The Critic Smiles

1969

Jasper Johns

Artist, American, born 1930

Kenneth Tyler

Edition Production, American, born 1931

Gemini G.E.L.

Publisher

A block holding a toothbrush set with gold teeth raised in low relief on a lead sheet. The rectangular block holding the brush is almost halfway down the panel. The brush has a straight, toothbrush-like handle highlighted with shiny silver tin leaf. Four gold teeth are set in a row at what would be the brush end, to our left. Letters are stamped in the front face of the block to read, “THE CRITIC SMILES.” The artist signed and dated the work below the block with dotted lines, “J Johns ’69.” Also incised in the lower left corner of the lead sheet is “GEMINI III” with a Gemini horoscope symbol.
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On View

East Building Upper Level, Gallery 415-B

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    multiple of lead relief with gold and tin leaf

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Gemini G.E.L. and the Artist

  • Dimensions

    sheet: 58.42 × 43.18 cm (23 × 17 in.)

  • Accession

    1985.4.1

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    ULAE, no. 073

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles, California; acquired 1985 by the National Gallery of Art

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1984

  • Gemini G.E.L.: Art and Collaboration, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.; Seattle Art Museum, Washington; Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri; Terra Museum of American Art, Evanston, Illinois; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, California; National Museum of Art, Osaka, Japan; Yonago City Museum, Japan; Machida City Museum of Graphics Art, Japan, 1984-1989, no. 66.

Bibliography

1966

  • Gemini G.E.L. Sequence List. Los Angeles, California: Gemini G.E.L., unpublished, no. 130.

1970

  • Field, Richard S. Jasper Johns: Prints 1960-1970. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1970, no. 119.

1994

  • Field, Richard S. The Prints of Jasper Johns, 1960-1993: A Catalogue Raisonné. West Islip, New York: Universal Limited Art Editions, 1994, no. 73.

2011

  • Ritchie, Charles. Gemini G.E.L. Online Catalogue Raisonné. Washington, D.C.: National Gallery of Art, 2011, no. 26.26. http://www.nga.gov/gemini

Inscriptions

center on plate: The Critic Smiles; incised lower center: J Johns / '69; incised lower left corner: Gemini III

Markings

stamped lower left: [Gemini G.E.L.]; printed center verso on adhered label: Gemini G.E.L. / 8221 Melrose Avenue / Los Angeles, California / U.S.A. / Artist Jasper Johns / Title The Critic Smiles / Print number JJ69-218 / Size 23 x 17

Wikidata ID

Q63860891

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