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William H. (Bill) Littlefield — Rape of the Sabine
William H. (Bill) Littlefield

Rape of the Sabine

1951

This dynamic composition depicts the classical narrative of the Rape of the Sabine Women through an abstracted, angular modernist lens. Multiple figures rendered in linear, geometric forms occupy a fragmented pictorial space defined by intersecting planes in muted earth tones punctuated by teal and ochre accents. The artist employs a cubist-influenced vocabulary to convey narrative movement and tension, characteristic of mid-twentieth-century American modernism. Executed on masonite with oil paint, the work demonstrates the stylistic interests of Provincetown's artistic community in balancing figural representation with formal abstraction.

Medium
Oil on masonite
Dimensions

🔨 Auction Lot

Provincetown Art Association & Museum Benefit Auction

May 16, 2026

Estimate: $5,000$7,000

Lot 15

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About this work

William H. (Bill) Littlefield, Rape of the Sabine, 1951

This dynamic composition depicts the classical narrative of the Rape of the Sabine Women through an abstracted, angular modernist lens. Multiple figures rendered in linear, geometric forms occupy a fragmented pictorial space defined by intersecting planes in muted earth tones punctuated by teal and ochre accents. The artist employs a cubist-influenced vocabulary to convey narrative movement and tension, characteristic of mid-twentieth-century American modernism. Executed on masonite with oil paint, the work demonstrates the stylistic interests of Provincetown's artistic community in balancing figural representation with formal abstraction.

Medium
Oil on masonite
Dimensions
91.4 x 116.8 cm
Year
1951
Seen at
Eldred's, East Dennis, Massachusetts, United States

Related themes

Warm Palette, Oil On Masonite, Geometric Forms, Cubism, Fragmented Space, Academic Subject Matter, Regional American Art, Planar Construction, Figural Abstraction, Historical Narrative, Abstract Expressionism, Narrative Painting, Mid-Century Modern, Modernist Reinterpretation, Provincetown Art, Classical Mythology, Earth Tones, Modern Abstraction, Linear Composition, Cape Cod School

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