Thomas Downing, Early Abstract Composition

(District of Columbia, 1928-1985)

Untitled, signed lower right "T. Downing Jr", oil, sand on canvas, 19-3/4 x 27 in.; metal frame, 20-3/8 x 27-1/2 x 1-1/2 in.

Provenance: By descent in family of 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