Sam Francis was a Californian painter and printmaker known for his abstract expressionist works, characterized by soft pools and geometric forms of overlapping color. His work is influenced by the first-generation abstract expressionists as well as color field painting, impressionism, and Asian art. In the early 1970s, Francis turned his attention to Jungian analysis, dreams, and the subconscious. Thanks to his travels and exhibitions in Europe and Asia, Francis was one of the first postwar American artists to develop a strong reputation abroad.