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Morris Louis Most Popular Paintings

The 25 paintings by Morris Louis our visitors ask for most, ranked by popularity and presented plate by plate, with the specification of each hand-painted reproduction.

Hand painted in oil Edition 2026 · 25 plates Each plate painted to order
Linen canvas · Certificate of authenticity · Delivered worldwide Morris Louis · 1912 – 1962

VAV (1960) — Morris Louis

Plate 01

VAV

1960 · Tate Modern, London

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Sizes: From 37 × 27 cm, any size up to 250 cm
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$200 Commission this plate

Ambi I (1960) — Morris Louis

Plate 02

Ambi I

1960 · San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco · original 241 x 349 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Sizes: From 38 × 26 cm, any size up to 250 cm
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$200 Commission this plate

Seal (1959) — Morris Louis

Plate 03

Seal

1959 · The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C. · original 257 x 358 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Sizes: From 37 × 27 cm, any size up to 250 cm
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$200 Commission this plate

Number 1-82 (1961) — Morris Louis

Plate 04

Number 1-82

1961 · The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C. · original 208 x 84 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Sizes: From 20 × 50 cm, any size up to 250 cm
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$200 Commission this plate

Number 99 (1960) — Morris Louis

Plate 05

Number 99

1960 · Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland · original 251 x 361 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Sizes: From 38 × 27 cm, any size up to 250 cm
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$200 Commission this plate

Dalet Tet (1959) — Morris Louis

Plate 06

Dalet Tet

1959 · Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Sizes: From 30 × 33 cm, any size up to 250 cm
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$200 Commission this plate

Para III (1959) — Morris Louis

Plate 07

Para III

1959 · High Museum of Art, Atlanta

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Sizes: From 37 × 27 cm, any size up to 250 cm
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$200 Commission this plate

Dalet Kaf (1959) — Morris Louis

Plate 08

Dalet Kaf

1959 · Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Fort Worth

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Sizes: From 38 × 27 cm, any size up to 250 cm
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$200 Commission this plate

Where (1960) — Morris Louis

Plate 09

Where

1960 · original 252 x 362 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Sizes: From 38 × 26 cm, any size up to 250 cm
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$200 Commission this plate

Broad Turning (1958) — Morris Louis

Plate 10

Broad Turning

1958 · Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas · original 230 x 384 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Sizes: From 40 × 25 cm, any size up to 250 cm
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$200 Commission this plate

Number 28 (1961) — Morris Louis

Plate 11

Number 28

1961 · Walker Art Center, Minneapolis

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Sizes: From 29 × 34 cm, any size up to 250 cm
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$200 Commission this plate

Number 1-81 (1961) — Morris Louis

Plate 12

Number 1-81

1961 · High Museum of Art, Atlanta

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Sizes: From 26 × 38 cm, any size up to 250 cm
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$200 Commission this plate

Saraband (1959) — Morris Louis

Plate 13

Saraband

1959 · Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York · original 256 x 378 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Sizes: From 38 × 26 cm, any size up to 250 cm
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$200 Commission this plate

Gamma Lambda — Morris Louis

Plate 14

Gamma Lambda

Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk · original 262 x 392 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Sizes: From 39 × 26 cm, any size up to 250 cm
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$200 Commission this plate

Delta Kappa (1960) — Morris Louis

Plate 15

Delta Kappa

1960 · Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Sizes: From 38 × 27 cm, any size up to 250 cm
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$200 Commission this plate

Approach (1962) — Morris Louis

Plate 16

Approach

1962 · The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C. · original 211 x 71 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Sizes: From 19 × 54 cm, any size up to 250 cm
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$200 Commission this plate

High (1959) — Morris Louis

Plate 17

High

1959 · Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Sizes: From 27 × 37 cm, any size up to 250 cm
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$200 Commission this plate

Number 1 (1957) — Morris Louis

Plate 18

Number 1

1957 · Buffalo AKG Art Museum, Buffalo

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Sizes: From 29 × 34 cm, any size up to 250 cm
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$200 Commission this plate

Phi (1961) — Morris Louis

Plate 19

Phi

1961 · Tate Modern, London

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Sizes: From 37 × 27 cm, any size up to 250 cm
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$200 Commission this plate

Delta Lambda (1961) — Morris Louis

Plate 20

Delta Lambda

1961 · Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland · original 260 x 449 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Sizes: From 41 × 24 cm, any size up to 250 cm
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$200 Commission this plate

Partition (1962) — Morris Louis

Plate 21

Partition

1962 · Tate Modern, London

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Sizes: From 77 × 13 cm, any size up to 250 cm
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$200 Commission this plate

Alpha (1960) — Morris Louis

Plate 22

Alpha

1960 · Buffalo AKG Art Museum, Buffalo

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Sizes: From 37 × 27 cm, any size up to 250 cm
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$200 Commission this plate

Airborn (1959) — Morris Louis

Plate 23

Airborn

1959

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Sizes: From 32 × 32 cm, any size up to 250 cm
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$200 Commission this plate

Beth Rash (1959) — Morris Louis

Plate 24

Beth Rash

1959

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Sizes: From 37 × 27 cm, any size up to 250 cm
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$200 Commission this plate

Blue Column (1960) — Morris Louis

Plate 25

Blue Column

1960 · The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C. · original 203 x 55 cm

Technique: Hand-painted oil on linen canvas
Made: To order, by a trained painter
Sizes: From 17 × 59 cm, any size up to 250 cm
Delivery: Worldwide, about 5 weeks

from$200 Commission this plate

The artist

Morris Louis

Early Life and Education

Born: Morris Louis Bernstein, November 28, 1912, Baltimore, Maryland
Parents: Louis Bernstein (furniture salesman) and Cecelia Luckman Bernstein.
Education: Attended public schools in Baltimore; Maryland Institute of Fine and Applied Arts (now MICA), 1929-1932. Did not complete a degree.
Early influences included Eugene Speicher and Paul Cézanne.
Showed an early interest in art, encouraged by his family despite limited opportunities in Baltimore.

Development as an Artist & Key Influences

1930s: Worked various odd jobs to support himself while painting (vegetable peeling, laundry work, Gallup Poll research).
1934-1936: Participated in the Public Works of Art Project mural project under Sam Swerdloff.
1936-1937: Moved to New York City; experimented with techniques at the Siqueiros Workshop.
Magna Paint Discovery (1948): A pivotal moment – Louis pioneered the use of Magna paint, a newly developed oil-based acrylic paint created for him by Leonard Bocour and Sam Golden. This allowed for greater fluidity and transparency in his work.
Influence of Helen Frankenthaler: In 1953, Louis and Kenneth Noland visited Frankenthaler's studio and were deeply impressed by her stain paintings (particularly "Mountains and Sea"). This inspired their experimentation with pouring and staining techniques.

The Veil Paintings & Color Field Innovations

Mature Veil Paintings (1954): Characterized by overlapping, superimposed layers of transparent color poured onto and stained into sized or unsized canvas.
Technique: Extremely diluted paint was applied to an unprimed, unstretched canvas, allowing it to flow over the inclined surface, creating translucent color veils. This eliminated brushstrokes and emphasized flatness.
Color Field Painting: Louis became a central figure in Color Field painting, simplifying pictorial space and emphasizing flat planes of intense color. He was part of the Washington Color School movement.
Series & Styles: Beyond the Veil paintings, he explored series like florals, columns (1960), unfurleds (1960-61) – featuring rivulets of opaque color – and stripe paintings (1961-62).

Major Achievements & Historical Significance

Pioneering Color Field Painting: Louis is recognized as a key innovator in Color Field painting, alongside artists like Kenneth Noland and Helen Frankenthaler.
Influence on Abstract Expressionism: His work expanded the boundaries of Abstract Expressionism by focusing on color and flatness rather than gesture or composition.
Washington Color School: A significant contributor to this influential movement, which emphasized a reductive approach to painting.
Destruction of Works: Notably, Louis destroyed many of his paintings between 1955 and 1957, reflecting a critical self-assessment of his work.
Legacy: His emphasis on color, flatness, and the materiality of paint continues to influence contemporary artists.

Later Years & Death

Louis continued painting prolifically until his death.
Death: Died September 7, 1962, in Washington, D.C., at the age of 49.
Memorial Exhibition (1963): A significant exhibition was held at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum shortly after his death.
Retrospective Exhibitions: Major retrospectives followed at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (1967), and the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. (1976).

Questions & Answers

What are the birthplace and birth year of Morris Louis?

Morris Louis was born in Baltimore in 1912.

Where can I see the color profile of Morris Louis's work?

Morris Louis's use of color across the works listed on this website can be studied on the artist's Palette Genome page.

Can I explore Morris Louis's works by subject?

Morris Louis's works can be explored by subject on the artist's Subject Atlas page.

By the OriginalUniqueArt.com Editorial Team Updated Sept. 1, 2026

Quick facts

Museums on APSTate Modern, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Buffalo AKG Art Museum, Toledo Museum of Art, Fogg Museum
Movementscolor field, color field painting
NationalityUnited States of America
Born1912, Baltimore, United States of America
Gift suitabilitycorporate gift
Corpus themesabstract expressionism, color field, geometric abstraction, washington color school, innovation
Copyright statusUnder copyright
Mediumsacrylic on canvas

Collector's quiz

What was Morris Louis's birth name?
Which artistic movement is Morris Louis most closely associated with?
What innovative material did Louis pioneer the use of in the 1950s?
Where was Morris Louis living when he and Kenneth Noland visited Helen Frankenthaler's studio?

one You choose the size

Standard formats or any custom dimension, matched to the proportions of the original.

two We paint and send a preview

A photo of the finished canvas for your approval before it is shipped.

three Delivered, certified

Rolled, stretched or framed, insured, with a certificate of authenticity.

Commission your Morris Louis

Every painting by Morris Louis in our catalog can be painted to order, in the size that suits the room.

All artworks by Morris Louis