Chromoscope
A Perspective on Color Field Abstraction (1955–1992)
With Chromoscope and Mute – Fabienne Verdier, the Cité is launching a new exhibition series curated by Matthieu Poirier, bringing contemporary art into dialogue with our collections. Bridging the legacy of American Color Field painting and contemporary creation, these two exhibitions engage with medieval and classical architectures, where heritage meets abstraction.
Exhibition
“Chromoscope” brings together twenty-three monumental paintings from private collections and foundations, with the support of Yares Art, to explore Color Field and Post-Painterly painting between 1955 and 1992. This exhibition is part of the institutional program of Art Basel Paris and is supported by Yares Art Gallery.
An Immersion in the Galerie des peintures murales
Installed among medieval chapels and frescoes, the exhibition confronts the monumental color of abstract works with the figurative richness of ancient décors. This unexpected encounter creates a striking contrast that invites visitors into a renewed sensory experience.
Experimentation and Legacy
Helen Frankenthaler, Morris Louis, Sam Francis, Frank Stella, and Larry Poons, among others, rejected figuration to make color the central subject. Luminous veils, vibrant fields, and chromatic grids immerse viewers in a rich pictorial space. This movement, a major current in postwar American art, continues to inspire contemporary creation.
In Dialogue with Mute – Fabienne Verdier
This historical exploration of abstraction resonates directly with the exhibition Mute, in which Fabienne Verdier extends the investigation of gesture and color in her own way. While “Chromoscope” revisits the heritage of the 20th century, “Mute – Fabienne Verdier” offers a contemporary reinterpretation, inscribed in dialogue with architectural heritage.
Featured Artists
- Thomas Downing (born Suffolk, VA, 1928 – died Provincetown, MA, 1985)
- Sam Francis (born San Mateo, CA, 1923 – died Santa Monica, CA, 1994)
- Helen Frankenthaler (born New York City, NY, 1928 – died Darien, CT, 2011)
- Adolph Gottlieb (born New York City, NY, 1903 – died New York City, 1974)
- Morris Louis (born Baltimore, MD, 1912 – died Washington, DC, 1962)
- Robert Motherwell (born Aberdeen, WA, 1915 – died Provincetown, MA, 1991)
- Kenneth Noland (born Asheville, NC, 1924 – died Port Clyde, ME, 2010)
- Jules Olitski (born Snovsk, USSR, 1922 – died New York City, NY, 2007)
- Larry Poons (born Tokyo, Japan, 1937)
- Frank Stella (born Malden, MA, 1936 – died New York City, NY, 2024)
