Minnesota

An abstract painting, enlivened by broad strokes of yellow and blue, this four-part series presents an almost cinematic vision of the landscape, in which the painting is structured in sequences, oscillating between shimmering colours and more subdued tones.

In 1967, following the death of her mother, Joan Mitchell purchased a property in Vétheuil, a village situated a few kilometres from Giverny, where one of the cottages is said to have served as Monet’s studio. It was at this same time that polyptychs first appeared and then became increasingly common in her work. This approach, common in American painting of the 1960s, was first and foremost a way for the artist, who was based in France, to maintain a connection with her country of origin [the title of the work on offer, "Minnesota", refers to the state where Joan Mitchell held her first solo exhibition in 1950, at the Saint Paul Gallery and School of Art].