Student Artwork Guide

Name Class Date

James Brooks, B 1955. Reproduced for reference; rights reserved by the rights holder. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist: James Brooks wahooart.com/en/artists/james-brooks/
Artist’s dates: 1906 – 1992
Original size: 74 x 88 cm

Copyright This work is still under copyright. James Brooks died in 1992; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it remains in force until 2062. The image is shown here for classroom reference; rights remain with the rights holder.

B 1955 — James Brooks

How big is it?

The original measures 74 × 88 cm (height × width), drawn here beside an adult of average height.

When might this have been painted?

1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990

03
413
1423
2433
3443
4453
5463
6473
7483
8486

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 86 at death.

Shaded: the lifetime of James Brooks (1906–1992) every dated painting, decade by decade

This record has no exact year on file — using the artist's lifetime and the work's style, what decade would you guess?

Compare with

Number 13, 1965 wahooart.com/en/art/james-brooks-number-13-D3FJ7Z-en/
Untitled, 1952 wahooart.com/en/art/james-brooks-untitled-D7RA89-en/
Harmagh, 1967 wahooart.com/en/art/james-brooks-harmagh-AQRGVX-en/

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: wahooart.com/en/art/similar/james-brooks-b-1955-AQRGVR-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

Main colour

Putty #e4d5bd

Catalogued palette

#E4D5BD
#272826
#A01F21
#9E6C65

These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

Palette: Earthy The dominant colour family in the image.
Main colour name: Putty
Intensity: Balanced How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
Contrast: Statement How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
Harmony: Balanced Harmony How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
Brightness: Balanced How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
Saturation: Balanced Soft How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

Where in the world is this painting looked at?

under 1%
1–3%
3–8%
8–20%
20% and over

This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by James Brooks over the last twelve months — 4 countries in all. Where these figures come from

The ten leading countries

1 China 66.7%
2 United Arab Emirates 11.1%
3 Malaysia 11.1%
4 United States of America 11.1%

Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

The 6 most looked-at works by James Brooks

1 B 1955 this painting 33.3%
2 Ipswich 22.2%
3 Oran, 1969 11.1%
4 Untitled, 1953 11.1%
5 Black and White, 1965 11.1%
6 Number 13, 1965 11.1%

Together these works take 99.9% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 8 works by this artist, of which 6 were looked at at least once. This painting ranks 1 of them, with 33.3% of that attention. The same counts, month by month

Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

Artist

James Brooks

Born in St. Louis, United States of America

Early Life and Education

Born: October 18, 1906, St. Louis, Missouri

Family moved to Dallas, Texas in 1916

Studied art at Southern Methodist University (1922-1924)

Private lessons with James A. Waddell and Martha Simkins in Dallas

Moved to New York City in 1926

Studied at the Art Students League under Boardman Robinson and Kimon Nicolaides

Worked as a commercial artist to support himself

The WPA Years and Early Murals

Active in the Works Progress Administration (WPA) Federal Art Project from 1936-1942

Painted three murals for the WPA, demonstrating social realist style.

Flight (1940-1942): A significant mural at La Guardia Airport's Marine Air Terminal, depicting the history of aviation. It was the largest WPA mural and later restored after being painted over.

Friendships with Jackson Pollock and Philip Guston during this period

Abstract Expressionist Period: Style and Development

Served as a combat artist in the U.S. Army (1942-1945)

Returned to New York City in 1946, reconnected with Pollock and Krasner

Shifted towards Abstract Expressionism, influenced by Surrealist principles

Developed a unique staining technique: Experimenting with the bleed of paste through canvas.

Early works showed influences of Synthetic Cubism.

Palette initially featured browns, grays, blacks and vivid colors.

Later work incorporated larger forms, broader strokes, and simpler compositions using acrylics.

Often used numbers and letters to identify paintings, incorporating nonsense syllables as titles (e.g., Pask, Burwak, Jondol).

Major Exhibitions and Recognition

First solo exhibition at the Peridot Gallery in New York City (1949)

Participated in the historic Ninth Street Exhibition (1951) – a key event in Abstract Expressionism.

Featured in exhibitions such as Twelve Americans and New American Painting at the Museum of Modern Art.

Documenta, Kassel, West Germany (1959).

John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship (1969)

Legacy and Historical Significance

Considered a first-generation Abstract Expressionist painter.

Known for his innovative staining techniques and lyrical abstraction.

His work is held in prominent collections including the Art Institute of Chicago, The Museum of Modern Art, Tate Gallery, and National Gallery of Art.

Brooks's artistic journey reflects the evolution of Abstract Expressionism and his willingness to experiment with new approaches to painting.

Died on March 9, 1992, in East Hampton, New York.

Where to read more

The artist James Brooks wahooart.com/en/artists/james-brooks/
Similar works More works to compare wahooart.com/en/art/similar/james-brooks-b-1955-AQRGVR-en/

Find this online

QR code linking to the download page for B 1955

wahooart.com/en/art/download/james-brooks-b-1955-AQRGVR-en/

Cite this artwork

MLA: Brooks, James. B 1955. n.d., https://wahooart.com/en/art/james-brooks-b-1955-AQRGVR-en/
APA: Brooks, James (n.d.). B 1955 [Painting]. https://wahooart.com/en/art/james-brooks-b-1955-AQRGVR-en/
Chicago: James Brooks. B 1955. n.d. https://wahooart.com/en/art/james-brooks-b-1955-AQRGVR-en/
Harvard: Brooks, James (n.d.) B 1955. Available at: https://wahooart.com/en/art/james-brooks-b-1955-AQRGVR-en/

B 1955 — James Brooks

Look closely

Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

What catches your eye first, and why?
Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
Look back at Number 13 (1965), earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
What might the artist have wanted you to feel?
If you could ask the artist one question about this work, what would it be?

Your response

Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

Questions & Answers

Toward which tone does "B 1955" lean?

"B 1955" leans toward an amber to saffron tone.

How can I view "B 1955" by James Brooks as a slideshow?

"B 1955" by James Brooks can be viewed as a slideshow on the artwork's Diaporama page.

How is the palette of "B 1955" by James Brooks described?

The colors of "B 1955" form an earthy palette. This classification describes the dominant color families.