Original Watercolor After Geoffrey Holder — "Woman in a Yellow Dress," Signed L. Gustafson

Geoffrey Holder (1930–2014) was a Trinidadian-American artist, dancer, choreographer, and director whose reputation as a visual painter is finally receiving the attention it deserves. He won two Tony Awards in 1975 for directing and costume design for The Wiz — the first Black man ever nominated in either category — and received a Guggenheim Fellowship in painting in 1957. His work is held in the Studio Museum in Harlem and has been exhibited at James Fuentes gallery in New York and Victoria Miro in London. He was known throughout his career for figurative paintings of women, often in vibrant yellows and warm interiors.

This is an original watercolor by Leigh Gustafson, made after a painting by Geoffrey Holder and annotated as such in the artist's own hand: "Copy Geoffrey Holder — Woman in a Yellow Dress." It depicts a seated woman in a yellow dress rendered in layered watercolor washes — warm, unhurried, with the loose quality that watercolor allows and oil doesn't. Signed "L. Gustafson" lower left, professionally matted and framed in a gold-tone wood frame, ready to hang.

A copy made by a serious student or admirer of another artist's work is a legitimate and recognized category of art object. This one is signed, annotated, and honestly documented. It carries the subject and sensibility of a Holder painting in a different hand and medium.

Details

• Artist: Leigh Gustafson, after Geoffrey Holder (1930–2014)
• Title: Woman in a Yellow Dress (annotated: "Copy Geoffrey Holder")
• Medium: Original watercolor on paper
• Signature: Hand-signed "L. Gustafson" lower left, titled in pencil
• Frame: Gold-tone wood with white mat, under glass
• Framed: 16″ W × 20″ H
• Image visible: approx. 7″ W × 11″ H

Condition Excellent vintage condition. Watercolor clean and unfaded. Frame shows minimal wear consistent with age. Ready to hang.