Wallace (MacMahon) Mitchell (American, 1911-1977). "Golden City" casein on board, 1959. Hand-signed "Wallace Mitchell" on lower right. An exquisite painting by American modernist Wallace Mitchell presenting an abstract geometric composition of triangles and rhombuses arranged in a grid and delineated in various shades of sunny yellow. A magnificent composition that plays with the eye in the manner of Op Art. According to Mitchell, who was a pioneer of non-objective, abstract expressionist painting, "Just as a musician need not imitate bird calls in order to create great music, so the artist need not paint real objects in order to create a good painting." (Pontiac Press, March 13, 1954) In addition to being an outstanding artist, Mitchell devoted many years to the Cranbrook Academy of Art - as a student, an instructor of drawing and painting (1936-1954), secretary and registrar (1944-1963), Director of the Museum from 1955 until 1970, and finally, President from 1970 until his passing in 1977. Size: 12.7" W x 9.875" H (32.3 cm x 25.1 cm)

According to the Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research, "In Saarinen House, Wally and Mary Mitchell and their sons lived with Knoll furniture, white walls, and light and impeccably clean floors. Mitchell continued to paint throughout his years as an administrator in his studio across the street from Saarinen House, where he also had a jazz-setup."

The Cranbrook Center continues, "Mitchell began his career with representational paintings, but is best known for his work exploring the relationship of shape and color. His carefully crafted paintings were executed slowly and with precision. As he wrote: 'My interest is in color and the movement of color…The excitement for me comes in manipulating color to achieve an intensity of light and movement that suggests the interplay of natural forces themselves.'

In 1946, the Museum of Non-Objective Painting included two of Mitchell's paintings in their European Exhibition, and the paintings would become two of four works by Mitchell in the founding collection of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. Mitchell was represented in New York by the prestigious Bertha Shaefer Gallery, which hosted a one-man exhibition of his work in 1950 and included him in many group shows. Mitchell produced not only paintings, but rugs, murals, and three-dimensional constructions for private clients, educational institutions, and corporations."

This painting was exhibited at the Wallace Mitchell Memorial Exhibition at the Cranbrook Academy of Art Museum March 6 - April 17, 1977 (catalogue number 56). It belonged to Dr. Robert Hatt (1902-1989) who was the Director of the Cranbrook Institute of Science (CIS) from 1935 until his retirement in 1967. According to the Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research, "In addition to his administrative duties as CIS Director, Dr. Hatt spent a significant amount of time on field work and consultation. His research on the mammals of the United States, Mexico, Iraq, Pakistan, the Congo, and Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) resulted in many published papers and books. He was a Fellow in the Zoological Society of London, the New York Zoological Society, and the American Museum of Natural History. Dr. Hatt was a Research Fellow with the Fulbright Foundation in Iraq (1952-1953), and was appointed as the Ministry of Education, Consultant on Science Museums through the United Nations' Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Pakistan (1956)."

Provenance: private Louisville, Colorado, USA collection, acquired through descent; ex-Dr. Robert Hatt (1902-1989) who was the Director of the Cranbrook Institute of Science (CIS) from 1935 until his retirement in 1967; exhibited at the Wallace Mitchell Memorial Exhibition at the Cranbrook Academy of Art Museum March 6 - April 17, 1977 (catalogue number 56)

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#164808

The painting is hand-signed "Wallace Mitchell" on the lower right. A few scuffs and stains to the painting with nicks to corners/peripheries as shown, but otherwise very nice. Minor losses and cracks to the veneer along the profile of the painting. Label for the Wallace Mitchell Memorial Exhibition at the Cranbrook Academy of Art Museum March 6 - April 17, 1977 (catalogue number 56) on verso. Label for "Yellow Gallery" dated 1959 and naming Dr. Robert Hatt as owner on verso. Wired for suspension and ready to display.