Apr 06, 2023 - Sale 2632

Sale 2632 - Lot 49

Price Realized: $ 32,500
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 25,000 - $ 35,000
WADSWORTH JARRELL (1929 - )
José Williams Playing the Sax.

Watercolor on green wove paper, circa 1970. 1016x864 mm; 40x34 inches. Signed in watercolor, lower right.

Provenance: gift from the artist; collection of the artist José Williams.

This Wadsworth Jarrell dynamic double portrait of fellow artist José Williams is an extraordinary AfriCOBRA painting, and a scarce representation of the moment in Chicago. In addition to being a screenprint artist and the owner of the AFAM gallery, José Williams was also a saxophonist, and often performed at the openings at Jae and Wadsworth Jarrell's WJ Studio and Gallery. Since the late 1950s, Jarrell has depicted live jazz musicians performing in his painting. This striking portrait is a wonderful display of both his distinctive aesthetic and his ability to capture a live performance.