unknown hand: J-B; lower right verso in graphite by unknown hand: 4276

Wikidata ID

Q76440481

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