Untitled by John Franklin Koenig

This is a untitled abstract lithograph by American artist John Franklin Koenig. It incorporates some geometric elements over a diffuse ground that is blue-green on the bottom and brown on the top. This gives the impression of a horizon. My first thought when looking at this was a close-up of a suspension bridge with a tower and diagonal cables, emerging out of the fog, but the image leaves a lot of room for interpretation. It does show Koenig's Asian art influence but also recalls some of his early art which focused on collage. The piece is printed to the edge of a full sheet measuring 14.75 x 20 inches. It is framed with a frame size of 20 x 25 inches. It has not been examined out of the frame, but it is 'floated' on a blue background so the entire sheet can be seen. It appears to be in pristine condition. It is signed in pencil J F Koenig lower right and the edition 63/114 is given lower left. There are no condition issues including no fading, toning, staining, foxing, tears, or paper loss. A very dramatic piece.

John Franklin Koenig (1924-2008) was born in Seattle, Washington, but spent most of his career in France. His journey there was very interesting. He did not study art initially at the University of Washington, but frequently visited the Seattle Art Museum where he was attracted to the extensive collection of Asian art. He was drafted into the Army and became a crewman on a Sherman tank. He landed in France and was wounded at the Battle of the Bulge. While recuperating, he took art classes at a G.I. University in Biarritz where he created his first artworks. Returning to Seattle, he pursued an art degree at the University of Washington. In addition to being influenced by Asian art, he also became familiar with the Northwest school exemplified by artists such as Mark Tobey and Morris Graves. He returned to France to study art at the Sorbonne, then remained in Paris where he opened a gallery devoted to modern art. He was an early proponent of Abstract Expressionism in France. Known mostly as a painter, he worked across most artistic media including printmaking. His art received many awards including the Gold Medal of the City of Paris and was later made a Commander of the French Order of Arts and Letters. Retrospectives of his work were held at the Paris Arts Center (1969), the Seattle Art Museum (1970), and the Whatcom Museum in Bellingham, Washington, a show that opened two months after his death in 2008. His work is held in collections in Europe, Japan, and North America, notably the Seattle Art Museum, the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, the Musée National d'Art Moderne (Paris), the National Museum of Modern Art and the National Museum of Western Art (both in Tokyo), and the Musée des Beaux-Arts and Musée d'Art Contemporain ( both in Montreal).

Size: 1968
Price: $395
Framed Size: 20 x 25 inches
Plate Size: 14.75 x 20 inches
Condition: Pristine
Medium: Lithograph
Subject: Abstract

Shipping, handling and insurance is included for purchases within the US and Canada. We ship internationally. Please contact us for shipping cost and invoice information.