c.1953

Oil on canvas laid down on board

30 x 24.5 inches (59.7 x 59.7 cm)

Signed lower center ‘E. de K.’

Ex-collection:
The estate of the artist and by descent until the present

Elaine de Kooning was one of the pioneers of the early 1950’s Abstract Expressionist movement in America. Her work was featured in some of the breakthrough New York City art gallery shows of that era, notably her first solo exhibition in 1952, at the Stable Gallery in New York. One of the few women of her time to receive acclaim, she had a more extensive sports background, creating numerous pieces that depicted baseball and basketball players. An avid baseball fan who was fascinated by their “stances”, she traveled with the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles in 1953 and 1954, and years later created a show called “Hoops and Homers,” entirely dedicated to the two sports.