William Douglas McGee 1959 Oil Painting "White Divide"

Item Details

William Douglas McGee (American; 1925-1999)
White Divide, 1959
Oil on canvas
Signed and dated “Wm McGee ’59” to lower center
Titled and dated to verso
Inscribed “AP118” to verso

An oil painting on canvas titled White Divide by American artist William Douglas McGee (1922-2015), created in 1959. This abstract work features large gestural swaths of white impasto layered on various subdued hues. The work is signed and dated to the lower center. It is also titled, dated, and inscribed ‘AP118’ to the verso. The composition remains unframed.

Provenance
The estate of Reese Palley (1922-2015).

Largely recognized as an Abstract Expressionist, William Douglas McGee was a prolific artist and teacher based in Massachusetts and New York. He studied with renowned artists such as Robert Motherwell (1915-1991) and Franz Kline (1910-1962), both of whom deeply influenced his work. McGee experimented with various media, and became known for his mixed media collages and Color Field paintings. He studied at the University of New Mexico at time when Agnes Martin, Raymond Johnson, and Randall Davey were among the faculty. In 1952, the artist began studying at the famed Black Mountain College in North Carolina, where he created work alongside Robert Rauschenberg and Elaine de Kooning. In 1953, he began his teaching career at the University of Cincinnati, then returned to the east coast and taught at Brown University. McGee’s work has been collected and exhibited by numerous prestigious institutions including the Museum of Modern Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Dallas Museum of Fine Art, among others.

Condition

- craquelure scattered throughout, especially visible in central areas.

Dimensions

Item #

18DCC800-033