Painting, 23 May 1953
- Artist: Pierre Soulages
- Date: 1953
- Medium: Oil paint on canvas
- Dimensions: support: 1949 x 1302 mm
- Museum: Tate Modern
- Collection record: Tate Modern website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is "Painting, 23 May 1953" by Pierre Soulages. Completed in 1953, the canvas measures roughly 195 by 130 cm, a generous stage for the artist’s bold experiments. Soulages began using thick black brushstrokes on a pale background in 1947, and by the early 1950s his approach had become more energetic and gestural. In his own words, abstraction is a way to “explore my imagination and inner experience” – guided by inner impulse, longing for certain forms and colours. He deliberately names his works by the date of completion, a practical method to place them in time. The back of the canvas bears his signature and the inscription “Soulages | 23 mai 53”, anchoring the piece in its own history.
See it in person
Painting, 23 May 1953 is in the collection of Tate Modern on Bankside, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
