Clyfford Still Museum Opens with Ninety-Four Percent of Artist's Oeuvre

On November 18, The Clyfford Still Museum opened in Denver, Colorado, just nine days after Sotheby's auctioned four Clyfford Still paintings for a strong total of $114.1 million.

The sales were to benefit the endowment of the museum, which is dedicated solely to works by the twentieth-century Abstract Expressionist, and contains 2,400 paintings, drawings, prints, and sculptures which span his 60-year career.

“Still is considered among the most important and influential painters of the twentieth century, though the vast majority of his work has never been exhibited publicly,” said Dean Sobel, Director of The Clyfford Still Museum.

The inaugural exhibition is composed of 110 works of art which articulate his transition from figural painting to his more famous monumental abstractions. The museum gives visitors a chance to view rarely seen works, as Still retreated from the commercial art world in 1951.

The artist's will stated his estate was to be given to any American city willing to create a permanent headquarters for the display and research of his work. In 2004 Denver was selected by Still's wife, Patricia. Clyfford Still died in 1980, and his museum is now one of the largest single-artist museums in the country.

Still was one of the most prominent Abstract Expressionist painters in New York City during the 1940s, but left the scene and moved to Maryland, where he continued producing work. He exhibited infrequently during the later part of his career, and the museum hopes to spark new dialogue about this artist's work as it has reentered the public eye in a new way.

(Report: Alisa Alexander for ARTFIXdaily)