A pioneer of Abstract Expressionism, artist Lee Krasner’s pivotal role in that movement and her exceptional contributions to it were largely overshadowed by those of her male contemporaries — in particular, Jackson Pollock, whom she married in 1945.
Lee Krasner was born Lena Krassner in Brooklyn, New York, to Russian-Jewish refugee parents. She attended the Women’s Art School of Cooper Union and the esteemed National Academy of Design, graduating in 1932 during the height of the Great Depression. Krasner supported herself as a model and cocktail waitress until 1934, when she began painting murals for the Works Progress Administration, which kept her steadily employed until the agency closed in 1943. During that time, Krasner studied under Hans Hofmann and became a fixture on the New York art scene, joining the American Abstract Artists and the Artists Union.
A World War II–era commission had Krasner overseeing the creation of 19 pro-war store window displays in New York City. She recruited a handful of artists she dubbed her “misfits” for the project. Among them were Willem de Kooning and Pollock.
Throughout their 11-year marriage, Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner had an indelible influence on each other. While he painted in the bright, expansive barn studio, she worked in a small bedroom, where she produced her “Little Images” series, small-scale works loaded with paint, today considered among her most important contributions to Abstract Expressionism.
Lee Krasner’s art includes rich mosaics, Cubist drawings, assemblages and the epochal collages she produced in 1954–55, which incorporated scraps from her and Pollock’s discarded work and echoed the striking palettes of Matisse, one of her heroes. Krasner’s collages remain among her most celebrated pieces.
After Pollock’s death in 1956, Krasner moved into his barn studio, where she created large-scale paintings, including the 17-foot-wide The Seasons. She had her long-overdue first solo exhibition at London’s Whitechapel Gallery in 1965, and her second in 1975 at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Those and other major solo exhibitions finally brought her the recognition she deserved for her contributions to the art world.
In 1978, Krasner was given her rightful place next to the likes of Mark Rothko, de Kooning and Pollock in the Whitney’s exhibition “Abstract Expressionism: The Formative Years.” Her U.S. retrospective opened at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston in 1983 and ended at the Museum of Modern Art in New York after her death in 1984.
Lee Krasner’s paintings continue to be in high demand. In 2019, her 1960 work The Eye Is the First Circle sold at auction for $11.7 million, breaking her 2017 auction record of $5.5 million.
Find a collection of Lee Krasner art on 1stDibs.
$600
Ashawagh Hall: The Springs Artists' Exhibition Poster /// Female Artist Abstract
By Lee Krasner
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Lee Krasner (American, 1908-1984) Title: "Ashawagh Hall: The Springs Artists' Exhibition" Series: Ashawagh Hall Posters *Signed by Krasner in the...
Lithograph
Free Space - Blue
By Lee Krasner
Located in Toronto, Ontario
The essence of Lee Krasner's (1908-1984) biography is familiar to anyone who has studied women's role in 20th century art history: An accomplished artist whose own output gets eclips...
Screen
$795
H 16.25 in W 22.25 in
Joan Miro Original Abstract Lithograph, 1956, Framed, Plate 3
By Joan Miró
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Joan Miro Title: Joan Miro (Plate 3) Portfolio: Joan Miro Medium: Original lithograph Year: 1956 Edition: Unnumbered Framed Size: 16 1/4" x 22 1/4" Sheet Size: 9" x 15" Signa...
Lithograph
Joan Miro Abstract Lithograph, Unsigned, 1956, Framed, "Plate 2"
By Joan Miró
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Joan Miro Title: Joan Miro (Plate 2) Portfolio: Joan Miro Medium: Lithograph Date: 1956 Edition: Unnumbered Frame Size: 17" x 24" Sheet Size: 9" x 15" Signature: Unsigned Ref...
Lithograph
$800
H 42 in W 34 in
"Untitled" by Joan Thorne (Abstract, Expressionist, Geometric, Red, Vibrant)
By Joan Thorne
Located in New York, NY
The limited edition was printed at Fine Creations Inc. and has the printer's blind stamp on the bottom right. It was published by Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. The availab...
Screen
$1,000
H 33 in W 21.75 in
Alexander Calder - Transworld Art International Art Fair, Tel Aviv, 1977 poster
By Alexander Calder
Located in New York, NY
Offset lithograph poster published by the Transworld Art Fair in Tel Aviv The work depicted in the image is Calder's "Boomerang", 1973 Plate (printed) signature Unframed ALEXANDER CA...
Lithograph, Offset
The Basque Suite #6
By Robert Motherwell
Located in New York, NY
A very good impression of this color screenprint on J. B. Green paper. Initialed and numbered 96/150 in pencil by Motherwell. Printed by Kelpra Studio, London. Published by Marlborou...
Color, Screen
STERN, 1967 Signed Limited Edition
By Mario Yrisarry
Located in Rochester Hills, MI
Artist: Mario Yrisarry Stern - Year: 1967 Print Size: 29½" x 23½" inches Edition: signed and numbered in pencil 3/100 Biography Birth place: Manila, Philippines Addresses: NYC...
Lithograph
$1,200
H 46.5 in W 28.5 in
Métamorphose Des Fleurs, Abstract Screenprint by Arthur Secunda
By Arthur Secunda
Located in Long Island City, NY
Métamorphose Des Fleurs Arthur Secunda, American (1927) Date: 1989 Screenprint, signed and numbered in pencil Edition of 98/150 Image: 43.5 x 25.5 inches Size: 46.5 x 28.5 in. (118.1...
Screen
$1,800
H 27.25 in W 20 in
Transformation, Abstract Expressionist Screenprint by Mark Tobey
By Mark Tobey
Located in Long Island City, NY
Mark Tobey, American (1890 - 1976) - Transformation, Year: circa 1970, Medium: Screenprint on Richard de Bas, signed, numbered and titled in pencil, Edition: AP, Image Size: 15.75 ...
Screen
$1,600
H 35 in W 45 in
Untitled 18, Large Colorful Abstract Screenprint by Raymond Parker
By Raymond Parker
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Raymond Parker, American (1922 - 1990) Title: Untitled 18 Year: 1980 Medium: Screenprint, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 75 Size: 35 x 45 inches
Screen
$900
H 23.5 in W 31 in
Intimate Lighting I, Pastel Abstract Screenprint by Robert Natkin
By Robert Natkin
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Robert Natkin, American (1930 - 2010) Title: Intimate Lighting I Year: 1972 Medium: Screenprint on Cream Arches Paper, signed, dated and numbered in pencil Edition: 42/150 Si...
Screen
Joan Miro Abstract Lithograph, Signed, 1974, Framed
By Joan Miró
Located in Washington, DC
Artist: Joan Miro Title: Joan Miro Medium: Lithograph in colors Date: 1974 Edition: Unnumbered Frame Size: 15 1/8" x 22 3/4" Sheet Size: 7 7/8" x 15 1/2" Signature: Signed in the pla...
Lithograph
$2,500
H 36 in W 48 in
Untitled VIII, Colorful Geometric Abstract Screenprint by Robert Natkin
By Robert Natkin
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Robert Natkin, American (1930 - 2010) Title: Untitled Year: 1985 Medium: Screenprint, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 22/26 Image Size: 30 x 42 inches Size: 36 x 48 in...
Screen
Sold
H 19.63 in W 26.25 in
Free Space /// Lee Krasner Screenprint Abstract Expressionist Female Artist Art
By Lee Krasner
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Lee Krasner (American, 1908-1984) Title: "Free Space" Portfolio: An American Portrait, 1776-1976 (Vol. 3) *Signed and numbered by Krasner in pencil lower left Year: 1975 Medi...
Screen
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H 29.88 in W 23.75 in
Ashawagh Hall: The Springs Artists' Exhibition Poster (Signed) /// Female Artist
By Lee Krasner
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Lee Krasner (American, 1908-1984) Title: "Ashawagh Hall: The Springs Artists' Exhibition" Series: Ashawagh Hall Posters *Signed and numbered by Krasner in pencil lower center. It is also signed in the plate (printed signature) lower right Year: 1974 Medium: Original Lithograph, Exhibition Poster on heavy wove paper Limited edition: 1/25, (there was also an unsigned edition of approx. 500) Printer: Unknown Publisher: Ashawagh Hall, East Hampton, NY Framing: Recently framed in a contemporary dark brown wood moulding with frame space. All archival Framed size: 29.88" x 23.75" Sheet size: 28.5" x 22.63" Image size: 28" x 22.13" Condition: Colors are attenuated. Some mild water staining that has caused discoloration and general wear lower right. In otherwise good condition will full margins Extremely rare Notes: Provenance: private collection - Pompano Beach...
Lithograph
Peace Portfolio
By Lee Krasner
Located in Toronto, Ontario
In recent years, there has been a concerted effort by scholars, dealers, and curators to reexamine the canon of art history in hopes of including (and reevaluating) more female artists. One of the artists that have been at the forefront of this new mentality and activity is unquestionably Lee Krasner (1908-1984). How and why has she been marginalized from the narrative surrounding the development and importance of Abstract Expressionism is finally being addressed. And finally, she is being appraised as an important contributor to American abstraction and not simply Jackson Pollock's wife. We highly recommend Gail Levin's biography of Lee Krasner. This work, a paradigm of Lee Krasner's signature gestural style, was published in 1970 by the Academic and Professional Action Committee for a Responsible Congress. It was included in the “Peace Portfolio...
Lithograph
Marlborough
By Lee Krasner
Located in Toronto, Ontario
In recent years, there has been a concerted effort, by scholars, dealers, and curators to reexamine the canon of art history in hopes of including (and reevaluating) more female arti...
Lithograph, Offset
Pink Stone (also called Rose Stone)
By Lee Krasner
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
An original signed lithograph on Arches paper by American artist Lee Krasner (1908-1984) titled "Pink Stone (also called Rose Stone)", 1969. Hand pencil sig...
Lithograph
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H 40 in W 25 in D 0.1 in
Embrace, Geometric Abstract Silkscreen by Lee Krasner Pollock 1974
By Lee Krasner
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Lee Lenore Krasner, American (1908 - 1984) Title: Embrace Year: 1974 Medium: Silkscreen, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 200 Paper Size: 40 x 25 inches (101.6 x 63.5 cm)
Screen
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H 12 in W 18 in
Poem /// Abstract Expressionist Female Artist Post-War NY Modern Lithograph MoMA
By Lee Krasner
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Lee Krasner (American, 1908-1984) Title: "Poem" Portfolio: In Memory of My Feelings *Issued unsigned Year: 1967 (First edition) Medium: Original Lithograph on Mohawk Superfine Smooth paper Limited edition: 514/2,500 Printer: Crafton Graphic Company, Inc., New York, NY Publisher: The Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY Reference: "Lee Krasner: A Catalogue Raisonné" - Landau No. 447, page 236-237; "Lee Krasner" - Hobbs No. 64, page 143 Sheet size: 12" x 18" Condition: In excellent condition Rare Notes: With centerfold as issued. Numbered on colophon page. Comes from the 1967 "In Memory of My Feelings: A Selection of Poems" book volume by Frank O'Hara with approx. 46 unbound original lithographs by various artists. Collaboration: Edward Katz (printing). The last image of the complete book is for reference/provenance; it is not included. This image Krasner contributed to "In Memory of My Feelings: A Selection of Poems" by Frank O'Hara, edited by Bill Berkson, for the Museum of Modern Art. The project was published in 1967 in memory of Frank O'Hara, poet and associate curator at the museum, who died in a tragic accident in 1966. Bill Berkson (with the assistance of Kenneth Koch and John Ashbery) selected the poems and (with advice from Robert Motherwell) asked the following artists to contribute: Nell Blaine, Norman Bluhm, Joe Branaird, John Buton, Giorgio Cavallon, Allan D'Arcangelo, Elaine de Kooning, Willem de Kooning, Niki de Saint-Phalle, Helen Frankenthaler, Jane Freilicher, Michael Goldberg, Philip Guston, Grace Hartigan, Al Held, Jasper Johns, Matsumi Kanemitsu, Alex Katz, Lee Krasner, Alfred Leslie, Roy Lichtenstein, Marisol, Joan Mitchell, Robert Motherwell, Reuben Nakian, Barnett Newman, Claes Oldenburg, Robert Rauschenberg, Larry Rivers, and Jane Wilson...
Lithograph
Sold
H 40 in W 25 in D 0.1 in
Embrace, Geometric Abstract Silkscreen by Lee Krasner Pollock 1974
By Lee Krasner
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Lee Lenore Krasner, American (1908 - 1984) Title: Embrace Year: 1974 Medium: Silkscreen, signed and numbered in pencil Edition: 200 Paper Size: 40 x 25 inches (101.6 x 63.5 cm)
Screen
Free Space - Lee Krasner - Serigraph - Contemporary
By Lee Krasner
Located in Roma, IT
Free Space is an original serigraph on paper, created by the female artist Lee Krasner, a major exponent of Abstract Expressionism. Edition of 52/175, numb...
Screen
Peace, Abstract Silkscreen by Lee Krasner Pollock
By Lee Krasner
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Lee Lenore Krasner Title: Peace from the Peace Portfolio Year: 1970 Medium: Silkscreen on Arches Paper, Signed and Numbered in Pencil Edition: 165/175 Size: 21 in. x 26 in. (...
Screen
Peace, Abstract Silkscreen by Lee Krasner Pollock
By Lee Krasner
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Lee Lenore Krasner Title: Peace from the Peace Portfolio Year: 1970 Medium: Silkscreen on Arches Paper, Signed and Numbered in Pencil Edition: 165/175 Size: 21 in. x 26 in. (...
Screen
Free Space
By Lee Krasner
Located in Missouri, MO
"Free Space" 1975 Color Screenprint Artist Signed Lower Center "Lee Krasner" and Numbered XXII/L Image Size: approx 19 x 26 inches Framed Size: approx 24.25 x 30.25 inchesmodern A...
Screen