In the 1950s, Philip Guston's art was marked by a significant shift towards Abstract Expressionism, a movement he would be closely associated with despite his own complex relationship with it. During this decade, Guston achieved considerable success and renown, exploring abstract compositions characterized by gestural strokes, marks of color, and a focus on the picture plane's spatial dynamics. His paintings from this period, such as "#5" from 1952 and "Painting" also from 1952, are notable examples of his abstract expressionist work, featuring blocks and masses of color that float within the canvas, reminiscent in some ways of the "plus and minus" compositions by Piet Mondrian and the late "Nympheas" by Claude Monet​ (The Art Story)​​ (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)​. Guston's work in the 1950s was characterized by a limited palette, often favoring black, white, grays, blues, and reds, which remained evident even as his style evolved later in his career. This period is seen as pivotal, laying the groundwork for his later return to figuration and the development of his idiosyncratic visual lexicon. Despite the abstract nature of his work during this decade, Guston's paintings were deeply personal, reflecting his continuous exploration of the act of painting itself and the possibilities of the canvas as a space for emotional and existential inquiry​ (The Art Story)​. By the end of the 1950s, Guston's reputation had grown, establishing him alongside contemporaries such as Mark Rothko and his childhood friend Jackson Pollock as a celebrated abstract painter. His contributions to Abstract Expressionism during this decade are significant, showcasing his ability to blend the gestural and the contemplative, the personal and the universal, in works that remain influential in the history of modern art​ (The Art Story)​​ (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)​.