Joan Mitchell was one of the most influential and successful female artists of the 20th century. She was a pioneer of abstract expressionism, a movement that challenged the conventions of art and expressed emotions through colors, shapes, and gestures. She was also a prolific painter, who created hundreds of works in various mediums, such as oil on canvas, pastel on paper, and lithographic printing. But how did she die, and what legacy did she leave behind? In this article, we will explore the life and work of Joan Mitchell, and the cause of her death.
Early Life and Education
Joan Mitchell was born in Chicago, Illinois, on February 12, 1925. She was the daughter of a dermatologist and a poet, and showed an interest in art from an early age. She attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she earned her BFA in 1947 and her MFA in 1950. She also received a travel fellowship that allowed her to study in Paris and Provence in 1948-49, where she was exposed to the works of post-impressionist painters, such as Henri Matisse, who influenced her style.
Career and Achievements
Mitchell moved to New York in 1949, and became part of the “New York School” of painters and poets, who were associated with abstract expressionism. She exhibited in the famous “9th Street Show” in 1951, and soon established a reputation as one of the leading young abstract expressionist painters. She was known for her large-scale paintings, which often consisted of multiple panels, and featured vibrant colors, dynamic brushstrokes, and lyrical forms. She drew inspiration from her memories of landscapes, such as the fields and rivers of her childhood, and the sunflowers and water lilies of France.
Mitchell achieved significant critical and commercial success in her lifetime, exhibiting regularly in New York and Paris throughout the later decades of her life. She was one of the first female American artists to have solo exhibitions at major museums, such as the Whitney Museum of American Art in 1974, and the Musee d’art moderne de la Ville de Paris in 1982. Her paintings, drawings, and prints can be seen in many museums and collections around the world, and have sold for record-breaking prices. In 2021, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and Baltimore Museum of Art co-organized a comprehensive retrospective of her work.
Joan Mitchell Cause of Death
The last decade of Mitchell’s life saw continued artistic productivity, but also declining health. She was a life-long smoker, and suffered from lung cancer, arthritis, and osteoporosis. She died of lung cancer in Paris at the age of 67 on October 30, 1992. She was buried in the Cimetiere de Montparnasse, next to her longtime partner, the Canadian painter Jean-Paul Riopelle.
Mitchell left behind a rich and diverse body of work, which reflects her passion, energy, and emotion. She also left a generous legacy for future generations of artists, by creating the Joan Mitchell Foundation, a non-profit organization that awards grants and fellowships to working artists and maintains her archives. Joan Mitchell was a remarkable artist, who made a lasting impact on the history of art and culture.
