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LOT 031

P11 RCA
1926 - 1998
Canadian

Boudoir
oil on canvas
signed and dated 1961 and on verso titled, numbered R-238 and stamped with the Kootz Gallery stamp
60 x 49 1/2 in, 152.4 x 125.7 cm

Estimate: $25,000 - $35,000 CAD

Sold for: $67,250

Preview at: Heffel Toronto – 13 Hazelton Ave

PROVENANCE
Kootz Gallery, New York
Private Collection, New York

LITERATURE
Stuart Preston, review of Kootz Gallery show, New York Times, September 16, 1961, page 9
William Ronald, interview by John Porter, April 13, 1984

EXHIBITED
Kootz Gallery, New York, William Ronald: 18 New Paintings, September 12 - 30, 1961


In September 1961, a New York Times reviewer wrote: “William Ronald shows non-objective paintings that manage to look like decoupages. The irregular strips of color that entwine in restless patterns, writhing upward like flames, resemble accidents of tearing strips of colored paper.” Boudoir was one of the 18 paintings, each with its own unique central image and daring palette, on view in the 1961 solo exhibition at the Kootz Gallery, the fifth of seven successful Ronald shows held there.

When Ronald unexpectedly told an interviewer in 1984 that he considered himself to be one of the last people in his generation to be influenced by the Surrealists, he was likely referring to the influential “accidental” compositions made by the great twentieth-century European artists such as Hans Arp, Paul Klee and Max Ernst. Boudoir is indeed a painting that at first glance may fit the New York reviewer’s description, but it was much more complex in its execution. Typical of his now rare paintings from the early 1960s, the composition is far from random. Constructed with multiple layers of pigments applied with bold, instinctive brush-strokes, it invites the viewer to explore the subtle hints as to what lies below the surface.


Estimate: $25,000 - $35,000 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.