Thomas Downing, Abstract with Blue Rectangle

(District of Columbia, 1928-1985)

Early untitled abstract composition, 1951, "T Downing Paris '51" and signed verso, gouache on paper, 31-1/4 x 20-3/4 in.; faux gilt bamboo frame, 39 x 28-1/2 x 7/8 in.

Provenance: By descent in the family of the artist

Note: Most noted for being a color field artist, Downing, experimented during his early years as he travelled in Europe in 1950 through 1951. He studied at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière and became a studio assistant to Fernand Léger, a second generation cubist. As with earlier in New York, Downing visited museums and galleries.

Sources: The Johnson Collection, Spartanburg, South Carolina, thejohnsoncollection.org