Leo Rabkin Untitled 1960 Unique Signed Large Watercolor Mulberry Paper Unframed For Sale

Rare, Highly Desirable Abstract 1960 Watercolor on Mulberry Paper by American ArtistLeo Rabkin, renowned for inventive use of light, shadow and unconventional materials; comparable 1960 Watercolors in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art and The Whitney Museum of American Art, New YorkLeo Rabkin
Untitled, 1960
Watercolor on mulberry paper, mounted to mat board, Unique
paper size: 38 x 23 ½ inches
mat board size:40 x 26 inches
Signed “Rabkin” in pencil, lower right
Unframed

Provenance
Private Collection, New York, acquired directly from the Artist, 1961-2024
Joseph K. Levene Fine Art, Ltd., acquired from the above 2024
Condition
Excellent condition aside from surface dirt and minute loss of the mulberry paper, the result of Leo Rabkin’s working method and intent.The mulberry paper shows irregularity and unevenness due to the nature of its deckled edge. Mounted to heavy mat board, the watercolor is rippled due to the thinness/fragility of the mulberry paper. Please refer to the photographs included in our description and condition report for further visual evidence.

About Leo Rabkin
An important early unique Abstract watercolor on mulberry paper by Leo Rabkin, created in 1960, showcases the artist’s exploration of abstraction through the lightness of medium and the delicacy of surface. Executed on thin mulberry paper and later mounted to board, the composition demonstrates Rabkin’s nuanced use of color and form. A similar large, also Leo Rabkin watercolor on mulberry paper, The Red Visit, 1960, 38.5 x 24 3/4 inches was donated to The Museum of Modern Art, New York by Larry Aldrich, the American fashion designer, art collector, and founder of the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, Connecticut. Leo Rabkin Through Blue, 1960, 38.5 x 25 1/8 inches, also from the same series, is in the collection of The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York. View each above.
Leo Rabkin’s works are included in numerous museum collections, including similar works from this series in The Museum of Modern Art and The Whitney Museum of American Art. Five watercolors from this series were exhibited at The Museum of Modern Art inNew Talent Exhibition: Baden, Gaudnek, Rabkin, held from September 20 to October 30, 1960. View images in lot listing above.Leo and Dorothea Rabkin became prominent figures in New York art circles for their landmark collection of Folk Art. Eventually numbering over a thousand objects, their superb collection told a profound and extensive story of American life. It featured numerous whirligigs, intricate sculptures that move in the wind, depicting people engaged in daily activities. Dorothea Rabkin held a special place in her heart for individuals who endured injustice and hardship. As a collector, she valued the voices of artists who unveiled the realities of racism and the insights of artists with disabilities.Leo Rabkin's career flourished in the 1960's and 1970's with the debut of his series of luminous color plastic box sculptures, often combined with mirrors and other elements. Leo Rabkin is best described as a Post-Minimalist, an Artist dedicated to the materiality and physical beauty of his work while creating art that is rigorously abstract. Rabkin had numerous solo exhibitions in New York at the Richard Feigen Gallery and Howard Wise Gallery and was featured in the several annuals at The Whitney Museum of American Art. During this period, Rabkin’s work entered numerous museum collections. He also was president, American Abstract Artists group and served on the Mayor’s Council on Art.An exceptional opportunity to obtain an outstanding museum quality large unique watercolor on mulberry paper by Leo Rabkin.
This is a Guaranteed Authentic Leo Rabkin Unique Signed in Pencil 1960 Watercolor on Mulberry Paper.International Dealer Secondary Market Post War & Contemporary Blue-Chip Art
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