The Age of the Desert

1957

Not on view

This work is a prime example of California painter Lee Mullican’s mid-career technique, where abstracted motifs derived from his study of works by Native American, Japanese, and pre-Columbian artists are accented by applications of shimmering, raised lines of paint applied to the surface of the canvas using the thin edge of a printmaker’s ink knife. Mullican’s paintings from the 1940s and ‘50s seek to combine the immediacy of desert landscapes and aerial mapping (something he was tasked with when serving in the army during World War II) with the more spiritual energies of Zen Buddhism, Native American cultures, Polynesian signs and symbols, and other touchstones.

Artwork Details

Overview

Inscriptions and Markings

Provenance

Exhibition History

Title: The Age of the Desert
Artist: Lee Mullican (American, Chickasha, Oklahoma 1919–1998 Santa Monica, California)
Date: 1957
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 40 5/8 × 25 9/16 in. (103.2 × 64.9 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 2016
Object Number: 2016.687
Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

More Artwork

In the same medium

From the same time and place

A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.

The Cathedrals of Art, Florine Stettheimer American, Oil on canvas — The Cathedrals of Art
Florine Stettheimer
1942

Black Abstraction, Georgia O'Keeffe American, Oil on canvas — Black Abstraction
Georgia O'Keeffe
1927

Self-Portrait as a Photographer, Yasuo Kuniyoshi American, born Japan, Oil on canvas — Self-Portrait as a Photographer
Yasuo Kuniyoshi
1924

Tables for Ladies, Edward Hopper American, Oil on canvas — Tables for Ladies
Edward Hopper
1930

Americana, Charles Sheeler American, Oil on canvas — Americana
Charles Sheeler
1931

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.