Join The Collection to save, track, and explore works like this.

Alma Thomas — Atmospheric Effect No. 6
Alma Thomas

Atmospheric Effect No. 6

1971

This abstract composition features bold vertical bands of color arranged across the picture plane. Domininating the work are expansive areas of deep blue, punctuated by a striking vertical stripe of warm hues including red, orange, and yellow in the center left, and a contrasting green vertical band on the right edge. The artist has layered acrylic, watercolor, and graphite to create varied surface textures and atmospheric depth, with visible brushwork and tonal variations within the blue fields suggesting movement and luminosity. The interplay of cool and warm colors creates a dynamic visual rhythm, while the geometric simplicity of the composition evokes both modernist abstraction and naturalistic references to light and environment.

Medium
acrylic, watercolor and graphite on paper
Overall

Notes

Contemporary Day Auction, Sotheby's, sale on 2026-05-15.

🔨 Auction Lot

Contemporary Day Auction

May 15, 2026

Estimate: $80,000$120,000

For Sale

Start the Discussion

Request access to join the discussion

About this work

Alma Thomas, Atmospheric Effect No. 6, 1971

This abstract composition features bold vertical bands of color arranged across the picture plane. Domininating the work are expansive areas of deep blue, punctuated by a striking vertical stripe of warm hues including red, orange, and yellow in the center left, and a contrasting green vertical band on the right edge. The artist has layered acrylic, watercolor, and graphite to create varied surface textures and atmospheric depth, with visible brushwork and tonal variations within the blue fields suggesting movement and luminosity. The interplay of cool and warm colors creates a dynamic visual rhythm, while the geometric simplicity of the composition evokes both modernist abstraction and naturalistic references to light and environment.

Medium
acrylic, watercolor and graphite on paper
Dimensions
overall: 56.5 x 76.8 cm
Year
1971
Seen at
Sotheby's, New York, London, Hong Kong, Paris

Related themes

Modernist Art, Contemporary Abstract, Minimalist Design, Color Relationships, Mixed Media Work, Mid-Century American Art, Vertical Stripes, Geometric Abstraction, Chromatic Study, Atmospheric Light, Blue Palette, Color Field Painting, Acrylic Watercolor, Abstract Composition, Visual Rhythm

More works by Alma Thomas

Collected by

Sarah Greenspan, Art Institute of Chicago