Al Held, American Abstract Painter, 76

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It was reported from Rome, Italy, that Al Held, an American abstract
painter known for his large-scale works, was found dead Wednesday, July
27, 2005, in the swimming pool of his house in the Umbrian countryside
of Italy, a friend said, at the age of 76.

Authorities in Todi later said Held died of natural causes.

His gardener found the painter's body, according to the friend, Bill
Pepper. The home is in the town of Camerata, about nine miles south of
Todi, which has a large foreign community.

Held was a prominent abstract expressionist, according to the Robert
Miller Gallery in New York, which held several exhibits of his work.

"Highly stylized and geometric language" defined Held's work since the
1970s, the gallery said when promoting eight of his works. That
exhibit, which ran in late 2003 and early 2004, was titled "Al Held:
Beyond Sense."

In the early 1950s, Held moved to Paris, where his first solo show took
place in 1952. His works include colossal paintings and canvases filled
with colored geometric shapes.

AP