Items Similar to “Untitled, c. 1958” Early Abstract Expressionist, Washington Color School Oil
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 10
Kenneth Noland“Untitled, c. 1958” Early Abstract Expressionist, Washington Color School OilCirca 1958
Circa 1958
$15,000
£11,472.37
€13,128.99
CA$21,349.12
A$23,114.87
CHF 12,289.11
MX$278,781.30
NOK 154,542.53
SEK 144,077.65
DKK 98,056.92
About the Item
About this work:
“Untitled, c. 1958” by Kenneth Noland (American, 1924-2010)
This early work by Kenneth Noland represents an important moment in his artistic evolution, bridging his early Abstract Expressionist influences with the emerging Color Field movement that would define his career. During this period, Noland was exploring new ways of applying paint, moving toward a more restrained yet powerful use of color and form. The gestural, atmospheric quality of this small yet expressive work reflects his engagement with post-war abstraction while hinting at the geometric precision that would later characterize his “target” paintings.
The piece features a soft, textured composition dominated by shades of white, gray, and black. The brushstrokes appear gestural, evoking a sense of organic movement, while the layered application of paint suggests depth and spontaneity. There are hints of blue and raw canvas within the otherwise muted palette, adding subtle visual interest. The painting’s subdued palette and layered textures suggest an experimental approach to composition, emphasizing the materiality of paint and the emotive potential of abstraction.
This painting comes from the estate of Alice Denney (1922-2023). Considered to be one of the most important figures of the Washington, D.C. art scene beginning in the late 1950s, Denney can be credited with introducing experimental post-war art to the nation’s capital. As one of the founding members of the Jefferson Place Gallery in 1957, Denney played a pivotal role in the early years of the Washington Color School, and works by Kenneth Noland, Thomas Downing and Gene Davis entered her collection. As the co-founder of the Washington Gallery of Modern Art in 1962, Denney’s curatorial influence continued to be innovative as she embraced the revolutionary developments of 1960s culture. Denney organized The Popular Image in 1963 at this museum, one of the earliest exhibitions of Pop Art in the United States, and was instrumental in recommending Alan Solomon to curate the 32nd Venice Biennale in 1964. A selection of works from Denney’s collection was sold at Sotheby’s in 2024.
This work is oil on canvas and is signed on the reverse. It is housed in its original, simple wood frame.
Size:
9 inches tall by 9 inches wide (painting)
9.75 inches tall by 9.75 inches wide by 1.5 inches deep (frame)
Provenance:
Estate of Alice Denney (1922-2023), Washington, D.C.;
Acquired from the above
About the artist:
Kenneth Noland was born in Asheville, NC in 1924. Interested in painting since he was 14, he enrolled at Black Mountain College, just 15 minutes from his hometown, after his requisite service in the Air Force ended in 1946. Well-known at the time as a collective-based, experimental program directed by the former Bauhaus teacher Josef Albers, the school was ideal for Noland and his brothers, all beneficiaries of the G.I. Bill who shared an interest in art, literature, and jazz. His two years of studies with Ilya Bolotowsky sealed his dedication to color and abstraction.
Noland had his first solo exhibition at Galerie Raymond Creuze in Paris after moving there in 1948 to study for a year with sculptor Ossip Zadkine. He then joined family in Washington, D.C. and started teaching at the now defunct Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA). In 1950 he revisited Black Mountain College to participate in its legendary summer courses, and this period is when critic Clement Greenberg introduced him to Abstract Expressionism. After the ICA dissolved in 1951, Noland taught at the Catholic University of America until 1960 and led night courses at the Washington Workshop Center for the Arts. During this time, he formed important friendships with Morris Louis, a fellow workshop teacher, and the established sculptor David Smith, whom he met through his first wife, Cornelia Langer.
During a trip to New York in 1953, Noland and Louis visited Helen Frankenthaler's studio with Greenberg. Both artists returned home inspired by her technique of applying thin washes of color to unprimed canvas. In 1957 Noland had his first American solo exhibition at the Tibor de Nagy Gallery in New York. Two years later, at the French
Company Gallery, also in New York, he exhibited his concentric circle paintings on square canvases. By 1960, after fully adapting the color-staining method to their own styles, Noland and Louis were identified as leaders of the Washington Color School. Greenberg championed their practices as exemplary of "post-painterly abstraction." When Louis died in 1962, Noland left Washington, D.C. and lived at the Chelsea Hotel, NYC for one year before moving to a farm in South Shaftsbury, VT. This move brought him closer to Smith, as well as to the community of abstract artists at nearby Bennington College, including the painter Jules Olitski and sculptor Anthony Caro.
Known first for his circle paintings, Noland became a defining Color Field painter by rhythmically exploring a wide range of acrylic hues in a visual language of chevrons, diamonds, horizontal bands, and plaid patterns on variously shaped canvases, one as wide as 7.3 meters. In his later work, Noland returned to painting centered, concentric orbs, but on a smaller scale with thicker layers of color.
Condition: Very good overall condition. Recently professionally cleaned. Staining to the back of the canvas consistent with Noland’s techniques. Original frame with wear and losses from age and handling. It is ready to be displayed and enjoyed!
All photographs are taken in a well-lit environment using studio lights (set to a cooler temperature) to reveal as much detail as possible. Colors can vary slightly depending on the temperature and strength of your lighting.
- Creator:Kenneth Noland (1924-2010, American)
- Creation Year:Circa 1958
- Dimensions:Height: 9.75 in (24.77 cm)Width: 9.75 in (24.77 cm)Depth: 1.5 in (3.81 cm)
- Medium:
- Movement Style:
- Period:
- Condition:Very good overall condition. Recently professionally cleaned. Staining to the back of the canvas consistent with Noland’s techniques. Original frame with wear and losses from age and handling. It is ready to be displayed and enjoyed!
- Gallery Location:Yardley, PA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2911217204192
Kenneth Noland
Kenneth Noland was an American painter. He was known as one of the best American color field painters, although in the 1950's he was thought of as an abstract expressionist and in the 1960's as a minimalist painter. He is most famously known for his target paintings. Noland also helped establish the Washington Color School movement.
About the Seller
New to 1stDibs
Joined in the past six months.
No Reviews Yet
Vetted Professional Seller
Every seller passes strict standards for authenticity and reliability
Established in 2013
1stDibs seller since 2025
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: Yardley, PA
- Return Policy
More From This Seller
View All"Untitled", Malta, Impasto Abstract Mixed Media Painting, Signed
Dated
Located in Yardley, PA
The most significant example of Cremona’s work to come to market in recent memory, this sweeping 1968 abstraction captures the haunting lyricism that defined his mature work. The com...
Category
1960s Abstract Abstract Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil, Mixed Media
“Evening, 1971” Madoo Conservancy Gardens Sagaponack Hamptons American Modernist
By Robert Dash
Located in Yardley, PA
“Evening, 1971” by Robert Dash (American, 1931-2013)
In 1967, Dash purchased an old barn on a small field in Sagaponack, NY. Over the next several decades, he turned the feral groun...
Category
1970s American Modern Figurative Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Acrylic
“Still Life, 1936” by Katharine "Kitty" Duff Church British Modern Oil Signed
Located in Yardley, PA
“Still Life, 1936” by Katharine "Kitty" Duff Church (British, 1910-1999).
This large, early painting by Katherine Church is among her finest canvases of the period. Characterized by...
Category
1930s Modern Still-life Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
“Untitled, 1966” Feminist Mixed Media Collage Ribbons Wrapping Paper Film
Located in Yardley, PA
“Untitled, 1966” by Carolee Schneemann (American, 1939-2019)
A rare, early collage by Carolee Schneemann composed of ribbons, film, and gift-wrapping paper. The piece is an explosio...
Category
1960s Feminist Mixed Media
Materials
Paper, Mixed Media, Other Medium
"The Champ, 1942" Joe Louis "Brown Bomber" Boxer Portrait Ex-Museum Oil Signed
Located in Yardley, PA
“The Champ, 1942” by Theodore Fried (1902-1980)
This important portrait by Hungarian-American artist Theodore Fried depicts the legendary boxer Joe Louis aka “The Brown Bomber” and ...
Category
1940s American Modern Portrait Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil, Board
"Au Bord de la Mer, c. 1980" South of France Coastal Restaurant Sailboats Signed
Located in Yardley, PA
Gorriti was a master at distilling atmosphere into gesture. Here he heightens the pleasure of the French Riviera through his soft focus forms and glowing palette. Nothing is over exp...
Category
Late 20th Century Impressionist Landscape Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Oil
You May Also Like
Target
By Kenneth Noland
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Kenneth Noland, American (1924 - 2010)
Title: Target
Year: circa 1965
Medium: Watercolor on Paper
Size: 7.25 in. x 9.5 in. (18.42 cm x 24.13 cm)
Frame Size: 13 x 15.5 in...
Category
1960s Abstract Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Watercolor
Price Upon Request
Untitled (Painted Book)
By Kenneth Noland
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Kenneth Noland (1924–2010) is one of the most important artists and contributors to the evolution of American abstraction. He is one of the most beloved figures in the Color-Field mo...
Category
1970s Color-Field Abstract Prints
Materials
Linen, Acrylic
Chevron
By Kenneth Noland
Located in Palm Desert, CA
A geometric abstract monotype on Japanese handmade paper mounted on board by Post War artist Kenneth Noland.
Provenance:
Experimental Workshop;
Private Collection.
Category
1980s Post-War Abstract Paintings
Materials
Board, Handmade Paper, Monotype
$10,000
Stripes
By Kenneth Noland
Located in Palm Desert, CA
A monotype on Japanese handmade paper by Kenneth Noland. “Stripes” is an abstract, unique monotype print, in a palette of pastel colors by American abstract artist, Kenneth Noland. T...
Category
1980s Post-War Abstract Paintings
Materials
Board, Handmade Paper, Monotype
$10,000
Kenneth Noland Target on Canvas
By Kenneth Noland
Located in Delray Beach, FL
Original painting on canvas
Signed and dated on the back
In an ornate gilt frame.
Framed dimensions are 28.5" wide 24.5" tall 2" deep
Canvas is 20 x 16
Kenneth Noland (1924–201...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Paintings
Materials
Canvas, Paint
Stripes, Watercolor by Kenneth Noland circa 1965
By Kenneth Noland
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Kenneth Noland, American (1924 - 2010)
Title: Stripes
Year: circa 1965
Medium: Watercolor
Size: 4.5 in. x 6.75 in. (11.43 cm x 17.15 cm)
Frame Size: 11.5 x 13.5 inches
Category
1960s Abstract Geometric Abstract Drawings and Watercolors
Materials
Watercolor
