No title, 1956
Oil paint on Masonite
Dimension: 24 x 24 in.
Notes: Signed in graphite on verso “LEWITT, 1956,” which is visible on back in a rectangular cutout in the framing construct.
Condition: Fair. Its overall presentation is strong. The paint surface was cleaned by a conservator using cotton swabs and distilled water. There are minor cracks in some of the thickest impasto areas. There was intentionally no treatment to the distressed Masonite edges or existing losses to the Masonite to not impose false edges and create imagined in-painted on the edges. The work is fitted within an open-face box frame with a complementary wood color and grain to highlight the work and also slightly lessen the appearance of some losses to the Masonite edges.
Framing orientation. The frame is designed to be able to hang in two ways and was executed by a studio specializing in conservation framing.
Notes: A receipt for the work stamped with "Greenwich Paint Pro." and an address in Manhattan dated 1996 is available.
Overview: The work is a strong representative abstract expressionist painting from the period; it is enjoyable to live with and appreciate.