Signed lower right: Howard Cook

Mission Gallery, Taos, New Mexico; Private collection, Oklahoma; Estate of the above.

Howard Norton Cook (American, 1901-1980) The Park Pastel on paper laid on board 24 x 21 inches (61.0 x 53.3 cm) (sheet) Signed lower right: Howard Cook Bears title on the reverse: The Park Property from an Oklahoma Estate PROVENANCE: Mission Gallery, Taos, New Mexico; Private collection, Oklahoma; Estate of the above. Howard Norton Cook's The Park is a compelling example of mid-20th-century Modernist abstraction, capturing the energy of the urban landscape through dynamic composition, innovative form, and a masterful use of the pastel medium. Born in Massachusetts in 1901, Cook was a celebrated printmaker, painter, and muralist who was best known for his depictions of American cityscapes and industrial life. He trained at the Art Students League of New York and studied in Paris before returning to the U.S., where he became associated with the Modernist movement. His works often explore the tension between the man-made and natural environments, as seen in The Park, a work that distills the complexity of city life into geometric abstraction. In The Park, Cook's handling of pastel lends the composition a softness and texture that contrasts with the hard lines of the urban structures he portrays. The dry, powdery quality of the medium allows for subtle gradations in tone and color, creating a sense of depth and atmosphere. This textural use of pastel gives the work its unique balance between precision and fluidity. The skeletal trees in the foreground, drawn with gestural strokes, create a stark contrast to the angular, blocky forms of the city buildings, adding to the tension between nature and the industrial environment. Cook's muted palette of browns, grays, and ochres evokes the gritty, industrial atmosphere of the city, while his use of abstraction reduces the buildings to simple, geometric shapes. This approach aligns him with the Modernist movement, which sought to reimagine traditional representation through abstraction and geometric forms. The present work exemplifies the artist's ability to fuse abstraction with recognizable elements of urban life. The pastel medium enhances the composition's depth and texture, transforming the cityscape into a powerful reflection on the coexistence of nature and industry. Cook's background in printmaking and muralism, combined with his modernist sensibility, gives the work both a sense of immediacy and a timeless quality. It is a notable example of his contribution to American modernism, particularly in the realm of urban abstraction. HID12401132022 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved

Framed under glass. Scattered air pockets between the sheet and the board, with accompanying undulation to the sheet. 7 inch 'L' shape linear abrasion in the upper right corner. Vestiges of tape and adhesive residue/staining along the extreme edges, with a few small spots of accompanying skinning, not visible in current matting. Toning throughout. Framed Dimensions 31 X 28.5 Inches