Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 10
Jules OlitskiLechaim!1965
1965
About the Item
Jules Olitski (1922-1977) is one of the most collected and accomplished artists associated with the color-field movement, if not 20th-century American abstraction.
Created in the mid-1960s, this joyful drawing emerges from a pivotal point in Olitski's career when he began his transition away from naive color field creations (featuring playful ovoids) to discover his radical spray painting technique.
Olitski's first chapter of artistic creation, and this drawing is included, is the most sought after and hardest to find. Over the last 60+ years, there have been less than a dozen such drawings to come on the secondary market. (Click here to see another example from this body of work).
This drawing is emblematic of the stain paintings of the era; large lopsided round shapes attempt to dominate the picture plane, intimidating other smaller forms and colors, whether mini circles or soft borders.
Atypical is the emphatic "Lechaim!" featured at the bottom of the page, bringing the bright and voluminous colors into a cheerful exclamation. (Lechaim is a Hebrew word that translates as "to life" and is used both in prayer and as an equivalent to "cheers")
Olitski's inclusion of text is a rare occurrence, making this piece an especially remarkable work from this era.
Originally sold in Toronto at Theo Waddington Galleries, this work has fortuitously found its way back to the city decades later. This mere coincidence serves as an emblem of Oltiski's important connection to Toronto, having exhibited continuously in the city for over twenty years at the David Mirvish Gallery and Gallery One throughout his career.
"Lechaim!"
USA, 1965
Pastel and mixed media on colored paper
Signed by the artist.
8.75"H 11.75"W (work)
16"H x 19"W (framed)
Very good condition.
- Creator:Jules Olitski (1922-2007, American)
- Creation Year:1965
- Dimensions:Height: 8.75 in (22.23 cm)Width: 11.75 in (29.85 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement & Style:
- Period:
- Condition:Very good condition.
- Gallery Location:Toronto, CA
- Reference Number:
About the Seller
4.8
Vetted Seller
These experienced sellers undergo a comprehensive evaluation by our team of in-house experts.
Established in 2009
1stDibs seller since 2015
172 sales on 1stDibs
Typical response time: <1 hour
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Toronto, Canada
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
More From This SellerView All
- Larry Zox "Teal Top" Drawing, 1966By Larry ZoxLocated in Toronto, OntarioLarry Zox (1937-2006) was a central figure in the evolution of 20th century abstraction in America. Raised in Des Moines, Iowa, Zox studied at the University of Oklahoma and went on to work under the tutelage of modernist Georg Grosz at the Des Moines Art Centre. Zox moved to New York City and established his reputation by the mid 1960's. His studio was located on 20th Street and he was surrounded and inspired by a melting pot of jazz artists, bikers, and boxers. Zox was one of the most successful practitioners of hard-edge or geometric abstraction and not surprisingly was championed by Frank Stella, amongst others. By the mid 1960's, Zox arrived at his most recognized style, utilizing hard-edge shapes in bold colors to create geometric patterns, which were often realized on raw canvas. Zox's hard-edge geometric creations from the late 1960's and early 1970's are arguably the most recognizable works from his oeuvre. Fittingly he had a retrospective at the Whitney Museum in 1973, that focused on such work. Today, numerous museums including the Whitney, the MoMA, the Tate and the Metropolitan all have examples of his work from this era in their permanent collections. While Zox is not directly associated with the Op Art movement, many of his works by nature of their patterns and colors create visual illusions in dimensionality. In "Mosaic" the kelly green band that intersect the composition helps give the overall work an appearance of a slanted stair. Frequently the artist seems to be inviting the viewer to find pattern within the work. In "Mosaic" we have both areas of synergy and dissonance. Can you find them? Questions about this piece? Contact us! Teal Top...Category
1960s Abstract Geometric Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
MaterialsMixed Media, Paper
- Larry Zox "Black Push" Drawing, 1965By Larry ZoxLocated in Toronto, OntarioLarry Zox (1937-2006) was a central figure in the evolution of 20th century abstraction in America. Raised in Des Moines, Iowa, Zox studied at the University of Oklahoma and went o...Category
1960s Abstract Geometric Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
MaterialsPaper, Mixed Media
- Larry Zox "Minus" DrawingBy Larry ZoxLocated in Toronto, OntarioLarry Zox (1937-2006) was a central figure in the evolution of 20th century abstraction in America. Raised in Des Moines, Iowa, Zox studied at the University of Oklahoma and went o...Category
1960s Abstract Geometric Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
MaterialsPaper, Mixed Media
- Larry Zox "Meta Center" Drawing, 1965By Larry ZoxLocated in Toronto, OntarioLarry Zox (1937-2006) was a central figure in the evolution of 20th century abstraction in America. Raised in Des Moines, Iowa, Zox studied at the University of Oklahoma and went o...Category
1960s Abstract Geometric Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
MaterialsPaper, Mixed Media
- Larry Zox "Mosaic" Drawing, 1966By Larry ZoxLocated in Toronto, OntarioLarry Zox (1937-2006) was a central figure in the evolution of 20th century abstraction in America. Raised in Des Moines, Iowa, Zox studied at the University of Oklahoma and went o...Category
1960s Abstract Geometric Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
MaterialsPaper, Mixed Media
- UntitledBy Ray MeadLocated in Toronto, OntarioAlthough Ray Mead (1921-1988) was born in the UK, studied at the famed Slade School of Art, and served in the Royal Air Force during the war, his artistic career was established and ...Category
1980s Abstract Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
MaterialsCharcoal, Graphite
You May Also Like
- Dark Triangle in the FallBy Wolf KahnLocated in New York, NYWOLF KAHN Dark Triangle in the Fall, 2004 Pastel on paper 11 x 14 inches 27.9 x 35.6 cm Signed: W Kahn (lower center recto) Color-field landscape painting of trees against a bright...Category
Early 2000s Color-Field Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
MaterialsPastel
- Brilliant LandscapeBy Wolf KahnLocated in New York, NYWOLF KAHN Brilliant Landscape, 1991 Pastel on paper 21 x 29 inches 53.3 x 73.7 cm Signed: "W Kahn" (lower right recto) Color-field landscape painting of a house underneath trees and...Category
1990s Color-Field Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
MaterialsPastel
- Rising Road Behind TreesBy Wolf KahnLocated in New York, NYWOLF KAHN Rising Road Behind Trees, 2005 Pastel on paper 19 3/4 x 25 inches 50.2 x 63.5 cm Signed: "W Kahn" (lower left recto) Color-field landscape painting of trees against a brig...Category
Early 2000s Color-Field Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
MaterialsPastel
- Gray FoliageBy Wolf KahnLocated in New York, NYWOLF KAHN Gray Foliage, 2007 Pastel on paper 19 x 25 inches 48.3 x 63.5 cm Color-field landscape painting of trees against a light orange by Wolf Kahn. -- Born in Stuttgart, Germ...Category
Early 2000s Color-Field Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
MaterialsPastel
- "Color Field (Chalk on Wet Paper)" original pastel by Sylvia SpicuzzaBy Sylvia SpicuzzaLocated in Milwaukee, WIIn this composition, Sylvia Spiczza works in the manner of color field artists like Mark Rothko and Helen Frankenthaler, presenting a gradation of colors shifting from yellow to red ...Category
1960s Color-Field Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
MaterialsPastel
- Untitled (OM21-007)By Osvaldo MariscottiLocated in New York, NY2021 Pastel on paper 24 x 18 in. (61 x 45.7 cm) Signed and dated in pencil, lower rightCategory
2010s Color-Field Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
MaterialsPaper, Pastel
Recently Viewed
View AllMore Ways To Browse
Continuous Drawing
Drawings Body Movement
Abstract By Jules
Cheers Art
Vintage Frames Toronto
Vintage Cheers
Round Vintage Picture Frames
Naive Watercolor
Mini Vintage Frames
David In Prayer
Mini Watercolor Painting
Mini Abstract Painting Framed
Hebrew Text
Hebrew Prayer
Exclamation Vintage
Atypical Finds
Watercolour Abstract Paintings
University Watercolors