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Lee Krasner — Nude Study from Life
Lee Krasner

Nude Study from Life

1938

This charcoal study presents a fragmented, abstracted human figure composed of geometric planes and intersecting linear forms. The artist employs bold, gestural marks and areas of tonal contrast to construct the composition, dissolving traditional representational boundaries. Angular shapes and overlapping rectangular forms suggest the volumetric structure of the body while emphasizing the material properties of the medium. The work exemplifies early modernist approaches to life drawing, prioritizing formal experimentation and spatial complexity over naturalistic representation.

Medium
charcoal on paper
Overall

Notes

Contemporary Day Auction, Sotheby's, sale on 2026-05-15.

🔨 Auction Lot

Contemporary Day Auction

May 15, 2026

Estimate: $200,000$300,000

For Sale

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About this work

Lee Krasner, Nude Study from Life, 1938

This charcoal study presents a fragmented, abstracted human figure composed of geometric planes and intersecting linear forms. The artist employs bold, gestural marks and areas of tonal contrast to construct the composition, dissolving traditional representational boundaries. Angular shapes and overlapping rectangular forms suggest the volumetric structure of the body while emphasizing the material properties of the medium. The work exemplifies early modernist approaches to life drawing, prioritizing formal experimentation and spatial complexity over naturalistic representation.

Medium
charcoal on paper
Dimensions
overall: 62.9 x 48.3 cm
Year
1938
Seen at
Sotheby's, New York, London, Hong Kong, Paris

Related themes

Linear Construction, Figure Study, Geometric Forms, Modernist Study, Abstract Figuration, Gestural Mark Making, Cubist Influence, Early Twentieth Century, Volumetric Form, Experimental Drawing, Compositional Study, Charcoal On Paper, Tonal Contrast, Life Drawing, Abstracted Nude

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