Untitled
1964
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
lithograph (zinc) in black on white Arches paper
Dimensions
sheet: 42.1 x 56.2 cm (16 9/16 x 22 1/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-W
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Dorothy J. and Benjamin B. Smith
Accession Number
1983.18.574
Art Historical Context
John Grillo's *Untitled* (1964) is a striking black lithograph on white Arches paper, measuring 42.1 x 56.2 cm. Created using a zinc plate—a modern innovation in lithography that allowed for precise, durable printing—this work exemplifies mid-20th-century printmaking techniques. Lithography, invented in the late 18th century, relies on the repulsion of oil-based ink and water, enabling artists like Grillo to translate bold, gestural marks from drawing to editioned prints with remarkable fidelity. Grillo (1917–2004), an American painter and educator associated with the Bay Area Figurative move...