Esther Phillips Oil Painting Abstract Cityscape

Item Details

Esther Phillips (Pittsburgh/New York; 1902-1983)
Untitled, 1950s
Oil painting on board
Signed to the lower right
Unframed

An oil painting on board by listed artist Esther Phillips (Pittsburgh/New York; 1902-1983). This abstract cityscape is comprised of vibrant colors, simplified shapes, and thick textural impasto. The work is signed “Phillips” to the lower right. The composition is presented 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

- minor paint loss, negligible residue and minor wear along the edges of board; minor discoloration throughout the composition.

Dimensions

Item #

18DCC649-025