Jack Levine “Geisha With Attendant” — Hand-Embellished Pochoir, Facing East Portfolio, 1970 | Gilt Frame

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A striking and collectible work on paper by Jack Levine (American, 1915–2010), one of the preeminent figures of American Social … Read more A striking and collectible work on paper by Jack Levine (American, 1915–2010), one of the preeminent figures of American Social Realism and a proud Boston-born artist whose work is held in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

This hand-embellished pochoir — a labor-intensive stencil print with hand-applied color — depicts a geisha in colorful silk robes walking beneath paper lanterns, accompanied by her young attendant in brown. The image is rich with atmosphere: the warm ochres and earth tones of the figures set against a luminous grey ground give the composition an almost watercolor-like intimacy.

The work is from Levine’s celebrated “Facing East” portfolio (1970), a collaboration with Pulitzer Prize-winning author James Michener, published by Maecenas Press/Random House. Levine traveled to Japan to sketch firsthand, and the Facing East prints are among his most decoratively beautiful and sought-after works on paper. A preparatory gouache study for this exact composition sold through Swann Auction Galleries.

Titled in pencil lower right. Presented in an attractive ecru and gilt frame with glass. Overall good condition; frame shows minor dust consistent with age.

Medium: Hand-embellished pochoir on grey wove paper
Date: 1970
Image size: 14” H × 11” W
Framed size: 21” H × 17” W × 1” D

A beautiful piece for a collector of American prints, Japanesque decorative art, or mid-century works on paper — and a rare opportunity to own a work connected to one of Boston’s most celebrated painters at an accessible price point. See less