Lee Krasner

Mrs. Milton W. King
Robert Frank, New York
Goldman-Kraft Gallery, Chicago
Meredith Long & Co., Houston
Harriet Griffin Fine Arts, New York
Compass Rose, Chicago
Christie's, New York, May 15, 2002, Lot 115
Acquired by the present owner from the above sale

New York, Bertha Schaefer Gallery, The Modern House Comes Alive 1948-1949, September - October 1948

Milton Amset, Art Works Inspire Room Decorations, newspaper and exact date unknown (probably September 1948), illustrated
Aline B. Loucheheim, "Gallery, Decorator and Work of Art," The New York Times, 1948
"House That `Lives` Theme Exhibit," The New York Times, September 20, 1948, p. 22
Lois Maxon, "Paintings Used to Add Color to Home Decor," World-Telegram, September 20, 1948
Ann Pringle, "Modern Houses Inside and Out," NY Herald Tribune, September 20, 1948, p. 22
Ellen G. Landau, "Lee Krasner's Early Career, Part Two: The 1940's," Art Magazine, November 1981, p. 84, fig. 12, illustrated
Ellen G. Landau, Lee Krasner: A Catalogue Raisonné, New York, 1995, no. 225, pp. 109-110, illustrated in color (shown with a horizontal orientation)

This work is in excellent condition. The colors are vibrant and the impasto is rich and sound. The canvas is well stretched and the surface is clean. There are no apparent condition problems with this work. Under ultra-violet inspection, there is no evidence of restoration. Framed under Plexiglas.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Composition, by Lee Krasner was realized in 1948, a time which marked a time unusually placid and serene in the usually tempestuous lives of Lee Krasner and Jackson Pollock. Having married in 1945, with the help of Peggy Guggenheim, Krasner and Pollock buy a home near East Hampton and relocate from their chaotic city lives. The bucolic environment helped stabilizing the regularity of the artists' rhythm and during these few years the couple appeared serene to their friends who frequently visited. This idyllic time was also a period of fervent production and inspiration for both, particularly Krasner.  Enamored by the the idyllic surroundings and reveling in the care of the buoyant flora of her garden, colors and texture have a dramatic presence on her canvases from this period. Composition, 1948, through the vivacity and the intensity of its joyous yet structured use of color reflects the seemingly organized rhythm of Krasner's inner psyche.