The artists known to us today as American Modernists comprise an exceptionally talented and visionary group of painters and draftsmen. Varied in inspiration and style, they propelled American art into the early twentieth century avant-garde. With examples ranging from Avery to Zorach, Heather James Fine Art is pleased to display a distinguished selection of such material.

Niccolo Brooker, Director

Milton Avery (1885-1965)Cows and Thistle

signed and dated lower left Milton Avery 1943watercolor over traces of pencil on paper20 x 30 in.

Painted in 1943

Provenance:Alpha Gallery, Boston.Private Collection, Albuquerque.

4

5

Thomas Hart Benton (1889-1975)Tree in Landscape

signed bottom right Benton --signed again, titled and dated on a piece of cardboard affixed to the reverseTree painted in late ‘20. Thomas H. Bentonwatercolor and gouache over pencil on paper14 1/2 x 11 3/8 in.

Painted circa 1920

Provenance:Hollis Taggart Galleries, New YorkPrivate Collection, Orange County, California (acquired directly from the above, circa 2005)

6

7

Oscar Bluemner (1867-1938)Harlem River #3

signed with initials, dated and titled lower right Aug 24-13 OFB Harlem River #3watercolor over charcoal on paper5 x 8 in.

Painted along the Harlem River, New York, in 1913

Provenance:Salander O’Reilly Galleries, New York.Kraushaar Galleries, Inc., New York.Private Collection, Connecticut.Private Collection, Massachusetts.

8

9Actual size

Oscar Bluemner (1867-1938)La Delaware

signed with initials lower left OFB and titled lower center La Delawarewatercolor and gouache on paper3 1/2 x 5 in.

Painted circa 1918

Provenance:Gerald Melberg Gallery, Charlotte, North Carolina.Forum Gallery, Inc., New York.Forum Gallery, LLC, Los Angeles.Private Collection, Orange County, California (acquired directly from the above, 2004).

10

11Actual size

Oscar Bluemner (1867-1938)The Plane Canal, North Bloomfield, New Jersey

signed with initials lower right OFB—dated lower center Bloomfield 24 31-21watercolor, gouache, pastel and charcoal on paper6 3/4 x 4 1/4 in.

Painted in North Bloomfield, New Jersey, on July 31, 1921

Provenance:Lillian Bluemner, Manchester, New Hampshire (the artist’s daughter-in-law).Sale; Sotheby, Park-Bernet, New York, January 29, 1981.Ben Ali Haggin, New York (acquired directly from the above).Hollis Taggart Galleries, New York.Private Collection, Orange County, California (acquired directly from the above, circa 2005).

12

13Actual size

Oscar Bluemner (1867-1938)Autumn Landscape

gouache on buff paper6 3/4 x 5 in.

Painted circa 1920

Provenance:Estate of the artistJames Graham & Sons, New York.Hollis Taggart Galleries, New York.Private Collection, Orange County, California (acquireddirectly from the above, circa 2005).

14

15Actual size

Oscar Bluemner (1867-1938)Open Hills at Loch Boonton, New Jersey

signed with initials and dated lower right OFB Feb-19charcoal on paper4 1/4 x 5 1/2 in.

Drawn in Boonton, New Jersey, in February, 1919

Provenance:Gerald Melberg Gallery, Charlotte, North Carolina.Forum Gallery, Inc., New York.Forum Gallery, LLC, Los Angeles.Private Collection, Orange County, California (acquired directly from the above, 2004).

16

17Actual size

Oscar Bluemner (1867-1938)Covered Bridge, Downpour

signed with initials lower left OFBwatercolor, gouache, charcoal and black ink on paper4 x 5 3/4 in.

Painted in New Jersey in 1924

Provenance:J.B. Neumann, New York (acquired directly from the artist).Hirschl & Adler Galleries, New York.Jeffrey R. Hayes, Wisconsin.Monique Knowlton Gallery, New York.Hollis Taggart Galleries, New York.Private Collection, Orange County, California (acquired directly from the above, circa 2005).

Exhibited:Mahwah, New Jersey, Ramapo College Art Gallery, Oscar Bluemner: The New Jersey Years, Drawings and Watercolors 1916-1926, October - November, 1982, no. 43

18

19Actual size

Ilya Bolotowski (1907-1981)Golden Horizontal

oil on canvassigned and dated lower right Ilya Bolotowsky/5914 x 32 in.

Painted in 1959

Provenance:Andrew Bolotowsky, New York (the artist’s son).

Exhibited:New York, D.C. Moore Gallery, A Tribute to Grace Borgenicht Gallery, The 1950s: The First Decade, 1997. Literature:E. Kinsella, Wise Buys, Art News, vol. 101, no. 7, Summer, 2002, pg. 151 (illustrated).

20

21

Arthur Dove (1880-1946)Leaning Silo

signed lower center Dovewatercolor, pen and black ink on paper5 x 7 in.

Painted in 1937

Provenance:An American Place (Alfred Stieglitz), New York.Cline Fine Art, Santa Fe.Forum Gallery, LLC, Los Angeles.Private Collection, Orange County, California (acquired directly from the above, 2004).

22

23Actual size

Marsden Hartley (1877-1943)Flower in Vase, Dogwood

signed lower right MHoil on canvas27 x 14 1/4 in.

Painted circa 1917-19

Provenance:Alfredo Valente, New York.Irvin Brenner Fine Paintings, Pelham Manor, New York.Private Collection, Florida.

Exhibited:New York, The Gallery of Modern Art, American Paintings (as Flowers and Vase).

24

25

Stanton Macdonald-Wright (1890-1973)La Gaité

signed lower center S.Wright -- signed again, titled and date on the reverse La gaîté 1958 S.Wright.oil on canvas50 x 36 in.

Painted in 1958

Provenance:Rose Fried Gallery, New York.Forum Gallery, Inc., New York.Joseph Chowning Gallery, San Francisco.Private Collection, San Francisco.

Exhibited:Washington, DC, Smithsonian Institution, National Collection of Fine Arts, Stanton Macdonald-Wright, May - June, 1967, no. S.L.1967.2.76

26

27

John MarinTaos Canyon No. 2

signed and dated lower right Marin 30watercolor over charcoal on paper15 3/4 x 21 3/4 in.

Painted in Taos, New Mexico, in 1930

Provenance:Estate of the artist.Private Collection, Orange County, California (since 2004).

Exhibited:New York, The Downtown Gallery, New Mexico Watercolors, March, 1957.

Literature:S. Reich, John Marin: A Stylistic Analysis and Catalogue Raisonne, Tucson, Arizona, vol. II, 1970, no. 30.63 (illustrated).

28

29

Reginald Marsh (1898-1954)Continuous Performance

signed lower left Reginald Marshwatercolor and gouache, pen and black ink, brush and gray wash on paper26 x 36 in.

Painted in 1940

Provenance:ACA Galleries, New York.Sid Deutsch Gallery, New York.Harry Litwin, Wichita, Kansas.Eaton Fine Art, Inc., West Palm Beach.Private Collection, Albuquerque.

Exhibited:New York, Barbara Mathes Gallery, Bohemian Night Life, April - June, 1989.Roslyn, New York, Nassau County Museum of Art, Reginald Marsh, Feb. May, 2006.

30

31

Carl Sprinchorn (1887-1931)Landscape

signed with initials lower right C.S.watercolor and gouache on paper4 5/8 x 3 1/2 in.

Provenance:Hollis Taggart Galleries, New York.Private Collection, Orange County, California (acquired directly from the above, circa 2005).

32

33Actual size

Joseph Stella (1877-1946)Gladiolas

pencil and colored pencils on paper25 x 18 1/2 in.

Drawn circa 1935

Provenance:Bubose Gallery, Inc., Houston.Vared Gallery, East Hampton, New York.Matthew Marks Gallery, New York.Forum Gallery, Inc., New York.Forum Gallery, LLC, Los Angeles.Private Collection, Los Angeles (acquired directly from the above, 2006).

34

35

Max Weber (1881-1961)Abstract

signed and dated lower right Max Weber ‘14gouache on board8 1/2 x 5 1/2 in.

Painted in 1914

Provenance:Estate of the artist.Forum Gallery, Inc., New York (former representative of the artist’s estate).William Dean, New York.ACA Galleries, New York (acquired directly from the above).

36

37

William Zorach (1887-1966)Yosemite Valley

signed and dated lower left William Zorach 1920watercolor over pencil on paper13 1/2 x 20 in.

Painted in Yosemite, California, in 1920

Provenance:Marguerite Zorach (artist’s widow), Maine.Estate of the artist.Private Collection, Orange County, California (since 2008).

38

39