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Samuel Lewis Francis ( 1923 - November 4, 1994) was an American painter and printmaker.

Francis was born in San Mateo, California, and studied botany, medicine and psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. He served in the United States Air Force during World War II before suffering a plane crash. He was in hospital for several years, and it was while there that he began to paint. Once out of hospital he returned to Berkley, this time to study artMona Lisa Although today the word art usually refers to the visual arts, the concept of what art is has continuously changed over centuries. Perhaps the most concise definition is its broadest—art refers to all creative human endeavors, excluding actions.

Francis was initially influenced by the work of abstract expressionists such as Mark RothkoMark Rothko ( September 25, 1903 February 25, 1970) was a painter, often classified as an abstract expressionist (although Rothko vociferously denied being an abstract painter). He was born Mark Rothkowitz in Daugavpils (Dvinsk), Russia (now Latvia) and e, Arshile GorkyVostanik Adoyan better known as Arshile Gorky ( April_15, 1904 July_21, 1948) was an Armenian/American abstract expressionist painter. Vostanik was born in Khorkom near Van, Turkey. During the Turkish invasion he left Van in 1915 and arrived in the USA in and Clyfford StillClyfford Still ( November 30, 1904 June 23, 1980) was an American painter, one of the leading figures in abstract expressionism. Still was born in Grandin, North Dakota. In the late 1920s and early 1930s he studied at Spokane University in Washington, gra. He spent the 1950sCenturies: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Years: 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 Events and trends Technology United States tests the first fusion bomb. in ParisEiffel Tower has become the symbol of Paris throughout the world. Paris is the capital and largest city of France. The city is built on an arc of the River Seine, and is thus divided into two parts: the Right Bank to the north and the smaller Left Bank to, having his first exhibitionExhibition is a word with several meanings. An Exhibition is a display of items. This can be an art exhibition, computer exposition or an industrial exhibition like a World's Fair. A more recent word for this is expo. Types of Exhibition art exhibition co there in 1952. While there he became associated with Tachisme. He later spent time in Japan, and some have seen an influence from Zen Buddhism in his work.

Francis spent some time in Paris executing entirely monochromatic works, but his mature pieces are generally large oil paintings with splashed or splattered areas of bright contrasting colour. Areas of white canvas are often left to show through, and in later works, paint is sometimes confined to the edges of the canvas.