Fantastic abstract expressionist painting by John Harris Levee. Untitled, oil on canvas, 1954. 37.5 x 30 in. (framed). Signed and dated, top right. Levee's work is in the collections of Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Whitney Museum of American Art, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Museum.
John Levee (American, 1924 - 2017) was one of the leading American artists in Paris during the post-war period along with Sam Francis. An American abstract expressionist who studied at the California Institute of Art alongside Mark Rothko, Clifford Still, and Richard Diebenkorn, later continuing at the Académie Julian in Paris where he worked in Montparnasse and connected with Sam Francis. His early work drew inspiration from the New York School, including Kline, Motherwell, Pollock, and de Kooning. After experimenting with hard-edge geometric abstraction in the 1960s, he returned to a spontaneous, lyrical approach, often incorporating collage and gestural brushwork. This original Levee in this year’s Masters Exhibit is a vibrant oil on canvas, featuring dynamic brushstrokes and deep impasto, exemplifying his expressive intensity.
