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Louise Nevelson Abstract Sculptures

American, 1899-1988

Louise Nevelson was one of the leading American female sculptors of the 20th century, and she did it on her own terms. She was a pioneer of installation art and created large-scale monochromatic sculptures that are today known for their provocative, compartmentalized forms. While her assemblages involved a range of materials, she is best known for her wooden sculptures. Working in a single color was her signature, and all-encompassing color demanded an all-encompassing focus for this artist — she even kept separate studios for work in black, white and gold. 

Nevelson was born in what is now Ukraine in 1899 and emigrated to the United States with her family in 1905. She moved to New York City as a young woman in 1920 to study at the Art Students League. In the 1930s, Nevelson traveled around Europe, came into contact with the works of Picasso, studied with Hans Hofmann and assisted Diego Rivera in New York City. 

Nevelson had her first solo show in 1941 at the Nierendorf Gallery in New York. In the late 1940s, she studied with Stanley William Hayter and worked as a ceramicist in the workshop of revered furniture designer Vladimir Kagan, who let her take scraps from the factory to use in her sculptures. (As a child, Nevelson had also worked with discarded wood from her father's lumber yard.)

By the early 1950s, Nevelson had traveled to Guatemala and Mexico. She was inspired by pre-Columbian art and the totemic works of ancient cultures. Nevelson began creating the first of her iconic wood sculptures and later participated in the legendary “Sixteen Americans” exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. Her work was acquired by prominent institutions in the years that followed. 

Nevelson made reliefs in shadow boxes and was for a time affiliated with New York City’s Sidney Janis Gallery as its first female Abstract Expressionist artist (her work was abstract but she also drew on the Cubist and Constructivist movements). In the early 1960s, Nevelson showed her art in Chicago, Manhattan, Paris and West Germany. It was around this time that she exhibited at Pace Gallery in Boston and New York. The gallery represented her for the duration of her career.

Nevelson died in 1988, but her legacy is immense. Her work is held in virtually every major American art museum, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the National Gallery of Art. Her permanent large-scale public sculptures are installed all over the country, including in Louise Nevelson Plaza in New York City's Financial District.

On 1stDibs, find original Louise Nevelson sculptures, prints and drawings.

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Artist: Louise Nevelson
"Abstract Figure with Face" Louise Nevelson, American Female, Anthropomorphic
By Louise Nevelson
Located in New York, NY
Louise Nevelson Abstract Figure with Face, circa 1945 Incised "LN" on the reverse Tattistone 6 inches high x 14 inches wide x 5 1/4 inches deep Provenance The artist The artist's ni...
Category

1940s American Modern Louise Nevelson Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Cast Stone

Untitled, Collage abstract expressionistic wooden collage, monochrome black
By Louise Nevelson
Located in Zug, CH
Nevelson’s compositions explore the relational possibilities of sculpture and space, summing up the objectification of the external world into a personal landscape. Although her prac...
Category

20th Century Abstract Expressionist Louise Nevelson Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Wood

SKY CASE XII
By Louise Nevelson
Located in New York, NY
wooden sculpture of found objects painted black. case with lid and hinges.
Category

1970s American Modern Louise Nevelson Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Wood

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Previously Available Items
"Reclining Figure" Louise Nevelson, Modernist, Human Form, Abstracted Body
By Louise Nevelson
Located in New York, NY
Louise Nevelson Reclining Figure, circa 1943 Tattistone 8 inches high x 21 inches wide x 9 inches deep With base 10 inches high x 21 3/4 inches wide x 9 1/2 inches deep Provenance T...
Category

1940s American Modern Louise Nevelson Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Cast Stone

Collegiate
By Louise Nevelson
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Caviar20 is excited to be offering this fantastic tabletop sculpture by the inimitable Louise Nevelson - one of the most revered and unique sculptors of the 20th century. In the 197...
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1970s Abstract Louise Nevelson Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Wood

Collegiate
Collegiate
H 9.25 in W 8.5 in D 4.25 in
Canada Series
By Louise Nevelson
Located in Palm Desert, CA
"Canada Series" is a Post War abstract sculpture made with plexiglass with metal fasteners by Louise Nevelson in 1968. The artwork is 44 1/4 x 31 x 11 1/2 inches and weighs 80 lbs. ...
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20th Century Post-War Louise Nevelson Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Canada Series
Canada Series
H 44.25 in W 31 in D 11.5 in
American Book Award
By Louise Nevelson
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Louise Nevelson (1899-1988) is one of the most revered and unique artists of the 20th century. There has been a tremendous renewal of interest and appreciation for Nevelson’s work...
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1970s Abstract Louise Nevelson Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Wood, Paint

American Book Award
American Book Award
H 15.25 in W 15.25 in D 2.25 in
Night Blossom
By Louise Nevelson
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Louise Nevelson (1899-1988) is one of the most revered and unique artists of the 20th century. There has been a tremendous renewal of interest and appreciation for Nevelson’s work...
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1970s Abstract Louise Nevelson Abstract Sculptures

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Night Blossom
Night Blossom
H 13 in W 11.5 in D 2.25 in
Night Leaf, USA, 1973 Painted wood multiple Incised initials
By Louise Nevelson
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Caviar20 is excited to be offering this impressive resin sculpture by the inimitable Louise Nevelson - one of the most revered artists of the 20th century. During the late 60s, Nev...
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1960s Abstract Louise Nevelson Abstract Sculptures

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Resin

Winter Chord
By Louise Nevelson
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Caviar20 is excited to be offering this fantastic sculpture by the inimitable Louise Nevelson - one of the most revered and unique sculptors of the 20th century. Over the last few y...
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1970s Abstract Expressionist Louise Nevelson Abstract Sculptures

Materials

Wood

Winter Chord
Winter Chord
H 14.5 in W 9.75 in D 1.5 in
Tree of Life
By Louise Nevelson
Located in New York, NY
Painted wood multiple. Numbered 150/950 in red ink and with the artist's initials ink stamp, lower edge.
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1970s Abstract Expressionist Louise Nevelson Abstract Sculptures

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Wood, Acrylic

Night Leaf
By Louise Nevelson
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1960s Abstract Louise Nevelson Abstract Sculptures

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Night Leaf
H 12.75 in W 12.75 in D 2.25 in
The Louise Nevelson Sculpture for the American Book Award
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1980s Modern Louise Nevelson Abstract Sculptures

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Wood, Paint

Untitled
By Louise Nevelson
Located in Palm Desert, CA
An artwork by Louise Nevelson. "Untitled" is a found-object, assemblage, abstract sculpture, painted wood, violin key and clothespin in a black palette by Post War artist Louise Nevelson. Louise Nevelson was an early conceptual artist who worked in a variety of media before engrossing herself with wood sculpture. Her sculptures are made of intricately cut and built wood pieces that create puzzle-like compositions. Often, these sculptures were painted black to incorporate every color – for Nevelson, black was not the absence of color, but the totality of it. Later in her career, she began to incorporate white and gold into her repetoire, however the sculptures remained monochromatic. Nevelson was a prolific artist, who was accorded the highest critical acclaim yet achieved by an American woman artist. Her artwork is held in a number of exceptional private and public collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Cleveland Art Museum, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Provenance: Gertrude Stein Gallery, New York The Arthur and Anita Kahn...
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U.J.A. FEDERATION SCULPTURE Edition C
By Louise Nevelson
Located in New York, NY
LOUISE NEVELSON U.J.A. FEDERATION SCULPTURE Edition C, 1981 wood painted black, ed. 10 27½ x 20 x 13½ in. 69.8 x 50.8 x 34.2 cm. Edition 2/10 signed 'Louise Nevelson' (on a paper l...
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Louise Nevelson abstract sculptures for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Louise Nevelson abstract sculptures available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Louise Nevelson in wood, paint, organic material and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large Louise Nevelson abstract sculptures, so small editions measuring 13 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Peter Voulkos, Clifford Singer, and Reuben Nakian. Louise Nevelson abstract sculptures prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $11,000 and tops out at $90,000, while the average work can sell for $17,806.
Questions About Louise Nevelson Abstract Sculptures
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Some of Louise Nevelson's sculptures were called environments. These collage-like walls consisted of wooden boxes filled with found objects. Some of her most famous environments include the Black Wall from 1959 and The Great Wall from 1970. Find a selection of Louise Nevelson art on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Louise Nevelson is best known for her work creating wooden structures and sculptures. However, she also explored using plexiglass, aluminum and steel in her art. Her work is considered fundamental to the history of Feminist art and has challenged the stereotype of the male sculptor, solidifying her place in art history. Shop a selection of Louise Nevelson pieces from some of the world’s top art dealers on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Louise Nevelson used found wooden forms and made sculptures in steel, aluminum, plexiglass and other materials. Her artistic journey often featured wood, as she found it fascinating, but she added plastics and formica in the 1960s. In the 1970s she began to work on a gigantic scale with aluminum and steel. Shop a selection of Louise Nevelson pieces from some of the world’s top art dealers on 1stDibs.