What determines who the great masters of art are? All too often, the political seeps into cultural conversations, and the result is a historical record riddled with holes. One of the most glaring omissions from the generally recognized canon of American art is Ad Reinhardt (1913-67). An American artist who had significant ties to the American Communist movement and leftist political organizations, Reinhardt and his contributions to modern art have been largely pushed out of the spotlight. But now in this unprecedented in-depth study of his life and work, Michael Corris returns Reinhardt to his rightful place in American art and culture.

A pioneering avant-garde artist with fierce political beliefs, Reinhardt immersed himself in the vibrant left-wing political and cultural circles of the 1930s and '40s, only to find himself marginalized by the social and cultural conservatism that arose in postwar America. Corris examines Reinhardt's art in this historical context, tracking the development of his entire oeuvre, ranging from his abstract paintings to his popular graphic artwork, which took the form of reproductions and cartoons. At the heart of the book, however, are numerous illustrations of Reinhardt's paintings, public installations, and cartoons--many never before published--and the artist's own writings. Ad Reinhardt also evaluates Reinhardt's role in the art world, including his influence on younger artists who created successive avant-garde movements, such as minimal and conceptual art.

A comprehensive examination of a less-heralded American master, Ad Reinhardt is a fascinating portrait of an artist whose political radicalism infused his art with a poignant resonance that stretches, through this rediscovery, into the present.