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List of the 24 Most Famous Paintings by Norman Bluhm
Updated October 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 27 works by Norman Bluhm in our catalogue
Summary
The most widely known painting by Norman Bluhm is Thamyris (1972). The next entries are Untitled (1959) and Study I, Yellow and Black (1960). The catalogue documents 27 works by Norman Bluhm; the 24 entries below are the best known, listed in rank order with date, holding museum and description.
1921 – 1999, Chicago
Abstract expressionism
Most works: Smithsonian American Art Museum
Norman Bluhm: the 10 principal paintings
Norman Bluhm: entries 11 to 24
11
Untitled1960
12
It's Raining1960
13
Excalibur1960
14
Mojabe1966
15
Unused preparatory drawing from In Memory of My Feelings1967
16
Preparatory drawing from In Memory of My Feelings1967
17
Thetis1968
18
Issac Comnenus1967
19
Eudocia1967
20
Erythea1971 · Smithsonian American Art Museum
21
Dido1973 · Smithsonian American Art Museum
22
Study 31973
23
Erythea1971
24
Dido1973
Untitled1960
12It's Raining1960
13Excalibur1960
14Mojabe1966
15Unused preparatory drawing from In Memory of My Feelings1967
16Preparatory drawing from In Memory of My Feelings1967
17Thetis1968
18Issac Comnenus1967
19Eudocia1967
20Erythea1971 · Smithsonian American Art Museum
21Dido1973 · Smithsonian American Art Museum
22Study 31973
23Erythea1971
24Dido1973
Norman Bluhm: holding museums
The 2 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Norman Bluhm | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Smithsonian American Art Museum |
Washington, D.C. | 2 | Erythea, Dido |
 Metropolitan Museum of Art |
New York | 1 | It's Raining |
Norman Bluhm: principal painting of each decade
Works per decade
Select a decade to display its principal painting.
Norman Bluhm's paintings: reference questions
Which painting by Norman Bluhm is the most widely known?Display the answer
Thamyris (1972). The following entries are Untitled (1959) and Study I, Yellow and Black (1960).
What was the age of Norman Bluhm when Thamyris was painted?Display the answer
51 years: Norman Bluhm was born in 1921 and Thamyris is dated 1972.
Which ten paintings by Norman Bluhm are the best known?Display the answer
Thamyris, Untitled, Study I, Yellow and Black, Mathematics, Acheron, Untitled 4, It's Raining, Study for Oz, Ariel and Aritic. The list above records the date and holding museum of each.
How many works by Norman Bluhm are documented?Display the answer
The catalogue records 27 works by Norman Bluhm, dated between 1957 and 1973.
Which museums hold the best-known paintings of Norman Bluhm?Display the answer
Principally in Smithsonian American Art Museum (Washington, D.C.) and Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York). The museum table above gives the full distribution.
In which period were Norman Bluhm's best-known works painted?Display the answer
In 1960s: 13 of the 24 works listed on this page are dated to that period, including Study I, Yellow and Black.
Which are the earliest and latest dated works by Norman Bluhm on this list?Display the answer
The earliest dated work listed here is Untitled 4 (1957); the latest is Dido (1973).
With which art movement is Norman Bluhm associated?Display the answer
Abstract expressionism, as documented by the works on this page.
Which works by Norman Bluhm are in the collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum?Display the answer
Erythea and Dido are among the 2 works on this page in the collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C..
Norman Bluhm: biographical notes
The Weight of the Brush
To look at the work of Norman Bluhm is to witness the residue of a life shaped by profound disruption. He was an abstract expressionist painter who did not merely paint; he processed the wreckage of the mid-twentieth century through heavy, gestural application. His presence in the canon is cemented by his inclusion in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. These are not mere accolades; they are evidence of a technical command that forced the art world to pay attention.
Bluhm’s trajectory was never linear. He began with the rigid, structural logic of architecture, attending the Illinois Institute of Technology at sixteen. There, he operated in the shadow of giants like Mies van de Rohe and Frank Lloyd Wright. This early exposure to architectural precision provided a skeletal framework that his later, more chaotic abstraction would eventually dismantle.
War and Rebirth
The trajectory of his life shifted violently during World War II. Drafted into the U.S. Air Force, Bluhm returned from service physically injured and emotionally scarred by the loss of his brother. This period of trauma effectively killed the architect and birthed the painter. He sought a life that was entirely his own, trading blueprints for brushes. This pursuit led him to the heart of European tradition.
His training was rigorous and geographically diverse:
- Academia de Belle Arte in Florence, Italy, where he grounded himself in fine art fundamentals.
- École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France, a period that placed him in direct contact with the era's heavyweights, including Pablo Picasso and Alberto Giacometti.
A Concrete Legacy
Bluhm’s significance lies in his ability to bridge the gap between formal training and raw, expressive energy. His works, such as "Chandelle" (1966) and "Oz", demonstrate a refusal to settle for easy aesthetics. The Smithsonian American Art Museum holds pieces that reflect this uncompromising stance. He did not rely on decorative flourishes; he relied on the physical reality of paint. His career remains a study in how personal devastation can be converted into a disciplined, visual language.