Adolph Gottlieb

Sidney Janis Gallery, New York
Acquired by the present owner from the above in 1963

The Art Institute of Chicago, 66^th Annual American Exhibition: Directions in Contemporary Painting and Sculpture, January - February 1963, cat. no. 26
Paris, Centre Culturel Américain, De A à Z 1963: 31 Peintures Américains Choisis Par The Art Institute of Chicago, May - June 1963, pl. 6, illustrated
London, Tate Gallery, Painting and Sculpture of a Decade 54-64, April - June 1964, p. 95, illustrated
University of Chicago, David and Alfred Smart Gallery, Abstract Expressionism: A Tribute to Harold Rosenberg, October - November 1979, cat. no. 14, pl. 4, p. 27, illustrated

Exh. Cat., Waltham, Brandeis University, The Poses Institute of Fine Arts (and travelling), Recent Acquisitions: The Gevirtz-Mnuchin Collection and Related Gifts, 1963, illustrated

This work is in very good condition overall. There is evidence of light wear and handling along the edges, including some very faint hairline craquelure at the pull margins and a slight 1-inch outward protrusion at the center of the right edge. The colors are bright, fresh and clean. Upon close inspection, there is a faint hairline concentric crack which appears stable in the central burst area to the right of center. Under Ultraviolet light inspection, there is no evidence of restoration. Framed.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
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In his last series Burst beginning in 1957, Adolph Gottlieb simplified his representation down to two disc-like shapes and winding sea-like masses. His paintings are variations with these elements arranged in different ways. This series, unlike the Imaginary Landscape series, suggests a basic landscape with a sun and a ground. On another level, the shapes are so rudimentary, they are not limited to one interpretation. The painting evokes a plethora of readings, from the conflict between heaven and hell to the eternal cycle of creation and destruction. In this case, Drift contains a lower area of splattered black paint neighbored by a dense explosion of ochre yellow gestural brushstrokes. The top portion of the canvas appears sun-like: a burning yellow orb floating in space against a golden backdrop. Supporting the notion that the painting references a landscape at least in part, the title Drift and color scheme could allude to climatic and topographic conditions, such as solar orbs or astral bodies hovering above a terrestrial explosion.

This work’s format, so elemental yet so profound, allowed Gottlieb to fully express his prodigious command of gesture and color. He is considered one of the first color field painters and is one of the forerunners of Lyrical Abstraction, as well as one of the most influential members of the New York school, a pioneer of Abstract Expressionism. With Drift, Gottlieb conveyed his prodigious command of gesture and color that he had honed over several decades of concentrated engagement with painting.

The powerful brushwork evokes a strong emotion from the simple shapes, as the objects appear to orbit each other throbbing with energy. The two floating circular discs hover above a large mass of thick paint near the canvas’ lower edge. With these forms, Gottlieb generates an elemental tension between them that is virtually electric. The composition radiates with an intensity that exceeds their physical boundaries, emitting a sense of imminent movement and expansion. Like Rothko, the edges of Gottlieb’s color fields offer some of the most scintillating passages in his paintings, such as the lively trickles of paint dancing around the weighty central expanse.