Description:

Ida Rittenberg Kohlmeyer (American/New Orleans, 1912-1997), "Study: Girl Reclining", 1956, oil on masonite, signed lower right, 19 in. x 48 in., unframed. Ill.: Kohlmeyer, Ida. Introductory Essay for a Series of Paintings Concerning the Mood of Aloneness in Children. Tulane University Masters of Fine Arts Thesis, 1956. Note: In the collection of paintings and drawings Ida Kohlmeyer presented for her Master’s Thesis in 1956, the artist focused on the mood of aloneness in children, which she portrayed through pencil, crayon, oil, and gouache. Kohlmeyer noted that to avoid “pathos and melodrama,” and to emphasize the “evasive quality of the mood,” she needed to paint quickly and directly from the models, resulting in fresh, powerful works. In the introductory essay she wrote for the thesis, Kohlmeyer observed: “vision and emotion are instantaneous and speed, at this point, seemed required to amalgamate the two.” In the seminal painting offered here, Kohlmeyer concentrates more on the figure of the child and less on the space around her than in previous works, such as “Study: Girl with Flower” (sold in these rooms September 9, 2017), in which the subject is smaller and the depiction of the room takes on more of an importance in the composition. Here Kohlmeyer deliberately attempted to unify the form and content by creating a pattern of darks and lights throughout, that resulted in the figure and the background fusing into one continuous design. Additionally, references to classical reclining nudes may be observed in the pose of the model. A lovely early example of Kohlmeyer’s use of color, the palette complements the contemplative nature of the picture, as well as hinting at the artist’s abstract color block series to come. Ref.: Kohlmeyer, Ida. Introductory Essay for a Series of Paintings Concerning the Mood of Aloneness in Children. Tulane University Masters of Fine Arts Thesis, 1956.

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January 27, 2018 10:00 AM CST
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