Paper

Student Artwork Guide

Third Element

Morris Louis, 1961

Name Class Date
Morris Louis, Third Element (1961). 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
Morris Louis allpaintingsstore.com/en/artists/morris-louis/
Artist’s dates
1912 – 1962
Painted
1961
Original size
207 x 129 cm
Movement
Abstract Expressionism Large canvases where the act of painting itself — the drip, the sweep — is the subject.

Copyright This work is still under copyright. Morris Louis died in 1962; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it remains in force until 2032. The image is shown here for classroom reference; rights remain with the rights holder.

Source: AllPaintingsStore.com — accessed Sept. 21, 2026

Third Element — Morris Louis Part 1 · The artwork

In context

Third Element — Morris Louis

How big is it?

The original measures 207 × 129 cm (height × width), drawn here beside an adult of average height. It is too large to draw to scale on this page.

When was this painted?

  1. 1910
  2. 1920
  3. 1930
  4. 1940
  5. 1950
  6. 1960

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 50 at death.

Painted when the artist was 49. The artist lived to 50. 53 of the 89 dated works by this artist in our catalogue came earlier.

Shaded: the lifetime of Morris Louis (1912–1962) ▲ this work, 1961 every dated painting, decade by decade

First works: up to 1959 Main working years: 1959–1961 Late works: from 1961

Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them

Compare with

  • VAV, 1960 allpaintingsstore.com/en/art/morris-louis-vav-D2DNHZ-en/
  • Ambi I, 1960 allpaintingsstore.com/en/art/morris-louis-ambi-i-D2DNJ7-en/
  • Seal, 1959 allpaintingsstore.com/en/art/morris-louis-seal-D3J8DT-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: allpaintingsstore.com/en/art/similar/morris-louis-third-element-D2DPAT-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

    Main colour

    Orange #dea014

    Catalogued palette

    • #DEA014
    • #1A241E
    • #F0ECE6
    • #AD342E

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

    Palette
    Earthy The dominant colour family in the image.
    Main colour name
    Orange
    Intensity
    Vivid 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
    Softly Mixed 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
    Clear Color Presence 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 Morris Louis over the last twelve months — 5 countries in all. Where these figures come from

    The ten leading countries

    1. 1 China 80.0%
    2. 2 Italy 6.7%
    3. 3 United States of America 6.7%
    4. 4 Japan 3.3%
    5. 5 Türkiye 3.3%

    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 20 most looked-at works by Morris Louis

    1. 1 Saraband, 1959 7.5%
    2. 2 Para III, 1959 7.5%
    3. 3 Where, 1960 5.0%
    4. 4 Broad Turning, 1958 5.0%
    5. 5 1-33, 1962 5.0%
    6. 6 Number 6, 1962 5.0%
    7. 7 Gamma Tau, 1960 5.0%
    8. 8 Dalet Kaf, 1959 5.0%
    9. 9 Alpha-Pi, 1960 5.0%
    10. 10 Number 99, 1960 5.0%
    11. 11 Gamma Lambda 2.5%
    12. 12 Number 2-07, 1961 2.5%
    13. 13 Approach, 1962 2.5%
    14. 14 Blue Veil, 1958 2.5%
    15. 15 Dalet Tet, 1959 2.5%
    16. 16 K S I, 1959 2.5%
    17. 17 Saf Aleph, 1959 2.5%
    18. 18 Number 1-68, 1962 2.5%
    19. 19 Number 1-81, 1961 2.5%
    20. — Third Element, 1961 this painting 0.0%

    Together these works take 77.5% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 92 works by this artist, of which 28 were looked at at least once. This painting has not been looked at yet in that time — it closes the list without a rank. 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.

    Source: AllPaintingsStore.com — accessed Sept. 21, 2026

    Third Element — Morris Louis Part 2 · In context

    Artist and museum

    Artist

    Morris Louis

    Born in Baltimore, United States of America

    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).

    Where to read more

    Find this online

    QR code linking to the download page for Third Element

    allpaintingsstore.com/en/art/download/morris-louis-third-element-D2DPAT-en/

    Cite this artwork

    MLA
    Louis, Morris. Third Element. 1961, https://allpaintingsstore.com/en/art/morris-louis-third-element-D2DPAT-en/
    APA
    Louis, Morris (1961). Third Element [Painting]. https://allpaintingsstore.com/en/art/morris-louis-third-element-D2DPAT-en/
    Chicago
    Morris Louis. Third Element. 1961. https://allpaintingsstore.com/en/art/morris-louis-third-element-D2DPAT-en/
    Harvard
    Louis, Morris (1961) Third Element. Available at: https://allpaintingsstore.com/en/art/morris-louis-third-element-D2DPAT-en/

    Source: AllPaintingsStore.com — accessed Sept. 21, 2026

    Third Element — Morris Louis Part 3 · Artist and museum

    Look closely

    Third Element — Morris Louis

    Look closely

    Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

    1. What catches your eye first, and why?
    2. Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
    3. Our catalogue files this work under: abstract art, color stripes, dynamic composition. Do you agree? What would you add, or take away?
    4. Look back at VAV (1960), earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
    5. Abstract Expressionism: Large canvases where the act of painting itself — the drip, the sweep — is the subject. Where can you see that in this work?

    Your response

    Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

    Source: AllPaintingsStore.com — accessed Sept. 21, 2026

    Third Element — Morris Louis Part 4 · Look closely

    Questions & Answers

    How can I get a digital file of "Third Element" by Morris Louis?

    To get a digital file of "Third Element" by Morris Louis, order a high-resolution digital image download on its Digital Image page.

    Where can I buy a hand-painted reproduction of "Third Element" by Morris Louis?

    You can order a hand-painted reproduction of "Third Element" by Morris Louis directly on its Hand-Painted Reproduction page: a hand-painted oil reproduction on linen canvas, made to order.

    Where does "Third Element" stand among Morris Louis's recurring subjects?

    "Third Element" depicts abstract art, color stripes, dynamic composition, geometric forms, modern painting, bold color palette, energy & movement, while Morris Louis's recorded themes are key mid-career work, exploration of color, shift to stripe format, color field painting, abstract expressionism, geometric abstraction, process & gesture, emotional intensity. Comparing the two shows how the work relates to the artist's usual subjects.