Licorice and a Cherry

This time - Adolph Gottlieb - His Imaginary Dessert and His Spangly Dress.

"$165.  ($1,344) Adolph Gottlieb.  "Imaginary Landcape" " red and black water color.  This strong painting is by a well-known American who lives in New York and whose work has been exhibited all over this country, and in India, Japan, and Europe.  Charcoal grey mat and grey wood frame, done by Gottlieb, himself.  22 1/2 x 18 1/2.  The New Gallery."

First, this looks pretty familiar because it is one of many Imaginary Landscapes.  This one I imagine to be a Spanish castle in the snow, especially when it's on its side.

Adolph is a sort of friend of a friend of Reading Vintage Vogues - we just missed him in the September issue, as he was off touring when his AbEx pals sat for a portrait with Irving Penn.  Extremely devoted readers will remember seeing the following photo at least eight times:

But we'll see this one even more - the Gottlieb looks just as nice on its side, even more Spanish castley.  (This looks fine in iPhoto, but it collapses on the way to the Desktop. Repeatedly.)

If "Imaginary Landscape" were an oil painting, and not a watercolor, we'd have good down payment on a house around here.    It's a school night - no time to search beyond the first few search pages for good sales figures - I've seen $9,000 on eBay, but also $1,500.  My wild, wild guess would be that this was still a bargain, even at what amounted to $1,300.

I saw a lot of Gottliebs at the AbExRedux exhibition, so feel we've already "done" him.  Here is a rather staid chronology of his life by the Gottlieb foundation - dropped out of high school, worked his way to Paris, drew incessantly and went to museums every day, met Barnett Newman, hung out with Mark Rothko. . . I don't have time to get permission to use the photo of my favorite painting - "Dry Cactus," which I read as "Dead Octopus" as it scrolled by.  I liked it better as an octopus.

The New Gallery - nothing pops out, except it was at 601 Madison Avenue.

We're running into our friend The Guggenheim everywhere these days - have a nice Eatograph at the Venice branch.

This seems naked without a movie. . . or a dress.

Oh, great and mighty Internet!  I asked and you gave -

This came from a very nice, but brief fashion blog called The Strutting Peacock, whose author found it on what I think is a Tumblr site.   If you have found yourself here, then you should hurry over there, where there are so many pairings that I couldn't find Gottlieb, but found several Barnett Newmans, who lends himself well to simple shifts.  Thanks, Georgina M of Polyvore.

Next - maybe a break from art. Why not?  Next - swimsuits!