Esther Phillips Modernist Figurative Watercolor Painting of Asylum Scene, 1948

Item Details

Esther Phillips (Pittsburgh/New York, 1902-1983)
Untitled (figures), 1948
Watercolor painting on paper
Signed to lower right
Date inscribed to verso

Esther Phillips left Pittsburgh in the late 1930s to pursue a bohemian lifestyle in Greenwich Village. A member of the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh, she immersed herself into local artistic circles, and among her artist friends were modernists Milton Weiss (American; 1912-1995) and Franz Kline (American; 1910-1962). Phillips’ work was often executed in watercolors at a quick pace, exhibiting the influence of Fauvism, Cubism, and artists such as Stuart Davis, Arthur Dove, and Georgia O’Keeffe. Frequent subjects include abstracted cityscapes, townscapes, and asylum scenes that feature vibrant colors, simple shapes, and overall flatness. Her work has been exhibited posthumously at multiple galleries such as the Carson Street Gallery, the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, and the Borelli-Edwards Gallery, among others.

Condition

- toning, discolorations, and handling wear to sheet; loss to lower right corner.

Dimensions

Item #

ITMG881548