Lois Dodd
Lois Dodd: Framing the Ephemeral
Kunstmuseum Den Haag
August 30, 2025 – January 4, 2026
Framing the Ephemeral marks Lois Dodd’s (1927) inaugural European retrospective, presenting a compelling overview of her observational paintings that capture everyday scenes and views with a unique focus on light and atmosphere. Dodd’s technique, characterized by swift application of thin paint layers, captures fleeting never-to-return moments, with a particular focus on the interplay between flatness and pictorial space. In the works, she reveals an utter determination to experience the commonplace anew and to quietly celebrate it. It is rare to find artists who can observe with such clarity and who possess the ability to convey those observations so vividly. Equally remarkable is the longevity of her career: at 97 years old, she has dedicated over 70 years to painting.
The project highlights Dodd as a pioneering but often overlooked female artist, who challenged traditional gender norms in post-war American art. By emphasizing Dodd’s steadfast commitment to observational painting amid prevailing trends favoring Abstract Expressionism, Minimalism and Pop Art, the project enriches understanding of her art historical significance.
Dodd’s institutional acknowledgement is on the rise, but her late entry point reflects broader patterns of systemic inclusion in the art world, where female artists and those who do not adhere to prevailing trends tend to remain unrecognized in collections and exhibition programs despite their great artistic merit. In 2012, at 84, she had her first major retrospective at the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas, and only in 2023, her first ever museum survey in the New York metropolitan area at the Bruce Museum; despite being entrenched and working there for decades. In 2018, Robert Gober donated Dodd’s View Through Elliott’s Shack Looking South (1971) to the Museum of Modern Art, highlighting her previous lack of representation in major New York museums. Last year, this painting was installed for the first time outside the entrance to the Post-War Permanent Collection Galleries.
Framing the Ephemeral aims to introduce Dodd to a wider audience, while showcasing works never exhibited on the European continent. Due to the universal appeal of Dodd’s works, we anticipate that the exhibition will mobilize a diverse audience, capturing not only national attention but also resonate on an international scale. This is partly because of the works remarkable ability to capture the essence of everyday scenes, making them resonate with people from all walks of life.
The Painted Room, 1982, oil on linen, 60 x 50 inches
Large Morning Woods, 1978, oil on linen, 60 x 50 inches
7 to 8 AM, Spring, 1968, oil on Masonite, 16 x 16 inches
View of Cemetery and Men's Shelter, 1967, oil on linen, 16 1/4 x 23 inches
Oval Mirror, Blue Stool, 1972, oil on linen, 48 x 40 inches
Springtime Studio Interior, 1972, oil on linen, 54 x 66 inches
Sun in Hallway, 1978, oil on linen, 50 x 30 inches
Sunlight on Floor + Door, 2013, oil on Masonite, 19 x 13 inches
Reflected Light on Brick Wall, December, 2014, oil on Masonite, 18 x 15 3/4 inches
Door, Window, Ruin, 1986, oil on linen, 40 x 60 inches
Ruin, 1986, oil on Masonite, 14 x 20 inches
Rothfuss Chicken House, May, 1988, oil on panel, 13 x 12 inches
Front of House and Ladder, 1985, oil on linen, 40 x 50 inches
Walker House, Detail, 1983, oil on Masonite, 17 x 11 inches
Shed Window, 2014, oil on linen, 66 x 48 inches
View Across the Road (Maine Woods), 1968, oil on linen, 36 x 24 inches
Sheet with Tree Shadows, 1980, oil on linen, 48 x 26 inches
Self-Portrait in Green Window, 1971, oil on linen, 54 x 36 inches
Broken Tree with Ladder, 1974, oil on linen, 51 x 31 inches
Green Towel, 1978, oil on linen, 36 x 34 inches
Skylight in Barn, 1971, oil on Masonite, 20 x 20 inches
Black Blanket + Two Spruce, 1980, oil on Masonite, 20 x 16 inches
Hathorne Point Road by Moonlight, 1992-93, oil on linen, 46 x 78 inches
Moon Shadows, 1992-93, oil on linen, 36 x 50 inches
Eclipse in Seven Stages, 1997, oil on linen, 22 x 54 inches
Globe Thistle, 1996, oil on Masonite, 16 x 17 inches
Globe Thistle, 2008, oil on Masonite, 11 x 11 inches
Cow Parsnip, 1996, oil on linen, 38 x 80 inches
Echinacea and Orange Dahlia, 2006, oil on linen, 60 x 72 inches
Dahlia (Orange), 2006, oil on Masonite, 8 x 8 5/8 inches
Red Vine + Blanket, 1979, oil on linen, 40 x 60 inches
Red Laundry + Chicken House, 1978, oil on linen, 32 x 38 inches
The Yellow House, Lincolnville, 1979, oil on linen, 36 x 54 inches
Night House, 1975, oil on linen, 32 x 48 inches
Seated Nude + Tree Trunks, 2018, oil on aluminum flashing, 4 5/8 x 7 inches
Seated Nude, Reaching Feet, 2020, oil on aluminum flashing, 5 x 7 inches
Seated Nude, Hands on Left Foot, Over Crossed Legs, 2020, oil on aluminum flashing, 4 3/4 x 7 inches
Nude Standing in Front of Checkered Cloth on Clothesline, 2020, oil on aluminum flashing, 7 x 4 3/4 inches
Nude Dragging Box, 2020, oil on aluminum flashing, 7 x 4 3/4 inches
Nude Seated on Green Ball, 2020, oil on aluminum flashing, 7 x 5 inches
Nude in Box, Hand on Edge, 2020, oil on aluminum flashing, 7 x 5 inches
Nude Raking, 2020, oil on aluminum flashing, 7 x 4 1/2 inches
Standing Nude, Back, Hand on Hips, 2020, oil on aluminum flashing, 7 x 5 inches
Two Seated Nudes, One Facing Forward, The Other Back, 2020, oil on aluminum flashing, 4 3/4 x 7 inches
Seated Nude with Red Ball on Chair, 2020, oil on aluminum flashing, 5 x 7 inches
Day Window - Red Curtain, 1972, oil on linen, 48 x 36 inches
Long Cove Quarry Rd., 1993, oil on linen, 38 x 20 inches
Eli in the Apple Tree, 1965, oil on linen, 26 1/2 x 29 inches
Apple Trees & Shed, 2007, oil on linen, 42 x 84 3/8 inches
Spider Web with Clover and Grass, 2004, oil on linen, 50 x 58 inches
View Thru Screen Door, 1979 oil on linen, 66 x 36 inches
Rockgarden Inn, Trees + Cottage, 2010, oil on aluminum flashing, 7 x 5 inches
Kaga Plum, 2012, oil on aluminum flashing, 5 x 7 inches
Old Apple, 2012, oil on aluminum flashing, 5 x 7 inches
The Little Plum Tree, 2008, oil on aluminum flashing, 5 x 7 inches
Dried Echinacea, 2011, oil on Masonite, 20 x 10 inches
Rainy Window, 2011, oil on Masonite, 18 3/4 x 13 inches
Reflection of the Barn, 1971, oil on linen, 47 x 31 inches
Window, Saint's Refuge, 1983, oil on Masonite, 21 3/4 x 16 7/8 inches
Three Yellow Curtains Blowing, c. 1980, oil on Masonite, 16 1/4 x 18 3/4 inches
Morning Corner, 1983, oil on Masonite, 20 x 20 inches
Upstairs Window, 1968, oil on Masonite, 17 x 14 inches
House + Laundry on Foggy Day, 2010, oil on Masonite, 16 x 20 inches
Afternoon Moon + Clouds over Field + Tree, 1966, oil on linen, 11 x 12 inches
Afternoon Moon, Half-Moon in Daytime, 1966, oil on Masonite, 17 3/4 x 15 1/4 inches
Afternoon Moon with Clouds, 1966, oil on linen, 13 3/4 x 11 3/4 inches
View Thru Elliott's Shack Looking North, 1971, oil on linen, 48 x 33 inches
Fallen Tree Section, 1980, oil on linen, 60 x 40 inches
Fallen Tree (from painting), 1990, oil on aluminum flashing, 7 x 5 inches
View Through Elliott's Shack, Looking South, 1971, oil on linen, 53 x 36 inches
Woods (Triptych), 1975 oil on linen, 169 x 36 inches
Lois Dodd, Burning House, Night, Vertical, 2007, oil on linen, 64 x 48 inches
Quarry at Sunset, 1995, oil on linen, 50 x 64 inches
Burning House, Lavender, 2007, oil on linen, 46 x 64 inches
Lois Dodd, Red Trunks, Red Leaves, 1981, oil on linen, 50 x 36 inches
View off of Back Deck, October, 2018, oil on Masonite, 20 x 9 7/8 inches
Hackmatack in October, 2018, oil on Masonite, 15 7/8 x 11 7/8 inches
The Field Cushing, 2020, oil on Masonite, 12 7/8 x 19 5/8 inches
Storm Window - Side Window, 1977, oil on wood panel, 68 1/2 x 31 inches
View Downtown, Downhill, 1978, oil on linen, 50 x 48 inches
Blue Laundry and Birches, 1979, oil on linen, 60 x 36 inches
Rainy Window, NYC, 2014, oil on Masonite, 20 x 16 inches
Adjacent Roofs, 2024, oil on Masonite, 15 x 15 3/4 inches
Men's Shelter, Winter - April, 1967-68, oil on linen, 24 5/8 x 25 1/8 inches
Small Cityscape, February, 1968, oil on linen, 24 x 22 inches
Opening in Ice and Light on Path, 2002, oil on linen, 40 x 48 inches
Blaisey's Shacks, 2003, oil on linen, 38 x 60 inches
Snow Patterns, 1985, oil on linen, 56 x 40 inches
Winter Sunset, Blair Pond, 2008, oil on linen, 48 x 52 inches
Moon & Shack, 1976, oil on linen, 72 x 18 inches
Steamed Window, 1980, oil on linen, 36 x 28 inches
Road from Salamovka in Snow, 1976, oil on linen, 20 x 18 inches
Winter Vision, 1985, oil on Masonite, 9 7/8 x 10 1/4 inches
Winter Shape, 1994, oil on Masonite, 15 1/2 x 15 inches
Trees + Rocks in Snow | Snow Covered Outcroppings, 1977, oil on Masonite, 15 x 15 3/4 inches
Water Gap Winter, 1979, oil on Masonite, 12 x 20 inches
Water Gap, Ice Breaking, 1978, oil on linen, 36 x 54 inches
6 Seed Cones, 2024, oil on Masonite, 11 3/4 x 17 5/8 inches
Pitch Pine Cone, 2023, oil on Masonite, 11 1/8 x 11 1/16 inches
Fallen Dry Leaf, 2023, oil on wood panel, 9 5/8 x 15 7/8 inches
Split Log, 2022, oil on Masonite, 20 x 8 3/4 inches