1978 American Modernist Relief Painting From the Studio of Judy Pfaff With Anne Shields – Embossed Cotton Rag, High-Relief Landscape Figuration

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Description

This exceptional 1978 American modernist mixed-media painting originates from the studio of Judy Pfaff, in collaboration with Anne Shields, and … Read more This exceptional 1978 American modernist mixed-media painting originates from the studio of Judy Pfaff, in collaboration with Anne Shields, and stands as a powerful example of late-20th-century American reemergence into landscape figuration. Executed on embossed cotton rag paper, the work is patinated with gouache and built up in high relief, creating a tactile, sculptural surface that rewards close viewing.

The composition balances bold vertical forms and organic movement, evoking a landscape that borders on figuration—hallmarks of the period’s shift away from strict abstraction toward a more expressive, materially driven visual language. The surface shows intentional texture, depth, and painterly energy consistent with the experimental ethos surrounding Pfaff’s studio practice in the late 1970s.

Rich in provenance, the work was sold at Sotheby’s in 1998, after which it entered the collection of Charles Brockett, remaining there for over two decades before being sold again in 2024. It has been recently professionally cleaned and newly reframed, presented in a refined, gallery-appropriate frame that complements the work’s subtle palette and dimensionality.

A compelling acquisition for collectors of American modernism, feminist art history, post-minimalist material studies, and late-20th-century studio practice, this piece bridges painting, relief, and drawing with confidence and originality.

Details:

Artist: From the studio of Judy Pfaff, with Anne Shields
Date: 1978
Medium: Embossed cotton rag paper, gouache, high-relief mixed media
Style: American Modernism; Post-Minimalism; Landscape Figuration
Framed Dimensions: 26.5" H x 17" W
Condition: Very good; recently cleaned and newly framed
Provenance: Sotheby’s, 1998; Collection of Charles Brockett; sold again in 2024

Why We Love It:
The work’s physicality and quiet intensity—its layered surface, subtle patina, and confident gesture—make it both historically grounded and visually fresh. It reads as a moment of transition in American art, where abstraction loosens and landscape reasserts itself through texture and form rather than literal depiction. An intelligent, museum-worthy piece with documented provenance and enduring relevance. See less