Hunt Slonem Red Ascension III For Sale

About this work

Hunt Slonem has spent over four decades establishing himself as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary American painting, his work held in more than 250 museum collections worldwide, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. His signature butterfly compositions, rendered through rhythmic, almost meditative repetition, have become synonymous with a practice rooted equally in Neo-Expressionist energy and spiritual contemplation. Slonem's market presence remains robust, with consistent demand at auction and a collector base that spans continents. Red Ascension III, executed in 2025, exemplifies the artist's continued evolution within his celebrated butterfly series. The commanding 40 x 60 inch canvas features Slonem's characteristic layered approach—thick impasto surfaces built through deliberate, gestural mark-making that gives each winged form a sculptural presence. The dominant red palette carries symbolic weight central to Slonem's practice, evoking transformation, vitality, and the spiritual transcendence that butterflies have represented across cultures for centuries. This is not mere decoration; it is visual theology rendered in oil. What distinguishes this particular work is its scale and chromatic intensity, positioning it among the more significant examples from Slonem's recent output. The artist's hand remains assured, the composition balanced between density and breath, chaos and order. For collectors familiar with Slonem's oeuvre, Red Ascension III represents an opportunity to acquire a substantial work from a period of sustained creative vigor. For acquisition inquiries regarding this painting, please contact Guy Hepner directly.