WASHINGTON –Robert Indiana’s sculpture AMOR, conceived 1998 and executed 2006, is now on view in the National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden. A play on his own famed LOVE sculpture, AMOR is constructed from red and yellow polychrome aluminum.

The first sculpture by Indiana (American, born 1928) to enter the gallery’s collection, the work significantly advances the gallery’s holdings of monumental modern sculpture. The sculpture was given to the gallery in May 2012 by Simon and Gillian Salama-Caro in memory of Ruth Klausner.

Indiana originally conceived the familier “Love” graphic in drawings, paintings and sculptures between 1964 and 1966. The first sculptural version was displayed at an exhibition at the Stable Gallery in Manhattan in 1966, and the artist has continued working with the motif since.

The image became most widely known through a commission for a Museum of Modern Art card in 1965 and the 8-cent “Love” stamp issued in 1973 by the U.S. Postal Service. The graphic became an emblem of the 1970s in the U.S., associated with the relaxation of social strictures. The monumental AMOR made its first appearance in the center of Madrid in 2006. With its inclinded “O” and vibrant colors, it extends the spirit of “Love” into several languages and cultures.

The National Gallery of Art and its 6.1-acre Sculpture Garden are at all times free to the public. They are located on the National Mall between Third and Ninth streets at Constitution Avenue NW, and are open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Gallery is closed on December 25 and January 1. With the exception of the atrium and library, the galleries in the East Building will be closing gradually beginning in July 2013 and will remain closed for approximately three years for Master Facilities Plan and renovations. For specific updates on gallery closings, visit www.nga.gov/renovation.

For information call 202-737-4215 or visit the gallery’s website at www.nga.gov.

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE