Cool Blast by Adolph Gottlieb (1960)

A single pale disc drifts above a horizon line. This is Cool Blast, painted in 1960. The disc glows in a cool, chalky blue, its edges softened by a halo of lighter pigment. Below, a thin band of ochre divides the canvas, its rough texture contrasting with the smooth expanse of cobalt above. The brushstrokes are deliberate, almost hesitant, as if the form might dissolve at any moment. Hang it where morning light can catch the blue, perhaps above a low credenza in a quiet hallway.