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Lot Essay
Executed in 1959.
The artist writes: "Degas was fascinated by women with opera glasses, so I couldn't have painted this without thinking of him. I'm particularly happy with the formal composition of Lady with Opera Glasses, which is an essay in rounds and half-rounds; the lady's round face and round bodice, and her semi-circular hat, cut off by the top edge of the canvas; and the oculus at the left and the dome's curving base at the right. This sense of roundness comes across in depth as well as on the surface. And I achieved an arabesque of lights and darks in the process, which gives it both good design and a dramatic effect." (Jack Levine, New York, 1989, p. 89)
The artist writes: "Degas was fascinated by women with opera glasses, so I couldn't have painted this without thinking of him. I'm particularly happy with the formal composition of Lady with Opera Glasses, which is an essay in rounds and half-rounds; the lady's round face and round bodice, and her semi-circular hat, cut off by the top edge of the canvas; and the oculus at the left and the dome's curving base at the right. This sense of roundness comes across in depth as well as on the surface. And I achieved an arabesque of lights and darks in the process, which gives it both good design and a dramatic effect." (Jack Levine, New York, 1989, p. 89)