Original Watercolor & Gouache "Still Life" Attributed to Franz Kline

Description: Franz Joseph Kline (1910-1962) is a well listed American painter primarily known for his large abstract expressionist canvases depicting swatches of horizontal and vertical black paint strokes. He was born in Wilkes-Barre, PA - a coal mining region of Northeastern PA. When Franz was 7 years old, his father committed suicide. After his mother re-married, he was sent away to an academy in PA. for "fatherless" boys. He attended Boston University from 1931-1935 then spent a year in England at a school for fine arts. When he returned to the USA in1939, he obtained a job as a designer for a department store in New York state. In 1939, he moved to NY city and worked as a scenic designer. It was at this time he developed his artistic techniques and gained recognition as a significant artist. He transitioned from figurative art to abstract art after hanging out with the New York scene abstract expressionist painters like Jackson Pollack and Willem deKooning. He developed his own personal style of abstract expressionism after de Kooning suggested he project one of his sketches (a rocking chair) onto a wall where its parts became giant black strokes and the features of the rocking chair were eradicated. He is primarily known for his non-objective bold black paint strokes on large scale canvases. His artwork can be found in many important collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC; the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles; the Museum of Modern Art in NYC; the Tate Modern in London; and the Whitney Museum of American Art, NYC. The artwork for sale is an original watercolor and gouache modernist still life depiction of a wine bottle, a wine glass and a carafe on a table. Artwork was likely created in the early 1940's before the artist transitioned to non-objective expressionist images. The artwork measures 18" high by 12"' across. It is signed "Kline" in pencil at the lower right (photo 2). The image is on thin paper which shows a tape line at the very top (photo 7). The various glass objects are rendered in shades of blue. The table is brown. There is a brightly colored cloth underneath the objects (photo 11) which shows broad brushstrokes of orange and green - perhaps forshadowing his later style featuring bold paint strokes. There is a backdrop or curtain of pink that seems to be encased in a window frame. Franz Kline painted many similar figurative images in his early years until he settled into his abstract expressionist style and it is likely this painting for sale is from that period. There is no paperwork to authenticate that this piece is by the hand of Franz Kline. It is vintage and original and it is signed with a signature that looks like his but it is being sold as attributed to Franz Kline. Please note that a picture of another Kline still life (photo 19) was included just to verify that he did paint in a figurative style in the early 40's until he created a more "recognizable" style of bold black brush strokes in the late 40's and early 50's. Photo 19 is not for sale but is just a reference example.

Price: 400 USD

Location: Tualatin, Oregon

End Time: 2024-11-28T06:51:03.000Z

Shipping Cost: 28 USD