“Converging Lines: Eva Hesse and Sol LeWitt explores the close friendship between two significant American artists of the postwar era: Eva Hesse (1936–1970) and Sol LeWitt (1928–2007). While their practices diverged in numerous ways, this exhibition illuminates the crucial impact of their friendship on both their art and their lives, featuring 50 works, including many that have not been publicly exhibited for decades.
Hesse and LeWitt first met in New York in the late 1950s. They and other artists, including Robert Mangold, Sylvia Plimack Mangold and Robert Ryman, as well as the art critic Lucy Lippard, all lived near each other on the Bowery in New York City and supported one another in various and significant ways. Despite the differences between their artistic processes, Hesse and LeWitt developed a close bond, evident in the extensive correspondence that ensued over the course of their friendship, which lasted more than a decade.” — The Cleveland Museum of Art
Run I, 1962. Sol LeWitt (American, 1928–2007). Oil on canvas and wood; 63 1/2 x 63 1/2 x 3 1/2 in. LeWitt Collection, Courtesy Pace Gallery, New York. © 2015 The LeWitt Estate / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
No title, 1963. Eva Hesse (American, 1936–1970). Ink, watercolor, pencil, and crayon on paper; 22 3/8 x 28 1/2 in. LeWitt Collection, Chester, Connecticut. © The Estate of Eva Hesse. Courtesy Hauser & Wirth.
3 x 3 x 3, 1965. Sol LeWitt (American, 1928–2007). Painted wood; 14 1/2 x 14 1/2 x 14 1/2 in. LeWitt Collection, Chester, Connecticut. © 2015 The LeWitt Estate / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Sol LeWitt Letter to Eva Hesse, April 14, 1965. Sol LeWitt (American, 1928–2007). Ink on paper, 5 pages. LeWitt Collection, Chester, Connecticut. © 2015 The LeWitt Estate / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Accession V, 1968. Eva Hesse (American, 1936–1970). Galvanized steel and rubber; 10 x 10 x 10 in. LeWitt Collection, Chester, Connecticut. © The Estate of Eva Hesse. Courtesy Hauser & Wirth.
Untitled, 1968. Eva Hesse (American, 1936–1970). Gouache, watercolor, silver paint, and pencil on paper; 22 1/8 x 15 1/4 in. Private collection. © The Estate of Eva Hesse. Courtesy Hauser & Wirth.
No title, 1969. Eva Hesse (American, 1936–1970). Gouache, watercolor, silver, and bronze paint on paper; 21 3/4 x 17 1/4 in. Agnes Gund Collection, New York. © The Estate of Eva Hesse. Courtesy Hauser & Wirth.
Wall Drawing #46: Vertical lines, not straight, not touching, uniformly dispersed with density covering the entire surface of the wall (detail), 1970. Sol LeWitt (American, 1928–2007). Pencil on wall; dimensions variable. LeWitt Collection, Chester, Connecticut. © 2016 The LeWitt Estate / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
15 Postcards to Lucy Lippard, 1976. Sol LeWitt (American, 1928–2007). Fifteen postcards with color inks mounted on board; 26 1/2 x 13 3/4 in. Addison Gallery of American Art, Gift of Lucy Lippard (AA 1954), Addison Art Drive, 1991.80. © 2015 The LeWitt Estate / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Wall Drawing #797 (detail), 1995. Sol LeWitt (American, 1928–2007). Black, red, yellow, and blue marker on wall; dimensions variable. LeWitt Collection, Chester, Connecticut. © 2015 The LeWitt Estate / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.
Organized by the Blanton Museum of Art at the University of Texas at Austin. Images courtesy The Cleveland Museum of Art.