Esther Pressoir: A Modern Woman’s Painter

Esther Pressoir: A Modern Woman Painter explores the life and work of Esther Estelle Pressoir, an American modernist who lived from 1902 to 1986. The book highlights her expressionistic style, which combined figuration and abstraction, and her provocative renderings of the female nude. It also examines her private travel journal, letters, and paintings, prints, and drawings, which were recovered from her art studio after her death. The book establishes Pressoir as a significant force in emergent feminism and modern art in America and restores her to her rightful place in the canon of art and women's history.

Format: Hardback
Length: 152 pages
Publication date: 05 February 2024
Publisher: Lund Humphries Publishers Ltd

Esther Pressoir: A Modern Woman Painter explores the vibrant art scene of the early 20th century, both in America and abroad, through the extensive body of work of Esther Estelle Pressoir. The first book to present the diverse oeuvre of this American modernist, spanning her long life (1902-86) with a particular focus on the interwar decades (1920-40), this comprehensive volume sheds light on the artistic journey of Stella, as she was known to her friends. Hailing from a working-class immigrant family in New England, Stella defied societal expectations and ventured into the studios, galleries, and nightclubs of New York. Following an extraordinary 18,000 km bicycle trip across Europe in 1927, where she documented her experiences in a daily journal and created hundreds of sketches, Pressoir developed an expressive style that seamlessly merged figuration and abstraction. Her bold and provocative renderings of the female nude challenged historical models, featuring unapologetic self-portraits and intimate depictions of her lifelong model, muse, and lover, a black dancer from Harlem named Florita.

In this captivating examination, Pressoir's work is brought to life through an exploration of her private travel journal, letters, and a vast collection of paintings, prints, and drawings, some of which were discovered in the time capsule of her art studio after her passing. By contextualizing her work within the company of trailblazing contemporaries such as Alice Neel, Florine Stettheimer, and Suzanne Valadon, Esther Pressoir: A Modern Woman Painter establishes Pressoir as a formidable force in the decades of emerging feminism and modern art in America. It also restores her to her rightful place in the expanding canon of art and women's histories.

Weight: 782g
Dimension: 196 x 258 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781848226005