Cliffs—Yosemite Valley

1920

William Zorach

Associated Names
William Zorach

Artist, American, born Russia (now Lithuania), 1887 - 1966

The image depicts an abstract vertical composition featuring natural elements, possibly trees or foliage, in a pencil sketch style. The perspective is from below, looking up through the trees. Curvilinear forms resembling leaves and branches dominate the image, with light pencil strokes creating depth and directionality. The color palette is monochromatic, using shades of gray and black on a light background, giving a soft, ethereal feel. Abstract forms in the upper part suggest a transition to open spaces or the sky, remaining undefined and mysterious. Light and shadow add texture to the scene.
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Artwork overview


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

the artist, Robinhood, Maine; Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1964; acquired 2015 by the National Gallery of Art

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1979

  • American Places, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1979-1980

1982

  • Modernist Watercolors, Prints and Drawings, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1982, no. 34

2007

  • Impressionism, Realism, Modernism: Works on Paper from the American Collection, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 2007

Bibliography

1983

  • Simmons, Linda Crocker and with the assistance of Adrianne J. Humphrey, et al. American Drawings, Watercolors, Pastels, and Collages in the Collection of the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Washington, DC: Corcoran Gallery of Art, 1983: p. 184, no. 1243.

Inscriptions

lower right in graphite: William Zorach / Cliffs Yosemite Valley 1920

Wikidata ID

Q64639883

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