Esther Phillips Watercolor Painting on Paper of Wingdale, New York Street Scene

Item Details

Esther Phillips
Untitled
watercolor
Signed

Esther Phillips (Pittsburgh/New York; 1902-1983)
Untitled, late 1940s
Watercolor on paper
Signed “E Phillips” to lower right
22.25’ W x 15.25’ H

A watercolor painting on paper by artist Esther Phillips (1902-1983), created in the late 1940s. This work features a view of the Harlem Valley Hospital on the main road in Wingdale, New York where railroads crossed the street. This was a subject frequently painted by the artist in the late 1940s, as it was an easily accessible view to Phillips when she was institutionalized. A similar version of the work is featured in Lisa A. Miles’ biography of the artist titled This Fantastic Struggle: the life and art of Esther Phillips, published in 2002. Signed to the lower right, this work is not mounted and remains unframed.

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

- general wear along paper edges.

Dimensions

Item #

18DCC450-068