Thomas Downing, Early Abstract Composition

(District of Columbia, 1928-1985)

Untitled, circa 1950, unsigned, gouache on paper, 13-5/8 x 20-1/2 in.; modern frame, 21-3/8 x 27-5/8 x 3/4 in.

Provenance: The artist; by descent in family

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