Description:

Milton Avery (American, 1885-1965), "The Eclipse", c. 1930s, watercolor on paper, signed lower right, pencil-titled and various inscriptions incl. "owned by March Avery" en verso, "DC Moore Gallery, New York" and "George Krevsky Gallery, San Francisco, CA" labels with artist, title and date en verso of backing board, 15 in. x 22 in., framed; accompanied by a copy of DC Moore Gallery invoice, 2006. Provenance: George Krevsky Gallery, San Francisco, CA; DC Moore Gallery, New York. Note: "He was, without question, our greatest colorist. Nothing that has occurred in the entire development of Color Field abstraction can be said to rival or surpass the invention and virtuosity he lavished upon the pictorial uses of color." ~ Hilton Kramer In the lot offered here, Milton Avery’s transgressive mastery of color is evident in the cool palette of eggplant, dark blue and chartreuse that lushly saturate the paper. Much like his contemporary, an artist to which he was often compared, Henri Matisse, Avery had the ability to reduce his subjects to their most basic and essential articulations, conveying details in the mere suggestions of shape and form. Avery, whose work often contains a spark of gentle humor, instilled this work with a wink to the viewer–the figures on the beach enthralled with their view of an eclipse are themselves on view for Avery’s audience. Ref.: Kramer, Hilton. "Art View; AVERY-'OUR GREATEST COLORIST'; by Hilton Kramer." The New York Times. Apr. 11, 1981. www.nytimes.com. Accessed Mar. 14, 2017.

  • Condition: All lots are sold “As is” and “Where is”. Neal Auction provides condition reports on items with a low estimate over $500 as a courtesy to aid in your bidding decision. No statement regarding age, condition, kind, value, or quality of a lot, whether made orally at the auction or at any other time, or in writing in this catalogue or elsewhere, shall be construed to be an express or implied warranty, representation, or assumption of liability. Completed condition reports are posted as an additional image with the lot. Neal Auction does not give refunds.

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April 22, 2017 10:00 AM CDT
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$3,000 $9,999 $250
$10,000 $49,999 $500
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