Benny Andrews 1964 Ink Drawing "Courtship"

Item Details

Courtship, 1964
Ink on paper
Signed, titled, and dated “‘Courtship’ / Benny Andrews 12/4/64” to lower right
Titled and inscribed to verso

An ink drawing on paper titled Courtship by American artist Benny Andrews (Georgia/New York; 1930- 2006), created in 1964. This figural drawing is titled, signed, and specifically dated ‘12/4/64’ to the lower right. It is presented under glass with off-white linen matting, and housed in a wood frame with a gold-tone liner. A descriptive label and a label from Glass Gallery are adhered to the verso.

Provenance
Glass Gallery, 315 Central Park West, New York, New York. Christie’s, New York, December 18, 2008, Lot 141, [Unsold].

Born the youngest of ten children, Benny Andrews was raised in rural Georgia and joined the United States Air Force when he was unable to afford to finish his degree at Fort Valley State College. After the Korean War, he enrolled at the Art Institute of Chicago, where he earned his bachelors degree before moving to New York. Andrews developed his iconic art style by embracing the rawness within himself. Through the use of collage, oil paint and utilizing his own childhood memories supplemented by his studies of human behavior, Andrews captured his oeuvre. As a humanist, teacher, and activist, he was prominent member in many organizations including the Black Emergency Cultural Coalition (BECC), the Rhino Horn Group (RHG), and the Inner City Roundtable of Youths (ICRY). Andrews’ work is represented in over fifty collections including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Brooklyn Museum, the Smithsonian Institution, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego.

Condition

- minor residue and faint stains scattered throughout mat; contents are slightly loose in frame; minor wear scattered throughout frame.

Dimensions

- measurement of frame; visible image measures approximately 17" W x 11" H.

Item #

18DCC800-036