Canto
2003
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
color etching with aquatint, sugarlift and spitbite accompanying a poem in letterpress on Somerset White paper
Dimensions
plate: 17.5 x 22.5 cm (6 7/8 x 8 7/8 in.) sheet: 45.7 x 71.1 cm (18 x 28 in.)
Classification
Portfolio
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of the Collectors Committee
Accession Number
2006.149.1.9
Art Historical Context
**Canto**, created by Irish-born artist Sean Scully in 200, is a striking color etching that exemplifies his mastery of printmaking. Scully, renowned for his abstract paintings featuring bold blocks and stripes of color, brings this signature style to the intimate scale of prints. Produced on luxurious Somerset White paper, the measures a modest plate size of 175 x 22.5 cm, yet its expansive sheet (45.7 x 71.1 cm) invites close contemplation. Acquired as a gift to the National Gallery of Art's Collectors Committee portfolio, it reflects the museum's commitment to contemporary innovation. The ...
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...