Agnes Martin’s Grey Stone II

Video (3:56): Sotheby’s Senior Specialist, Courtney Kremers, guides you through Agnes Martin’s style of work and the many great artists that inspired her. Grey Stone II (1961) by Agnes Martin was sold at an auction in November 2023.

Wikipedia writes, [Agnes Martin] moved to New York City in 1957 and lived in a loft in Coenties Slip in lower Manhattan. The Coenties Slip was also home to several other artists and their studios. There was a strong sense of community although each had their own practices and artistic temperaments. The Coenties Slip was also a haven for the queer community in the 1960s. It is speculated that Martin was romantically involved with the artist Lenore Tawney (1907–2007) during this time. A pioneer of her time, Agnes Martin never publicly expressed her sexuality, but has been described as a “closeted homosexual.” The 2018 biography Agnes Martin: Pioneer, Painter, Icon describes several romantic relationships between Martin and other women, including the dealer Betty Parsons. (footnotes not included)

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