Leonard Baskin (American, 1922-2000). "Man at Death" watercolor on paper, 1991. Signed at lower right. Dated on lower left. A haunting watercolor appropriately entitled "Man at Death" by the one and only Leonard Baskin. The impressively large composition presents the head of the deceased at rest, his bearded visage with closed eyes, a noble nose, and long, wispy locks. Above his profile is absolute blackness, signifying death. Baskin was a creative force for more than 5 decades and worked in a variety of media. "Man at Death" is rendered in Baskin's characteristically intense manner and grand scale. It is set in a custom frame and hand signed. Size: 22.5" L x 29.75" W (57.2 cm x 75.6 cm) Size of frame: 34.5" L x 41.75" W (87.6 cm x 106 cm)

Leonard Baskin was a 20th century "Renaissance Man" if you will; he was a highly respected sculptor, printmaker, writer, and watercolorist. His themes included mythological, classical, and biblical scenes as well as portraits and floral studies. Baskin studied at Yale University from 1941 to 1943 and received his B.A. at the New School for Social Research in 1949. He also founded Gehenna Press which specialized in fine book production and taught printmaking and sculpture at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts as well as Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts from 1953 until 1974. Baskin's artworks are in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art, the Vatican Museum, the Smithsonian Institute, the Tate Gallery in London, and other elite institutions. His noted public sculptural commissions include pieces for the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial as well as the Holocaust Memorial in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Baskin also received many prestigious honors, such as a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Gold Medal of the National Academy of Arts and Letters, and the Jewish Cultural Achievement Award. He was also honored with numerous retrospective exhibitions at institutions including the Smithsonian Museum, the Albertina Museum, and the Library of Congress.

Provenance: ex-private Bishop Family Trust collection, the Trust of the late Bill Bishop, a noted antiquarian with shops in Scottsdale, Arizona and Allenspark, Colorado, USA, acquired before 2010

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#173173

This large watercolor is set in a custom frame behind glass and has not been examined outside the frame. This said, it appears to be in outstanding condition overall. Hand signed by the artist at lower right. Accompanied by an exhibition label that includes title and date. Frame has some surface wear with scuffs/nicks and abrasions as shown but is otherwise very nice. Fitted with a suspension wire and ready to display.