Adolph Gottlieb

Galería Elvira González, Madrid
Acquired by present owner from the above

Madrid, Galería Elvira González, Adolph Gottlieb, 2004, cat. no. 31, illustrated

In good condition. Paint is stable overall. Two lines of cracquelure in upper 1/4 of red circle extending shortly into the brown on the right. Surface dirt lower right corner and slightly dusty but overall generally clean. Minor wear to corner edges upper right and left. Lower left corner has a very minor fray to canvas (appears that artist painted over this). Very slight surface scratches in scattered areas. Under UV: scattered faint lines of in-paint all in brown background including approx. 3-inch scratch upper left, 1-inch scratch upper right, center right at edge approx. 3-inch line, lower right at edge a small spot, lower right (3-inches from the bottom) approx. 4-inch line of in-paint. The number '0367' is inscribed on the reverse.
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As a member of the Abstract Expressionist avant-garde and catalyst for the Irascibles, Adolph Gottlieb is one of the greatest exponents of the New York School. Deeply influenced by the work of Barnett Newman and Mark Rothko, Gottlieb interpreted abstraction in a highly distinctive and symbolic style. 
Asterisk on Brown is an outstanding example of the artist's mature body of works inaugurated in 1957 with the Burst series. Combining field painting and controlled quick brushwork, Gottlieb inhabits the large monochromatic areas of his paintings with floating elements organized in vertical alignment and applies earth tone colors to his measured composition. These geometrically concise forms inspired by Miro' appear as "planetary forces" in equilibrium.  With the incorporation of the three elements, Gottlieb distinguishes Asterisk on Brown from the usual dyadic scheme assuming a Vitruvian appearance mirroring the viewer. 
After investigating different genres of painting and techniques, Gottlieb abandoned the grid that characterized the structure of his Pictography series from the 1940s. Although the artist left the mythology and symbolism originating from his consciousness of European modernists, such as Klee, Picasso, and the Surrealists that were key elements in his early works; in his late works Gottlieb preserved his fascination toward the mystery of the Jungian unconscious and through his art he aspired to create an inner dialogue with the viewer.  Gottlieb's intent was to "go forward nature". As a result abstraction becomes a new realism and the artist is ultimately able to communicate his personal message through his symbolic language.