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JANICE BIALA (1903-2000) Hillside (Provincetown) 28 1/2 x 36 in (72.4 x 91.3 cm) (Painted in 1958) image 1
JANICE BIALA (1903-2000) Hillside (Provincetown) 28 1/2 x 36 in (72.4 x 91.3 cm) (Painted in 1958) image 2
Lot 110

JANICE BIALA
(1903-2000)
Hillside (Provincetown)

15 May 2025, 14:00 EDT
New York

Sold for US$38,400 inc. premium

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JANICE BIALA (1903-2000)

Hillside (Provincetown)
signed 'Biala' (lower right); inscribed and dated '400-10 Hillside - 1958' (on the stretcher)
oil on canvas
28 1/2 x 36 in (72.4 x 91.3 cm)
Painted in 1958

Footnotes

Provenance
Estate of the artist.
The Tibor de Nagy Gallery, New York.
Acquired from the above by the present owner.

Exhibited
New York, The American Federation of the Arts, Provincetown: A Painter's Place, November 1962 - November 1963.

Provincetown, Massachusetts, Provincetown Art Association & Museum, Biala: Provincetown Summers, August 10 - September 30, 2018.

Painted in 1958, Hillside (Provincetown) captures Janice Biala's lyrical synthesis of landscape and abstraction at a pivotal moment in her career. The late 1950s marked a period of critical acclaim and international recognition for Biala, following her extended stays in France and her growing prominence within New York's avant-garde community. This period saw her mature style emerge - one that balanced European modernist influences with the bold, gestural vitality of American painting.

With an assured palette of deep blues, earthy greens, and ochres, Biala conjures the distinctive topography of Provincetown's windswept hills, filtered through abstraction and memory. Her rhythmic, interlocking forms evoke not only the landscape's physicality but also its emotional atmosphere, reflecting her deep connection to Provincetown as a site of artistic freedom and exploration.

Hillside (Provincetown) was included in Provincetown: A Painter's Place, an important traveling exhibition organized by The American Federation of the Arts between 1962 and 1963. The exhibition surveyed the vibrant artistic community that had flourished in Provincetown throughout the 20th century, showcasing artists who shaped the region's reputation as a vital center for modern art. Featuring works by prominent artists such as Hans Hofmann, Jack Tworkov, and Perle Fine, Biala's inclusion in this show underscored her significant role within this influential group of artists.

Additional information

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