Mural

His appearance in the light of this painting owes much to the Howard Patalu, Secretary Peggy Guggenheim who advised the famous galeristka to enjoy Pollock a huge mural for her mansion. In 1943, Guggenheim signed with the artist's contract, promising to organize his personal exhibition in November. He in turn planned by this time to finalize "Mural". A close friend of Peggy artist Marcel Duchamp recommended to paint a mural not on the wall, but on canvas, to make it mobile and transportable.

To stretch the canvas the desired size, Pollock had to destroy the wall between the two rooms. Peggy gave him complete freedom in the story of linen, and equipment, and materials. And for weeks the artist was just sitting in the Studio staring at a "huge, but very exciting" blank canvas, not having a clue about what to portray.

Time was running out, Guggenheim began to put pressure on Pollock, requiring to execute the order. And finally "Fresco" took his seat in the house galeristka. According to the artist, he was inspired by a sudden vision: "It was an escape of all the animals of the American West cows and horses and antelopes and bulls".

There is a legend according to which Pollock wrote this canvas in just one night. However, a recent analysis of the painting showed that it was not created in one week, since some of the paint was already dry when I applied the new (and in the case of oil paints this process takes a lot of time).

Marcel Duchamp told me that the finished canvas delivered Pollock to the mansion Guggenheim, were too large and had to be cut to fit on the wall. However, numerous research and examination, which was subjected to the "Mural" during its existence, has not found any confirmation.

Author: Eugene Sidelnikov