In 1953 Robert Rauschenberg was experimenting with erasing existing drawings to create new art. He began by erasing examples of his own work but found it unsatisfactory and lacking in the meaning he was trying to convey. He therefore resolved to erase a work of importance, something created by an artist of accepted stature within the current art scene. He approached the abstract impressionist Willem de Kooning for a sample of his work, with the express purpose of erasing it. De Kooning was revered as one of the most celebrated artists of his time: his work being much sought after and consequently highly valuable. It was this acknowledged worth which made de Kooning’s work fitting for Rauschenberg’s needs.<br><br>The story of this piece has been recounted many times, often by Rauschenberg himself<sup>1</sup>. De Kooning purportedly selected a drawing that he felt had significance and that would be a challenge for Rauschenberg to erase. It did indeed prove to be a task: taking over a month and many erasers to achieve Rauschenberg’s newly created drawing. It was received with mixed reactions: from outrage at the blatant destruction, to an acknowledgement of its importance as an emergent artistic genre. <br><br>No recorded image of the original artwork exists. The only clue as to the nature of de Kooning’s drawing comes from an infrared scan, digitally enhanced by conservationists at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Rauschenberg’s vision of art created by the act of taking away rather than addition had been realised.<br>