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Symphony No. 1, The Transcendental

1941–42
Not on view
Monumental in scale and densely and thickly painted, Pousette-Dart’s Symphony No. 1, The Transcendental represents a remarkable synthesis of Cubism, biomorphic Surrealism, and 1930s mural painting. Organized upon an uneven grid, the composition consists of circles, teardrops, ovals, arcs, diamonds, and crosses in a rhythmic spread of black, white, and earth tones with points of bright color. Identifiable subjects appear—perhaps a bird at lower left, or some primitive weaponry at upper left—but also fade away. The musical title suggests the artist’s desire to create in paint a grand, intensely personal aesthetic experience, like an orchestral symphony.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Symphony No. 1, The Transcendental
  • Artist: Richard Pousette-Dart (American, St. Paul, Minnesota 1916–1992 New York)
  • Date: 1941–42
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 85 1/2 in. × 11 ft. 8 in. (217.2 × 355.6 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 1996
  • Object Number: 1996.367
  • Rights and Reproduction: © 2015 Estate of Richard Pousette-Dart / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
  • Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

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