Ink and watercolor on Arches paper, 1985, signed and dated at lower right, float mounted and framed under Plexiglass in an attractive white gold closed corner frame, retaining labels to verso.

Sheet size 30 x 22 in.; Frame dimensions 35 x 27 1/2 in.

Gruenebaum Gallery, Ltd., New York

Grace Hartigan, born in 1922 in Newark, New Jersey, emerged as a pivotal figure in the Abstract Expressionist movement of the 1950s. Known for her bold use of color and dynamic brushwork, Hartigan's early career was marked by her association with artists like Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning. Over time, she transitioned from pure abstraction to a more figurative style, often incorporating elements of everyday life and popular culture into her work. Hartigan's paintings, characterized by their emotional intensity and expressive gestures, earned her widespread acclaim and established her as a leading female artist in a predominantly male-dominated art world. Her legacy extends beyond her innovative artistic contributions to include a lasting influence on subsequent generations of artists exploring the intersections of abstraction and representation.

This work is accompanied by a photocopy of a letter from the artist to the collector dated October 29, 1986. In the letter, Hartigan explains
"For all of '84 and '85 I painted from Renaissance art themes, and exhibited this work last January in my solo show at the Gruenebaum Gallery. I painted your ink-wash with color in the summer of '85 in Rhinebeck, N.Y. 'Elisabetta' is one of four Renaissance women (arbitrarily named by me) from an old art magazine I found depicting headdresses worn by women during that time."

Good estate condition; not examined out of the frame.