4.12.99
1999
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
watercolor and graphite on wove paper
Dimensions
overall: 38.1 x 45.1 cm (15 x 17 3/4 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Dorothy and Herbert Vogel Collection
Accession Number
2007.6.258
Art Historical Context
Sean Scully's *4.12.99* (1999) is a captivating watercolor and graphite drawing on wove paper, measuring 15 x 17 3/4 inches. Created at the turn of the millennium, this intimate work exemplifies Scully's mastery of abstraction, where he builds emotional depth through simple geometric forms—often bold blocks and striations of color. The smooth texture of wove paper allows for the fluid layering of watercolor washes alongside precise graphite lines, blending spontaneity with structure in a medium that invites close contemplation. As an Irish-born artist renowned for his post-minimalist style, S...
About the Artist
Sean Scully
Sean Scully (born 30 June 1945, Dublin) is one of the foremost abstract painters of his generation, celebrated for large-scale canvases of interlocking vertical and horizontal bands that transform geometric structure into something emotionally and spiritually resonant. Raised in London, he attended evening classes at the Central School of Art between 1962 and 1965 before enrolling full-time at Cro...