Leonard Baskin(American, 1922-2000)
Fruitfulness From Permanence, 1967
bronze
signed L Baskin and numbered 3/8 (lower left)
19 1/4 x 16 inches.

Property from the Michael Hall Collection, Miami Beach, Florida

Leonard Baskin was born in 1922 in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and was raised in Brooklyn, New York. From 1937 to 1943, he studied sculpture with Maurice Glickman at the Educational Alliance in Manhattan. Baskin studied at Yale University from 1941 to 19­43, and earned a B.A. at the New School for Social Research in 1949. In the early 1950s, Baskin studied in Florence and Paris. He taught printmaking and sculpture at Smith College in Northhampton, Massachusetts for 21 years beginning in 1953. During this time, he founded Gehenna Press, which published more than 100 fine-art illustrated editions. Baskin created many important public commissions, including sculpture for the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and the Woodrow Wilson Memorial, in both Washington D.C., and the Holocaust Memorial in Ann Arbor, MI. The artist received numerous honors, among them the Jewish Cultural Achievement Award, the Gold Medal of the National Academy of Arts and Letters, and a Guggenheim Fellowship.

Note: By all accounts, Michael Hall, actor, collector and art dealer, was a memorable character who led a truly remarkable life. Michael delighted in being outrageous - frequently the life of the party, always with an entertaining repertory of anecdotes and jokes. Michael was also a very serious collector with an inquisitive nature, extremely passionate and opinionated concerning his chosen field of Renaissance and Baroque Works of Art, and was always willing to share his vast knowledge. Michael was mentored by Wilhelm Valentiner, a specialist in Italian Renaissance Art and then a consultant to what would become the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Through Valentiner, Hall was introduced to Sir John Pope-Hennessy and Sir Kenneth Clark, and formed friendships with a number of authorities including Rudolf Wittkower, H.W. Janson and Francis Watson. In 1963, Hall moved to New York, and with William Mills, opened a gallery at 6 East 79th Street. His clients grew to include among others, Charles and Jayne Wrightsman, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Art, Boston, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Detroit Institute of Art. In later years, Michael and his husband, Thomas divided time between their Florida, New York and Connecticut residences, but never stopped enjoying and collecting decorative arts. Those who knew Michael would agree his passion for collecting knew no bounds.

Weathered patina.
Please contact palmbeachcr@hindmanauctions.com for a complete condition report.