Alley Friends (Old Newark)

Details

John R. Grabach (1886-1981)
Alley Friends (Old Newark)
signed 'John R Grabach/NA' (lower left)
oil on canvas
42 x 48 in. (106.7 x 121.9 cm.)
Painted circa 1930.

Provenance

Corporate collection, Houston, Texas.
Acquired by the present owner from the above.

Literature

Philadelphia Public Ledger, November 30, 1930.
E.A. Jewell, "Corcoran Biennial and Guelph Treasure; A Fine Native Showing: Big Exhibition in Washington Reveals Contemporary American Art at Its Best," New York Times, December 7, 1930, p. 135.
Philadelphia Inquirer, January 25, 1931.
Cleveland Plain Dealer, June 10, 1932.
The Newark Ledger, April 19, 1933, illustrated.

Exhibited

Washington, D.C., Corcoran Gallery of Art, The Twelfth Exhibition of Contemporary American Oil Paintings, November 30, 1930-January 11, 1931, p. 41, no. 73.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Annual Exhibition, January 25-March 13, 1931, p. 48, no. 319.
Cleveland, Ohio, Cleveland Museum of Art, Annual Exhibition of Contemporary American Oil Paintings, June 10-July 10, 1932.
New York, James Graham & Sons, John R. Grabach: Urban America Between The Wars, October 21-December 5, 1981, pp. 9, 16, 19, no. 15, illustrated.
New York, James Graham & Sons, John R. Grabach (1880-1981), March 21-May 5, 1984, p. 7, no. 15.

Brought to you by

Annie Rosen

arosen@christies.com + 1 212 636 2140

Lot Essay

In his review of the Corcoran Gallery's Twelfth Exhibition of Contemporary American Oil Paintings of 1930-31, art critic Edward Alden Jewell praised the artist, noting, "Brilliantly imaginative are both of John R. Grabach's canvases, 'Alley Friends' and 'River Barges,' the latter of which has been purchased by the Corcoran Gallery for its permanent collection." (New York Times, December 7, 1930, p. 135)

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