Clyfford Still was among the first American painters to shift away from representational painting and embrace abstraction, becoming an influential figure in the Abstract Expressionism movement. Still’s colorful, riotous brushwork relied heavily on vertical forms to explore the tension between the human spirit and forces of nature, in what he described as “the vertical necessity of life.” His dynamic approach to painting can be seen in the bold depth of color and movement visible in 1949-A, No. 2, 1949, in Glenstone’s collection. Although he was an active participant in the vibrant postwar New York art scene, Still grew disillusioned and left New York to settle on a farm in Carroll County, Maryland, where he remained—and painted—for the rest of his life.

–Samantha White, from the Glenstone Field Guide