Unidentified Paintings
The paintings listed below and in Appendix B of the catalogue raisonné are known only from references in exhibition catalogues or in the files of the Morris Louis Archives. The paintings could not be located prior to the publication of the catalogue raisonné, nor are photographs known to exist. All available information is included in the catalogue entries. It is possible that a painting included in this appendix may also be catalogued under another title. These paintings have been catalogued by the letters A through P, rather than by numbers, to distinguish them from the identified paintings.
A. Aviator. c. 1950
Dimensions and medium unknown
Exhibitions:
Baltimore Museum of Art (cat. no. 48), 1950
B. Nest. c. 1950
Dimensions unknown
Collage
Exhibitions:
Baltimore Museum of Art (cat. no. 49), 1950
Remarks:
When exhibited in Baltimore in 1950 this collage won the Berkeley T. Rulon Miller Memorial Prize of $50.00 for any medium showing original work in a modern direction. The jury members were: Mary Callery, Lee Gatch, and Carl Zigrosser.
C. Vertical-Vertigo. 1951
Dimensions and medium unknown
Exhibitions:
Washington, D.C.: Workshop Art Center Gallery (cat. no. 10), 1953
D. Within-Without. 1951
Dimensions and medium unknown
Exhibitions:
Washington, D.C.: Workshop Art Center Gallery (cat. no. 11), 1953
E. Canto I. c. 1952
Dimensions unknown
Oil on canvas
Exhibitions:
Baltimore Museum of Art (cat. no. 74), 1952
F. Falling Upward. 1952
Dimensions and medium unknown
Exhibitions:
Washington, D.C.: Workshop Art Center Gallery (cat. no. 7), 1953
G. Legend. c. 1952
Dimensions and medium unknown
Exhibitions:
Washington, D.C.: Workshop Center of the Arts, 1953
References:
Portner 1953 (B 6), p. 5L
H. Set Free. 1952
Dimensions and medium unknown
Exhibitions:
Washington, D.C.: Workshop Art Center Gallery (cat. no. 8), 1953
I. Snow Flowering Image. 1952
Dimensions and medium unknown
Exhibitions:
Washington, D.C.: Workshop Art Center Gallery (cat. no. 6), 1953
J. Flood.
5 ft. 3 1/2 in. x 8 ft. 9 in. (161.3 x 266.7 cm.)
Exhibitions:
New York: French & Company (cat. no. 10), 1960
Remarks:
This painting appears on a list made by the artist on 1 February 1960; he assigned it the number 53 and gave its dimensions as 5’3 1/2” x 8’9”. These dimensions are the same as those of a painting taken to Los Angeles by the dealer Everett Ellin and later destroyed at the artist’s request. Since the dimensions are unusual for Louis’s paintings, it is likely that Flood was the destroyed painting.
K. Joust.
12 ft. 7 in. x 8 ft. 3 1/2 in. (383.5 x 252.7 cm.)
Exhibitions:
New York: French & Company (cat. no. 16), 1960
Remarks:
This painting appears on a list made by the artist on 1 February 1960; he assigned it the number 67 and gave its dimensions as 12’7” x 8’3 1/2”.
L. Ziggurat.
15 x 9 ft. (457.2 x 274.3 cm.)
Remarks:
This painting appears on a list made by the artist on 1 February 1960; he assigned it the number 37 and gave its dimensions as 15’ x 9’. It was first titled Ziggernot, but was changed to Ziggerat. Louis marked it “not for show,” because its dimensions made it too high to hang at French & Company in New York, which was the gallery where he exhibited in 1960.
M. Arcana.
Dimensions unknown
Provenance:
The artist
Park International, New York
N. Exter.
? x 11 ft. 6 in. (? x 350.5 cm.)
Provenance:
The artist
Park International, New York
Remarks:
Records in the files of James Lebron, who made all the stretchers for Louis’s paintings during the artist’s lifetime, indicate that he measured Exter for Park International on 12 September 1962. He stretched the painting on 13 February 1963 “for Sarah Lawrence College.”
O. Descent.
6 ft. 6 in. x 8 ft. 6 in.
Provenance:
The artist
Park International, New York
Remarks:
A reference in the Louis Estate Archives refers to Descent as a “small green veil” measuring 6 1/2’ x 8 1/2’.
P. Number 5-71.
8 ft. 7 in. x 15 ft. (261.1 x 457.2 cm.)
ML 5-71
Collection:
Estate of the artist
Remarks:
References in the files of the Morris Louis Estate describe this painting as a “large veil.” It was included in the estate inventory taken in 1962. The painting is missing and no photograph is known to exist.