Lot 95
James Purdy (American, 1914-2009). Two untitled drawings. Pen and ink on paper, 1992. Both signed and dated at lower right. A fascinating pair of abstract portraits by American writer and artist James Purdy, whose haunting literary voice extended into the visual realm with equal originality. Executed in free-flowing, continuous ink lines, each drawing reveals a spare yet emotionally resonant human presence - one with a solitary, front-facing figure, the other presenting a double portrait, one figure in profile, the other frontal. These minimalist forms - at once innocent and enigmatic - echo the spectral characters that populate Purdy's fiction: vulnerable, estranged, and quietly intense. "I don't know how to draw, I just let the pencil go," Purdy once said, and indeed, these portraits seem less drawn than conjured - emerging like whispers from the same inner landscape that shaped his uncompromising literary vision. Size: 8" W x 11" H (20.3 cm x 27.9 cm)
James Purdy (19142009) was an American novelist, poet, playwright, and artist whose singular voice and daring explorations of outsider life earned him a cult following and critical admiration. Known for his dark, poetic prose and unflinching portrayals of loneliness, sexuality, and the fractured American psyche, Purdy wrote over a dozen novels, including Malcolm (1959) and The Narrow Room (1958), which drew praise from literary giants like Gore Vidal, Tennessee Williams, and Edith Sitwell.
In addition to his writing, Purdy was also a visual artist who created a body of distinctive ink and pencil drawings that often echoed the psychological intensity and haunting themes of his fiction. His drawings - frequently portraits and figures rendered with bold, expressive linework - stand as intimate reflections of his creative world, further revealing his fascination with the human condition in all its fragility and strangeness.
Provenance: private Rochester, Minnesota, USA collection, acquired from 1990 -1998
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#192090
- Condition: Both signed and dated at lower right. Both mounted on cardboard backing behind protective plastic film. Have not been examined outside of film, but appear to be in excellent overall condition.
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