American Monotypes from the Baker/Pisano Collection | Page 18

Milton Avery (American, 1893–1965)
Tender Flower, 1950

Color monotype and gouache, 8 1/2 x 11 in.
Collection of The Heckscher Museum, Huntington, New York. Gift of
the Baker/Pisano Collection, 2001.9.5

In 1949, Milton Avery suffered a major heart attack. During
his recovery period in Maitland, Florida, Avery and his wife
Sally Michel stayed in one of the residences of the Research
Studio at the Maitland Art Center. There, fellow artist and
friend Boris Margo encouraged Avery to make monotypes. He
had previously, like a number of artists, experimented with the
process, but embracing the media at that troubling point in his
life proved to be an epiphany; the monotype was an exciting
and exacting art form. As his health improved, Avery returned
to working in oil and watercolor, however, he continued making
monotypes for the rest of his career.
NOTES:
Cole, foreword to Milton Avery: Monotypes, unpaginated.
For biographical information, see Johnson and Miller, Milton Avery:
Prints and Drawings, 1930-1964.

14

T H E E X H I B I T IO N