Ellsworth Kelly is known for his distillation of observed forms, whether in streamlined sculptures, economical line drawings and prints, or in the bold, colored paintings that established him as a major abstract artist. His best known drawings are his plant drawings, which he began making in 1949. Magnolia exemplifies their spare treatment and careful sense of composition. Kelly has compared such drawings to portraits: "They are exact observations of the form of the leaf or flower or fruit seen," he said. "Nothing is changed or added: no shading, no surface marking. They are not an approximation of the thing seen nor are they a personal expression or an abstraction."
EK P 28.66
Signed in graphite, lower right recto: Kelly, titled in graphite, lower left verso: Magnolia 6/13