This book focuses on the iconic Umber Paintings of Lee Krasner (1908–84), which consist of only 24 paintings. Painted between 1959 and 1962, the Umber Paintings were realized during one of Krasner’s most ambitious periods of cproduction following the sudden and tragic loss of her husband, Jackson Pollock. During this time of newfound solitude, Krasner moved into Pollock’s studio at their home in the Springs, East Hampton, which enabled her to experiment on large canvases for the first time. In addition to the increase in scale, this period was also characterized by a further commitment to %allover% compositions. By the end of the 1950s, Krasner’s emotional turmoil confined her to work only at night under artificial light. The Umber Paintings convey a distinctive rawness and intensity that was unprecedented in her oeuvre until this point, and remain lauded as the artist’s most psychologically evocative works.
