NUMBER 17A:

Number 17A is a painting by Jackson Pollock, an American painter known for his contributions to the abstract expressionist movement. In 2015, it was sold by the David Geffen Foundation to Kenneth C. Griffin for $200 million. This makes Number 17A the fifth most expensive painting ever sold in history.

Jackson Pollock’s dripping paint technique has its roots in the work of André Masson and Max Ernst. This piece of abstract work was created in 1948 and was featured in the 1947 Life magazine article that made the painting a household name. Done on fiberboard canvas using just oil paints, Number 17A looks like a messy mirage of patterns and colors. It is example of Pollock's drip painting series, and one of the earlier pieces in this series. one of the best examples of the radical and exceptionally unique art form of drip painting, which Pollock introduced to the world in 1947.

The painting is most likely currently on display in one of Griffen's private homes. Griffen is a known avid art collector and owns some of the most expensive paintings in the world including Willem de Kooning's Interchanged and False Start by artist Jasper Johns.

NUMBER 17A

ABOUT THIS PAINTING:

Number 17A, an oil on fiberboard and a good example of drip painting, was painted a year after Jackson Pollock introduced his famous drip technique. The abundance of paint creates a complex color vortex where the top and bottom layers are impossible to differentiate. Smudges of yellow, blue, and black on the fiberboard help soften the image, while three nearly-parallel white brushstrokes grab our attention and direct our gaze diagonally up the image.

Initially drip paintings by Pollock were met with great public scrutiny and were mostly unpopular and therefore had low value in art markets. This 1948 piece was featured in a 1949 Life magazine article that helped make Jackson Pollock a household name. In August 1949, Life magazine ran a feature story posing the question: "Jackson Pollock: Is he the greatest living painter in the United States?" The text was alternately mocking and respectful.

In 2015, Number 17A was sold by the David Geffen Foundation to Kenneth C. Griffin, an American hedge fund manager and billionaire, for $200 million. The price sets the world record for the most expensive painting ever sold at that point. The previous record was held by Water Serpents II by Gustav Klimt. Water Serpents II was sold in a private sale at $183.8 million in 2013.

The follwing are his famous paintings