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LOT 014

1921 - 1999
American

Clotho II
acrylic on paper (triptych)
on verso titled and dated 1971 on the gallery label
30 x 67 1/4 in, 76.2 x 170.8 cm

Estimate: $20,000 - $30,000 CAD

Sold for: $52,250

Preview at: Heffel North Vancouver Facility – by appointment only

PROVENANCE
J.L. Hudson Contemporary Art Gallery, Detroit
Private Collection, Toronto


Clotho II is a vivid example of the large-scale works Norman Bluhm began exhibiting in the 1970s. In this painting we encounter “Rubenesque” swelling forms, with swathes of pink and purple, underscored by yellow and lavender hues. Bluhm drew on a variety of art-historical references, from Asian manuscripts and stained glass to Greek legend. Clotho was one of the Three Fates or Moirai in Greek mythology. She was the one who spun the thread of the lives of mortals, deciding birth and death. Here, the power of the female muse reigns, culminating in the energy this painting radiates.

Bluhm was a part of what has been labeled the second generation of Abstract Expressionist painters. He was an architectural student of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe at the Armour Institute of Technology in Illinois. In 1941, he joined the US Army Air Forces, became a B-26 pilot and flew dozens of missions for the Allied effort. After the war, he studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. His work resides in several public collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

This work will be included in the forthcoming Norman Bluhm catalogue raisonné.

Please note: this work is comprised of three sheets of paper. Each sheet measures 30 x 22 3/8 inches.


Estimate: $20,000 - $30,000 CAD

All prices are in Canadian Dollars


Although great care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information posted, errors and omissions may occur. All bids are subject to our Terms and Conditions of Business. Bidders must ensure they have satisfied themselves with the condition of the Lot prior to bidding. Condition reports are available upon request.