Updated October 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 12 works by James Brooks in our catalogue
In short
To the gallery's eye, James Brooks's most famous painting is Number 13 (1965), whose original hangs in the Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas. Untitled (1952) and Black and White (1965) complete the trio every eye recognises. Of the 12 works by James Brooks in our catalog, the gallery presents the 12 most famous below, each original with its year, its museum and what makes it unique.
In the realm of Abstract Expressionism, few works command attention with such stark, visceral intensity as James Brooks's Number 13. Created in 1965, this masterpiece serves as a profound dialogue between light and shadow, order and chaos. The composition is defined by a striking monochrome palette, where the deep, commanding presence of black paint meets the luminous clarity of white space. Upon first encounter, the viewer is swept into a…
The canvas is a field of deep blue, a heavy sky or a midnight sea. Across this expanse, yellow and orange splashes break the stillness. These are not controlled strokes but sudden interruptions. They appear as liquid bursts, bleeding into the surrounding darkness. The paint moves in drips, long vertical streaks that pull the eye downward. It is a record of gravity and momentum captured in 1952.
The Oran painting, created by James Brooks in 1969, is a remarkable piece of art that showcases the artist's unique style and technique. Measuring 270 x 233 cm, this acrylic on canvas painting is a prime example of Abstract Expressionism. The painting is currently housed at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in the United States. Artistic Style and Technique James Brooks was known for his innovative use of staining, dilution,…
The 4 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by James Brooks | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Dallas Museum of Art |
Dallas | 3 | Number 13, Ipswich, Quand |
 Parrish Art Museum |
Water Mill | 2 | Untitled, Untitled |
 Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts |
Philadelphia | 1 | Mohan |
 Detroit Institute of Arts |
Detroit | 1 | Nado |
18 years of James Brooks's art, 1952 to 1969: the gallery follows them year by year, through the most famous originals of each.
Pick a year to see its originals.
The canvas is a field of deep blue, a heavy sky or a midnight sea. Across this expanse, yellow and orange splashes break the stillness. These are not controlled strokes but sudden interruptions. They appear as liquid bursts, bleeding into the surrounding darkness. The paint moves in drips, long vertical streaks that pull the eye downward. It is a record of gravity and momentum captured in 1952.
James Brooks grew up in Texas and attended Southern Methodist University from 1923 to 1925. He arrived in New York in the mid-1920s, and supported himself as a commercial artist while studying painting at the Art Students League. Brooks took up teaching, first at Columbia, and then for more extended periods at Pratt Institute and Yale His first solo show at Peridot Gallery in 1950, featured stained and dripped canvases…
In the realm of Abstract Expressionism, few works command attention with such stark, visceral intensity as James Brooks's Number 13. Created in 1965, this masterpiece serves as a profound dialogue between light and shadow, order and chaos. The composition is defined by a striking monochrome palette, where the deep, commanding presence of black paint meets the luminous clarity of white space. Upon first encounter, the viewer is swept into a…
More from 1965
Number 13 (1965), Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas. Untitled (1952) and Black and White (1965) come next.
59 years old: Number 13 dates from 1965, and James Brooks was born in 1906.
Number 13, Untitled, Black and White, Mohan, Nado, Ipswich, Quand, Harmagh, Oran and Ipswich. The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 12 works by James Brooks, dated from 1952 to 1969.
Mostly in Dallas Museum of Art (Dallas), Parrish Art Museum (Water Mill) and Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (Philadelphia). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1965: 2 of the 12 works on this page were made then, Number 13 among them.
On this page, the earliest is Untitled (1952) and the latest Quand (1969).
Abstract expressionism, judging by the originals on this page.
Number 13, Ipswich and Quand: the Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas holds 3 of the works on this page.
