Dorothy Dehner (1901–1994) was an influential American multidisciplinary artist who worked with drawing, painting, printmaking, and most notably sculpture.
Despite her artistic contributions, Dehner's legacy was overshadowed for many years by her ex-husband, the acclaimed sculptor David Smith. Stifled by their tumultuous relationship, Dehner only fully committed to her practice after divorcing in 1951. This break was highly fruitful for her output and her reputation in the years following.
After the divorce, Dehner refined her artistic voice and expanded her practice to include printmaking and sculpture. Her new-found independence and renewed ambition led to a pivotal relationship with the esteemed printmaking studio . Working there she formed a close and enduring friendship with .
Simultaneously spontaneous and architectural, Dehner's oeuvre resists categorization. Marked intricate linework and structural geometric forms, the artist blends organic abstraction with an innate sense of rhythm and balance.
This impressive abstract watercolor represents an iconography that recurs over the decades in Dehner's work both in three dimensions or two. Wedges, nails, and arcs abound, creating a mysterious energy.
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“Untitled”
USA, 1954
Watercolor and ink on paper, double-sided
Signed and dated in ink on the lower right recto
25.2"H 38.2"W (work)
Very good condition
Detailed condition report by request
Note: last two images are of the work verso
To learn more about Dorothy Dehner's works on paper, we recommend exploring the online holdings of her work at the and the .
