Description:

Thomas Eldred
New York, Michigan, (1903 - 1993)
abstract, 1942
gouache on paper
Signed and dated lower right.

Provenance: From the artist's estate

Biography from the Archives of askART: Thomas Eldred was born in Climax, Michigan in 1903. He had an early interest in art and would doodle on the walls as a child. He studied Economics at Kalamazoo College because there was no art program at the time. Nevertheless, he put together an impressive portfolio and entered the prestigious Art Institute of Chicago. His appetite for art increased and he hitchhiked to New York and attended the Art Student's League.

Like many aspiring artists of the 1920's and 1930's, Thomas Eldred studied in New York at the Art Students League with the famous Thomas Hart Benton and Guy Pene DuBois. Eldred called Benton "a good teacher whom I liked personally."

During the 1930's, Eldred's career as an artist progressed. He declined invitation to the famous artist's colony, Yaddo, for financial reasons and instead took a teaching position, funded by the WPA program, at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. In Brooklyn, Eldred met Werner Drewes, one of the founding members of the American Abstract Artists group.

During these years, the Guggenheims acquired his work for their new Museum of Non-Objective Art (now the Guggenheim Museum). He traveled to Paris and studied with William Stanley Hayter in his influential printmaking workshop, Atelier 17, along with Chagall, Jaques Lipchitz, Miro and Matta. In 1940, Hayter opened a school in the United States, where Eldred joined him again, along with such artists as Robert Motherwell, Louise Nevelson and Jackson Pollock.

During the 1930's & 1940's, Eldred produced a skillful body of work, and much of it illustrates the complex position of modernist abstraction at this time. Eldred's art, engaging directly or flirting with abstraction, was eclectic. It reveals the impact of a myriad of major artists: Arp, Braque, Feininger, Kandinsky, Joan Miro and Pablo Picasso. His work can resemble that of the American artist associated with the American Abstract Artists group. It can have the structure of modern geometric abstraction or the fluidity of biomorphism. Frequently both elements cohabit his work.

  • Dimensions: 11 1/4"H 16 3/4"W(sight), 16 1/4"H 21 1/4"W(frame)
  • Medium: gouache on paper

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

SHIPPING: Large or fragile items will require a third party shipper. Items that require third party or local pickup are indicated within the lot description. If we cannot ship your item, email [email protected] for a list of recommended shippers. Buyer is responsible for obtaining quotes and arrangement of third party shipping.
Successful bidders will receive an invoice following the auction that will include payment details. Please check your spam/junk folder if you do not receive an invoice.
After payment is made, your order will go to our shipping department if it does not require third party. Buyers will not automatically receive a shipping invoice. You will be sent a separate invoice for shipping once your initial invoice is paid and your items are packed and ready to ship. We guarantee that we will provide the highest standards in packing and handling available, in a time frame that allows attention to every detail to protect the items you have purchased.
It will ask you to verify your address before paying by credit card.
PICKUP: Items are subject to storage fees if they are not removed from premises within 10 business days. If items require third party shipping, arrangements and removal must be completed within 15 business days.

March 30, 2024 11:00 AM EDT
Indianapolis, IN, US

Ripley Auctions

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $199 $20
$200 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $2,999 $100
$3,000 $4,999 $200
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $29,999 $1,000
$30,000 + $2,500