American artist Alfonso Ossorio (1916–1990) is celebrated for his detailed woodcuts and ink drawings, as well as for his sculptural assemblages of found objects. His allusive art draws on themes such as birth, death, sex, and Catholicism. This focused volume explores the recurrent subject matter, favored materials, and development of linear form in prints, drawings, and wax-resist paintings that span the artist’s six-decade practice. Highlighting new scholarship on Ossorio’s works on paper, the book approaches the works from both art historical and technical perspectives. The book positions Ossorio alongside the artists with whom he exchanged ideas during his lifetime, such as Jean Dubuffet and Jackson Pollock, as well as in the context of contemporary artists for whom he has been a source of inspiration. The book includes a conversation with the artist duo Enzo Camacho and Ami Lien, whose work in the 2026 Whitney Biennial is directly influenced by their engagement with the themes and materials of Ossorio’s art.

Mitra Abbaspour is the Houghton Curator and Head of Modern and Contemporary Art, and Ally Cirelli is the Cunningham Curatorial Assistant for the Collection in the Division of Modern and Contemporary Art, both at the Harvard Art Museums. With contributions by Scott Homolka, Enzo Camacho, and Ami Lien. 

The related exhibition Alfonso Ossorio: Line and Lineage is on display at the Harvard Art Museums from October 23, 2026 through April 11, 2027.

This publication is made possible through the generous support of the Ossorio Fund. Modern and contemporary art programs at the Harvard Art Museums are made possible in part by generous support from the Emily Rauh Pulitzer and Joseph Pulitzer, Jr., Fund for Modern and Contemporary Art.