Howard Mehring (1931-1978) was a leading Washington DC Color painter. Curator Walter Hopps, asserted: “Mehring was the closest painter to Morris Louis in delicacy… [his work is] simultaneously delicate and bold, a rare combination also present in Jackson Pollock’s work.” Gene Davis identified Mehring as “one of the premier painters” of the Washington Color School, explaining: “In many ways he was the most lyrical of us all.” Mehring’s artistic innovations influenced the works of Gene Davis, Thomas Downing, Alma Thomas and Sam Gilliam. Permanent collections include:  Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum; Museum of Modern Art; Whitney Museum of Modern Art, The Tate Gallery, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden; National Gallery of Art; Los Angeles County Museum; San Francisco Museum of Art.