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Artist or Maker: Walt Kuhn (1877-1949)
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Provenance: William E. Lord, 1967.
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Exhibited: New York, Kennedy Galleries, 1967, no. 8.
New York, Kennedy Galleries, Walt Kuhn: Still Life Paintings, March 12-April 5, 1980, no. 15.
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Literature: American Artists Magazine, December 1967, p. 57, illustrated.
Kennedy Galleries, exhibition catalogue, New York, 1967, p. 25, no. 8, illustrated.
P.R. Adams, Walt Kuhn, Painter: His Life and Work, Columbus, Ohio, 1978, p. 260, no. 302.
Kennedy Galleries, Walt Kuhn: Still Life Paintings, exhibition catalogue, New York, 1980, no. 15, illustrated.
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Notes: Property from an American Collection
In Pears, Kuhn has instilled his work with a vitality and inventiveness that would distinguish him as one of America's few modern painters still devoted to the genre of still life painting. Composed in boldly outlined strokes of black, the pears emit a substantive energy that enlivens the scene. By emphasizing the distinct contours of the pears and the cloth in the background, Kuhn effectively flattens the scene and reduces the composition to its most essential elements. Light and shadow are enhanced by Kuhn's vivid use of color. Pure yellow pigment forms the basis for each pear, highlighted by dabs of green and red brushstrokes and white passages of reflected light reinforcing the contour of each form. In the present work, Kuhn has demonstrated the same determination and attention to color and form that he would devote to his famed portraits.
