ART-044 Paul Savitt (American, 1924–2010) — Large Abstract Circular Painting on Wood, Rainbow Palette, 35.5" diameter, c.1980s–90s

A large and vivid abstract circular painting on wood — thick, textured, and painted in a rich, layered rainbow palette — attributed to Paul Savitt (American, 1924–2010), an abstract artist who spent most of his life in New York City and exhibited at the Daniel Broder Gallery, New York, in 1990 in a show that included an essay by respected art critic Donald Kuspit.

This piece is one of eleven similar circular painted wood panels that came to auction together at Public Sale Auction House in Hudson, NY — almost certainly from Savitt's studio estate, where hundreds of works were discovered in a storage locker in Upstate New York after the artist's death in 2010. At 35.5 inches in diameter and 1.5 inches deep, this is a substantial, room-filling work with genuine physical presence. The thick, gestural application of paint in overlapping rainbow hues gives the surface a richly tactile quality that photographs only begin to capture.

The circular format — a tondo in art historical terms — is one of the most demanding compositional choices in abstract painting: without corners or edges to anchor the composition, the artist must create internal energy and structure through the paint itself. The rainbow palette here feels celebratory, bold, and alive.

Dual-Function Piece:

The auction house notes this piece can be hung on a wall as art or used as a decorative tabletop surface — the thick wood panel at 1.5 inches deep gives it real structural weight and the ability to serve both roles. As a display tabletop on a pedestal or stand it would be extraordinary; as a wall piece in a contemporary or eclectic interior, equally so.

About Paul Savitt:

Paul Savitt (1924–2010) was a New York City-based abstract artist whose work ranges from paintings to drawings. His most significant public exhibition was Paul Savitt: The Beginning at the Daniel Broder Gallery, New York City (April 4 – May 19, 1990), accompanied by a catalog with an essay by Donald Kuspit — one of the most respected and widely published art critics in America, whose imprimatur carries genuine weight in the art world. After Savitt's death, a large body of work — hundreds of paintings and drawings — was discovered in a storage locker in Upstate New York and subsequently offered through Public Sale Auction House in Hudson, NY, which has been representing his estate work since 2021.

Details:

• Artist: Paul Savitt (American, 1924–2010)
• Medium: Paint on wood panel
• Palette: Rainbow — thick, layered, gestural
• Format: Circular (tondo)
• Dimensions: 35.5" H × 35.5" W × 1.5" D
• Signature: No visible signature
• Date: Circa 1980s–1990s
• Function: Wall art or decorative tabletop surface

Condition:

Good overall condition. No visible paint flaking. Minor wear to the wood, especially around the edges, consistent with age and storage. Estate fresh to market.