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This artwork is protected by copyright. We cannot display images of works by artists who passed away after 1954.
See the original at Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice
The Moon Woman
by Jackson Pollock, 1942
Artwork Details
Details
- Year
- 1942
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Size
- 175.2 cm × 109.3 cm
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The Moon Woman (1942) by Jackson Pollock is an oil on canvas measuring 175.2 x 109.3 cm. This early work hangs in the Peggy Guggenheim Collection.
Pollock painted this during his engagement with Surrealist principles and mythological imagery in the early 1940s. The work reflects the influence of Joan Miró and Pablo Picasso, visible in its compositional structure and color palette. A black spine runs from top to bottom of the canvas, giving the figure an x-ray quality that reveals internal structure.
The moon woman subject appears in several of Pollock's drawings and paintings from this period. Sources ranged from Symbolist literature, particularly Baudelaire's "Favors of the Moon," to Mesoamerican mythology surrounding Quetzalcoatl. On the left side, mysterious hieroglyphic signs recall the paintings of André Masson. This work captures Pollock's interest in totemic figures, ideographic signs, and ritualistic events before he developed his signature drip technique.
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About The Moon Woman
Pollock drew from multiple sources: Surrealist automatism, Picasso's recent paintings, Joan Miró's imagery, Baudelaire's poetry, and Mesoamerican mythology. The hieroglyphic symbols show André Masson's influence.
A long black line runs from top to bottom like a spine, making the figure appear translucent. This technique reveals internal structure and adds psychological depth to Pollock's early work.
This 1942 work predates Pollock's signature technique by several years. It shows his interest in myth and symbolism that would persist, though his method would transform dramatically.
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