FRANCIS, SAM
* 25.6.1923 San Mateo, † 4.11.1994 Santa Monica
Sam Francis first found art because of an injury during the Second World War. Lying flat on his back due to a spinal injury, he watched the play of light on the ceiling with fascination. When he was finally discharged, he decided to change his life. Born in California in 1923, Francis first studied medicine and psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, before enlisting in the war as a US fighter pilot. After his recovery, he turned to art and studied art history and fine arts at the same university from 1948 to 1950.
Sam Francis found his personal style in the 1950s, during which he spent some time in Paris and Japan. He combined Action Painting and Colour Field Painting, from Abstract Expressionism with Tachism and the influences of Japanese art and calligraphy. His painting is characterised by saturated colour and painterly spontaneity. Included in the ranks of the young European avant-garde, his paintings were then shown at exhibitions in Paris, London, and Bern. His participation in the 1956 exhibition "Twelve Americans" at the New York Museum of Modern Art also made Francis known in America. This was the period of a stylistic change from extensive compositions in monochrome values to bright 'islands of colour' on the white canvas. In the 1960s Francis moved back to California and developed a very personal form of spontaneous and gestural dripping. He directed the oil, acrylic, and watercolour paints across the picture surface with circling and splashing movements. In his "grid paintings" of the 1970s, the picture surface is covered with net-like structures. In addition to "Action Painting", he also turned to other techniques such as lithography, etching and monotype. His last artistic phase was greatly determined by large commissioned works for murals. Sam Francis died on 4.11.1994 in Santa Monica.Works from our auctions
Works by this artist from our auctions
Following are some examples of works by this artist from our past and future auctions.We are always accepting consignments for our auctions. Share in our success – contact us today for a no-obligations auction estimate.
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SAM FRANCIS
CHF 800 / 1 000 | (€ 820 / 1 030)
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SAM FRANCIS
CHF 6 000 / 8 000 | (€ 6 190 / 8 250)
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SAM FRANCIS
CHF 15 000 / 25 000 | (€ 15 460 / 25 770)
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SAM FRANCIS
CHF 8 000 / 12 000 | (€ 8 250 / 12 370)
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SAM FRANCIS
CHF 20 000 / 28 000 | (€ 20 620 / 28 870)
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SAM FRANCIS
CHF 4 000 / 6 000 | (€ 4 120 / 6 190)
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SAM FRANCIS
CHF 50 000 / 70 000 | (€ 51 550 / 72 160)
Sold for CHF 112 800 (including buyer’s premium)
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SAM FRANCIS
CHF 40 000 / 60 000 | (€ 41 240 / 61 860)
Sold for CHF 78 500 (including buyer’s premium)
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SAM FRANCIS
CHF 30 000 / 40 000 | (€ 30 930 / 41 240)
Sold for CHF 66 000 (including buyer’s premium)
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SAM FRANCIS
CHF 30 000 / 40 000 | (€ 30 930 / 41 240)
Sold for CHF 56 420 (including buyer’s premium)
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SAM FRANCIS
CHF 40 000 / 60 000 | (€ 41 240 / 61 860)
Sold for CHF 49 100 (including buyer’s premium)
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SAM FRANCIS
CHF 20 000 / 30 000 | (€ 20 620 / 30 930)
Sold for CHF 47 880 (including buyer’s premium)
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SAM FRANCIS
CHF 18 000 / 26 000 | (€ 18 560 / 26 800)
Sold for CHF 43 200 (including buyer’s premium)
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SAM FRANCIS
CHF 18 000 / 24 000 | (€ 18 560 / 24 740)
Sold for CHF 36 900 (including buyer’s premium)
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SAM FRANCIS
CHF 3 000 / 4 000 | (€ 3 090 / 4 120)
Sold for CHF 36 000 (including buyer’s premium)
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SAM FRANCIS
CHF 28 000 / 38 000 | (€ 28 870 / 39 180)
Sold for CHF 33 000 (including buyer’s premium)
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SAM FRANCIS
CHF 30 000 / 50 000 | (€ 30 930 / 51 550)
Sold for CHF 25 920 (including buyer’s premium)
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SAM FRANCIS
CHF 15 000 / 25 000 | (€ 15 460 / 25 770)
Sold for CHF 24 500 (including buyer’s premium)
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SAM FRANCIS
CHF 6 000 / 8 000 | (€ 6 190 / 8 250)
Sold for CHF 23 480 (including buyer’s premium)
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SAM FRANCIS
CHF 7 000 / 9 000 | (€ 7 220 / 9 280)
Sold for CHF 14 900 (including buyer’s premium)
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SAM FRANCIS
CHF 8 000 / 14 000 | (€ 8 250 / 14 430)
Sold for CHF 11 250 (including buyer’s premium)
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SAM FRANCIS
CHF 9 000 / 14 000 | (€ 9 280 / 14 430)
Sold for CHF 10 625 (including buyer’s premium)
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SAM FRANCIS
CHF 7 500 / 8 500 | (€ 7 730 / 8 760)
Sold for CHF 9 000 (including buyer’s premium)
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SAM FRANCIS
CHF 8 000 / 12 000 | (€ 8 250 / 12 370)
Sold for CHF 8 750 (including buyer’s premium)
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SAM FRANCIS
CHF 6 000 / 7 000 | (€ 6 190 / 7 220)
Sold for CHF 7 200 (including buyer’s premium)
All information is subject to change.
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