Mark Tobey, the American painter known for his distinctive "white writing" style, died on this day in 1976. After a career that included significant time in Seattle and international travel, Tobey moved to Basel, Switzerland, in the early 1960s, where he lived and worked until his death. His time in Basel marked a productive period in his later life, and his work, which blended Asian calligraphy with abstract expressionism, influenced artists such as Jackson Pollock. See wikipedia for more information.