Figure 9, from Color Numerals Series
A bold and iconic lithograph from Jasper Johns' celebrated Color Numerals Series, this work presents the single digit "9" rendered in his signature encaustic-inspired style, layered with rich, complex hues that give the numeral both weight and ambiguity. Johns explores the tension between representation and abstraction, transforming a familiar everyday symbol into a visually compelling object of contemplation. Printed on Arjomari paper with full margins, the work exemplifies Johns' mastery of the lithographic medium and his enduring fascination with numbers, language, and perception.
- Medium
- Lithograph in colors, on Arjomari paper, with full margins,
- Location
- Phillips, Salt Lake City, UT
- Spotted At
- Auction House · PhillipsView on map
🔨 Auction Lot
Evening & Day Editions
October 28, 2014
Collectors of Jasper Johns
Artists in conversation
Robert Indiana
American · b. 1928
Indiana similarly elevated numbers and letters into bold graphic icons, exploring how familiar symbols carry cultural and emotional weight through vivid color and clean compositional force, as seen in his celebrated LOVE and numeral works.
Ed Ruscha
American · b. 1937
Ruscha shares Johns' preoccupation with transforming everyday text and symbols into objects of visual contemplation, using printmaking and layered color to blur the boundary between representation and abstraction in works centered on familiar language.
Richard Hamilton
British · b. 1922
Hamilton worked at the intersection of Neo Dadaism and Pop sensibility, using lithography and mixed media to reexamine ordinary cultural symbols with intellectual rigor and layered color complexity closely aligned with this Johns print.
Start the Discussion
Request access to join the discussion