No. 5, 1948

No. 5, 1948 is a 1948 painting by Jackson Pollock, an American painter known for his contributions to the abstract expressionist movement. It was sold on 22 May 2006 for $140 million, a new mark for highest ever price for a painting, not surpassed until April 2011.

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Description

Composition
The painting was created on fibreboard, also known as composition board, measuring 8’ x 4’. For the paint, Pollock chose to use liquid paints. More specifically, they were synthetic resin paints (gloss enamel) but are referred to as oil paints for classification of the work. On inspection it was grey, brown, white and yellow paint drizzled in a way that many people still perceive as a “dense bird’s nest”. Initial reactions to the work were underwhelming:

“You spent money on ‘that’?” The initial reaction of Ted Dragon, Ossorio’s partner.

 

Additional information

Claude Monet

Famous works: Water Lilies and Sunrise