Esther Phillips Folk Art Gouache Painting of Harbor Scene

Item Details

Esther Phillips (Pittsburgh/New York, 1902-1983)
Untitled, mid-20th century
Gouache painting on board
Signed to the lower right

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

- edge wear, creases, areas of a minor loss, and abrasions throughout the board and composition; scratches and minor areas of abrasions throughout the painting.

Dimensions

Item #

ITMG881532