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Lot 199A
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3 Philip Pearlstein Lithos "Butterfly Kite I, II, III"
3 Philip Pearlstein Lithos "Butterfly Kite I, II, III"
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Philip Martin Pearlstein (American, 1924 - 2022). "Butterfly Kite I," "Butterfly Kite II," and "Butterfly Kite III" three lithographs in color (duotone), 2006. Printer's Proofs. All signed, dated, titled, and inscribed "PP" beneath image with printer's blind stamp. Printed by Segura Publishing Company, Tempe, Arizona. A wonderful trio of color lithographs by American artist Philip Pearlstein, each depicting a sleeping female nude seated in a chair beneath a huge butterfly. Depicted from a dynamic angle, the woman lounges with her legs crossed and head tilted backward to display closed eyes. Cited by critics as the preeminent figure painter of the 1960s to 2000s, Pearlstein was best known for his Modernist Realist nudes, as seen in these examples. Playing with scale and perspective, in these printer's proofs, Pearlstein has rendered a riveting image, suggesting the butterfly as a figure in the sleeping woman's dream. Size of each sheet: 36.25" L x 29.25" W (92.1 cm x 74.3 cm)

In an article published in Arts Magazine in April 1963, Sidney Tillim wrote that "[Pearlstein] has not only regained the figure for painting; he has put it behind the plane and in deep space without recourse to nostalgia (history) or fashion (new images of man) ... He paints the nude not as a symbol of beauty and pure form but as a human fact - implicitly imperfect."

Biographical statement: "Philip Pearlstein was born in Pittsburgh, PA, in 1924. In 1941, his junior year in high school, he received his first recognition when awarded first and third prizes in Scholastic Magazine's 14th National High School Art Exhibition. Upon graduation from high school in 1942, he enrolled in the Carnegie Institute of Technology but the draft limited his attendance to one year. After discharge from the army in 1946, he returned to Carnegie Tech where he received his BFA in 1949. Upon graduation, he moved to New York City where he pursued work in graphic design and received a Master's degree in art history from New York University in 1955.

Pearlstein worked as a graphic designer for Life Magazine before becoming an instructor at the Pratt Institute, and then a professor at Brooklyn College; he has also served as a visiting artist at several prestigious institutions throughout the country. His work has been exhibited in several solo exhibitions throughout the United States with paintings in the collections of over 70 public art museums. Pearlstein served as a President of the American Academy of Arts and Letters from 2003-2006 and currently lives and works in New York." (artist's website)

Provenance: private Bozeman, Montana, USA collection, acquired before 2015; consignor was co-owner of Segura Publishing Company, Tempe, Arizona and acquired this piece directly from Segura during his tenure

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#191282

    Condition:
  • All signed, dated, titled, and inscribed "PP" beneath image with printer's blind stamp. All 3 are in excellent overall condition.

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by Artemis Fine Arts
January 30, 2025 8:00 AM MST
686 S. Taylor Ave., #108
Louisville, CO, US 80027

Artemis Fine Arts

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