Student Artwork Guide

Name Class Date

Carmen Herrera, Equilibrio (2012). 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: Carmen Herrera artsdot.com/en/artists/carmen-herrera/
Artist’s dates: 1915 – 2022
Painted: 2012
Original size: 122 x 152 cm

Copyright This work is still under copyright. Carmen Herrera died in 2022; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it remains in force until 2092. The image is shown here for classroom reference; rights remain with the rights holder.

Equilibrio — Carmen Herrera

How big is it?

The original measures 122 × 152 cm (height × width), drawn here beside an adult of average height.

When was this painted?

1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020

04
514
1524
2534
3544
4554
5564
6574
7584
8594
95104
105107

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 107 at death.

Painted when the artist was 97. The artist lived to 107. 3 of the 5 dated works by this artist in our catalogue came earlier.

Shaded: the lifetime of Carmen Herrera (1915–2022) ▲ this work, 2012 every dated painting, decade by decade

Compare with

Iberic, 1949 artsdot.com/en/art/carmen-herrera-iberic-D2XPBD-en/
Cobalto y Blanco, 1960 artsdot.com/en/art/carmen-herrera-cobalto-y-blanco-D935WK-en/
West, 1965 artsdot.com/en/art/carmen-herrera-west-D4A6RL-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: artsdot.com/en/art/similar/carmen-herrera-equilibrio-D32JLF-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

Main colour

White #edece9

Catalogued palette

#EDECE9
#040303
#292524
#878684

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

Palette: Neutrals The dominant colour family in the image.
Main colour name: White
Intensity: Monochromatic 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: Discordant Palette How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
Brightness: Bright How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
Saturation: Muted 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 Carmen Herrera over the last twelve months — 2 countries in all. Where these figures come from

The ten leading countries

1 China 66.7%
2 Chile 33.3%

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 4 most looked-at works by Carmen Herrera

1 Cobalto y Blanco, 1960 40.0%
2 West, 1965 20.0%
3 Iberic, 1949 20.0%
4 Equilibrio, 2012 this painting 20.0%

Together these works take 100.0% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 5 works by this artist, of which 4 were looked at at least once. This painting ranks 4 of them, with 20.0% 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.

Equilibrio — Carmen Herrera

Herrera was a groundbreaking figure in geometric abstract painting starting in the 1940s, making her arguably the artist with the longest sustained exploration of the genre. As its title suggests, this symmetrical composition contains formal oppositions that the artist brought into balance. A stack of three flat isosceles triangles stands against a simplified background. The black and white areas of Herrera’s painting oscillate visually between positive and negative shapes. The painting’s stark, reductive palette manifests the artist’s study of seventeenth-century Spanish Baroque painting, which often features pronounced highlights and shadows—particularly the work of Francisco de Zurbarán (1598–1664), whom Herrera had described as a "minimalist."

Artist

Carmen Herrera

Born in Havana, Cuba

Early Life and Education

Born: Havana, Cuba (May 30, 1915)

Died: New York City, USA (February 12, 2022) – aged 106

Early artistic training began at age eight with private lessons from Federico Edelmann y Pinto.

Attended Marymount School in Paris in 1929, fostering an appreciation for art history and culture.

Studied architecture briefly at the Universidad de la Habana (1938-1939), influencing her later geometric style.

Artistic Development and Style

Developed a hard-edge, non-objective abstract style during her time in Paris in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Experimented with various materials and techniques, including solvent-based acrylic paints.

Her work is characterized by geometric shapes, bold colors, and a focus on formal simplicity.

Influenced by movements such as Abstract Expressionism and Minimalism.

Explored themes of symmetry, asymmetry, movement, rhythm, and spatial tension in her paintings.

Later works incorporated three-dimensional sculptural elements ("estructuras").

Career and Recognition

Exhibited in Havana in 1950 but faced a lack of audience receptiveness.

Moved to New York City in 1954, where her work initially went largely unrecognized.

Despite facing challenges as a Latin woman artist, she continued painting consistently for decades.

Gained significant international recognition late in life, starting in the late 1990s.

First solo exhibition in New York City after many years was at Lisson Gallery in 2010.

Major retrospective, *Carmen Herrera: Lines of Sight*, at the Whitney Museum of American Art (2016-2017) brought her widespread acclaim.

Major Works and Exhibitions

Iberic (1949): A notable early work housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Blanco y Verde series (1959-1971): A significant body of work exploring figure/ground relationships and architectural principles.

Days of the Week: Series of seven vivid paintings.

Exhibitions at Stanhardt Gallery, numerous galleries in Europe, and major museums worldwide.

Public art installations, including Verde, que te quiero verde at the Blanton Museum of Art (2023).

Historical Significance

Carmen Herrera is considered a pioneering figure in abstract and minimalist art.

Her late-career recognition highlights the challenges faced by women artists and artists from underrepresented backgrounds.

Her work demonstrates a commitment to formal rigor, geometric abstraction, and a unique artistic vision.

She inspired new generations of artists and continues to be celebrated for her contributions to art history.

Where to read more

The artist Carmen Herrera artsdot.com/en/artists/carmen-herrera/
Similar works More works to compare artsdot.com/en/art/similar/carmen-herrera-equilibrio-D32JLF-en/

Find this online

QR code linking to the download page for Equilibrio

artsdot.com/en/art/download/carmen-herrera-equilibrio-D32JLF-en/

Cite this artwork

MLA: Herrera, Carmen. Equilibrio. 2012, https://artsdot.com/en/art/carmen-herrera-equilibrio-D32JLF-en/
APA: Herrera, Carmen (2012). Equilibrio [Painting]. https://artsdot.com/en/art/carmen-herrera-equilibrio-D32JLF-en/
Chicago: Carmen Herrera. Equilibrio. 2012. https://artsdot.com/en/art/carmen-herrera-equilibrio-D32JLF-en/
Harvard: Herrera, Carmen (2012) Equilibrio. Available at: https://artsdot.com/en/art/carmen-herrera-equilibrio-D32JLF-en/

Equilibrio — Carmen Herrera

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 Iberic (1949), earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
Carmen Herrera was about 97 when this was made. What in it looks like the work of an artist at that stage?
What might the artist have wanted you to feel?

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

How can I get a digital file of "Equilibrio" by Carmen Herrera?

To get a digital file of "Equilibrio" by Carmen Herrera, order a high-resolution digital image download on its Digital Image page.

How do I download the image of "Equilibrio" by Carmen Herrera?

The image of "Equilibrio" by Carmen Herrera can be downloaded from the artwork's Download page: a high-resolution digital image download.

What luminance does "Equilibrio" by Carmen Herrera have?

"Equilibrio" by Carmen Herrera has a bright balance luminance. Luminance describes how much light the colors appear to reflect.