Last updated: 27 October 2026
Jasper Johns is the American painter of flags, targets and numbers who changed what painting could be in the 1950s. Here you will find our take on his work, his 2026 shows in New York and Bilbao, and where to see him in the UK.
Our take on Jasper Johns
Johns painted what he called “things the mind already knows”: flags, targets, numbers and maps, according to Gagosian. Taking familiar images as his subject let him concentrate on how the painting was made.
“One hopes for something resembling truth, some sense of life, even of grace, to flicker, at least, in the work,” he said in 2006, a line the Royal Academy used to title its 2017 retrospective.
He was still showing in 2026, aged 95. That year Gagosian and Castelli showed his paintings in New York, David Zwirner showed his drawings and prints, and the Guggenheim Bilbao staged Night Driver.
Jasper Johns: the essentials
- Born in Augusta, Georgia, in 1930, according to the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.
- Known for paintings of flags, targets, numbers and maps from the 1950s onwards, and for decades of printmaking.
- Tate holds his work, including 0 through 9.
- The Royal Academy held Jasper Johns: ‘Something Resembling Truth’ from 23 September to 10 December 2017.
- Shown in 2026 by Gagosian with Castelli Gallery, and by David Zwirner.
Jasper Johns exhibitions
- Jasper Johns: Night Driver, Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, 29 May to 12 October 2026.
- Jasper Johns: Copy/Trace, David Zwirner, 537 West 20th Street, New York, 7 May to 26 June 2026.
- Between the Clock and the Bed, Gagosian with Castelli Gallery, 980 Madison Avenue, New York, 22 January to 24 April 2026.
- Jasper Johns: ‘Something Resembling Truth’, Royal Academy, London, 23 September to 10 December 2017.
Jasper Johns FAQs
What is Jasper Johns famous for?
Paintings of flags, targets, numbers and maps, starting in the 1950s.
Where can I see Jasper Johns in the UK?
Tate holds his work, including 0 through 9. The Royal Academy held a retrospective in 2017.
Is Jasper Johns still alive?
Yes. He was born in 1930, and his work was shown in New York and Bilbao in 2026.
Where was Jasper Johns’ 2026 retrospective?
Night Driver ran at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao from 29 May to 12 October 2026.
More from CoolCuration
- Flavin and Judd at Zwirner review: more American art of the same era.
- Great Art Explained: James Payne’s guide to how famous works were made.
- National Art Pass: discounts on big shows across the UK.
- Frieze Masters review: where modern masters change hands in London.
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Main image: Jasper Johns, Two Flags (black), 1970 to 1972. Image courtesy Tate. Framed by CoolCuration. Exhibition dates and prices last checked: 27 October 2026.
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