“Step into a breathtaking expanse of blue. This monumental painting by Sam Francis captures a moment of pure, vibrant color, inviting you to lose yourself in its swirling, energetic atmosphere and experience the power of abstract expressionism up close.”
This vast canvas, "In Lovely Blueness No. 2," envelops you in a swirling, ethereal world of color. Dominated by a vibrant, almost liquid blue, the painting feels less like a static image and more like a captured moment of atmospheric flux. Splashes and drips of pigment dance across the linen, creating a sense of dynamic movement, as if the very air is alive with color. This particular work, created in 1955, showcases a pivotal moment in Sam Francis's artistic journey, as he moved towards the expansive, richly colored murals that would soon bring him international recognition. The sheer scale of the piece, nearly 10 by 12 feet, invites viewers to step into its immersive environment, experiencing the raw energy and subtle shifts of hue firsthand.
- Artist
- Sam Francis
- Date
- 1955
- Medium
- Oil on linen
- Location
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Dimensions
- Without frame: 309.9 × 365.8 cm (122 1/16 × 144 1/16 in.); 309.9 × 365.8 cm (122 × 144 in.)
What to Notice
Five details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.
Observe the varied textures created by the oil paint, from thin washes to thicker impasto.
Notice the lighter, almost white areas that punctuate the blue, suggesting light or void.
Follow the delicate drips and splatters, revealing the artist's energetic application.
Look for hints of other colors peeking through the dominant blue, adding depth.
1 more detail is waiting.
See all 5 in Art Whisper →Stand in front of it and listen
The full narration walks you through In Lovely Blueness No. 2 — the story behind it, the details most visitors miss, and why it matters. Free in the Art Whisper app.
Sam Francis
1923–1994 · United StatesFrancis learned to paint in a hospital bed and went on to sell canvases for over $13 million.
Further Works by Francis
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Beyond Francis and Tachisme: works from the same years.
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Greyed Rainbow
Jackson Pollock · 1953 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1940s–1970s
Sun Spot
Yayoi Kusama · 1953 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1940s–1970s
Impregnazione
Piero Manzoni · 1958
Same era · 1940s–1970s
Deux personnages
Pierre Alechinsky · 1950
Same era · 1940s–1970s
Alka Seltzer
Roy Lichtenstein · 1966 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1940s–1970s
Portrait of Mary Block
Ivan Puni · 1955 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1940s–1970s
Woman at the Piano
Philip Evergood · 1955 · Smithsonian American Art Museum
Same era · 1940s–1970s
Nighthawks
Okada Saburosuke · 1942 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1940s–1970s
Figure with Meat
Francis Bacon · 1954 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1940s–1970s
Portrait of Sylvette David
Pablo Picasso · 1954 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1940s–1970s
Flag
Jasper Johns · 1958
Same era · 1940s–1970s
The Banquet
René Magritte · 1958 · Art Institute of Chicago