Articles
Color lithograph signed Levee *, representing a colorful abstract composition, Artist Proof, vintage twentieth century. Provenance Ragnar Van Leyden (son of Ernst Van Leyden, friend of the artist).
This litho is in good condition. Signed lower right.
A report: tiny rips on an angle, some spots and yellowing on the paper, see photos.
is an American painter who lived and worked in France since 1949. He obtained a degree in philosophy at the University of California, then studied painting in New York. John Levee contributed to the development of the "hard edge", consisting of well-defined geometric shapes in relation to each other, as well as flat-painted shapes, in reaction to an abstract painting that was considered to be too lyrical. In recent years, he has been interested in the use of mixed techniques on cardboard, assuming an abstraction more distant from this geometric art to which he had devoted a good part of his work. He regularly participated in the Salon des Réalités Nouvelles in Paris. Numerous personal exhibitions in the United States and Paris.
Artist well side on Artprice.
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Painter of Dutch origin. Until 1914 he studied at the Academies of Fine Arts in Rotterdam, Brussels, Berlin and London. First of all close to expressionism, he did not realize his first abstract work until 1948. From his three studios in Los Angeles, Venice and Paris, he led a life of incessant travel and friendly encounters with celebrities. of his time: Chaplin, Stravinski, Brecht, Dali, Picasso ... His travels in Vallauris inspired him later to work as a ceramist. His work is recognized and bought by the greatest museums in the world. In the 1950s, he practiced large format collage in the same spirit as Jasper Johns or Rauschenberg, and applied to "reveal the secret life" of the materials he uses.
Born in Germany, Karin studied at the "Kölner Werkschule" in Cologne where she was taught by R. Seewald and J. Thorn Prikker. Married to Ernst van Leyden with whom she has lived and worked in France, Portugal, Great Britain, Italy, New York, Hollywood and Mexico. The couple will also travel a lot to Egypt, Syria and Lebanon. They also spent a lot of time at the Ernst Paris studio and in their home on the Loosdrecht Lake in Holland. With Ernst, Karin met several of her contemporaries, for example Marc Chagall, Jules Pascin, Ossip Zadkine and Francis Picabia. She exhibited at the Georges Bernheim Gallery in 1929. In 1932, after the birth of their son Ragnar, the young family moved to Rio do Milho in Portugal. In 1947, Karin and Ernst seek new inspiration and leave for an extended stay in Mexico, to immerse themselves in the ancient Mayan culture. In 1957, after their definitive return to Europe, and return trips between Paris and Venice, Ernst bought an abandoned farm outside Paris: Lieutel de L'Enclos. The location is too isolated for Karin, who can not paint landscapes. She prefers Italy, its life and exuberance. After 30 years of creative intimacy, the two artists take different paths. From 1953, she worked on oils on canvas then on collages. Karin van Leyden will eventually die in Lugano, Switzerland, in 1977.
