Gil Cuatrecasas (Spanish/American, 1935-2004), Untitled

Acrylic and mixed-media on canvas, 1973, signed to lower verso of canvas, retaining label to verso, gallery-wrapped canvas.

69 x 53 in.

From the Collection of Duke Hospital, Sold to Benefit Duke Arts and Health

Gil Cuatrecasas and his family left Spain and immigrated to Chicago in 1947. In 1957, he graduated from Harvard University and was accepted to the prestigious Yale University School of Art which had been headed by Josef Albers since 1950. Just shy of graduation, Cuatrecasas left Yale to move to his family's home in Washington, D.C. There, he began experimenting with color and painting techniques alongside other artists such as Sam Gilliam, Kenneth Noland, Sam Francis, and Gene Davis, the founders of the Washington Color School. Despite early success in the 1960s, including a solo exhibition of his work at the Corcoran Gallery in 1965, Cuatrecasas distanced himself from the art market for the remainder of his life.

This painting was completed in Torino, Italy in 1973. The artist's brother, Dr. Pedro Cuatrecasas, a research scientist and administrator, donated it to the Duke University Medical Center.

Light age cracking, minor scuffing and grime to surface.