Bidspirit auction | John Opper ”#39” Abstract Oil

John Opper ”#39” Abstract Oil Painting - John Opper (American, 1908-1994). Oil on canvas painting titled ”#39,” depicting broad bands of vibrant blue, red, and orange pigment on yellow ground. Signed and titled along the verso Provenance: Distinguished Corporate Collection. Lot essay: Academically trained, like many of his peers, John Opper arrived in New York in 1934, two years after graduating from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. He soon entered what he later referred to as a ”great gestation period” for his art, studying from 1935 to 1936 under Hans Hofmann, a pivotal figure in Abstract Expressionism. This mentorship shifted Opper’s focus toward understanding visual forces and tensions within the picture plane. Although he grew increasingly familiar with modernism, Opper resisted fully embracing abstraction during the 1930s and early 1940s. He noted that he was torn ”between the needs of the society and the needs of war on one hand, and on […] what I felt were the aesthetic needs of painting, ” viewing pure abstraction as conflicting with his deep philosophical commitment to social reform. Following World War II, Opper resolved his personal tension between abstraction and his philosophical ideals, experiencing a definitive shift in how he viewed art; he began to understand painting as an end in itself rather than a vessel for social commentary. In the later decades of his career, Opper moved away from the dense, expressionistic style of earlier years, shifting his artistic evolution from abstract gestural works influenced by nature to refined, pure forms of abstraction. He ultimately built his legacy as a prominent Abstract Expressionist, celebrated for large canvases featuring dynamic, controlled vertical bands composed of luminous, tactile overlays of color. Unframed; height: 59 in x width: 54 3/4 in. Framed; height: 60 3/4 in x width: 56 3/4 in x depth: 2 1/4 in. Condition: The colors are bold and bright. There are no tears, losses, or signs of repair. Light wear along the extreme edges, including two small darkened regions along the lower edge, visible upon close inspection. Light wear to the frame. Not inspected out of frame.