Near the Lagoon by Jasper Johns

Near the Lagoon

Jasper Johns · 2002

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“Stop to appreciate how a simple piece of string transforms this large painting, casting real shadows and creating painted illusions that challenge your perception of what's real and what's rendered.”

ABOUT THIS WORK

This monumental work, "Near the Lagoon," engulfs the viewer in a textured field of multitonal grays, punctuated by a delicate, looping string. The string, a simple household item, creates a physical curve known as a catenary, suspended freely across the canvas and wooden boards. It casts an actual shadow, which the artist has mirrored with painted shadows, blurring the line between reality and representation. Look closely, and you’ll even see a rut where the string was once embedded in the encaustic wax before being pulled out. This interplay of real objects and painted illusions invites a close examination of how we perceive depth and surface, making the flat plane of the picture feel remarkably dimensional.

DETAILS
Artist
Jasper Johns
Date
2002
Medium
Encaustic on canvas and wooden boards with objects
Location
Art Institute of Chicago
Dimensions
300 × 198.1–214.6 (variable) × 10 cm (118 × 78–84 1/2 [variable] × 4 in.)
Collection
Contemporary Art
Culture
United States
Credit line
Through prior gift of Muriel Kallis Newman in memory of Albert Hardy Newman
ART MOVEMENTS
LOOK CLOSER

What to Notice

Five details hide in plain sight. Pick one and we’ll show you exactly where to look.

Near the Lagoon

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01

The silver string curve

Follow the thin bright cord as it sweeps down the left side, dips near the bottom, and rises on the right. It is a real string, not paint.

1 of 5 on the painting
02

Painted curves behind

Look at the darker curves drawn into the paint, nested inside and alongside the string. They echo its sweep, so you have to look closely to tell which line is the real cord and which is painted.

2 of 5 on the painting
03

Scratched, mottled surface

Move close to the gray field. Short, patchy strokes in blue-gray, brown and white build a mottled surface, crossed by fine scratched lines.

3 of 5 on the painting
04

Boxes at the top

Two rectangles sit in the upper area, one wide and one square. Their hard edges contrast with the soft curves hanging below them.

4 of 5 on the painting
05

Row of stenciled letters

Along the bottom edge, a line of small stenciled-looking letters ends in a yellow-green 2. They are hard to read and sit quietly beneath the gray.

5 of 5 on the painting
AUDIO DEEP DIVE

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The full narration walks you through Near the Lagoon — the story behind it, the details most visitors miss, and why it matters. Free in the Art Whisper app.

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THE ARTIST

Jasper Johns

1930 · United States

Jasper Johns redefined American art by painting everyday objects like flags and targets, challenging perceptions of art and representation.

Read Johns’s full story
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