The National Gallery of Art Acquires Major Work by Simon Hantaï

The National Gallery of Art (Washington, USA) has made possible the acquisition of Etude (1969) by Simon Hantaï (1922–2008), from his series of the same name. The museum has also acquired, for its collection, works on Paper by Andy Warhol and Robert Heinecken.

Although little known in the U.S., Hantaï was a major figure in France, inspiring the Support/Surface group in particular. The Gallery's collection includes three drawings by the artist from the Rosenwald Collection, but this is its first painting by Hantaï.

Hantaï's process entailed knotting a loose canvas in clumps on the floor, painting it in one of several monochrome colors, and then flattening and stretching it, revealing a dramatic image. The Meun series of 1968 was the first in which he left parts of the primed canvas unpainted, allowing white to penetrate the colored forms. This work is from his next series, the Etudes, which is arguably the most important series of his career.

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