Heather James Jackson Hole 3D Virtual Tour – Summer 2021

PUBLISHED IN: Gallery Tours

We are excited to share the fantastic collection of artworks on view this summer at our gallery in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Located just off of the town square at 172 Center Street, our Wyoming gallery showcases blue-chip artworks from all genres including Frida Kahlo, Joan Miro, Alexander Calder, and Mary Corse. Discover the full collection in our 3D virtual tour.

ARTWORK CURRENTLY ON VIEW AT HEATHER JAMES JACKSON HOLE

<br>In Diego Rivera’s portrait of Enriqueta Dávila, the artist asserts a Mexicanidad, a quality of Mexican-ness, in the work along with his strong feelings towards the sitter. Moreover, this painting is unique amongst his portraiture in its use of symbolism, giving us a strong if opaque picture of the relationship between artist and sitter. <br> <br>Enriqueta, a descendent of the prominent Goldbaum family, was married to the theater entrepreneur, José María Dávila. The two were close friends with Rivera, and the artist initially requested to paint Enriqueta’s portrait. Enriqueta found the request unconventional and relented on the condition that Rivera paints her daughter, Enriqueta “Quetita”. Rivera captures the spirit of the mother through the use of duality in different sections of the painting, from the floorboards to her hands, and even the flowers. Why the split in the horizon of the floorboard? Why the prominent cross while Enriqueta’s family is Jewish? Even her pose is interesting, showcasing a woman in control of her own power, highlighted by her hand on her hip which Rivera referred to as a claw, further complicating our understanding of her stature. <br> <br>This use of flowers, along with her “rebozo” or shawl, asserts a Mexican identity. Rivera was adept at including and centering flowers in his works which became a kind of signature device. The flowers show bromeliads and roselles; the former is epiphytic and the latter known as flor de jamaica and often used in hibiscus tea and aguas frescas. There is a tension then between these two flowers, emphasizing the complicated relationship between Enriqueta and Rivera. On the one hand, Rivera demonstrates both his and the sitter’s Mexican identity despite the foreign root of Enriqueta’s family but there may be more pointed meaning revealing Rivera’s feelings to the subject. The flowers, as they often do in still life paintings, may also refer to the fleeting nature of life and beauty. The portrait for her daughter shares some similarities from the use of shawl and flowers, but through simple changes in gestures and type and placement of flowers, Rivera illuminates a stronger personality in Enriqueta and a more dynamic relationship as filtered through his lens. <br> <br>A closer examination of even her clothing reveals profound meaning. Instead of a dress more in line for a socialite, Rivera has Enriqueta in a regional dress from Jalisco, emphasizing both of their Mexican identities. On the other hand, her coral jewelry, repeated in the color of her shoes, hints at multiple meanings from foreignness and exoticism to protection and vitality. From Ancient Egypt to Classical Rome to today, coral has been used for jewelry and to have been believed to have properties both real and symbolic. Coral jewelry is seen in Renaissance paintings indicating the vitality and purity of woman or as a protective amulet for infants. It is also used as a reminder, when paired with the infant Jesus, of his future sacrifice. Diego’s use of coral recalls these Renaissance portraits, supported by the plain background of the painting and the ribbon indicating the maker and date similar to Old Master works. <br> <br>When combined in the portrait of Enriqueta, we get a layered and tense building of symbolism. Rivera both emphasizes her Mexican identity but also her foreign roots. He symbolizes her beauty and vitality but look closely at half of her face and it is as if Rivera has painted his own features onto hers. The richness of symbolism hints at the complex relationship between artist and sitter.

DIEGO RIVERA

WILLEM DE KOONING - Woman in a Rowboat - oil on paper laid on masonite - 47 1/2 x 36 1/4 in.

WILLEM DE KOONING

During the early 1870s, Winslow Homer frequently painted scenes of country living near a small farm hamlet renowned for generations for its remarkable stands of wheat, situated between the Hudson River and the Catskills in New York state. Today Hurley is far more famous for inspiring one of Homer’s greatest works, Snap the Whip painted the summer of 1872. Among the many other paintings inspired by the region, Girl Standing in the Wheatfield is rich in sentiment, but not over sentimentalized. It directly relates to an 1866 study painted in France entitled, In the Wheatfields, and another, painted the following year after he returned to America. But Homer would have undoubtedly been most proud of this one. It is a portrait, a costume study, a genre painting in the great tradition of European pastoral painting, and a dramatically backlit, atmospheric tour de force steeped in the quickly fading gloaming hour light buoyed with lambent, flowery notes and wheat spike touches. In 1874, Homer sent four paintings to the National Academy of Design exhibition. One was titled, “Girl”. Might it not be this one?

WINSLOW HOMER

Widely recognized as one of the most consequential artists of our time, Gerhard Richters career now rivals that of Picasso's in terms of productivity and genius. The multi-faceted subject matter, ranging from slightly out-of-focus photographic oil paintings to Kelly-esque grid paintings to his "squeegee" works, Richter never settles for repeating the same thought- but is constantly evolving his vision. Richter has been honored by significant retrospective exhibitions, including the pivotal 2002 show, "Gerhard Richter: Forty Years of Painting," at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. <br> <br>"Abstraktes Bild 758-2" (1992) comes from a purely abstract period in Richter's work- where the message is conveyed using a truly physical painting style, where applied paint layers are distorted with a wooden "Squeegee" tool. Essentially, Richter is sculpting the layers of paint, revealing the underlayers and their unique color combinations; there is a degree of "art by chance". If the painting does not work, Richter will move on- a method pioneered by Jackson Pollock decades earlier. <br> <br>Richter is included in prominent museums and collections worldwide, including the Tate, London, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, among many others.

GERHARD RICHTER

<div>In the mid-1920s, Rufino Tamayo embarked on the crucial development phase as a sophisticated, contemporary colorist. In New York, he encountered the groundbreaking works of Picasso, Braque, and Giorgio de Chirico, along with the enduring impact of Cubism. Exploring painterly and plastic values through subjects sourced from street scenes, popular culture, and the fabric of daily life, his unique approach to color and form began to take shape. It was a pivotal shift toward cosmopolitan aesthetics, setting him apart from the nationalist fervor championed by the politically charged narratives of the Mexican Muralist movement.  By focusing on the vitality of popular culture, he captured the essential Mexican identity that prioritized universal artistic values over explicit social and political commentary. The approach underscored his commitment to redefining Mexican art on the global stage and highlighted his innovative contributions to the modernist dialogue. </div> <br> <br><div> </div> <br> <br><div>Like Cézanne, Tamayo elevated the still life genre to some of its most beautifully simple expressions. Yet high sophistication underlies the ease with which Tamayo melds vibrant Mexican motifs with the avant-garde influences of the School of Paris. As "Naturaleza Muerta" of 1935 reveals, Tamayo refused to lapse into the mere decoration that often characterizes the contemporary School of Paris art with which his work draws comparisons. Instead, his arrangement of watermelons, bottles, a coffee pot, and sundry items staged within a sobering, earthbound tonality and indeterminant, shallow space recalls Tamayo's early interest in Surrealism. An overlayed square matrix underscores the contrast between the organic subjects of the painting and the abstract, intellectualized structure imposed upon them, deepening the interpretation of the artist's exploration of visual perception and representation. In this way, the grid serves to navigate between the visible world and the underlying structures that inform our understanding of it, inviting viewers to consider the interplay between reality and abstraction, sensation and analysis.</div>

RUFINO TAMAYO

The frame of reference for Irish American Sean Scully’s signature blocks and stripes is vast. From Malevich’s central premise that geometry can provide the means for universal understanding to Rothko’s impassioned approach to color and rendering of the dramatic sublime, Scully learned how to condense the splendor of the natural world into simple modes of color, light, and composition. Born in Dublin in 1945 and London-raised, Scully was well-schooled in figurative drawing when he decided to catch the spirit of his lodestar, Henri Matisse, by visiting Morocco in 1969. He was captivated by the dazzling tessellated mosaics and richly dyed fabrics and began to paint grids and stipes of color. Subsequent adventures provided further inspiration as the play of intense light on the reflective surfaces of Mayan ruins and the ancient slabs of stone at Stonehenge brought the sensation of light, space, and geometric movement to Scully’s paintings. The ability to trace the impact of Scully’s travels throughout his paintings reaffirms the value of abstract art as a touchstone for real-life experience. <br> <br> <br>Painted in rich, deep hues and layered, nuanced surfaces, Grey Red is both poetic and full of muscular formalism. Scully appropriately refers to these elemental forms as ‘bricks,’ suggesting the formal calculations of an architect. As he explained, “these relationships that I see in the street doorways, in windows between buildings, and in the traces of structures that were once full of life, I take for my work. I use these colors and forms and put them together in a way that perhaps reminds you of something, though you’re not sure of that” (David Carrier, Sean Scully, 2004, pg. 98). His approach is organic, less formulaic; intuitive painter’s choices are layering one color upon another so that contrasting hues and colors vibrate with subliminal energy. Diebenkorn comes to mind in his pursuit of radiant light. But here, the radiant bands of terracotta red, gray, taupe, and black of Grey Red resonate with deep, smoldering energy and evoke far more affecting passion than you would think it could impart. As his good friend, Bono wrote, “Sean approaches the canvas like a kickboxer, a plasterer, a builder. The quality of painting screams of a life being lived.”

SEAN SCULLY

<div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>Hans Hofmann's <em>Baal</em> channels the charged energy of its evocative title, rooted in ancient Semitic tradition. The name refers to a lord or master but also carries associations with primal forces of nature, chaos, and creation. Hofmann's work reflects this duality, blending structured design with the untamed vitality of gestural abstraction to create a composition oscillating between entropy and order.</font></div> <br> <br><div> </div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>Painted at age 65, <em>Baal</em> also showcases Hofmann's willingness to revisit earlier disciplines while addressing the challenges of mid-century abstraction. Its vibrant palette and bold use of complementary colors, particularly the juxtaposition of red and green, heightens the painting's dynamism. His muscular brushwork also reflects his lifelong experimentation with the tension between form and freedom; undulating lines and biomorphic forms evoke the surrealist influence of Miró and the spiritual resonance of Kandinsky's gestural abstractions. Like these predecessors, Hofmann sought to translate "inner necessity" into visual expression, guided by his fertile imagination. Yet the planal elements and curvilinear shapes of <em>Baal</em> also reflect the influence of improvisational painting, a hallmark of Abstract Expressionism as practiced by contemporaries like Arshile Gorky, among others. It is a composition that teems with movement and energy, suggesting a cosmos in flux—chaotic yet deliberate.</font></div> <br> <br><div> </div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>Exhibited the same year at Betty Parsons Gallery in New York, <em>Baal</em> signals Hofmann's evolution as a master and innovator. With its vivid dynamism and symbolic title, the painting epitomizes Hofmann's ability to infuse abstraction with elemental power, crafting a deeply personal exploration of form and color.</font></div>

HANS HOFMANN

<div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>Hans Hofmann's "<em>Astral Image #1"</em> of 1947 captures a pivotal moment in his artistic evolution as he wrestled with the competing forces of linearity and painterly abstraction. Exhibited in the same year at Betty Parsons Gallery in New York—Hofmann's first show with Parsons — the painting represents a phase of intense experimentation in which Cubist-inspired linear elements took center stage. Lines arc and stretch across the canvas, creating a dynamic framework that opens into areas filled with flatly applied alizarin crimson. These contrasting forces give the work a sense of tension and vitality.</font></div> <br> <br><div> </div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>During this period, Hofmann's reliance on linearity provided a departure from the more fluid, painterly dynamism of his earlier works. From 1944 to 1951, this linear impulse permeated his practice, signaling a prolonged exploration of modes of expression in which he grappled with reconciling abstraction and structure. While some viewed this phase as a retreat from the energetic breakthroughs that defined American art's rise to global prominence, others recognized the distinctiveness of these paintings. <em>Astral Image #1</em> challenged the framework of Hofmann's singular vision, blending Cubist discipline with the vibrant, unruly energy that remained a hallmark of his oeuvre.</font></div> <br> <br><div> </div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>The work's flat planes of bright alizarin crimson, contrasted with the angular momentum of the lines, evoke a cosmos of restless energy, hinting at the celestial themes suggested by its title. This painting reflects Hofmann's deliberate explorations during the late 1940s that underscore his unique ability to create works that resist easy categorization, standing apart as deeply personal explorations of form and color.</font></div> <br> <br><div> </div>

HANS HOFMANN

<div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>Hans Hofmann explored linearity and color with persistence during the late 1940s, creating a tension between Cubist structure and gestural abstraction. In this painting, <em>Fruit Bowl #1</em>, the linear impulse takes center stage, with dynamic black contours weaving and unspooling across the canvas, limning forms that merely hint at a still-life composition. Hofmann's approach is far from conventional; the traditional fruit bowl is fractured and reimagined into an abstract interplay of geometric and organic shapes. The addition of bright, flatly applied patches and demarcation of green, red, and yellow punctuates the composition, adding an energetic entropy and vitality. Hofmann's raw, alluring, yet slightly uncomfortable palette and gestural freedom elevate the piece beyond its Cubist origins, revealing an artist deeply engaged with the challenges of mid-20th-century abstraction. Hofmann's lines and color fields balance spontaneity with control, oscillating between chaos and structure.</font></div> <br> <br><div> </div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black><em>Fruit Bowl #1</em> reflects Hofmann's ongoing dialogue with earlier European modernists while pushing toward the freer instincts of American Abstract Expressionism. Often criticized as misaligned with the rising dominance of gestural abstraction, paintings from this period in Hofmann's career remain his own—vibrant, exploratory, and unapologetically personal.</font></div>

HANS HOFMANN

<div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>Any analysis of Hans Hofmann’s oeuvre is incomplete without considering his small landscapes, which occupied him between 1940 and 1944. These works capture a pivotal moment in his artistic evolution, transitioning from Matisse-inspired figurative still lifes, portraits, and interiors to the pure abstraction that would later define his career. “Landscape #108” exemplifies this shift. Its compressed composition and severe clustering of intense colors prefigure the artist’s mature works, channeling the same ferocious dynamism that is the hallmark of our appreciation for the artist. The Fauvist palette and electric strokes vibrate with energy, their interplay of light and dark creating a rhythmic tension that feels almost musical. While modest in scale, the painting’s boldness and dynamism hint at the daring risks Hofmann would later embrace in his larger abstractions. Rooted in Fauvism and resonant with Kandinsky’s early work, “Landscape #108” remains a robust testament to Hofmann’s evolving visual language during this transformative period.</font></div>

HANS HOFMANN

<div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>Hans Hofmann's <em>The Zoo</em> (1944) brims with playful energy, its abstract forms suggesting a whimsical exploration of animalistic shapes and gestures. Dominated by a vivid blue field punctuated by bold strokes of red, green, and yellow, the formal elements and composition provide a lively interplay of color. While the title invites the viewer to seek out zoo-like references, the forms are ambiguous yet evocative: sweeping red arcs might suggest the curve of a tail, while the triangular green shape evokes the profile of an enclosure or a cage. The painting captures not the literal essence of a zoo but the dynamism and movement one might associate with such a space.</font></div> <br> <br><div> </div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>Heavily influenced by Surrealist automatism and the biomorphic forms of Joan Miró, the organic shapes and bold colors seem to pulse with life, blurring the boundary between abstraction and figuration. Yet, unlike Miró's delicate dreamscapes, Hofmann's brushwork carries a muscular energy, grounding the composition in his signature gestural style.</font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black><em>The Zoo</em> reflects Hofmann's ability to balance spontaneity with deliberate compositional choices. The result is a vibrant, joy-filled work that celebrates the world's visual complexity and the boundless creative freedom of abstraction during this pivotal phase of his career.</font></div>

HANS HOFMANN

HANS HOFMANN - Untitled - oil on canvas - 25 x 30 1/4 in.

HANS HOFMANN

Under the Tang China experienced a period of great cultural flowering, remarkable for its achievements across all areas of the arts and sciences. The tolerance of the Tang Imperial Court to outside influence and the free movement along the East- West trade route known as the Silk Road saw major urban centres become thriving cosmopolitan cities, with the Chinese capital, Chang’an (modern Xian) expanding to reach a population of over one million. <br> <br>In keeping with centuries of tradition, funerary rites remained very important. A separate government department existed with responsibility for overseeing the manufacture of funerary wares. Officially there were limits on the number of grave goods and restrictions on the size of the objects which could accompany the deceased, according to rank – the highest ranked officials were meant to have a maximum of 90 figurines, no more than 30cm tall while members of the Imperial family were allowed several hundred up to about one meter tall. However, these rules were frequently broken. The deceased’s relatives believed they could improve their ancestor’s status in the afterlife by providing mingqi in excess of necessity, thereby ensuring their own good fortune. Tang Dynasty figurative ceramics share particular characteristics. The forms are animated and life-like, the subject matter covers all aspects of social and ritual life and the scale of the figures was reasonably small with the exception of some magnificent larger works commissioned for the tombs of the elite. Figures of courtiers and entertainers, polo players and the exotic travelers who now regularly arrived in the Chinese cities with their great pack camels became common place, illustrating the cosmopolitan nature of the times. The variety of forms tells us that craftsmen had scope for individual innovation and were not controlled by rules regarding particular styles. Now the funerary wares spoke not only of power and military strength, but also of the sophistication and intellectual achievements of the deceased.

CHINESE

HANS HOFMANN - Song of Love - oil on canvas - 36 1/4 x 48 1/4 in.

HANS HOFMANN

Mel Ramos is best known for his paintings of superheroes and female nudes juxtaposed with pop culture imagery. Many of the subjects in his paintings emerge from iconic brands or cultural touchstones like Chiquita bananas, M&M bags, or Snickers. In these works, visual delight is combined with suggested edible and commercial indulgence. <br> <br>Leta and the Hill Myna diverges from some of Ramos’ other nudes. Here Ramos depicts his wife, whom he spoke of as his greatest muse. Like his works depicting superheroes, Leta and the Hill Myna is imbued with mythos and lore. Myna birds are native to South Asia where some are taught to speak, often to recite religious. Furthermore, playing on his wife’s name and the avian theme, Ramos is referencing the famous tale of Leda and the Swan in which Zeus embodies a bird to rape Leda. The story has been reinterpreted throughout history, including by great artists such as Paul Cezanne, Cy Twombly and Fernando Botero. With this depiction, Ramos places himself in that same art historical lineage.

MEL RAMOS

CAMILLE PISSARRO - Paysage avec batteuse a Montfoucault - pastel on paper laid down on board - 10 3/8 x 14 3/4 in.

CAMILLE PISSARRO

<div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>Lee Krasner’s "<em>Water No. 5</em>" channels water's fluid, ever-changing energy into a luminous abstraction, demonstrating her deep sensitivity to the natural world and unparalleled skill in transforming it into art. As part of her "Water" series of some twenty works, "<em>No. 5"</em> reflects Krasner's fascination with the rhythms of nature, inspired by her life on Long Island's East End. Living along the shoreline, she experienced its tidal flows, reflective light, and the expansive motion of water—elements that found their way into this series' fluid brushstrokes and layered washes.</font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>Cataloged as "gouache on paper," the patent transparency in works like “<em>Water No. 5</em>” suggests Krasner used traditional watercolor techniques to create the denser, opaque effects often associated with gouache. Artists can achieve such opacity in watercolor by increasing the pigment-to-water ratio, layering translucent washes for depth, or using pigments naturally prone to granulation and saturation. Krasner's choice of Howell paper, known for its medium-to-rough "tooth," also enhanced these effects, as its texture scatters light to give pigments a more solid appearance. These techniques demonstrate Krasner's mastery of her materials and her intuitive, practical approach to experimentation, allowing her to expand the expressive possibilities of watercolor without relying solely on gouache. </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3> </font></div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>Krasner was not alone in finding inspiration in the Long Island landscape. Her neighbor, Willem de Kooning, similarly responded to the shoreline's vitality, translating its undulating rhythms into his work of the 1960s. For Krasner, however, the "Water" series lacks figurative references, resting solely on her ability to capture nature’s transformative energy through abstraction. With "<em>Water No. 5",</em> Krasner achieved a profound synthesis of technique and vision, merging the meditative power of her surroundings with the dynamic energy of her artistic practice, underscoring her position as a pioneering force in postwar American art.</font></div>

LEE KRASNER

<div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>Executed in mixed media on paper, <em>The Indian</em> from 1944 showcases Hofmann’s ability to offer a powerful interplay between abstraction and figuration. Surrounded by an atmospheric expanse of deep blues and punctuated by vivid accents of red and yellow, the central form suggests the stylized head of a Native American. Shaped not by direct detailing techniques but subtractive reduction, Hofmann shaped the figure by enclosing it with dynamic strokes of the deep blue surround, punctuated by vivid reds and yellows, as if carving the form out of the surrounding space. This approach emphasizes the figure’s presence while allowing it to remain enigmatic, suspended within an atmospheric mélange of bold, gestural marks.</font></div> <br> <br><div> </div> <br> <br><div><font face=Lato size=3 color=black>The tension between the central form and its vibrant background exemplifies Hofmann’s transition during the 1940s from Cubist rigor to more unrestricted, expressionistic techniques. <em>The Indian</em> captures the energy of this pivotal period, with its layered abstraction and symbolic undertones reflecting Hofmann’s ability to unite gestural spontaneity with deliberate compositional balance.</font></div>

HANS HOFMANN

ROLAND PETERSEN - Waiting Figure - oil on canvas - 68 x 56 in.

ROLAND PETERSEN

<div><font face=Calibri size=3 color=black>Richard Prince's "<em>Untitled</em>" from 2009 is a provocative and multilayered piece that engages with the themes of censorship, appropriation, and the boundaries of art. Prince uses a photographic montage of naked, intertwined bodies—imagery that evokes the explicit nature of an orgy and obscures its tawdry nature with a pattern of pink, egg-shaped acrylic elements covering much of the underlying image. The placement of these shapes is seemingly arbitrary, yet they play a crucial role in how the viewer perceives the piece. This obscuring overlay can be interpreted as a visual metaphor for censorship, alluding to how society imposes restrictions on what is deemed acceptable for public consumption. By covering parts of the bodies, Prince draws attention to the act of censorship itself rather than merely the content being censored. The viewer is left to imagine what lies beneath, heightening the sense of curiosity and the taboo.</font></div> <br> <br><div> </div> <br> <br><div><font face=Calibri size=3 color=black>Prince's work often critiques mass media and the commercialization of culture, and this piece is no exception. By altering found images, he questions the ownership and authorship of visual culture. The "censorship" elements in this work might also reference the commodification of sex and how the media sanitizes or obscures the raw, human aspects of such imagery to make it more palatable for the public.</font></div> <br> <br><div> </div> <br> <br><div><font face=Calibri size=3 color=black>In "<em>Untitled</em>," Prince challenges viewers to confront their perceptions of morality, art, and the power dynamics inherent in censorship. The work serves as a commentary on how images are manipulated and controlled in society, pushing the boundaries of what is considered art and what is considered obscene. Through this layered approach, Prince continues his exploration of the intersections between art, culture, and societal norms.</font></div>

RICHARD PRINCE

Max Weber moved to Paris in 1905 when the city was the epicenter of artistic innovation. His early works demonstrate the contemporaneous influence of Fauvism’s bold color palette and Cubism’s fragmented representation of reality. However, Weber did not merely imitate these styles; he integrated and reinterpreted them to create something his own. Weber’s importance lies not just with his abstract works, but also in his role as a conduit of modernist ideas. Weber played a crucial role in the transatlantic dialogue that helped shape the course of American art in the twentieth century. His depictions of female figures showcase a synthesis of the abstract and the representational, capturing the essence of his subjects while breaking away from traditional figurative works.

MAX WEBER

HARRY BERTOIA - Willow Sculpture - stainless steel - 61 1/2 x 39 x 39 in.

HARRY BERTOIA

HARRY BERTOIA - Untitled (Sounding Sculpture) - beryllium copper and bronze with wood base - 36 1/2 x 8 x 8 in.

HARRY BERTOIA

<div><font face=Aptos size=3 color=black>Born in 1881, the same year as fellow Spaniard Pablo Picasso, María Blanchard carved her distinct path within modernist art, blending Cubist influences with emotional depth. <em>"La Comida" </em>demonstrates Blanchard's evolution towards a more figurative style while retaining explicit Cubist references. This shift aligns her work with the “<em>Retour à l'ordre”</em> movement, a tendency many fellow artists embraced at the time. Thematically, “<em>La  Comida</em>” recalls van Gogh's early works, particularly "<em>The Potato Eaters</em>" (1885), in both palette and subject matter. Like van Gogh, Blanchard draws attention to the simplicity of rural life, using muted tones of browns, reds, and ochres to convey the grounded, almost austere nature of the figures around the table.</font></div> <br> <br><div> </div> <br> <br><div><font face=Aptos size=3 color=black>Blanchard’s work after 1921 progressively bridged the gap between the rigid forms of early Cubism and a more emotive, personal representation of her subjects. Geometric rigors are present, but the scene's naturalistic light and volumetric composition echo Cézanne's influence. The sharp brushstrokes and angular figures evoke a sense of protection, reflecting Blanchard's intention to shield the inner spirit of her characters from the gaze of others. Yet, her sensitive portrayal invites viewers to connect emotionally with her work, engendering a sense of intimacy and quiet communion. Despite the somber palette, there is a subtle warmth, with the figures' inner spirit shielded from judgment, much like those in van Gogh's painting. Yet in synthesizing elements of Cubism, Blanchard added emotional complexity to the rural themes van Gogh explored, making her contribution distinct yet reflective of earlier artistic traditions.</font></div>

MARIA BLANCHARD

<div><font face=Aptos size=3 color=black>María Blanchard, born in 1881, initially emerged as a committed Cubist painter, heavily influenced by her friendships with Juan Gris and other avant-garde figures. Her work in the 1910s showcased rigorous geometric abstraction, yet by the early 1920s, she began to transition toward a more figurative style. This shift aligned her with the “<em>Retour à l'ordre”</em> movement, in which many artists returned to more classical forms after the upheavals of war and early avant-garde experimentation. Blanchard's increasing focus on emotional depth and human subjects became a defining feature of these later works, culminating in pieces like "<em>Fillette à la pomme</em>."</font></div> <br> <br><div> </div> <br> <br><div><font face=Aptos size=3 color=black>Blanchard's Cubist roots, prominent in the angular treatment of the hands and apple, are softened throughout the girl's modest attire, suggesting a spiritual or religious significance. The model's pious countenance and the muted palette of browns, grays, and blues further reinforce that the painting continues a thread of religious themes, as seen in Picasso's early masterwork, "<em>The First Communion</em>," and Blanchard's own "<em>Girl at her First Communion</em>." The apple held in hand introduces layers of symbolism, often representing knowledge, innocence, or temptation, an association that suggests an emotional transition, bridging childhood and deeper awareness.</font></div> <br> <br><div> </div> <br> <br><div><font face=Aptos size=3 color=black>Blanchard's ability to fuse Cubist form with symbolic narrative and emotional complexity makes this painting a poignant reflection of her evolution as an artist. She humanizes the rigid forms of Cubism while imbuing her subjects with depth and inner life.</font></div>

MARIA BLANCHARD

Irving Norman was born in 1906 in Vilna, then part of the Russian Empire, now Lithuania. Norman's immigration to New York City in 1923 was short-lived, as he would return to Europe to fight as part of the Abraham Lincoln battalion against the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco. After the War, Norman would eventually settle in Half Moon Bay, California, where he embarked on a prolific studio practice. <br> <br>Norman's work portrays the horrors of war and his firsthand knowledge of totalitarian dictatorships. Norman's work has been described as "Social Surrealism," and his grand scenes are immediate and arresting. The large-scale works of Norman truly capture the power of his lived experiences; they are as much a visual record as they are a warning for the future, intended to inspire change.

IRVING NORMAN

Signed, titled and dated ‘81 verso <br>JR-198-81

JACK ROTH

Karl Benjamin and his peers Lorser Feitelson, Frederick Hammersley, and John McLaughlin hold a distinctive place in the history of American abstract art. Known for their precise, geometric forms and clean edges emphasizing flatness, they are California's Hard-edge painters who emerged in the late 1950s. Unlike Ellsworth Kelly, for example, their work reflects a brightness, clarity, and palette that suggests California's natural and built environment rather than the more urban and industrial influences felt on the East Coast. Furthermore, compared to the competitive art scene on the East Coast, the California group was a relatively small and close-knit community of artists with a sense of collaboration and shared exploration that contributed to a cohesive movement with a distinct identity.

KARL BENJAMIN

KHMER - Male Torso - sandstone - 24 x 9 x 5 in.

KHMER

PAUL JENKINS - Phenomena with Black Anadem - ink, acrylic and oil on canvas - 51 x 51 in.

PAUL JENKINS

ANDY WARHOL - Northwest Coast Mask - screenprint in colors on Lenox Museum Board - 38 x 38 in.

ANDY WARHOL

Born in 1944, Thomas Nozkowski created small, richly hued paintings that reflect the dichotomous influences of the Abstract Expressionists and Bauhaus refugees with whom he studied at the Cooper Union. Using a small brush, his handling includes scraping and rubbing off paint in ways that register in the finished work. He developed a distinctive, wide-ranging vocabulary deploying biomorphic-like geometric forms in varied color schemes and a wide range of associations: tile flooring, to cell clusters, to architecture and outer space. Often, they are distilled from his own memories and experiences. Nozkowski commented on this specific painting (Untitled, 1994) saying that it reflects his fascination with the mythological scenes painted upon Renaissance cassone dowery chest panels. He pronounced it the best one of three or four 15” x 30” panels of this series. Nozkowski was handled for many years by Pace Gallery. He died in 2019.

THOMAS NOZKOWSKI

This well preserved bell is one of the largest known bronzes from the Southeast Asian Bronze Age, generally named after the Dongson site in North Vietnam. The swirling band design is finely and crisply cast. Dongson bronze drums were also reported in South China, Thailand, Laos, West Malaysia, and Indonesia and as Far East as Western Iranian Java. <br> <br>The Dong Son culture is a Bronze age culture including all of southeast Asia and into the Indo-Malaya Archipelago from about 1000 to 1 BC. Centered on the Red River Valley of Vietnam, the Dong Son were sophisticated agriculturalists, raising rice and buffalo. Dong Son probably arose from local Neolithic cultures, such as Phung Nguyen and Dong Dau phases. Dong Son is identified with the Van Lang ruling dynasty, the first ruling dynasty of Vietnam. By the second century BC, impacts from the Han Dynasty in China were being felt and according to historic records, the Dong Son were absorbed into the Han Dynasty territory.

SOUTHEAST ASIAN

KHMER - Head of Avalokiteshvara - gray sandstone - 13 x 7 x 7 in.

KHMER

NATIVE AMERICAN - Socorro Black-on-White Storage Jar - painted clay pot - 16 x 14 x 14 in.

NATIVE AMERICAN

The character shown here is the character for long life, read shou in Chinese and kotobuki in Japanese. The elegance of the characters, especially when depicted in their cursive forms, has made them poplar decorative motifs on textiles, ceramics, lacquer and many other media. Here the character, built up using gold-wrapped threads, is surrounded by chrysanthemums, which are also symbols of long-life because of their health-giving properties. Such a fukusa was likely made as a cover for a birthday gift.

JAPANESE