Joseph Beuys

Hearts of the Revolutionaries: Passage of the Planets of the Future

1955

Not on display

Artist: Joseph Beuys 1921–1986
Original title: Passage der Zukunftplanetoiden
Medium: Watercolour on card
Dimensions: Support: 295 x 490 mm
frame: 825 x 624 x 39 mm
Collection: Tate / National Galleries of Scotland
Acquisition: ARTIST ROOMS Acquired jointly with the National Galleries of Scotland through The d'Offay Donation with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Art Fund 2008
Reference: AR00103

Online caption

The choice of red for this painting would seem like an obvious one, reflecting both the heart and the virtues of honour and courage of the revolutionary in the title of the piece. Red also represents socialism, a belief of Beuys which became central to his later work. However, the colour red is used sparingly and symbolically in the artist's work, and here it makes a bold statement on life, vitality and the future. The inclusion of the round shape to represent a planet brings an astronomical element into the work.