Spring in Central Park (recto); Three Figures (verso)

William Zorach American, born Lithuania

Not on view

Vibrant and utopian, Zorach's Spring in Central Park presents a nude couple embracing tenderly in an inviting and imaginatively conceived natural environment. Referring to Christian iconography of Adam and Even in the Garden of Eden before original sin, the painting interprets New York's popular outdoor destination as a contemporary paradise, in which life and love are celebrated. Zorach likely intended the figures to be surrogates of himself and his wife, Marguerite, also an accomplished artist. The composition's bold, non-naturalistic palette and direct, naive-looking painting technique reflect the influence of the so-called Fauvist works of Henri Matisse and Andre Derain, which Zorach encountered while studying in Paris.

Spring in Central Park (recto); Three Figures (verso), William Zorach (American (born Lithuania), Jurbarkas (Eurburg) 1889–1966 Bath, Maine), Oil on canvas

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Recto

Spring in Central Park (recto); Three Figures (verso), William Zorach (American (born Lithuania), Jurbarkas (Eurburg) 1889–1966 Bath, Maine), Oil on canvas
Spring in Central Park (recto); Three Figures (verso), William Zorach (American (born Lithuania), Jurbarkas (Eurburg) 1889–1966 Bath, Maine), Oil on canvas

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