Gene Davis was famous for his Color Field paintings of vertical stripes. Color Field painting exploited the expressive power of color by deploying it in large fields that envelope the viewer when seen up close. In the 1950s, Davis, along with artists Kenneth Noland and Morris Louis, was one of a small group of painters called the" Washington (D.C.) Color School" who experimented with colors. The Washington painters were among the most prominent of the mid-century color field painters. Fascinated by color relationships, Davis delighted in alternating thin bright vertical stripes to create off-beat patterns reminiscent of jazz. Davis often compared himself to a jazz musician who plays by ear, describing his approach to painting as ‘playing by eye.’ He spoke about the importance of ‘color interval:’ the rhythmic, almost musical, effects caused by the irregular appearance of colors or shades within a composition. This work, "Black Dahlia," is the largest print edition Davis ever made. It is also sometimes referred to as "Alice Tully Hall Sampler." Davis used this image when he was commissioned to design a poster for the Lincoln Center for The Performing Arts, New York, NY which was published in a limited edition of 35.