Lines in Four Directions from Rubber Stamp Portfolio
1976 (published 1977)
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
rubber stamp in black on Arches Satine wove paper and envelope
Dimensions
sheet: 20.32 × 20.32 cm (8 × 8 in.)
Classification
Portfolio
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Bob Stana and Tom Judy
Accession Number
2015.115.2.6.a-b
Art Historical Context
Sol LeWitt's *Lines in Four Directions from Stamp Portfolio* (1976, published 7) exemplifies the artist's pioneering role in Conceptual and Minimalist art. LeWitt, a key figure in the 1960s and '70s New York art scene, rejected the cult of the unique artwork, emphasizing ideas and instructions over. This piece is part a portfolio that invited viewers actively participate by stamping simple geometric lines—horizontal, vertical, and—in four directions onto high-quality Arches Satineove paper, housed in an envelope. Measuring a precise 8 x 8 inches, its square format underscores LeWitt's fascinat...
About the Artist
Sol Lewitt
Solomon "Sol" LeWitt (1928–2007) was born in Hartford, Connecticut, to Russian Jewish immigrant parents; his father, a doctor and inventor, died when Sol was six, after which he lived with his mother, a nurse, and an aunt in New Britain. His mother enrolled him in art classes at the Wadsworth Atheneum, fostering his early interest in drawing. LeWitt earned a BFA from Syracuse University in 1949, w...