Esther Phillips Gouache Painting of Asylum Scene
Item Details
Esther Phillips (Pittsburgh/New York, 1902 – 1983)
Untitled (asylum bathroom scene), mid-20th century
Gouache painting on paper
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.
- Item not examined outside of mounting
Condition
- stains to the left of the mat; abrasions and slight nicks to the frame particularly to the upper right.
Dimensions
- measures frame; sight measures 19.5" W x 12.5" H.
Item #
ITMGB66260
