Lithograph on wove paper
USA, 1982
George Tooker (1920-2011) – American figurative painter
Signed in pencil lower right 'George Tooker'
Numbered in pencil lower left '156/175'
Full margins with deckled sheet edges; framed and matted
Sheet dimensions: 12 x 15 7/8 in. (30.5 x 40 cm.)
Overall dimensions: 20 x 23 ¾ in. (76.7 x 60.3 cm.)
Very good condition

Often called a magical realist, George Tooker created works that though based in reality, have surreal and whimsical elements. In his printLovers, the two subjects join in a passionate embrace. Tooker has a created a rapturous love that literally overtakes the surrounding environment. The mountains that roll in the backdrop mirror the curves of these lovers’ bodies. The subject of the print though always circles back to the lovers and their embrace. No matter how poetic Tooker’s works become, they are bound to humanity and reality.

This lithograph on wove paper was executed in 1982. It is signed and numbered one hundred and fifty-six from an edition of one hundred and seventy-five, measuring 12 x 15 ? inches with full margins and deckled sheet edges. It is in overall good condition with no evidence of tears or repairs.

George Tooker (American, 1920-2011)

George Clair Tooker Jr. was born on Aug. 5, 1920, in Brooklyn and grew up on Long Island, in Bellport, where he studied painting with a local artist. For his parents, he attended Harvard after attending Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass where he studied English but continued to draw and do watercolor. At the Art Students League, New York, he met the painters Paul Cadmus and Reginald Marsh who later introduced him to Jared French. Known for Symbolism and Surrealist Realism Tooker spent his summers on the beaches and winters in the city, all in New York. His magical imagery was coming from his personal experiences with his partner William Christopher and group of friends later known as “the Circle”.