Beautiful original artwork by Edie Sedgwick, accomplished in pastel on an 11.75 x 11.75 sheet of artist paper, signed in the lower right corner, “Edith Sedgwick, ‘62.” Assuredly the most involved of all of Sedgwick’s work that we have on offer, this vibrantly rendered piece depicts the backside of a nude red-haired woman lying on a tiled floor, her shoulder propped on a pillow, and her attention placed on a row of arched doorways, three of which contain figures of men, women, children, and, in one instance, a palm tree. Double-matted to an overall size of 25.75 x 20. In fine condition, with a short unobtrusive tear to the bottom edge.
Sedgwick left the St. Timothy's School boarding school in 1959 and returned to her family’s La Laguna ranch in California. She remained there until she was sent to the private Silver Hill psychiatric hospital in New Canaan, Connecticut, in the fall of 1962. Her date notation of 1962 places her at the age of either 18 or 19 when this work was created.
On page 112 of Jean Stein’s book Edie: An American Biography, Alice ‘Saucie’ Sedgwick mentions her younger sister’s artwork while at Silver Hill: ‘Edie made good use of the facilities, particularly the OT, occupational therapy. She made lots of objects—a cheeseboard over there on the table. The design’s faded, but there were five mice on it, very deftly drawn.’
From the Michael Post Collection.
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