Blue Sky No. 3

Details

George Grosz (1893-1959)
Blue Sky No. 3
signed 'Grosz' (lower left)
watercolor, brush and India ink on paper
13 x 9 5/8 in. (33 x 24.5 cm.)
Painted circa 1945

Provenance

Associated American Artists Galleries, New York (until 1951).
Joseph H. Hirshhorn, New York (1951-1966).
The Hirshhorn Museum (gifted from the above, in 1966); sale, Sotheby's, New York, 17 December 1990, lot 320.
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner.

Exhibited

Ottawa, The National Gallery of Canada, Some American Paintings from the Collection of Joseph H. Hirshhorn, January 1957, no. 25 (illustrated).
Washington, D.C., The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Georges Grosz: The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, September 1978-January 1979, p. 45, no. 33 (illustrated).

Lot Essay

In 1945 George Grosz had been living United States for twelve years and during this period he had abandoned his harsh political commentary and biting caricatures in his art. In its place, Grosz looked to the street scenes of New York and the landscapes of Cape Cod, where he often spent summers. During this time he also taught as a professor at the Art Student's League.
The present watercolor reflects the influence of American illustrators, whom Grosz greatly admired, as well as the artist's affection for his new home.

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