Dark Blue Curve

About this artwork

**Dark Blue Curve** (1994–1995) by Ellsworth Kelly exemplifies the artist's lifelong dedication to pure form and color. This striking lithograph features a bold, sweeping curve in deep blue against the creamy expanse of Arches 88 wove paper, measuring 65.41 × 76.36 cm. Kelly, a pioneer of minimalist and hard-edge abstraction, strips art to its essentials—shape, hue, and scale—evoking a sense of quiet monumentality. Created late in his career, it reflects his enduring fascination with geometry's emotional power, bridging organic curves with precise abstraction. Produced in collaboration with Gemini G.E.L., the renowned Los Angeles print workshop, the work showcases lithography's precision for achieving Kelly's signature flat, unmodulated color. Arches 88, a premium wove paper, ensures archival quality and subtle texture that enhances the curve's elegance. Donated to the National Gallery of Art by Gemini G.E.L. and Kelly himself in honor of curator Andrew Robison, it joins the museum's distinguished print collection (Department CG-W), celebrating the intersection of painting and printmaking. Visitors will appreciate how **Dark Blue Curve** invites contemplation: Does the form suggest a horizon, a wave, or pure invention? Kelly's influence on postwar American art underscores its cultural weight, making this accessible yet profound piece a gateway to modernism.