F
© Copyrighted Artwork
This artwork is protected by copyright. We cannot display images of works by artists who passed away after 1954.
See the original at Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York
Full Fathom Five
by Jackson Pollock, 1947
Details
- Year
- 1947
- Medium
- Oil on canvas with nails, tacks, buttons, coins, cigarettes
- Size
- 129.2 cm × 76.5 cm (50.9 × 30.1 in)
Jackson Pollock's Full Fathom Five from 1947 marks the emergence of his drip technique. The title comes from Shakespeare's Tempest: "Full fathom five thy father lies." Beneath the swirling surface lies buried detritus: nails, tacks, buttons, coins, cigarettes, even a key.
The dark green and black surface suggests oceanic depths. Pollock poured, dripped, and flung paint, then embedded objects before the surface dried. It's one of his first fully realized "all-over" compositions, where no part of the canvas takes precedence over another. It hangs in MoMA.
