Alex Katz is a central figure in postwar American painting, acclaimed for a signature style that merges realism and abstraction through bold simplification, flat planes of color, and an economy of detail. His portraits and landscapes—often monumental in scale—are imbued with a cinematic sense of framing and an acute sensitivity to light, mood, and atmosphere.

Orange and Black (2006) exemplifies the refined grace of Katz’s mature production. The painting is an exceptional example of a classic Katzian motif: the twilight transition of light viewed through a forested strand of trees. In Katz’s own words, “It’s the instantaneous light. If you get that right then you get in the total present tense – that’s what you are going for, that’s eternity” (Alex Katz, recorded by Emily Steer, Now Showing: Alex Katz Quick Light, Elephant, June 2, 2016). Here, the deep black silhouettes of trees stand in striking contrast to a luminous orange sky, transforming a fleeting moment in nature into an enduring visual icon.

A recurring motif in Katz’s practice since his first residency in Maine in 1949, landscapes such as Orange and Black embody his ability to fuse direct observation with formal elegance. Katz’s works are held in major collections worldwide, including The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Whitney Museum of American Art, Tate Modern, and Centre Pompidou, affirming his enduring influence on contemporary painting.

Provenance
Peter Blum Gallery, New York
Private collection, Madrid

Exhibitions
Tenerife, Canary Islands, TEA Museum, Et in Arcadia Ego, July1 - November 1, 2010
Madrid, Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Alex Katz, June 11- September 11, 2022, pp. 36-37, 92-93, illustrated

Literature/Press
Javier Gonzáled de Durana, “A contextual approach to a painting by Salvador Dali, The stream of Jorneta, 1923”, illustrated.