Flag

Flag is an encaustic painting by the American artist Jasper Johns. Created when Johns was 24 (1954–55), two years after he was discharged from the US Army, this painting was the first of many works that Johns has said were inspired by a dream of U.S. flag the in 1954. It is arguably the painting for which Johns is best known.

Johns has said that the idea to paint this first American flag came to him in a dream. Although he began the work using enamel house paint, he then changed to ancient medium of encaustic wherein wax, not oil, binds pigment. He did this because he wanted a medium that dries very quickly yet keeps the brushstrokes distinct. The fast-drying medium enabled him to apply individual strokes with great textural variation, while allowing some of the underlying areas of collage to show through, dimly, attracting the viewer to look closely. when you look at the painting closely you will discover that it consists of three separate panels – two stacked horizontal rectangles on top – the stars, the color bands to the right of the stars, and a long horizontal block on the bottom. “Flag” was estimated to fetch between $15 million to $20 million at the Sotheby's sale. The $36 million purchase price surpassed that of the previous titleholder for a Johns painting.