Larry Rivers

ENERGY
1959

Handwritten and illustrated poem on a textured paper with the title "ENERGY" at the top center in bold, uneven letters. The poem discusses abstract concepts with lines such as "There are straight lines but there are no connections" and "The ability to absorb attention when no one is there." A small, sketched flower appears on the right side. The bottom left corner has the initials "XI 9" and the bottom right corner has the signature "Twombly 57."
Handwritten and illustrated poem on a textured paper with the title "ENERGY" at the top center in bold, uneven letters. The poem discusses abstract concepts with lines such as "There are straight lines but there are no connections" and "The ability to absorb attention when no one is there." A small, sketched flower appears on the right side. The bottom left corner has the initials "XI 9" and the bottom right corner has the signature "Twombly 57."

Not on view

Date
1959

Classification
Prints

Medium
Lithograph

Dimensions
Sheet (Irregular): 19 1/8 × 23 3/4in. (48.6 × 60.3 cm) Image (Irregular): 14 1/8 × 18in. (35.9 × 45.7 cm)

Accession number
77.123.9

Edition
XI/XXV | A-E APs

Publication
Printed by Robert Blackburn; published by Universal Limited Art Editions, Inc.

Credit line
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; gift of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph L. Braun

Rights and reproductions
© Estate of Larry Rivers / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

API
artworks/7296

Part of a series:
Stones
13 works

An artwork featuring abstract black brush strokes and handwritten text on a cream-colored paper. The text is a poem that reads, "How lucky we are that you're in so many museums so we can go and look and be out of traffic as if we were talking in the dirty light of loss; it is not the Parthenon but a Vuillard small as an Adam's apple where pain mounts and falls." The word "BERTIE" is written at the top, and the bottom corners are signed "XI S. Orave" and "Rivers '59" respectively.
Handwritten and illustrated poem on a textured paper with the title "ENERGY" at the top center in bold, uneven letters. The poem discusses abstract concepts with lines such as "There are straight lines but there are no connections" and "The ability to absorb attention when no one is there." A small, sketched flower appears on the right side. The bottom left corner has the initials "XI 9" and the bottom right corner has the signature "Twombly 57."
A lithograph by Larry Rivers titled "Stones" featuring the word "STONES" at the top and "DIARA RIVERS" at the bottom in a rough, expressive font. The print is on cream-colored paper with rough edges, and there are artist's signatures and edition markings on the bottom left and right corners.
This image features an artwork titled "FIVE O'CLOCK" with a combination of text and abstract sketches. The text is a poetic narrative about a memory of meeting someone at dawn, with references to youth and recurring awakenings at five o'clock. The sketches include a clock, a figure, and other less distinguishable forms. The piece is signed and dated at the bottom right.
A textured paper with rough edges features a poem titled "LOVE" in uppercase letters, accompanied by abstract black ink smudges and sketches. The poem's text is interspersed with the artwork, creating a visual interplay between the words and images. The artist's signature is visible at the bottom right.
This is an image of an artwork featuring a combination of text and abstract imagery on a textured paper background. The text includes phrases like "Melancholy breakfast," "the silent egg thinks," and "the elements of disbelief are very strong in the morning," interspersed with sketch-like drawings that include an egg shape and other indistinct forms. The artwork has a handwritten, poetic feel, with the text and images suggesting a narrative or thematic connection. The bottom left corner has a roman numeral and a signature, indicating it's part of a series and the artist's name, while the bottom right corner has the year marked as '57.
A monochrome artwork featuring abstract floral forms with a poem written in cursive script on the left side. The word "Printemps" is prominently displayed in the upper middle part of the image. The artist's signature and the year '87 are visible at the bottom right corner. The paper has rough, uneven edges.
A black and white lithograph featuring an abstract drawing of a figure playing the violin with expressive lines and brush strokes. Text is incorporated into the artwork, with a poem or statement written in script across the image. The word "Students" is written in the upper right corner. The paper has rough edges, and there are handwritten notations at the bottom left and right corners, including a signature and date.
A whimsical black and white drawing featuring a collage of cartoon-like figures and text bubbles. On the left, a figure says "Call me Pablo," while another responds "Call me Gert." To the right, a character asks "Where is Teufel?" and a cat-like creature below responds "here I am, band." The bottom text reads "and so they were happily married and it was raining bourbon and (hic) champagne and bop (sic) O Westbury!" The artwork is signed and dated at the bottom right. The paper appears aged with rough edges.
A sketch of a seated man with crossed legs, reading a book, with handwritten poetic text surrounding him on a paper with rough edges. The text muses on the ephemeral nature of those who have previously handled the book.

Larry Rivers
22 works in the collection

View artist

On the Hour

A 30-second online art project:
Maya Man, A Realistic Day In My Life Living In New York City

Learn more about this project

Learn more at whitney.org/artport

On the Hour projects can contain motion and sound. To respect your accessibility settings autoplay is disabled.