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Collage of five diverse artworks from the Hammer Museum Collections side by side. From left to right: 1) Contemporary painting of two embracing figures with surreal elements. 2) Post-impressionist style painting of trees with vibrant blues and greens. 3) Black and white illustration of a face with intricate patterns. 4) Japanese woodblock print style image of a figure in a checkered robe. 5) Photograph of a couple dancing, the woman in a black dress and the man in white

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Digital Archive Now Dig This!: Art and Black Los Angeles 1960–1980
Art John Altoon, Portrait of a Spanish Poet
Portrait of a Spanish Poet, by John Altoon, 1959

John Altoon, Artist
Portrait of a Spanish Poet , 1959

Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
59 x 47 in. (149.9 x 119.4 cm)
Credit Line
Private collection. Photo by Joshua White/JWPictures.com

Portrait of a Spanish Poet is an abstract expressionist painting by the Ferus Gallery–affiliated artist John Altoon. It displays the fervent and deliberate brushstrokes and mark making that the artist became known for. Altoon was born and raised in Los Angeles, and attended the Art Center School (now Art Center College of Design in Pasadena), Otis Art Institute, and Chouinard Art Institute. He lived and worked in Venice and was a friend of the sculptor Fred Eversley, to whom his wife gave Altoon’s studio upon his death.