Esther Phillips 1957 Gouache Painting "Hickey Cement Mixer at Gowanus Canal"

Item Details

Esther Phillips (Pittsburgh/New York; 1902-1983)
Hickey Cement Mixer at Gowanus Canal, 1957
Gouache on paperboard
Unsigned
Titled, dated, and inscribed to verso

A gouache painting on paper titled Hickey Cement Mixer at Gowanus Canal by artist Esther Phillips, created in 1957. Drawn to water and bridges at an early age, the artist painted numerous works of the Gowanus Canal and other scenes featuring boats in harbor and industrial structures, as seen in this work. This work is presented under glass with off-white matting, and is housed in a gold-tone gesso wood frame. A handwritten descriptive label providing the artist, title, and date of the work is adhered to the verso. This painting is featured in Lisa A. Miles’ biography of the artist titled This Fantastic Struggle: the life and art of Esther Phillips, published in 2002.

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

- minor wear scattered throughout frame.

Dimensions

- measurement of frame; visible image measures approximately 21" W x 13.75" H.

Item #

18DCC700-166