Those familiar with the Post-War New York art scene may recognize the family name:, Louis H. Rosenthal, the patriarch of the collection, was the longtime proprietor of Rosenthal's Art & Hobby Supply Company in Greenwich Village, later continuing at New York Central Art Supply Company. For over four decades, Rosenthal was not only a supplier of materials, but a trusted friend and advisor to a generation of artists whose work would come to define the modern and Abstract movements of the 20th century — among them Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, Alice Baber, Esteban Vicente, Mary Abbott, Milton Resnick, Karel Appel, and Paul Jenkins.

Before their breakthroughs, many artists of the period were still working with limited means. In such cases, it was not uncommon for these artists to trade their work with Louis in exchange for the very materials that later shaped their successes. These present lots, then, stands as a testament to the Rosenthal family's unique contributions, both material and personal, to the Post-War New York artistic community.