Non-objective abstract painting by San Francisco Bay Area artist Hildegarde Haas from her classical music series.
Title: 'Bach - English Suite No.2 in A Minor - V Bourree'
Medium: Watercolor on paper.
Measurements: 11.75 inches x 15.75 inches sight size, and 19.5 inches x 22.75 inches x 1 inch overall including framing.
Condition: The art is in excellent condition.
Notes: Housed in a brand new frame under UV plexiglass.
Provenance: From the estate of the artist.

About the artist: Hildegarde Haas, (German/American 1926-2002), was born in Frankfurt, Germany. At the age of 11 her family moved to the United States, settling in Colorado Springs, Colorado. While living in Colorado Springs Haas studied art at Colorado Springs Fine Art Center which piqued her interest in art and fueled her desire to dedicate herself to creating art. As a young adult Haas moved to Chicago, IL and studied at the University of Chicago before moving to New York City to further her career as an artist. In New York Haas studied with highly influential American modernists, Vaclav Vytlacil and Morris Kantor at the Arts Students League. During her time in New York Haas became a member of The Printmakers, a prominent group of graphic artists based in New York.
In 1953 Haas' woodcuts were included in a significant exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art titled 'Young American Printmakers'. Although very successful as an American printmaker in the 1950s Haas found the physical demands of printmaking too much for her body and she gave up printmaking after 7 years of work. From this point forward Haas refocused her creative energies on creating paintings. Haas moved to the sunshine of northern California in the 1950s and immediately became engrossed in the thriving San Francisco Bay Area art scene. In the Bay Area Haas became an active member of the San Francisco Art Association, the Oakland Art Association, and the Art and Crafts Co-op of Berkeley, while continuing to exhibit her works in national art exhibitions. Haas lived and worked in the Bay Area until she passed away in 2002. During her lifetime Haas exhibited in countless exhibitions including one person shows. Haas' works are held in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Library of Congress, the City of San Francisco, the Seattle Museum of Art, the Dallas Museum of Fine Art, the Worcester Art Museum, and the Cleveland Art Museum. Hildegarde Haas was among 83 artists profiled in 'Paths to the Press: Printmaking and American Women Artists 1910-1960', edited by Elizabeth G. Seaton and published by Beach Museum, Kansas State University.

Synesthesia: Throughout her lifetime Haas had a condition known as synesthesia. Synesthesia is a perceptual phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. Many famous artists, poets, musicians and authors throughout history have had synesthesia including painters Wassily Kandinsky and Vincent Van Gough, musicians Duke Ellington and Billy Joel, and writer and poet Vladimir Nabokov. Haas' form of synesthesia is known as 'projective synesthesia'. With projective synesthesia Haas saw colors, shapes and/or forms when experiencing audio stimulation. Haas used this condition to her advantage in creating some of her works of art. While working in her studio she would listen to music, and paint what she 'saw'. This is a work from Haas' classical music series. In her classical music series Haas created paintings while she listened to classical music pieces by Bach, Handel, and Beethoven, and painted what she experienced.

The work offered here was created while Haas' enjoyed Bach's English Suite No.2 in A Minor - V Bouree.

Excellent condition.