Hanna Ben Dov (1919-2009) - Lyrical Abstraction from 1960’s New School of Paris

Hanna Ben-Dov (1919–2009)
Original work on paper – 1960s – Lyrical Abstraction

Details
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Medium: Ink on paper
Period: 1960s
Signature: Signed on the front

Provenance: Private collection

Condition: Very good overall; a small fold is visible along the corner without affecting the composition.

Framing: Sold unframed (any images showing a frame are for illustration purposes only).

Dimensions of the drawing: 49.5cm x 32cm.

Description

This striking ink drawing by Hanna Ben-Dov exemplifies the purity and expressive power of her lyrical abstraction during the 1960s. Executed with confident, fluid gestures, the composition reveals a dynamic interplay between strength and restraint. Each line carries the immediacy of movement, while the surrounding white space amplifies the sense of rhythm and silence.

The artist’s mastery of ink is evident in the contrast between dense, assertive strokes and subtle gradations of tone created by the natural diffusion of the medium. The result is a composition that feels both spontaneous and deeply meditative — a visual record of the artist’s inner rhythm.

Ben-Dov’s ink works from this period are rare and highly sought after, embodying her search for a pictorial language freed from representation, where gesture and light become the true subjects of the composition.

Context

After settling in Paris in the late 1940s, Hanna Ben-Dov became a prominent figure within the post-war avant-garde. Closely associated with Constantin Brancusi, she participated in the Second School of Paris alongside Joan Mitchell, Jean Degottex, Zao Wou-Ki, Jacques Yankel, Tal Coat, and Reginald Pollack.

Her works from the 1960s mark a pivotal stage in her artistic evolution. During this decade, she dedicated herself to exploring the expressive possibilities of ink and wash on paper, investigating the tension between gesture and emptiness, matter and light. Exhibitions at Galerie Cinq Mars (1960) and Galerie de l’Abbaye (1974), as well as her participation in the Largentière 1960 group show, positioned her among the leading abstract painters of her generation.

Significance

This work captures the essence of Ben-Dov’s lyrical abstraction — a synthesis of emotion, rhythm, and spatial harmony. The simplicity of the medium enhances the immediacy of her gesture, transforming ink into a vehicle for introspection and poetic resonance.

Created in the intimacy of her Paris studio, this piece reflects the artist’s most refined period, when her exploration of the fluidity of ink reached a state of rare equilibrium between spontaneity and contemplation.

A rare and authentic ink drawing by Hanna Ben-Dov — a vivid expression of lyrical abstraction, where each line becomes both movement and silence.