1950-52 (SOLD)

Oil on paper laid down on canvas

36 x 24 inches (91.4 x 61 cm)

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

About the Painting:
Elaine would continue painting in an abstract manner for the rest of her life, with the only exception being her renowned portraits. Her ability as an exceptional portrait artist was confirmed with her commission to paint a series of portraits of President John F. Kennedy for the Truman Library in 1963, just before his death. Her mastery of this genre is exemplified in her ability to effectively convey a feeling, a gesture, a sense of likeness about the person as opposed to their physicality. She wavered between precisely configured portraits and those of extreme abstraction, many times faceless. No matter the approach, whether figurative, abstract, or both, the character of Elaine’s subjects were always alive with a personality unique to themselves.