In March 2010, the United States Postal Service issued 44 cent stamps with images from ten paintings by abstract expressionists. Another American institution, the Smithsonian Hirshhorn Museum has paintings from this era on exhibition.

Abstract Expressionism was purely American, based in New York City during the 1940s and 50s. How appropriate for the U.S. Postal Service to pay homage to these amazing artists who truly blazed new trails in the world of art.

The paintings and the artists represented on the ten postage stamps are:

"The Golden Wall" by Hans Hofmann, "The Liver is the Cock’s Comb" by Arshile Gorky, "Romanesque Façade" by Adolph Gottlieb, "La Grande Vallee O" by Joan Mitchell, "1948-C" by Clyfford Still, "Achilles" by Barnett Newman, "Asheville" by Willem de Kooning, "Convergence" by Jackson Pollack, "Elegy to the Spanish Republic No. 34" by Robert Motherwell, and "Orange and Yellow" by Mark Rothko.

Smithsonian Institution’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C. has an extensive collection of contemporary and modern art on exhibit.
Paintings by the same artists that can be seen at the Hirshhorn are:

"Oceanic" (1958) by Hans Hoffman
Study for "The Liver is the Cock’s Comb" (1943) by Arshile Gorky *study for painting mentioned above
"Bias Pull" (1957) by Adolph Gottlieb
"Cercando un Ago" (1959) by Joan Mitchell
"1948-C" by Clyfford Still *this same painting can be seen at the Hirshhorn
"Covenant" (1949) by Barnett Newman
"Two Women in the Country" (1954) by Willem de Kooning
No paintings found by Jackson Pollack
"Elegy to the Spanish Republic No. 129" (1974) by Robert Motherwell *a variation on the same theme mentioned above, No. 34
"Number 24" (1949) by Mark Rothko

This is a well deserved tribute to these ten American artists who had the vision and bravura to succeed in establishing a unique movement in the history of art history.

You can own your own print by Mark Rothko, one of the most recognized abstract expressionists.