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Philip Guston

Combat I
Price available upon request

1978
Oil on canvas

132.1 x 152.4 cm / 52 x 60 in
136.5 x 157.2 x 5.7 cm / 53 ¾ x 61 ⅞ x 2 ¼ in (framed)

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  • Navigate to: Combat I
  • Navigate to: Combat I
  • Navigate to: Combat I
  • Navigate to: Combat I
  • Navigate to: Combat I
  • Navigate to: Combat I
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Philip Guston’s ‘Combat I’ (1978) exemplifies his seminal late figurative style. The painting portrays a convergence of extended arms, horseshoes and shoe soles, which seemingly burst through the right edge of the canvas. These objects evoke the makeshift armament of childhood street fights, which mimicked the theatrics of warfare—a theme explored in Guston’s early works from the 1940s. However, Guston acknowledged the profound repercussions when such games materialized into real-world conflict. Accordingly, ‘Combat I’ resonates with historical and contemporary events through its enigmatic iconography, evoking the specter of the Holocaust, the lasting impact of the Vietnam War, and the violence and social unrest of the late 1960s. Guston’s careful composition, which is set against a desolate landscape, allows viewers to discern the emotional weight and turmoil experienced during this period. Ultimately, the artwork stands as a testament to the artist’s profound ability to introspectively capture the multifaceted struggles and complexities of his time.

‘The artist populates his canvases with figures that alternate between autobiography and history. His icons contain personal and collective meanings; they conflate feeling and memory, literary prose and political events. These multivalent symbols create layers of differing and at times competing texts on the picture plane. Yet the artist’s individual struggle is the starting point for all his narratives.’

—Mary Drach McInnes [1]

About the artist

Philip Guston is one of the great luminaries of twentieth-century art. His commitment to producing work from genuine emotion and lived experience ensures its enduring impact. Guston’s legendary career spanned a half century, from 1930 to 1980. His paintings—particularly the liberated and instinctual forms of his late work—continue to exert a powerful influence on younger generations of contemporary painters.

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Artwork images © The Estate of Philip Guston. Photo: Stefan Altenburger Photography Zürich
Portrait of Philip Guston © The Estate of Philip Guston. Photo: Frank Lloyd

[1] Mary Drach McInnes, ‘Philip Guston, 1975-1980. Private and Public Battles’, Boston MA: Boston University Art Galleries, 1994, p. 9.