Hobson Pittman (American, 1899-1972), 7th Version of the Gossips

Watercolor and pencil on paper, signed at upper left, matted and framed under glass.

Sheet size 9 x 12 in.; Frame dimensions 14 x 16 3/4 in.

Private Collection, Greenville, North Carolina

Babcock Galleries, New York
Estate of June Montague Ficklen, Greenville, North Carolina
Brunk Auctions, May Premier Auction, May 20, 2017
Acquired from the above

Born in rural Edgecombe County, NC, Pittman moved to Pennsylvania in 1918. After several one-man shows in Philadelphia, he was represented in the 1933 exhibition "Painting and Sculpture from 16 American Cities" held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, NY. A celebrated regionalist, Pittman exhibited extensively throughout his lifetime and beyond.

Pittman was particularly known for his depictions of quiet rooms, writing “rooms are wonder for me—I like rooms and doors and windows—Mystery shrouds them all—mystery not revealed or explained...” John Canaday, Art Editor of The New York Times, reveled in Pittman's interiors as being both "nostalgic and visionary," seemingly at once "still peopled by the remembered presences of romantic personages."

Pinholes to each corner; mat burn; sun fading; taped hinge along top edge of sheet.