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Robert Rauschenberg's 1959 combine painting Canyon at National Gallery of Art

artist · 2026-04-22

So, there's this artwork called "Canyon" created by Robert Rauschenberg back in 1959, and it’s housed at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. It’s a mixed-media piece that uses all sorts of materials like oil, house paint, fabric, metal, and even a mounted bald eagle, among other things. Rauschenberg was really innovative with this work, blending painting and sculpture in a way that was quite groundbreaking. The copyright belongs to the Rauschenberg Estate, and VAGA in New York handles the licensing. Also, there’s an article about this piece on artcritical.com from June 9, 2010, discussing how Rauschenberg’s combine technique challenged traditional art forms.

Key facts

  • Robert Rauschenberg created Canyon in 1959
  • The artwork is a combine painting incorporating multiple materials
  • Materials include oil, housepaint, pencil, paper, fabric, metal, buttons, nails, cardboard, printed paper, photographs, wood, paint tubes, mirror string, pillow, and a bald eagle
  • The work is mounted on canvas
  • Canyon is housed at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
  • The Rauschenberg Estate holds copyright to the artwork
  • VAGA in New York, NY licenses the artwork
  • Information was posted on artcritical.com on June 9, 2010

Entities

Artists

  • Robert Rauschenberg

Institutions

  • National Gallery of Art
  • Rauschenberg Estate
  • VAGA
  • artcritical

Locations

  • Washington, D.C.
  • United States
  • New York
  • New York, NY

Sources