20 Summer Artworks

From Agnes Martin to Bridget Riley; María Berrío to Alice Neel: here are 20 artworks that sum up the season of summer.

Which artworks sum up summer for you?

For me, it’s cool blue pool-like abstracts by Agnes Martin; Lisette Model’s black-and-white beach scenes from the 1930s; Georgia O’Keeffe abstracts of the sun and its colourful rays; plus images of shells, seas, sand, and sun-hats.

I think of Eileen Agar scavenging on an English shore (listen to the podcast); Lorna Simpson’s midnight blue landscapes; or Bridget Riley’s soft waved-lines that capture what it physically feels like to be swimming ‘in’ water (as she once said, being in the sea – under the sun-dappled light – is like “swimming in a diamond”).

Below I’ve put a selection together that spans time, continents, and art forms. I could probably add a whole lot more... Tell me yours!

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Agnes Martin, Summer (1964)

Joan Mitchell, Wood, Wind, No Tuba (1979)

Georgia O’Keeffe, Evening Star No. III (1917)

Helen Frankenthaler, Elberta (1975)

Helen Frankenthaler, April Mood (1974)

María Berrío, The Collapsed Tower (2022)

Alice Neel, Bather with Red Hat (1982)

Celia Paul, Breaking, Santa Monica (2019)

Eileen Agar, Return of the Nautilus (1983)

Claude Cahun, I Extend My Arms (1931/2)

Lola Álvarez Bravo, Hombre rana / Frog Man, (1949)

Lisette Model, Woman at Coney Island (1939–41)

Lorna Simpson, Darkened (2018)

Suzanne Valadon, The Blue Room (1923)

Hilma af Klint, Group IV, No. 2. The Ten Largest, Childhood (1907)

Bridget Riley, To A Summer’s Day 2 (1980)

Berthe Morisot, Summer’s Day (1879)

Paula Rego, The Windmill (2018)

Elaine de Kooning, Self Portrait (1946)

Left > Right: Jackson Pollock, Clement Greenberg, Helen Frankenthaler, Lee Krasner at the Beach, 14 July 1952.

Listen to my podcast on Lee Krasner and Jackson Pollock!

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That’s it from me! Happy GWA’ing. I hope you enjoy these artworks. Thank you for reading this Substack. If you think someone else might enjoy this too, please spread the word and share this article. If you have any feedback, please comment below. Love Katy xoxo