Red Yellow Blue White and Black II

Red Yellow Blue White and Black II — Ellsworth Kelly. 1953.

Medium: Oil on canvas; 7 joined panels. Dimensions: 99.1 × 350.2 cm (39 × 138 in.).

Collection record: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago. Museum connection according to this source; current display unverified.

Red Yellow Blue White and Black II is an early example of Kelly’s multipanel paintings. While living in Europe between 1948 and 1954, the artist encountered winged altarpieces in churches and cathedrals, which sparked his interest in works composed of separate pieces. He began arranging the colors of his paintings using chance techniques, removing himself from decisions that would influence the aesthetic of the finished artwork. Rather than use handmade marks in this piece, Kelly relied on intersecting edges and flat planes of monochrome color to express form.

Description: © Art Institute of Chicago, original record, CC BY 4.0. HTML formatting removed; wording retained. Other artwork metadata: CC0.

Source: official collection record. Metadata selected and normalized by Artline from the source export, accessed 10 September 2026; no museum endorsement. Reproduction rights are separate.