''Mural on Indian Red Ground'' is a 1950

abstract expressionist Abstract expressionism is a post–World War II art movement in American painting, developed in New York City in the 1940s. It was the first specifically American movement to achieve international influence and put New York at the center of the ...

drip painting Drip painting is a form of abstract art in which paint is dripped or poured on to the canvas. This style of action painting was experimented with in the first half of the twentieth century by such artists as Francis Picabia, André Masson and Max ...

by American artist

Jackson Pollock Paul Jackson Pollock (; January 28, 1912August 11, 1956) was an American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. He was widely noticed for his " drip technique" of pouring or splashing liquid household paint onto a hor ...

, currently in the collection of the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art. It is valued at about $250 million and is considered one of Pollock's greatest works.

History

The collection of the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art was bought during Iran's 1970s

oil boom An oil boom is a period of large inflow of income as a result of high global oil prices or large oil production in an economy. Generally, this short period initially brings economic benefits, in terms of increased GDP growth, but might later lead ...

under the supervision of queen Farah Pahlavi. The museum was established in 1977 but the collection was displayed for only a short period. After the

1979 revolution The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynas ...

, the paintings were stored in the basement of the museum and carefully looked after for about 30 years. In a 2005 exhibition ''Mural on Indian Red Ground'' and many other paintings were displayed for the first time after the revolution. Today, ''Mural on Indian Red Ground'' is considered one of the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art's prize pieces. The painting was loaned to Japan in 2012 and was displayed in an exhibition in the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Jackson Pollock. In return to Iran on 11 May 2012, the painting was seized in the Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport by Iran's customs service. The service said it confiscated the work over money owed by the Ministry of Culture, which ran the museum. After more than two weeks, the painting was finally released and returned to the museum."Jackson Pollock Artwork Held Hostage by Customs." Iran Times International (Washington, DC). 2012. HighBeam Research. (September 27, 2015). http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-293544669.html The painting was, around 2010, valued by

Christie's Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, at Rockefeller Center in New York City and at Alexandra House in Hong Kong. It is ...

at $250 million.

Notes

References

* * * * * * * {{Jackson Pollock Paintings in the collection of the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art Paintings by Jackson Pollock 1950 paintings Abstract expressionism