Flowers VII
1965
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
lithograph (stone) in red, green and violet on German Etching paper
Dimensions
image: 13.6 x 19 cm (5 3/8 x 7 1/2 in.) sheet: 28.2 x 28.5 cm (11 1/8 x 11 1/4 in.)
Classification
Portfolio
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Dorothy J. and Benjamin B. Smith
Accession Number
1983.18.171
Art Historical Context
Ruth Asawa’s “Flowers VII” from 1965 is a delicate lithograph printed from stone in soft shades of red, green, and violet. Created German Etching paper, the work measures just over five by seven inches within a larger sheet, allowing the floral forms to float gently against generous margins. Lithography, a planographic process prized for its ability to capture fine lines and subtle color gradations, suits Asawa’s exploration of organic shapes and invites close viewing of the layered hues. As part of a portfolio gifted to the National Gallery of Art by Dorothy J. and Benjamin B. Smith, this pr...
About the Artist
Ruth Asawa
Ruth Asawa (1926–2013), born Ruth Aiko Asawa in Norwalk, California, as the fourth of seven children to Japanese immigrant farmers Umakichi and Haru Asawa, grew up on a truck farm where she honed her artistic eye sketching natural forms in the sand. During World War II, her family endured separation under Japanese American internment; while most were held at Rohwer Relocation Center in Arkansas—wh...