Art + Design

We are grateful for the research conducted by Susan Weininger, Professor Emerita, Roosevelt University.

Provenance:

The Artist

Wendell & Esther Wilcox, Chicago, gifted by the Artist

Collection of August Becker, gift from the above

Exhibited:

Chicago, State of Illinois Art Gallery, March 18 - May 17, 1991, (also traveled to Springfield, Illinois State Museum, July 28 - October 25, 1991), p. 93

New York, Karma, Gertrude Abercrombie, August 9 - September 23, 2018, p. 384, illus.

Lot Essay:

Ball and Jack, c. 1955, a small, simple image of a ball and jack on a wood floor against a dark background, is typical of the kind of still lifes Gertrude Abercrombie began to paint in the early 1950s. It was done during one of the artist’s most productive periods—the mid 1950s—and at a time when she created many still life paintings that consist of inanimate objects, such as shells, grapes, gloves, carnations, and the ball and jack that appear in this composition, typically arranged in austere landscapes or otherwise ascetic backgrounds. The elements in the paintings are always varied and skillfully arranged in unique and meaningful configurations, even in examples as minimal as Ball and Jack. Additionally, like many of the artworks done during this period, the present example shows the artist trying to paint more carefully and precisely, encouraged by her good friend, the artist John Wilde, a master of still life painting. The beautifully rendered ball and jack show her prowess in creating three dimensional objects.

Many of the objects in Abercrombie’s still lifes, including balls and jacks, had a private meaning. The artist was fond of games, which accounts for the appearance of playing cards, balls and jacks, dice, and dominoes in many of her works. The ball and jacks appear in a very early work, There on the Table, 1935 (Springfield, Illinois State Museum), where they are joined by a hammer, nail, folding stick ruler, a top, a bowl holding bananas, and a cat. Aside from the tools, all these objects make many repeat appearances in her work, but it isn’t until the 1950s that we see the ball and jack reappear as dominant subjects.

Also of note is the original frame on the present painting. Abercrombie loved elaborate and unusual frames and often visited flea markets to find them. When she found a frame she liked, she cut the Masonite board on which she painted to fit the frame. In the case of Ball and Jack, one might wonder if the frame dictated the subject of the painting, so beautifully do the circular forms at the corners of this beautiful golden enclosure echo the perfect roundness of the blue ball.

Ultimately this painting, with its delicate floorboard lines that converge toward the back wall to create a sense of three-dimensional space, was intended for a particular person, Esther Wilcox. Whether or not Gertrude and Esther ever sat on the floor for a rousing game of jacks, maybe just the possibility was enough. Like much of Abercrombie’s work, Ball and Jack is deceptively simple, a tiny toy story with an aura of mystery about it.

Framed: 5 1/2 x 6 1/2 inches.

The physical condition of lots in our auctions can vary due to age, normal wear and tear, previous damage, and restoration/repair. All lots are sold "AS IS," in the condition they are in at the time of the auction, and we and the seller make no representation or warranty and assume no liability of any kind as to a lot's condition. Any reference to condition in a catalogue description or a condition report shall not amount to a full accounting of condition. Condition reports prepared by Freeman's staff are provided as a convenience and may be requested from the Department prior to bidding.

The absence of a posted condition report on the Freeman's website or in our catalogues should not be interpreted as commentary on an item's condition. Prospective buyers are responsible for inspecting a lot or sending their agent or conservator to inspect the lot on their behalf, and for ensuring that they have requested, received and understood any condition report provided by Freeman's.

Please email [email protected] for any additional information or questions you may have regarding this lot.