Lot 177: ALEXANDER BROOK (1898-1980) THE MODEL

Graphite "The Model" by Alexander Brook (1898-1980, American), Signed in Pencil by the artist. In Frame 19"x24"x1 1/4". Weight 6 pds. PROVENANCE: A Charleston SC Private Estate. Alexander Brook was born in Brooklyn, New York on July 14, 1898. At the age of sixteen Brook was painting ancient statuary at Pratt Institute, after a bout of polio that fortunately left no traces. At the age of seventeen he enrolled at the Art Students League where in time he became a member of the faculty. Life became a series of successes. He won second prize to Picasso's first prize at the Carnegie Institute Original Drawing Early in his career, while developing his personal style, Brook wrote articles for art journals to supplement his income. He eventually became the assistant director of the Whitney Studio Club, later known as the Whitney Museum of Art, where he worked to promote contemporary, representational art. Brook built a solid reputation for himself during the twenties and thirties with his genre scenes and portraits painted in a realistic manner, winning several important awards. He won second prize to Picasso's first prize at the Carnegie Institute International Exhibitioon of Modern Painting in 1930. In 1938, Brook traveled south to Savannah, Georgia and found the city to be a great source of inspiration. He returned in 1940 and moved into a studio housed in a former cotton warehouse on the Riverfront. He lived in the town, off and on, over the next decade, executing some of his best work there. One of his paintings showing an impoverished, African American shantytown on the outskirts of Savannah won first place at the Carnegie Exposition in 1939. Following his military service in World War Il, Brook returned to Savannah with his wife,Gina Knee, who was also an artist. Brook and Knee divided their time between New York and Savannah, and their home became a gathering place for local artists and their friends, including Hattie Saussy. Brook painted many portraits and genre scenes for his own pleasure as well as commissioned paintings during his time in Georgia. The couple also actively supported the area's local causes, including the theater and library. While living in Savannah, Brook exhibited his work, wrote articles for art publications and produced two covers for the Saturday Evening Post. In 1948, Brook left Savannah and purchased a home on Long Island, New York, where he retired from painting in 1966 and died in 1980.

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