The Story of a Modern Masterpiece

Mural (1943) was Jackson Pollock’s first and largest commissioned work (8′ 1 1/4″ x 19′ 10″) and represented a major transitional point not only in his career but for American art. Peggy Guggenheim asked Pollock to create a massive mural for the entry of her Manhattan townhome
as a testament to the new American art and artists she was championing in her own gallery. After moving to Europe and closing her gallery, she gifted Mural to the University of Iowa in 1951.

This Emmy-winning documentary was produced by and created at the University of Iowa. It explores the remarkable journey Pollock’s influential painting took from New York to Iowa and around the world. Featuring well-known and respected art collectors and scholars, the film examines this powerful work and its enigmatic creator, celebrating the timeless energy of a once-controversial painting now hailed as a keystone of modern American art. (40min)