Bowdoin College Museum of Art

Preview image of work. pastel on paper, Untitled 32725

2017.8.8

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Untitled

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Artist

Jack Levine (1915 - )

Title

Untitled

Creation Date

ca. 1950

Century

mid-20th century

Dimensions

19 3/4 x 25 1/2 in. (50 x 65 cm)

Object Type

drawing

Creation Place

North America, United States

Medium and Support

pastel on paper

Credit Line

Gift of halley k harrisburg, Class of 1990, and Michael Rosenfeld

Copyright

This artwork may be under copyright. For further information, please consult the Museum’s Copyright Terms and Conditions.

Accession Number

2017.8.8

Jack Levine was a social realist artist and famous for his biting satires about modern life and politics. Wearing a scowl on his face, dressed in a bowtie, and clenching the lapel of his jacket, this man is reminiscent of the notorious characters who famously populated his paintings. Levine once exclaimed, “I am primarily concerned with the condition of man.” During a period when many artists in New York and elsewhere were intent on exploring the possibilities of abstract art, Levine remained steadfast in his commitment to figuring the people around him. As Levine often used pastels to create preparatory studies, it is likely that this bust–length portrait figures a man who later appeared in one of his paintings; however, research to date has not yet uncovered the identity of this individual.