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JACK LEVINE (AMERICAN 1915-2010) Post Script to The Roaring Tropics, circa 1970-1972 oil on canvas 91.5 x 101.6 cm (36 x 40 in.) framed dimensions: 113.5 x 123.5 x 8 cm (44 3/4 x 48 5/8 x 3 1/8 in.) signed lower left PROVENANCE Kennedy Galleries, New York Sid Deutsch Gallery, New York (label on verso) John H. Surovek, Palm Beach (label on verso) Sotheby's, New York, October 2, 2018, Lot 14 LOT NOTES Jack Levine was a towering figure in 20th-century American art, best known for his acerbic social commentary and painterly realism that bridged satire and humanism. Born in Boston to Lithuanian-Jewish immigrants, Levine studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and rose to prominence during the 1930s as part of the Social Realist movement. His early works, often populated by politicians, clergy, and the urban poor, placed him alongside artists such as Ben Shahn and Philip Evergood in chronicling the inequities of American life. Levine’s art combined the technical discipline of the Old Masters with the biting wit of modern caricature. His compositions are marked by bold color, vigorous brushwork, and a penetrating psychological insight into his subjects. After World War II, Levine expanded his focus to include broader themes - class, power, sensuality, and the absurdities of human behavior - filtered through an unmistakable mixture of irony and compassion. Postscript to the Roaring Tropics exemplifies Levine’s mature style: a vibrant, densely worked composition blending humor, sensuality, and critique. The figures - rendered in expressive, sculptural forms - capture both vitality and decadence, evoking the moral and social commentary that defined Levine’s career. Here, the painter’s keen observation and painterly bravura merge to explore the excesses and contradictions of modern life, underscored by an almost theatrical intensity of color and gesture. Levine’s works are held in major institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. His paintings remain celebrated for their technical mastery and for their uncompromising vision of the human condition. CONDITION Observed in frame, the work is in good condition, no visible issues to report. Not inspected under UV light. N.B. Condition reports are available upon request. All lots are sold in as-is condition at the time of sale. Please note that any condition statement regarding works of art is given as a courtesy to our clients in order to assist them in assessing the condition. The report is a genuine opinion held by Shapiro Auctions and should not be treated as a statement of fact. The absence of a condition report or a photograph does not preclude the absence of defects or restoration, nor does a reference to particular defects imply the absence of any others. Shapiro Auctions, LLC., including its consultants and agents, shall have no responsibility for any error or omission.