Jack Tworkov

Private Collection, Trenton, New Jersey (acquired directly from the artist in 1951)

This work is in very good condition overall. The canvas is unlined. Very close inspection reveals a few very minor areas of pigment lifting with a few associated losses. Under Ultraviolet light inspection, there is no evidence of restoration. Framed.
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"In 1948, Tworkov began renting a studio across the hall from his friend Willem de Kooning allowing the two artists to exchange ideas and philosophies including the forging of new paths regarding defining space with the picture field.  Still Life with Lamp (1949) is one of the finest examples of Jack Tworkov’s dramatic move towards gestural abstraction—a move, which would later define him as one of the greatest Abstract Expressionist painters of his time. In November 1949, Tworkov had his third exhibition at the Charles Egan Gallery (of which the inclusion of Still Life with Lamp is likely). The exhibition featured abstract landscapes, figure paintings and still lifes. Of the exhibition, Thomas B. Hess declared in ARTnews Tworkov is 'one of the most masterful artists of his generation now at work in America.' "  Jason Andrew, Manager/Curator, Estate of Jack Tworkov, ed., Jack Tworkov: The Works on Canvas