Henry Pearson (American, 1914-2006), Coleridge Poem I, 1964 Color Lithograph

Henry Pearson (American, 1914–2006) was a painter, printmaker, and sculptor associated with the development of Op Art during the 1960s. Trained in theatrical design at Yale University, Pearson later worked as a cartographer in the Army Air Corps, and the contour lines of topographic maps became an important source for his art. His paintings and prints use closely spaced, undulating lines that gather into circles, waves, and shifting landlike forms, creating optical movement while retaining the irregularity of hand drawing. Pearson was included in the Museum of Modern Art’s influential 1965 exhibition The Responsive Eye, and his work is represented in major collections including the Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Gallery of Art, and Whitney Museum of American Art.

Coleridge Poem I, 1964, is a color lithograph printed in yellow and black on cream wove paper. A large yellow circle filled with tightly spaced, undulating black lines occupies the upper portion of the sheet, the shifting contours forming an optical illusion. Beneath it is a handwritten passage attributed to S. T. Coleridge beginning “Sing impassionate Soul! of Mohammed the complicate story.” Inscribed in graphite “Tamarind Impression” lower left and signed and dated “Henry Pearson ’64” lower right, with Tamarind blindstamps nearby. Sheet measures approximately 29.75 x 22.25 inches. The sheet shows overall toning with pronounced brown tide staining and scattered foxing across the lower portion and margins. Remnants of mounting tape appear at three points along the upper edge verso. Printed image remains strong. Provenance of Martin and Enid Gleich.

Condition
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Dimensions
29.75 x 22.25 in