Critical Eye

SAN FRANCISCO—Patrick Heron’s impact on the modern-art movement is often overlooked, yet the late critic championed the stylistic strides of Matisse and Bonnard in his midcentury writings when more studied figurative representation reigned supreme in the art world. As a painter—having studied briefly at the Slade School of Art in 1937—Heron sought out color above all else in his own abstract canvases. Through March 1, 20 of his works are the subject of an exhibition, Heron’s first solo show in the U.S., at San Francisco’s Hackett-Freedman gallery. On display is the full range of his oeuvre, including his 1986-to-1995 color-drenched “Late Garden Paintings,” and his “Jigsaw” pieces, of geometric shapes in bold hues, from the late 1960s to the early ‘70s. Prices range from $45,000 to $450,000. 

"Critical Eye" originally appeared in the February 2008 issue of Art+Auction. For a complete list of articles from this issue available on ARTINFO, see Art+Auction's February 2008 Table of Contents.