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Shirley Jaffe (1923-2016) Untitled, c. 1950's
Dimensions
36.5 × 27 cm | 14.4 × 10.6 in
Medium
Mixed Media on Paper
Sold For
6,500 €
8,320 € with buyer’s premium (rate at the time of sale)
Estimate: 2,000 - 3,000 €
Details
Signed “Shirley Jaffe” lower right.
Sizes:
Frame: 58 × 48.5 cm | 22.8 × 19.1 in
Artwork: 36.5 × 27 cm | 14.4 × 10.6 in
Shirley Jaffe Untitled (c.1950’s) is from her Paris period when she was moving from figuration to lyrical abstraction. The composition is a cascade of gestural brushstrokes — reds, greens, yellows and blues dancing across the paper in a way that feels both spontaneous and deliberate. Through these expressive marks she captures the post war energy of the École de Paris while keeping her own rhythm and harmony.
Mixed media on paper the work shows Jaffe’s instinctive balance between color and line. The textured surface where transparent washes meet dense pigment is musical and would later become a hallmark of her geometric abstraction. Here we see the painter searching for structure within movement — a moment of transformation frozen in light and pigment.
This early work shows Jaffe’s sensitivity to emotion and atmosphere, qualities that would become the hallmark of her mature work. It’s a rare document of her evolution — a bridge between the intuitive language of gestural abstraction and the visual architecture of her later style.
Condition Report
Good vintage condition with some signs of wear. Framed.
Authenticity & Buyer Information
This lot is catalogued under the artist’s name without qualification and is covered by our Five-Year Authenticity Guarantee under Section 4 of the Conditions of Sale. The guarantee concerns authorship; it does not extend to provenance, dating, condition or value, which are described to the best of our knowledge.
Buyers should review the catalogue carefully and raise any questions before bidding; additional information is not ordinarily provided after the auction.
5-Year Authenticity Guarantee
Five years on authorship for works catalogued under the artist’s name without qualification (Section 4 of our Conditions of Sale); headings such as “Attributed to” or “Circle of” are sold as described.
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Questions about this lot
How does the estimate compare with the artist’s recent auction results?
The estimate of €2,000–€3,000 is our opinion of the range this work should reach; We have not published comparable results for this lot; ask us before the sale and we will send the results we based the estimate on.
What will this lot cost in total?
Bidding on this site, the buyer’s premium is 25%, Spanish IVA included, and there is no VAT on the hammer price and no card fee: at the low estimate of €2,000 the total is €2,500; at the high estimate of €3,000 the total is €3,750.
Through LiveAuctioneers, Invaluable, Drouot or Bidspirit the premium is 30%, so the same hammer of €3,000 costs €3,900 there. Shipping and insurance are quoted separately; the estimator on this page gives the figure for your country. Buyers outside the EU pay no Spanish tax on the lot; the destination’s import rules apply (United States: original paintings and drawings enter duty-free; United Kingdom: 5% import VAT on art). Card payments are accepted up to €10,000; larger amounts by bank transfer.
Is the attribution covered by the Five-Year Authenticity Guarantee?
Yes. This lot is catalogued under the artist’s name without qualification, so it carries our Five-Year Authenticity Guarantee under Section 4 of the Conditions of Sale: if the authorship proves materially incorrect, you may return the work within five years for a refund of the purchase price. The guarantee concerns authorship; provenance, dating, condition and value are described to the best of our knowledge and are not guaranteed.
Can I see the condition report, more photographs or the work itself?
A condition report with ultraviolet photographs is prepared on request, normally within two working days; the condition summary on this page is examined in-house and is not a conservator’s report. Further photographs of any detail, the reverse or the frame are sent on request. The work can be examined in our Barcelona showroom by appointment before the sale, and you are welcome to send your own conservator or specialist.
Shirley Jaffe
American
(1923-2016)
Shirley Jaffe was an abstract painter whose big paintings and strong colour put her in the top tier of post-war abstraction. Born in New Jersey and living in Paris for most of her life, Jaffe moved from gestural Abstract Expressionism to a precise, geometric style with flat, interlocking shapes and rhythmic colour. Her paintings, playful yet structured, show a deep understanding of balance and tension.
Throughout her long career Jaffe was independent – not part of any movement but in conversation with the great abstract innovators of her time. Her later paintings, often called “musical constructions”, translate urban life into pure form. By stripping away gesture and embracing clarity she created a language where intuition meets discipline, where colour and shape can express harmony, chaos and the beat of modern life.
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