Dancing Figures by Abraham P. Hankins

This is a hand-colored lithograph by American modernist Abraham P. Hankins. The title, Dancing Figures, is mine and reflects my first impression of the image. The piece is very typical of the abstract modernist movement. In particular there are elements of Miro in the work. It primarily black and I think the black is lithographed based on magnified inspection. However, the green and orange in the lower left appear to be hand applied watercolor, so mixed media might be a better description of the technique. The piece is unframed and is mounted on an artist board. The board size is 13 x 9 inches in size. The image is 6 x 4.25 inches. It is signed in pencil lower left Hankins. The piece is in excellent condition. There is no paper loss, tears, foxing or staining. I've not found any other examples of this image online, so I don't have information about edition size or date, although it probably dates from the 1950s based on the style. It's a very nice example of this artist's work.

Abraham P. Hankins (1904–1963) was born in Russia, but was sent to the United States (Philadelphia) by his parents when he was in his early teens. He had early art education at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts followed by the Philadelphia Museum School of Art. He enlisted in the Army and served in France in WWI where his unit suffered a gas attack. On being sent home with lung damage, as part of his recovery he began singing. He was talented enough that he was sent to France to study, however his love for art led him to study at the Académie Julian. Upon returning to the United States, he returned to the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and ultimately the Barnes Foundation. He subsequently taught at both institutions. He exhibited his work extensively in New York and Pennsylvania, but was also included in exhibits at the Grand Salon in Paris and the New York World's Fair. His work is held at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C, and all the major Philadelphia museums. HIs papers are archived at the Archives of American Art.