American painter, sculptor, and printmaker Jasper Johns creates works that, despite being centered around identifiable cultural signifiers, reject being reduced to set meanings or interpretations. Influenced by a slew of competing artistic movements, including Abstract Expressionism, the Duchampian ethos, neo-Dadaism, and Pop art, Johns is best known for early works that reimagine accessible everyday symbols in order to reassess their value: targets, numerals, and, notably, the American flag, including Flag on an Orange Field II, 1958, in Glenstone’s collection. These works are considered among the most influential in the history of postwar art in the United States and have inspired numerous subsequent movements and trends.

–Laura Linton, from the Glenstone Field Guide