Original Watercolour
Maurice Sievan - Abstract Watercolour
“Figures Embracing”
New York School abstract watercolour by an important mid-century American modernist
Key Details
Artist: Maurice Sievan (1898–1981)
Title: “Fugures Embracing”
Medium: Watercolour
Support: Paper
Signature: Signed “Sievan” lower right
Dimensions: Image: 39 × 32 cm (15.4 × 12.6 in) •
Framed: sympathetically framed with ivory mount
Condition: Mint condition, both artwork and frame.
Provenance: Private UK collection
Description
A striking original abstract watercolour by New York School artist Maurice Sievan. The composition suggests two semi-figurative forms rendered in soft washes of green, grey, and ochre, revealing the lyrical and philosophical sensibility that defined Sievan’s mature work. Atmospheric and contemplative, the painting reflects the artist’s enduring interest in the human form as metaphor rather than literal depiction.
About the Artist
Maurice Sievan was a Ukrainian-born American painter whose career bridged American Scene realism and philosophical abstraction. After emigrating to New York in 1908, he studied at Pratt Institute, the National Academy of Design, the Art Students League, and later in Paris with André L’Hote. A participant in the WPA Easel Project, Sievan became known for his introspective New York landscapes before moving toward abstraction in the 1950s and 60s. Closely associated with artists such as Mark Rothko and Milton Avery, he taught at Queens College for over two decades. His work is held by major institutions including the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Estimated Date
Mid-20th century, likely 1950s–1960s
Provenance & Notes
From a private UK collection. Original artwork (not a print). Signed by the artist. A thoughtful example of Sievan’s abstract period, well suited to collectors of New York School and mid-century American art.
